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Topic 7: Educational Technology
How Is Technology Used In And For School?
Technology and the media are interwoven, and neither can be separated from contemporary society in most core and semi-peripheral nations. Media is a term that refers to all print, digital, and electronic means of communication. From the time the printing press was created (and even before), technology has influenced how and where information is shared. Today, it is impossible to discuss media and the ways societies communicate without addressing the fast-moving pace of technology change. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to share news of your baby's birth or a job promotion, you phoned or wrote letters. You might tell a handful of people, but you probably wouldn't call up several hundred, including your old high school chemistry teacher, to let them know. Now, you might join an online community of parents-to-be even before you announce your pregnancy via a staged Instagram picture. The circle of communication is wider than ever and when we talk about how societies engage with technology, we must take media into account, and vice versa.
Technology creates media. The comic book you bought your daughter is a form of media, as is the movie you streamed for family night, the web site you used to order takeout, the billboard you passed on the way to pick up your food, and the newspaper you read while you were waiting for it. Without technology, media would not exist, but remember, technology is more than just the media we are exposed to.
Categorizing Technology
There is no one way of dividing technology into categories. Whereas once it might have been simple to classify innovations such as machine-based or drug-based or the like, the interconnected strands of technological development mean that advancement in one area might be replicated in dozens of others. For simplicity's sake, we will look at how the U.S. Patent Office, which receives patent applications for nearly all major innovations worldwide, addresses patents. This regulatory body will patent three types of innovation.Utility patents are the first type. These are granted for the invention or discovery of any new and useful process, product, or machine, or for a significant improvement to existing technologies. The second type of patent is a design patent. Commonly conferred in architecture and industrial design, this means someone has invented a new and original design for a manufactured product. Plant patents, the final type, recognize the discovery of new plant types that can be asexually reproduced. While genetically modified food is the hot-button issue within this category, farmers have long been creating new hybrids and patenting them. A more modern example might be food giant Monsanto, which patents corn with built-in pesticide (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 2011).
Anderson and Tushman (1990) suggest an evolutionary model of technological change, in which a breakthrough in one form of technology leads to a number of variations. Once those are assessed, a prototype emerges, and then a period of slight adjustments to the technology, interrupted by a breakthrough. For example, floppy disks were improved and upgraded, then replaced by Zip disks, which were in turn improved to the limits of the technology and were then replaced by flash drives. This is essentially a generational model for categorizing technology, in which first-generation technology is a relatively unsophisticated jumping-off point that leads to an improved second generation, and so on.
VIOLENCE IN MEDIA AND VIDEO GAMES: DOES IT MATTER?
One of the most popular video games, Grand Theft Auto, has frequently been at the center of debate about gratuitous violence in the gaming world. (Photo courtesy of Meddy Garnet/flickr)
A glance through popular video game and movie titles geared toward children and teens shows the vast spectrum of violence that is displayed, condoned, and acted out.
As a way to guide parents in their programming choices, the motion picture industry put a rating system in place in the 1960s. But new media—video games in particular—proved to be uncharted territory. In 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ERSB) set a ratings system for games that addressed issues of violence, sexuality, drug use, and the like. California took it a step further by making it illegal to sell video games to underage buyers. The case led to a heated debate about personal freedoms and child protection, and in 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the California law, stating it violated freedom of speech (ProCon 2012).
Children's play has often involved games of aggression—from cowboys and Indians, to cops and robbers, to fake sword fights. Many articles report on the controversy surrounding the suggested link between violent video games and violent behavior. Is the link real? Psychologists Anderson and Bushman (2001) reviewed forty-plus years of research on the subject and, in 2003, determined that there are causal linkages between violent video game use and aggression. They found that children who had just played a violent video game demonstrated an immediate increase in hostile or aggressive thoughts, an increase in aggressive emotions, and physiological arousal that increased the chances of acting out aggressive behavior (Anderson 2003).
Ultimately, repeated exposure to this kind of violence leads to increased expectations that violence is a solution, increased violent behavioral scripts, and an increased cognitive accessibility to violent behavior (Anderson 2003). In short, people who play a lot of these games find it easier to imagine and access violent solutions than nonviolent ones, and they are less socialized to see violence as a negative. While these facts do not mean there is no role for video games, it should give players pause. In 2013, The American Psychological Association began an expansive meta-analysis of peer-reviewed research analyzing the effect of media violence. Results are expected in 2014.
Types of Media and Technology
Media and technology have evolved hand in hand, from early print to modern publications, from radio to television to film. New media emerge constantly, such as we see in the online world.
Print Newspaper
Early forms of print media, found in ancient Rome, were hand-copied onto boards and carried around to keep the citizenry informed. With the invention of the printing press, the way that people shared ideas changed, as information could be mass produced and stored. For the first time, there was a way to spread knowledge and information more efficiently; many credit this development as leading to the Renaissance and ultimately the Age of Enlightenment. This is not to say that newspapers of old were more trustworthy than the Weekly World News and National Enquirer are today. Sensationalism abounded, as did censorship that forbade any subjects that would incite the populace.
The invention of the telegraph, in the mid-1800s, changed print media almost as much as the printing press. Suddenly information could be transmitted in minutes. As the nineteenth century became the twentieth, U.S. publishers such as Hearst redefined the world of print media and wielded an enormous amount of power to socially construct national and world events. Of course, even as the media empires of William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were growing, print media also allowed for the dissemination of countercultural or revolutionary materials. Internationally, Vladimir Lenin's Irksa (The Spark) newspaper was published in 1900 and played a role in Russia's growing communist movement (World Association of Newspapers 2004).
With the invention and widespread use of television in the mid-twentieth century, newspaper circulation steadily dropped off, and in the 21st century, circulation has dropped further as more people turn to internet news sites and other forms of new media to stay informed. According to the Pew Research Center, 2009 saw an unprecedented drop in newspaper circulation––down 10.6 percent from the year before (Pew 2010).
This shift away from newspapers as a source of information has profound effects on societies. When the news is given to a large diverse conglomerate of people, it must maintain some level of broad-based reporting and balance in order to appeal to a broad audience and keep them subscribing. As newspapers decline, news sources become more fractured, so each segment of the audience can choose specifically what it wants to hear and what it wants to avoid. Increasingly, newspapers are shifting online in an attempt to remain relevant. It is hard to tell what impact new media platforms will have on the way we receive and process information.
Increasingly, newspapers are shifting online in an attempt to remain relevant. It is hard to tell what impact new media platforms will have on the way we receive and process information. The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism (2013) reported that audiences for all the major news magazines declined in 2012, though digital ad revenue increased. The same report suggested that, while newspaper circulation is holding steady at around $10 billion after years of decline, it is digital pay plans that allow newspapers to keep their heads above water, and the digital ad revenue that is increasing for news magazines is not enough to compensate for print revenue loss in newspapers.
A 2014 report suggested that U.S. adults read a median of five books per year in 2013, which is about average. But are they reading traditional print or e-books? About 69 percent of people said they had read at least one printed book in the past year, versus 28 percent who said they'd read an e-book (DeSilver 2014). Is print more effective at conveying information? In recent study, Mangen, Walgermo, and Bronnick (2013) found that students who read on paper performed slightly better than those who read an e-book on an open-book reading comprehension exam of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. While a meta-analysis of research by Andrews (1992) seemed to confirm that people read more slowly and comprehend less when reading from screens, a meta-analysis of more recent research on this topic does not show anything definite (Noyes and Garland 2008).
Television and Radio
Radio programming obviously preceded television, but both shaped people's lives in much the same way. In both cases, information (and entertainment) could be enjoyed at home, with a kind of immediacy and community that newspapers could not offer. For instance, many people in the United States might remember when they saw on television or heard on the radio that the Twin Towers in New York City had been attacked in 2001. Even though people were in their own homes, media allowed them to share these moments in real time. This same kind of separate-but-communal approach occurred with entertainment too. School-aged children and office workers gathered to discuss the previous night's installment of a serial television or radio show.
Right up through the 1970s, U.S. television was dominated by three major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) that competed for ratings and advertising dollars. The networks also exerted a lot of control over what people watched. Public television, in contrast, offered an educational nonprofit alternative to the sensationalization of news spurred by the network competition for viewers and advertising dollars. Those sources—PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), the BBC (British Broadcasting Company), and CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company)—garnered a worldwide reputation for high-quality programming and a global perspective. Al Jazeera, the Arabic independent news station, has joined this group as a similar media force that broadcasts to people worldwide.
The impact of television on U.S. society is hard to overstate. By the late 1990s, 98 percent of U.S. homes had at least one television set, and the average person watched between two and a half and five hours of television daily. All this television has a powerful socializing effect, providing reference groups while reinforcing social norms, values, and beliefs.
The film industry took off in the 1930s, when color and sound were first integrated into feature films. Like television, early films were unifying for society: as people gathered in theaters to watch new releases, they would laugh, cry, and be scared together. Movies also act as time capsules or cultural touchstones for society. From Westerns starring the tough-talking Clint Eastwood to the biopic of Facebook founder and Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg, movies illustrate society's dreams, fears, and experiences. While many consider Hollywood the epicenter of moviemaking, India's Bollywood actually produces more films per year, speaking to the cultural aspirations and norms of Indian society. Increasingly, people are watching films online via Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and other streaming services. While most streaming video companies keep their user data secret, Nielsen estimated that 38 percent of U.S. citizens accessed Netflix in 2013. In 2013, Google, Inc. reported that YouTube served 1 billion unique viewers every month—an impressive number, considering that it amounts to one-third of the estimated 3 billion accessing the Internet every month (Reuters 2013; International Telecommunication Union 2014).
Netflix, one form of new media, exchanges information in the form of DVDs to users in the comfort of their own homes. (Photo courtesy of Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar/flickr)
New media encompasses all interactive forms of information exchange. These include social networking sites, blogs, podcasts, wikis, and virtual worlds. Clearly, the list grows almost daily. However, there is no guarantee that the information offered is accurate. In fact, the immediacy of new media coupled with the lack of oversight means we must be more careful than ever to ensure our news is coming from accurate sources.
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE: TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BUILT TO CRASH
People have trouble keeping up with technological innovation. But people may not be to blame, as manufacturers intentionally develop products with short life spans. (Photo courtesy of Mathias F. Svendsen/flickr)
Chances are your mobile phone company, as well as the makers of your laptop and your household appliances, are all counting on their products to fail. Not too quickly, of course, or consumers wouldn't stand for it—but frequently enough that you might find that it costs far more to fix a device than to replace it with a newer model. Or you find the phone company e-mails you saying that you're eligible for a free new phone, because yours is a whopping two years old. And appliance repair people say that while they might be fixing some machines that are twenty years old, they generally aren't fixing those that are seven years old; newer models are built to be thrown out. This strategy is called planned obsolescence, and it is the business practice of planning for a product to be obsolete or unusable from the time it is created.
To some extent, planned obsolescence is a natural extension of new and emerging technologies. After all, who is going to cling to an enormous and slow desktop computer from 2000 when a few hundred dollars can buy one that is significantly faster and better? But the practice is not always so benign. The classic example of planned obsolescence is the nylon stocking. Women's stockings—once an everyday staple of women's lives––get "runs" or "ladders" after only a few wearings. This requires the stockings to be discarded and new ones purchased. Not surprisingly, the garment industry did not invest heavily in finding a rip-proof fabric; it was in manufacturers' best interest that their product be regularly replaced.
Those who use Microsoft Windows might feel that like the women who purchased endless pairs of stockings, they are victims of planned obsolescence. Every time Windows releases a new operating system, there are typically not many innovations in it that consumers feel they must have. However, the software programs are upwardly compatible only. This means that while the new versions can read older files, the old version cannot read the newer ones. In short order, those who have not upgraded right away find themselves unable to open files sent by colleagues or friends, and they usually wind up upgrading as well.
Ultimately, whether you are getting rid of your old product because you are being offered a shiny new free one (like the latest smartphone model), or because it costs more to fix than to replace (like the iPod model), or because not doing so leaves you out of the loop (like the Windows model), the result is the same. It might just make you nostalgic for your old Sony Discman and simple DVD player.
Companies use advertising to sell to us, but the way they reach us is changing. Naomi Klein identified the destructive impact of corporate branding her 1999 text, No Logo, an antiglobalization treatise that focused on sweatshops, corporate power, and anticonsumerist social movements. In the post-millennial society, synergistic advertising practices ensure you are receiving the same message from a variety of sources and on a variety of platforms. For example, you may see billboards for Miller beer on your way to a stadium, sit down to watch a game preceded by a Miller commercial on the big screen, and watch a halftime ad in which people are shown holding up the trademark bottles. Chances are you can guess which brand of beer is for sale at the concession stand.
Advertising has changed, as technology and media have allowed consumers to bypass traditional advertising venues. From the invention of the remote control, which allows us to skip television advertising without leaving our seats, to recording devices that let us watch programs but skip the ads, conventional television advertising is on the wane. And print media is no different. Advertising revenue in newspapers and on television fell significantly in 2009, which shows that companies need new ways of getting their messages to consumers.
One model companies are considering to address this advertising downturn uses the same philosophy as celebrity endorsements, just on a different scale. Companies are hiring college students to be their on-campus representatives, and they are looking for popular students engaged in high-profile activities like sports, fraternities, and music. The marketing team is betting that if we buy perfume because Beyoncé tells us to, we'll also choose our cell phone or smoothie brand if a popular student encourages that choice. According to an article in the New York Times, fall semester 2011 saw an estimated 10,000 U.S. college students working on campus as brand ambassadors for products from Red Bull energy drinks to Hewlett-Packard computers (Singer 2011). As the companies figure it, college students will trust one source of information above all: other students.
Homogenization and Fragmentation
Despite the variety of media at hand, the mainstream news and entertainment you enjoy are increasingly homogenized. Research by McManus (1995) suggests that different news outlets all tell the same stories, using the same sources, resulting in the same message, presented with only slight variations. So whether you are reading the New York Times or the CNN's web site, the coverage of national events like a major court case or political issue will likely be the same.
Simultaneously with this homogenization among the major news outlets, the opposite process is occurring in the newer media streams. With so many choices, people increasingly customize their news experience, minimizing their opportunity to encounter information that does not jive with their worldview (Prior 2005). For instance, those who are staunchly Republican can avoid centrist or liberal-leaning cable news shows and web sites that would show Democrats in a favorable light. They know to seek out Fox News over MSNBC, just as Democrats know to do the opposite. Further, people who want to avoid politics completely can choose to visit web sites that deal only with entertainment or that will keep them up to date on sports scores. They have an easy way to avoid information they do not wish to hear.
Media and technology have been interwoven from the earliest days of human communication. The printing press, the telegraph, and the Internet are all examples of their intersection. Mass media have allowed for more shared social experiences, but new media now create a seemingly endless amount of airtime for any and every voice that wants to be heard. Advertising has also changed with technology. New media allow consumers to bypass traditional advertising venues and cause companies to be more innovative and intrusive as they try to gain our attention.
It is difficult to conceive of any one theory or theoretical perspective that can explain the variety of ways in which people interact with technology and the media. Technology runs the gamut from the match you strike to light a candle all the way up to sophisticated nuclear power plants that might power the factory where that candle was made. Media could refer to the television you watch, the ads wrapping the bus you take to work or school, or the magazines you flip through in a dentist's waiting room, not to mention all the forms of new media, including Instagram, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, and the like. Are media and technology critical to the forward march of humanity? Are they pernicious capitalist tools that lead to the exploitation of workers worldwide? Are they the magic bullet the world has been waiting for to level the playing field and raise the world's poor out of extreme poverty? Choose any opinion and you will find studies and scholars who agree with you––and those who disagree.
Functionalism
Because functionalism focuses on how media and technology contribute to the smooth functioning of society, a good place to begin understanding this perspective is to write a list of functions you perceive media and technology to perform. Your list might include the ability to find information on the Internet, television's entertainment value, or how advertising and product placement contribute to social norms.
Commercial Function
TV commercials can carry significant cultural currency. For some, the ads during the Super Bowl are more water cooler-worthy than the game itself. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Yang/flickr)
As you might guess, with nearly every U.S. household possessing a television, and the 250 billion hours of television watched annually by people in the United States, companies that wish to connect with consumers find television an irresistible platform to promote their goods and services (Nielsen 2012). Television advertising is a highly functional way to meet a market demographic where it lives. Sponsors can use the sophisticated data gathered by network and cable television companies regarding their viewers and target their advertising accordingly. Whether you are watching cartoons on Nick Jr. or a cooking show on Telemundo, chances are advertisers have a plan to reach you.
And it certainly doesn't stop with television. Commercial advertising precedes movies in theaters and shows up on and inside public transportation, as well as on the sides of building and roadways. Major corporations such as Coca-Cola bring their advertising into public schools, by sponsoring sports fields or tournaments, as well as filling the halls and cafeterias of those schools with vending machines hawking their goods. With rising concerns about childhood obesity and attendant diseases, the era of soda machines in schools may be numbered. In fact, as part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act and Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative, a ban on junk food in school began in July 2014.
Entertainment Function
An obvious manifest function of media is its entertainment value. Most people, when asked why they watch television or go to the movies, would answer that they enjoy it. And the numbers certainly illustrate that. While 2012 Nielsen research shows a slight reduction of U.S. homes with televisions, the reach of television is still vast. And the amount of time spent watching is equally large. Clearly, enjoyment is paramount. On the technology side, as well, there is a clear entertainment factor to the use of new innovations. From online gaming to chatting with friends on Facebook, technology offers new and more exciting ways for people to entertain themselves.
Social Norm Functions
Even while the media is selling us goods and entertaining us, it also serves to socialize us, helping us pass along norms, values, and beliefs to the next generation. In fact, we are socialized and resocialized by media throughout our whole lives. All forms of media teach us what is good and desirable, how we should speak, how we should behave, and how we should react to events. Media also provide us with cultural touchstones during events of national significance. How many of your older relatives can recall watching the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on television? How many of those reading this textbook followed the events of September 11 or Hurricane Katrina on television or the Internet?
Just as in Anderson and Bushman's (2011) evidence in the Violence in Media and Video Games: Does It Matter? feature, debate still exists over the extent and impact of media socialization. One recent study (Krahe et al. 2011) demonstrated that violent media content does have a desensitizing affect and is correlated with aggressive thoughts. Another group of scholars (Gentile, Mathieson, and Crick 2011) found that among children exposure to media violence led to an increase in both physical and relational aggression. Yet, a meta-analysis study covering four decades of research (Savage 2003) could not establish a definitive link between viewing violence and committing criminal violence.
It is clear from watching people emulate the styles of dress and talk that appear in media that media has a socializing influence. What is not clear, despite nearly fifty years of empirical research, is how much socializing influence the media has when compared to other agents of socialization, which include any social institution that passes along norms, values, and beliefs (such as peers, family, religious institutions, and the like).
Life-Changing Functions
Like media, many forms of technology do indeed entertain us, provide a venue for commercialization, and socialize us. For example, some studies suggest the rising obesity rate is correlated with the decrease in physical activity caused by an increase in use of some forms of technology, a latent function of the prevalence of media in society (Kautiainen et al. 2011). Without a doubt, a manifest function of technology is to change our lives, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Think of how the digital age has improved the ways we communicate. Have you ever used Skype or another webcast to talk to a friend or family member far away? Or maybe you have organized a fund drive, raising thousands of dollars, all from your desk chair.
Of course, the downside to this ongoing information flow is the near impossibility of disconnecting from technology that leads to an expectation of constant convenient access to information and people. Such a fast-paced dynamic is not always to our benefit. Some sociologists assert that this level of media exposure leads to narcotizing dysfunction, a result in which people are too overwhelmed with media input to really care about the issue, so their involvement becomes defined by awareness instead of by action (Lazerfeld and Merton 1948).
Conflict Perspective
In contrast to theories in the functional perspective, the conflict perspective focuses on the creation and reproduction of inequality—social processes that tend to disrupt society rather than contribute to its smooth operation. When we take a conflict perspective, one major focus is the differential access to media and technology embodied in the digital divide. Conflict theorists also look at who controls the media, and how media promotes the norms of upper-middle-class white people in the United States while minimizing the presence of the working class, especially people of color.
Control of Media and Technology
Powerful individuals and social institutions have a great deal of influence over which forms of technology are released, when and where they are released, and what kind of media is available for our consumption, which is a form of gatekeeping. Shoemaker and Voss (2009) define gatekeeping as the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are shaped into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount. In other words, the people in charge of the media decide what the public is exposed to, which, as C. Wright Mills (1956) famously noted, is the heart of media's power. Take a moment to think of the way "new media" evolve and replace traditional forms of hegemonic media. With hegemonic media, a culturally diverse society can be dominated by one race, gender, or class that manipulates the media to impose its worldview as a societal norm. New media weakens the gatekeeper role in information distribution. Popular sites such as YouTube and Facebook not only allow more people to freely share information but also engage in a form of self-policing. Users are encouraged to report inappropriate behavior that moderators will then address.
In addition, some conflict theorists suggest that the way U.S. media are generated results in an unbalanced political arena. Those with the most money can buy the most media exposure, run smear campaigns against their competitors, and maximize their visual presence. Almost a year before the 2012 U.S. presidential election, the candidates––Barack Obama for the Democrats and numerous Republican contenders––had raised more than $186 million (Carmi et al. 2012). Some would say that the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee is a major contributing factor to our unbalanced political arena. In Citizens United, the Supreme Court affirmed the right of outside groups, including Super Political Action Committees (SuperPACs) with undisclosed donor lists, to spend unlimited amounts of money on political ads as long as they don't coordinate with the candidate's campaign or specifically advocate for a candidate. What do you think a conflict perspective theorist would suggest about the potential for the non-rich to be heard in politics, especially when SuperPACs ensure that the richest groups have the most say?
Technological Social Control and Digital Surveillance
Social scientists take the idea of the surveillance society so seriously that there is an entire journal devoted to its study, Surveillance and Society. The panoptic surveillanceenvisioned by Jeremy Bentham, depicted in the form of an all-powerful, all-seeing government by George Orwell in 1984, and later analyzed by Michel Foucault (1975) is increasingly realized in the form of technology used to monitor our every move. This surveillance was imagined as a form of constant monitoring in which the observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never communicated with directly. Today, digital security cameras capture our movements, observers can track us through our cell phones, and police forces around the world use facial-recognition software.
Feminist Perspective
What types of women are we exposed to in the media? Some would argue that the range of female images is misleadingly narrow. (Photo courtesy of Cliff1066/flickr)
Take a look at popular television shows, advertising campaigns, and online game sites. In most, women are portrayed in a particular set of parameters and tend to have a uniform look that society recognizes as attractive. Most are thin, white or light-skinned, beautiful, and young. Why does this matter? Feminist perspective theorists believe this idealized image is crucial in creating and reinforcing stereotypes. For example, Fox and Bailenson (2009) found that online female avatars conforming to gender stereotypes enhance negative attitudes toward women, and Brasted (2010) found that media (advertising in particular) promotes gender stereotypes. As early as 1990,Ms. magazine instituted a policy to publish without any commercial advertising.
The gender gap in tech-related fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) is no secret. A 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce Report suggested that gender stereotyping is one reason for this gap which acknowledges the bias toward men as keepers of technological knowledge (US Department of Commerce 2011). But gender stereotypes go far beyond the use of technology. Press coverage in the media reinforces stereotypes that subordinate women; it gives airtime to looks over skills, and coverage disparages women who defy accepted norms.
Recent research in new media has offered a mixed picture of its potential to equalize the status of men and women in the arenas of technology and public discourse. A European agency, the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women (2010), issued an opinion report suggesting that while there is the potential for new media forms to perpetuate gender stereotypes and the gender gap in technology and media access, at the same time new media could offer alternative forums for feminist groups and the exchange of feminist ideas. Still, the committee warned against the relatively unregulated environment of new media and the potential for antifeminist activities, from pornography to human trafficking, to flourish there.
Increasingly prominent in the discussion of new media and feminism is cyberfeminism, the application to, and promotion of, feminism online. Research on cyberfeminism runs the gamut from the liberating use of blogs by women living in Iraq during the second Gulf War (Peirce 2011) to an investigation of the Suicide Girls web site (Magnet 2007).
Symbolic Interactionism
Technology itself may act as a symbol for many. The kind of computer you own, the kind of car you drive, your ability to afford the latest Apple product—these serve as a social indicator of wealth and status. Neo-Luddites are people who see technology as symbolizing the coldness and alienation of modern life. But for technophiles, technology symbolizes the potential for a brighter future. For those adopting an ideological middle ground, technology might symbolize status (in the form of a massive flat-screen television) or failure (ownership of a basic old mobile phone with no bells or whistles).
Social Construction of Reality
Meanwhile, media create and spread symbols that become the basis for our shared understanding of society. Theorists working in the interactionist perspective focus on this social construction of reality, an ongoing process in which people subjectively create and understand reality. Media constructs our reality in a number of ways. For some, the people they watch on a screen can become a primary group, meaning the small informal groups of people who are closest to them. For many others, media becomes a reference group: a group that influences an individual and to which an individual compares himself or herself, and by which we judge our successes and failures. We might do very well without the latest smartphone, until we see characters using it on our favorite television show or our classmates whipping it out between classes.
While media may indeed be the medium to spread the message of rich white males, Gamson, Croteau, Hoynes, and Sasson (1992) point out that some forms of media discourse allow competing constructions of reality to appear. For example, advertisers find new and creative ways to sell us products we don't need and probably wouldn't want without their prompting, but some networking sites such as Freecycle offer a commercial-free way of requesting and trading items that would otherwise be discarded. The web is also full of blogs chronicling lives lived "off the grid," or without participation in the commercial economy.
Social Networking and Social Construction
While Tumblr and Facebook encourage us to check in and provide details of our day through online social networks, corporations can just as easily promote their products on these sites. Even supposedly crowd-sourced sites like Yelp (which aggregates local reviews) are not immune to corporate shenanigans. That is, we think we are reading objective observations when in reality we may be buying into one more form of advertising.
Facebook, which started as a free social network for college students, is increasingly a monetized business, selling you goods and services in subtle ways. But chances are you don't think of Facebook as one big online advertisement. What started out as a symbol of coolness and insider status, unavailable to parents and corporate shills, now promotes consumerism in the form of games and fandom. For example, think of all the money spent to upgrade popular Facebook games like Candy Crush. And notice that whenever you become a "fan," you likely receive product updates and special deals that promote online and real-world consumerism. It is unlikely that millions of people want to be "friends" with Pampers. But if it means a weekly coupon, they will, in essence, rent out space on their Facebook pages for Pampers to appear. Thus, we develop both new ways to spend money and brand loyalties that will last even after Facebook is considered outdated and obsolete.
There are myriad theories about how society, technology, and media will progress. Functionalism sees the contribution that technology and media provide to the stability of society, from facilitating leisure time to increasing productivity. Conflict theorists are more concerned with how technology reinforces inequalities among communities, both within and among countries. They also look at how media typically give voice to the most powerful, and how new media might offer tools to help those who are disenfranchised. Symbolic interactionists see the symbolic uses of technology as signs of everything from a sterile futuristic world to a successful professional life.
What is educational technology?
In the following video various individuals give their viewpoint on what educational technology is. If the video does not show up below you can view it on YouTube by clicking this link.
Class Messenger & Remind
Unfamiliar with these two tech products for teachers? You're not alone. Make it a habit to follow educational technology news to keep up to speed with the latest educational technology. The following article discusses How is Class Messenger is different than Remind 101 (now 'Remind')?. You can read this article by clicking this link. There's always something new, learn now how to evaluate a tool's potential effectiveness. There's a fine line between trying everything new (feels a lot like chasing your tail) and trying tools for a 'gap' in your effectiveness in teaching instruction, curriculum development, resource organization or productivity. Once you get a tech tool that works, it's okay to stick with it even if the new 'shiny' similar app is released. Some programs or tech tools are just too good to stop using and sometimes you don't need all the bells and whistles.
Teachers as Facilitators
As technology permeates all aspects of our classroom instruction, there is a trend for teachers to move into a facilitator or coaching position. This trend emphasizes small-group instruction over whole-class learning. SAMR is a theory on effective use of technology in instruction. Click here to see the video: SAMR
Sugata Mitra's The Child-Driven Education
The following video is a Ted Talk by Sugata Mitra about The Child-Driven Education. In it he tackles one of the greatest problems of education — the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching. If the video does not show up below you can view it on YouTube by clicking this link.
Why Data is Important for Teachers
The following is a pictorial of the importance of data to teaching. If the images does not show up below you can view it online by clicking this link.
Technology & Curriculum
his is a link to the archives of the Journal of Technology Education
Introduction to Sociology 2e. Authored by: OpenStax CNX. Located at: http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e.. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49
All rights reserved content
What is Educational Technology?. Authored by: KatellLombino. Located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTrqPj2Jk50. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube
Sugata Mitra: The Child Driven Education . Authored by: TED Talks. Located at: http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright


text:
#region License

#endregion

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using System.Threading;
using Ktos;

namespace BasicRestServer.Netmf
{
    public delegate void ProcessRequest(HttpListenerRequest req, HttpListenerResponse res);

    public class BasicRestServer
    {
        private ArrayList routes;

        const int BUFFER_SIZE = 1024;

        public BasicRestServer()
        {
            routes = new ArrayList();
            m_responseQueue = new Queue();
        }

        public void AddRoute(string method, string pathRegExp, ProcessRequest processor)
        {
            routes.Add(new Route() { Method = method, Uri = pathRegExp, Handler = processor });
        }

        private void handleRequestThread()
        {
            HttpListenerContext context = null;

            try
            {
                lock (m_responseQueue)
                {
                    context = (HttpListenerContext)m_responseQueue.Dequeue();
                }

                if (context != null)
                {
                    runHandler(context);
                }
            }
            catch (SocketException)
            {
            }
            finally
            {
                if (context != null)
                {
                    context.Close();
                }
            }
        }

        private void runHandler(HttpListenerContext context)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < routes.Count; i++)
            {
                Route x = routes[i] as Route;
                if (context.Request.HttpMethod.ToUpper() == x.Method.ToUpper())
                {
                    Regex r = new Regex(x.Uri);
                    if (r.IsMatch(context.Request.RawUrl))
                    {
                        x.Handler(context.Request, context.Response);
                        return;
                    }
                }
            }

            showNotFound(context);
        }

        ///
        /// Showing Not Found message. This method may be overwritten in descendant classes.
        ///
        /// <param name="obj">Listener context</param>
        protected virtual void showNotFound(System.Net.HttpListenerContext obj)
        {
            obj.Response.ContentType = "text/html";
            obj.Response.StatusCode = 404;
            obj.Response.StatusDescription = "Not Found";
            obj.Response.OutputStream.WriteString("
Requested Document Not Found
");
        }

        Queue m_responseQueue;
        HttpListener listener;

        public void Start(string prefix, int port)
        {
            listener = new HttpListener(prefix, port);

            while (true)
            {
                try
                {
                    if (!listener.IsListening)
                    {
                        listener.Start();
                    }

                    HttpListenerContext context = listener.GetContext();
                    lock (m_responseQueue)
                    {
                        m_responseQueue.Enqueue(context);
                    }

                    Thread th = new Thread(new ThreadStart(handleRequestThread));
                    th.Start();
                }
                catch (InvalidOperationException)
                {
                    listener.Stop();
                    Thread.Sleep(200);
                }
                catch (ObjectDisposedException)
                {
                    listener.Start();
                }
                catch
                {
                    Thread.Sleep(200);
                }
            }
        }

        public void Stop()
        {
            listener.Stop();
        }

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Rise, Resist & Unite...V-Day & The Vagina Monolouges
V-Day Sedona/ Organizations Across the Globe
Back after a five year hiatus, V-Day Sedona joins with hundreds of other productions across the globe in celebrating V-Day's 20th anniversary with an act of artistic activism. For its 20th anniversary, V-Day is calling on activists around the world to Rise, Resist and Unite.
Video Art on China's Demolished Urban Scenery
Cao Fei, Gucci
Rumba II: Nomad (3'24'' excerpt) 2015 / video / 14mins 16secs Sound by Dickson Dee Commissioned by GUCCI
Inside the house that Theaster built
Inside the house that Theaster built Rising art star and activist Theaster Gates is transforming his neighbourhood, one building at a time
Mystery Artist Paints Penises Around Potholes To Get Them Fixed
Wanksy
Armed with a can of washable spray paint, an artist in Greater Manchester, England, has embarked on a worthy crusade: to rid the region of potholes… by drawing penises on them. The anonymous artist, who goes by the name "Wanksy," told the Manchester Evening News that he decided to draw attention to the "appalling" pothole-ridden streets after some of his cyclist friends were badly injured on the roads.
The Project Filoctetes
Emilio García Wehbi
The protagonism of the body in the dramatization of marginalized groups is also central to Emilio García Wehbi's Proyecto Filoctetes, an urban intervention staged November 15, 2002, on the streets of Buenos Aires. The project consisted in placing twenty-five lifelike latex mannequins in central, highly trafficked locations around the city in varying positions of injury, physical distress, and abandonment.
"Si 8 Do" Seville Poop Project
Seville Activists
In the Si 8 Do project, Seville activists convened in a neglected barrio during the Euromediterranean Conference on Sustainable Cities, which was taking place in Seville.
I Have a Right Too...
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
CAM brings contemporary art and ideas directly to Saint Louis Public High School and Middle School students through its ArtReach program. Tailored to meet the needs of individual schools and teachers, ArtReach is designed to raise awareness of contemporary issues through an exploration of contemporary art. The program includes a curriculum-based offering of museum tours, school visits, and creative workshops for students and teachers alike.
Robot Dogs and Other Weird Creatures Bring Nature to the City
Natalie Jeremijenko
by Natalie Pompilio Natalie Jeremijenko wants you to feed the animals. She encourages you to text the fish—and makes sure they'll text you back. She turns moths into movie stars and believes the next big thing in urban transportation is human flight.
Mayday Space
Mayday is a neighborhood resource and a citywide destination for engaging programming, a home for radical thought and debate, and a welcoming gathering place for people to work, learn, drink, dance and build together.
Piano Stairs - A New Reason for Choosing Staircases
"Piano Stairs" is an interactive playful musical stairway installation created into the Odenplan underground station of Stockholm to make people use stairs more often than elevator. The project was part of a Wolkswagen initiative called "The fun theory" whose main objective and mission is to "change people's behaviour for the better by making it fun to do."
Birthday Party For A Pothole
Amemos Tijuana
A group of young adults under the name of "Love Tijuana" (Amemos Tijuana) celebrated the one year "Birthday" of a pothole located at the Via Rapida (Tijuana's Freeway) with balloons, banners, and even hats.
Cob Houses, Kitchens, Showers for Homeless People
Artists Building Communities, Essential Food and Medicine, and Living Earth Structures
Members of three organizations – Artists Building Communities, Essential Food and Medicine, and Living Earth Structures – have built a kitchen, clinic, free store, stage, toilet, oven, and shower with and for a homeless community near Wood Street in West Oakland.
Photographing Every Disappearing Manhattan Bodega
Gail Victoria Braddock Quagliata
"is a conceptual documentary project in which I photographed every Mom and Pop-style cornershop on the island of Manhattan as quickly as possible, as I walked each block in the city ( CLICK FOR A MAP of my route). I fear these veritable microcosms of NYC will be swallowed in the presently swelling wave of corporate homogeny.
Invisible Homeless
Luke Jerram, 1625 Independent People
Artist Luke Jerram created a genderless sleeping figure made of glass lying on a piece of cardboard and exhibited in the streets of London. The artist said in an interview "For every person you see sleeping on the streets, there are many others sleeping in hostels, squats and other forms of unsatisfactory and insecure accommodation.
My World Is In Your Blindspot
Tenzing Rigdol
This is a series of paintings reflecting the struggle and sacrifices made by the Tibetan people for independence. The author is Tenzing Rigdol, who is a Tibetan and influenced a lot by the Dalai Lama and traditional Tibetan culture. The paintings are full of Tibetan cultural elements. For instance, the characters created in the paintings are Tibetan monks, who are the typical representatives of their culture.
Singing to Disrupt Housing Auction
Demonstrators aligned with the Occupy Wall Street movement sang their way into handcuffs during a Bronx foreclosure auction Monday to protest the housing crisis that continues to plague the borough. They serenaded a courtroom of real estate investors with the lyrics, "Y'all are speculating off people's pain. With all due respect, you should be ashamed."
The masked artist protesters in a polluted city of China
Artists in Chengdu
In the south-western city of Chengdu, by all accounts a city on the edge coping with heavy pollution but also with authorities scrambling to put a lid on simmering discontent. That night police detained a number of artists who managed to stage a silent demonstration, while wearing face masks.
Ai Weiwei launches controversial public art project focused on immigration
The artist has assembled a set of 300 installations around New York City, based around the concept of fences and borders, to showcase the 'narrow-minded' attempts used to 'create some kind of hatred between people'
Activists and Residents Light Up Bushwick with Anti-Gentrification Signs
NYC Light Brigade
Since Christmas Eve, some lights along the streets and in the houses of Bushwick have spelled out a number of messages quite different from the festive wishes one usually finds during the holiday season. "GENTRIFICATION IS THE NEW COLONIALISM," "NOT 4 SALE," and "NO EVICTION ZONE," some read.
Run #4AllCauses
4 All Causes, Gabriela Moreno, and Patricia Brady
"Lincoln Square — The runners tossed blankets, gloves, jackets and other gear onto the pile, each leaving a piece of where they came from. A French man donated his running shirt and pants, and noted that they were designer wear. Enybe Merritt, 32, contributed a West Virginia University Cycling sweatshirt.
Experimental Wall #27
La Fiambrera
This action was suggested in the workshop assembly by a neighbor of Arrayán street itself. At the end of this street giving the market there was a wall in a state of collapse that concerned the neighborhood. On several occasions, either neighbors or from the same Peña Bética in front of them, they had given by the City Council, but without results. And every day having to go all the way through that gorge with two
Turning a public toilet into a spa
Ruben Santiago
For three days, Ruben Santiago installed, without any official authorization, a hydro-massage shower in a public bathroom in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. The installation also made available to users bath gel, shampoo and towels that were regularly replaced.
Blind Ones
Sao Paulo Art Students
Students from the School of Communication and Art of the University of Sao Paulo perform a skit titled 'Blind Ones' as a protest against consumerism inside a shopping mall of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, December 9, 2013. Related Story: Brazil shopping malls: New epicenter for social protest?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Healthcare Week in Review November 21, 2014
A&B Healthcare Week in Review, November 21, 2014
On November 21, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule entitled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2016". This proposed rule would set forth payment parameters and provisions related to the risk adjustment, reinsurance, and risk corridors programs; cost sharing parameters and cost-sharing reductions; and user fees for Federally-facilitated Exchanges. It would also provide additional standards for the annual open enrollment period for the individual market for benefit years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, essential health benefits, qualified health plans, network adequacy, quality improvement strategies, the Small Business Health Options Program, guaranteed availability, guaranteed renewability, minimum essential coverage, the rate review program, the medical loss ratio program, and other related topics. Comments are due December 26, 2014.
On November 21, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final regulations entitled "Minimum Essential Coverage and Other Rules Regarding the Shared Responsibility Payment for Individuals". This document contains final regulations relating to the requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended by the TRICARE Affirmation Act and Public Law 111-173 (collectively, the Affordable Care Act, or ACA). These final regulations provide individual taxpayers with guidance under section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code on the requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage and rules governing certain types of exemptions from that requirement. These regulations are effective immediately.
On November 21, 2014, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a proposed rule, entitled "Establishment of the Multi-State Plan Program for the Affordable Insurance Exchanges", to implement modifications to the Multi-State Plan (MSP) Program based on the experience of the Program to date. This proposed rule clarifies the approach used to enforce the applicable requirements of the ACA with respect to health insurance issuers that contract with OPM to offer MSP options. The proposed rule amends MSP standards related to coverage area, benefits, and certain contracting provisions under section 1334 of the ACA. Comments are due December 26, 2014.
On November 17, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance for industry entitled "Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Vouchers". Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act), FDA will award priority review vouchers to sponsors of certain rare pediatric disease product applications that meet the criteria specified in that section. These vouchers can be used when submitting future human drug marketing applications that would not otherwise qualify for priority review. These vouchers can be sold or transferred for use to another sponsor any number of times before the voucher is used, as long as the sponsor making the transfer has not yet submitted the application. Because there exists a need for products for rare pediatric diseases, this program is intended to encourage development of new drug and biological products for prevention and treatment of certain rare pediatric diseases. Comments on the draft guidance are due January 16, 2014.
On November 17, 2014, the Census Bureau released a proposed study entitled "Comparing Health Insurance Measurement Error (CHIME)". This study is designed to assess reporting accuracy in surveys that measure health insurance. Several federal, state and private surveys measure health insurance coverage, but have different origins and methodological approaches, and serve different purposes. They also produce different estimates of coverage, and few studies have assessed reporting accuracy across surveys. Previous research indicates that much of the variation in the estimates is rooted in subtle differences in the questionnaires. A common strategy for assessing the validity of a self-reported measure from a survey is a reverse ''record check'' study in which administrative records are assumed to contain the correct status on a given measure (e.g., health insurance coverage). Contact information from the records is used as sample to conduct a survey in which the same information, in this case health insurance, is asked about. Data from the records is then compared to the answers from the survey to assess reporting accuracy. The proposed study will survey a sample of people enrolled in Medica Health Plans (a Minnesota based health insurance plan) whose coverage type is known from the records to be Medicaid, MinnesotaCare, employer-sponsored insurance, non-group coverage within the marketplace (called MNSure) or non-group coverage outside the marketplace. Comments are due January 16, 2015.
On November 17, 2014, CMS announced that the following information collection activity had been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review: "Payments for Services Furnished by Certain Primary Care Providers and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 438.804, 447.400, and 447.410". The information will be used to document expenditures for the specified primary care services in the baseline period for the purpose of then calculating the expenditure eligible for 100 federal matching funds in calendar years 2015 and 2016, should Congress extend the availability of such funding and make no additional changes in statutory language necessitating programmatic alterations. Comments are due December 17, 2014.
On November 17, 2014, CMS released the following information collection activities for public review and comment: 1) Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program; and 2) Certification as a Supplier of Portable X-Ray and Portable X-Ray Survey Report Form and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due January 16, 2015. More information may be found here.
On November 18, 2014, OMB released a notice entitled "Calendar Year 2014 Cost of Outpatient Medical, Dental, and Cosmetic Surgery Services Furnished by Department of Defense Medical Treatment Facilities; Certain Rates Regarding Recovery From Tortiously Liable Third Persons". These rates are for use in connection with the recovery from tortiously liable third persons for the cost of outpatient medical, dental, and cosmetic surgery services furnished by military treatment facilities through the Department of Defense (DoD). The rates were established in accordance with the requirements of OMB Circular A-25, requiring reimbursement of the full cost of all services provided. The CY14 Outpatient Medical, Dental, and Cosmetic Surgery rates referenced are effective upon publication of this notice in the Federal Register and will remain in effect until further notice. Previously published inpatient rates remain in effect until further notice. Pharmacy rates are updated periodically. A full disclosure of the rates is posted at the DoD's Uniform Business Office Web site, which may be accessed here.
On November 20, 2014, FDA announced that a proposed information collection entitled "Risk and Benefit Perception Scale Development" had been submitted to OMB for review and clearance. FDA's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) has an active research program that investigates how direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising influences consumer knowledge, perceptions, and behavior. As OPDP's research program has matured, the way in which they measure risk and benefit perception has evolved over time. This has resulted in perception measures that, while internally valid, tend to vary by study. Consequently, FDA needs a pool of reliable and valid measurement items for assessing consumers' drug risk and benefit perceptions—as well as other elements of prescription drug decision making—consistently across studies. The purpose of this project is to create that measurement pool, thus increasing the rigor and efficiency of FDA's research. Comments on the proposal are due December 22, 2014.
On November 20, 2014, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published an updated monetary amount of the average cost of a health insurance policy as it relates to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The Secretary announces that the revised average cost of a health insurance policy under the VICP is $473.54 per month. More information may be found here.
On November 20, 2014, FDA announced the availability of guidance for industry entitled "Vaginal Microbicides: Development for the Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection". The purpose of this guidance is to assist sponsors in all phases of development of vaginal microbicides, defined as vaginal drug products that prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. The guidance outlines the types of nonclinical studies and clinical trials recommended throughout the drug development process to support approval of vaginal microbicides. This guidance finalizes the draft guidance issued on November 23, 2012.
On November 19, 2014, FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is announced the availability of a document entitled ''Validation Rules for Study Data Tabulation Model (SDTM) Formatted Studies.'' CDER is making this document available to improve the standardization and quality of clinical data submitted to CDER, as well as to improve the predictability of data quality and usefulness. More information may be found here.
On November 19, 2014, FDA announced the opening of a public docket and requesting comments on proposed criteria for ''first generic'' abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) submissions. The purpose is to facilitate FDA's establishment of review prioritization under the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2012 (GDUFA). Establishing clear criteria for this review prioritization category will allow FDA to appropriately prioritize ANDA submissions and track them in a manner consistent with the review prioritization commitments FDA made under GDUFA. Clear criteria for this category will also lead to less industry confusion and more consistent identification of ''first generic'' submissions. Comments must be submitted by December 19, 2014. More information may be found here.
On November 21, 2014, CMS announced a 3- year Medicare Prior Authorization model for non-emergent hyperbaric oxygen therapy services in the states of Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey where there have been high incidences of improper payments for these services. The model will begin on March 1, 2015. More information may be found here.
On November 21, 2014, CMS announced a Town Hall meeting to discuss fiscal year (FY) 2016 applications for add-on payments for new medical services and technologies under the hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS). Interested parties are invited to this meeting to present their comments, recommendations, and data regarding whether the FY 2016 new medical services and technologies applications meet the substantial clinical improvement criterion. The Town Hall Meeting announced in this notice will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2015. 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The meeting will take place in Baltimore, Maryland, and will be available via teleconference. More information may be found here.
On November 21, 2014, FDA announced the availability of a guidance document entitled "Changes to an Approved Application: Biological Products: Human Blood and Blood Components Intended for Transfusion or for Further Manufacture". The guidance document provides manufacturers of licensed whole blood and blood components intended for transfusion or for further manufacture, including source plasma, with recommendations concerning submission of changes to an approved biologics license application (BLA). The guidance document also provides manufacturers of licensed whole blood and blood components recommendations in connection with the applicability and content of comparability protocols and labeling changes. The guidance applies to the manufacture and distribution of licensed products. The guidance announced in this notice finalizes the draft guidance of the same title dated June 2013 and supersedes the document of the same title dated July 2001 (July 2001 guidance).
On November 21, 2014, FDA announced a public workshop entitled ''Developing and Using Precision Therapies in the 'Omics' Era: Generating and Interpreting Evidence for Rare Subsets.'' This public workshop is being cosponsored with the Center for Translational and Regulatory Sciences at the University of Virginia (UVA). The goals of this public workshop are to facilitate discussion on current scientific approaches using rare subsets during drug development programs and to further seek input from multiple stakeholders on approaches to obtain evidence that inform the regulatory evaluation of therapeutic products in rare subsets of patients identified through in-vitro diagnostic testing when specific, controlled trials are not feasible. The workshop will be held on December 12, 2014, beginning at 9:00 AM at FDA's White Oak Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. More information may be found here.
II. LEGISLATION & COMMITTEE ACTION
On November 20, 2014, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Primary Health and Aging Subcommittee held a hearing entitled "Why Are Some Generic Drugs Skyrocketing In Price?" The sole witness for Panel I was Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Panel II witnesses included Stephen W. Schondelmeyer, PharmD, PhD , Professor and Director, PRIME Institute at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy; Robert Frankil, RPh , President, Sellersville Pharmacy, Inc.; Carol Ann Riha; Scott Gottlieb, MD, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; and Aaron S. Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH , Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The hearing follows an investigation launched on October 2, 2014, when Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chairman of the Subcommittee, along with Representative Cummings, issued letters to 14 pharmaceutical companies asking the firms to respond to reports of recent steep price spikes for generic drugs. The lawmakers cited data from the Healthcare Supply Chain Association on recent purchases by group purchasing organizations (GPOs) of ten generic drugs, which suggests that pharmacists "have seen huge upswings in generic drug prices that are hurting patients" and are having a "very significant" impact on pharmacists' ability to continue serving patients. During the hearing lawmakers discussed companion bills introduced by Sanders and Cummings, the Medicaid Generic Drug Price Fairness Act, which would require generic drug manufacturers to pay a rebate to Medicaid when drugmakers raise prices at a rate greater than inflation. More information on the hearing may be found here.
On November 19, 2014, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) unveiled the Hospitals Improvements for Payment (HIP) Act of 2014 discussion draft as part of the Committee's broader effort on Medicare reform, addressing the problems associated with Medicare's two-midnights policy, short inpatient stays, outpatient observation stays, auditing and appeals. Title I of the HIP discussion draft includes detailed solutions to these problems; Title II includes 19 different policies introduced by various members of the Ways and Means Committee that pertain to hospital reform. In response to the release of the discussion draft, Brady stated, "The complex challenges facing hospitals require a comprehensive solution. This draft legislation retains the needed oversight of auditors while offering reforms to the RAC process and appeals, and an additional option to the CMS settlement proposal. It also includes a number of proposed health care policies developed by both Republican and Democrat members of Congress. To determine the best solutions going forward we need all stakeholders to review this discussion draft carefully and provide timely, real-world feedback." A Committee press release on the discussion draft may be found here.
On Wednesday November 19, 2014, the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing entitled "The Role of the White House Chief Technology Officer in the HealthCare.gov Website Debacle." The sole witness for the hearing was Todd Park, former Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Office of Science and Technology Policy. More information may be found here.
On Wednesday November 19, 2014, the House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee held a hearing on a series of veterans' healthcare bills, including: HR 4720 — Medal of Honor Priority Care Act; HR 4887 — Expanding Care for Veterans Act; HR 4997 — United States Leadership to Eradicate Obstetric Fistula Act; HR 5059 — Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act; HR 5475 — A bill to amend title 38, US Code, to improve the care provided by the secretary of Veterans Affairs to newborn children; and the HR 5484 — Toxic Exposure Research Act. More information may be found here.
On Wednesday November 19, 2014, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled "Examining Medical Product Development in the Wake of the Ebola Epidemic". Witnesses for the hearing included Robin Robinson, Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Luciana Borio, assistant commissioner, Counterterrorism Policy, Food and Drug Administration; Rear Adm. Steve Redd, senior adviser for Ebola response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Anthony Fauci, director, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. More information may be found here.
On November 14, 2014, a bipartisan group of 32 lawmakers, led by Representatives Diane Black (R-TN) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) sent a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner calling for adjustments to the Medicare Advantage (MA) risk adjustment and star ratings system. Specifically, the letter calls on CMS to risk-adjust MA plans to account for low-income beneficiaries. They wrote, "The current MA payment system—specifically the risk adjustment payment model and the star ratings and quality bonus program—does not adequately recognize the types of high-cost interventions and care management required to provide high-quality care to the unique and specific needs of dually-eligible beneficiaries." The lawmakers suggest that improvement to the risk adjustment model should consider the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's recommendations to use two years of condition data in the risk adjustment formula, include the number of conditions as an adjustment factor, and include variables for partial and full dual status.
On November 14, 2014, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a revised cost estimate for legislation (H.R. 4015, S. 2000) that would replace the flawed Medicare physician reimbursement scheme known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). According to CBO, replacing SGR would cost $144 billion from 2015 to 2024. This is an increase from CBO's $138 billion ten-year estimate in February, when the bills were introduced. In the document, CBO also estimates that freezing physician payment at the current rate through 2024 would cost $118.9 billion, while giving doctors a 0.5% increase in each of those years would increase the cost to $140.2 billion.
On November 14, 2014, Avalere published an initial analysis of the 2015 Exchange premium files released last week by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The study examines: average lowest-cost Bronze premium by state: 2014 vs. 2015 and percent change; average lowest-cost Silver premium by state: 2014 vs. 2015 and percent change; average second-lowest Silver (SLS) premium by state: 2014 vs. 2015 and percent change; and percent of regions by state where the SLS benchmark plan has changed for 2015. The analysis may be accessed here.
On November 14, 2014, analysts at HealthPocket used newly released 2015 Medicare drug plan data to examine how differences in plans' premiums corresponded to differences in plans' deductibles and enhanced drug coverage during the "donut hole" period of coverage. HealthPocket collected the premiums and drug deductibles for every stand-alone Medicare Part D plan offered across the United States and assigned each plan into one of three groups: plans whose premiums were in the lowest third of the premium range, plans whose premiums were in the middle third of the premium range, and plans whose premiums were in the highest third of the premium range. When examining differences among the groups of Part D plans, HealthPocket observed a trend where the average deductible amount decreased as the average premium increased. The trend of lower deductibles for higher premiums, however, was not proportional, which is to say that the average deductible did not decrease at the same rate that the average premium increased. The authors concluded that, "When shopping for a Medicare Part D plan, consumers should be careful not to overemphasize the significance of the deductible amount. Selecting a Part D plan based on a lower deductible could result in a higher premium, the added annual expense of which could be far in excess of the value of the deductible savings". More information may be found here.
On November 18, 2014, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a document outlining its "2014 Top Management & Performance Challenges". Annually, OIG prepares a summary of the most significant management and performance challenges facing HHS, which reflect continuing vulnerabilities that OIG has identified for HHS over recent years as well as new and emerging issues that HHS will face in the coming year. OIG says that state and federal marketplaces will need to focus on four key areas: ensuring accurate tax credit payment, ensuring eligibility is properly determined, improving management and administration of the law, and ensuring the site is secure and any personally identifiable information is protected.
On November 18, 2014, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)_ released a report entitled "Health Care Transparency: Actions Needed to Improve Cost and Quality Information for Consumers". Results obtained from two selected private consumer transparency tools GAO reviewed—websites with health cost or quality information comparing different health care providers—show that some providers are paid thousands of dollars more than others for the same service in the same geographic area, regardless of the quality of such services. GAO identified key characteristics of effective transparency tools through a literature review and interviews with experts. GAO found that CMS' five transparency tools—Nursing Home Compare, Dialysis Facility Compare, Home Health Compare, Hospital Compare and Physician Compare—are limited in their provision of relevant and understandable cost and quality information for consumers. Because none of the tools contain information on patients' out-of-pocket costs, GAO reports, they do not allow consumers to combine cost and quality information to assess the value of health care services or anticipate the cost of such services in advance. GAO found substantial limitations in how the CMS tools present information, such as, in general, not using clear language and symbols, not summarizing and organizing information to highlight patterns, and not enabling consumers to customize how information is presented. Finally, GAO reports that CMS' process for developing and selecting cost and quality measures for its tools has been heavily influenced by the concerns of providers rather than consumers. Without procedures or metrics focusing on consumer needs, the report concludes, CMS cannot ensure that these efforts will produce cost and quality information that is relevant and understandable to consumers seeking to make meaningful distinctions.
On November 13, 2014, GAO released a study entitled "Small Business Health Insurance Exchanges: Low Initial Enrollment Likely due to Multiple, Evolving Factors". The ACA required Small Business Health Options Programs (SHOPs)—exchanges, or marketplaces, where small employers can shop for health coverage for their employees—to be established in all states; enrollment in SHOPs was to begin in October 2013, with coverage effective as early as January 2014. GAO was asked to examine the early implementation experiences of the SHOPs. In this report GAO describes 1) SHOP functionality, enrollment, plan availability, and premiums and 2) stakeholders' views on key factors that have affected current SHOP enrollment or may affect future enrollment growth. GAO found that several factors may have led to current low SHOP enrollment and that may affect future enrollment growth. For example, many stakeholders reported that the primary incentive for employers to use the SHOPs has been the small business tax credit available to eligible employers who offer coverage through a SHOP, although some noted that the credit may be too small and administratively complex to motivate many employers to enroll. Other factors identified that may have hindered current enrollment include the ability of employers to renew plans that existed before the SHOPs—which, depending on state requirements, is permitted until October 1, 2016—and employer misconceptions about SHOP availability. Stakeholders also described factors that may help stimulate or detract from future SHOP enrollment growth. For instance, the phase-out of existing pre-SHOP plans, the implementation of employee choice by an increasing number of SHOPs, improved coordination with agents and brokers, and increased marketing to small employers may help stimulate enrollment growth. Conversely, other factors, such as the 2-year limit on the availability of the small business tax credit and the likelihood, according to stakeholders, that SHOP premiums will not be lower than non-SHOP premiums, may hinder future enrollment growth. GAO concludes that the evolving and localized nature of these factors suggests that that a determination of the SHOPs' long-term impact remains premature at this time.
On November 18, 2014, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development released a press release, backgrounder, and slides detailing the results of a forthcoming study on the cost of drug development. According to the Center, the process of a new prescription medicine that gains marketing approval is estimated to cost $2,558 million, taking into account average out-of-pocket costs ($1,395 million) and "time costs", i.e. expected returns that investors forego while a drug is in development ($1,163 million). The new analysis, which updates similar Tufts CSDD analyses, was developed from information provided by 10 pharmaceutical companies on 106 randomly selected drugs that were first tested in human subjects anywhere in the world from 1995 to 2007. In a study published in 2003, Tufts CSDD estimated the cost per approved new drug to be $802 million (in 2000 dollars) for drugs first tested in human subjects from 1983 to 1994, based on average out-of-pocket costs of $403 million and capital costs of $401 million. The $802 million, equal to $1,044 million in 2013 dollars, indicates that the cost to develop and win marketing approval for a new drug has increased by 145% between the two study periods, or at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5%. Factors that likely have boosted out-of-pocket clinical costs include increased clinical trial complexity, larger clinical trial sizes, higher cost of inputs from the medical sector used for development, greater focus on targeting chronic and degenerative diseases, changes in protocol design to include efforts to gather health technology assessment information, and testing on comparator drugs to accommodate payer demands for comparative effectiveness data.
On November 14, 2014, one day before the launch of the 2015 open enrollment period for Health Insurance Exchanges established under the ACA, CMS released a slew of data on the 2015 Health Insurance Marketplace. The data include:
Health Insurance Marketplace Landscape Files. While health plan information including benefits, copayments, premiums, and geographic coverage is publically available on HealthCare.gov through the new window shopping tool, CMS has also released downloadable public use files (PUFs) so that researchers and other public stakeholders can access Marketplace data. The Landscape files include data on certified qualified health plans (QHPs) and Stand-alone Dental Plans (SADPs) for all states that use the HealthCare.gov eligibility and enrollment system, and for the Federally Facilitated Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).
Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files. These files for the 2015 plan year include detailed information for researchers. They include data on certified QHP and SADPs for all states that use the HealthCare.gov eligibility and enrollment system.
Rate Review Public Use File. CMS released information on final 2015 rates in the individual and small group markets for plans inside and outside of the Marketplace for all states and the District of Columbia. The information released today does not take into account premium tax credits.
On November 17, 2014, the State of Indiana announced that CMS has approved its Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) waiver program. The current program was first approved in 2007 to serve adults with income under the federal poverty level who do not otherwise qualify for Medicaid. Under Republican Governor Mike Pence's new proposal, the state would require people to contribute to their savings accounts. "This decision by the federal government to renew our current Healthy Indiana Plan is welcome news and will bring certainty to the more than 60,000 Hoosiers who currently enjoy the benefits of this proven health care program," said Governor Pence. "Since this marks the third time the Obama Administration has approved the Healthy Indiana Plan in its current form, we hope that this decision signals an openness by this Administration to move forward with approval of HIP 2.0, which is built on the same principles of personal responsibility and consumer choice." The State continues to await a decision by the federal government on covering 350,000 more uninsured Indiana residents through HIP 2.0, which was submitted for approval in July of 2014 and has been the subject of ongoing discussions between state and federal officials. The approval letter from CMS may be found here.
On November 19, 2014, CMS announced that it has created the Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics (OEDA) which will be led by Niall Brennan, the agency's first Chief Data Officer (CDO), and tasked with overseeing improvements in data collection and dissemination. More information may be found here.
This advisory is published by Alston & Bird LLP's Health Care practice area to provide a summary of significant developments to our clients and friends. It is intended to be informational and does not constitute legal advice regarding any specific situation. This material may also be considered attorney advertising under court rules of certain jurisdictions.
News & Insights A&B Healthcare Week in Review, November 21, 2014


Google has just announced a new feature that will become available on all Android 2.2 and above devices that is called "Verify Apps". This new setting can be enabled or disabled and will drastically increase the security of your device.
What does it do? Enabling this feature will make Google continuously scan for malware and suspicious activity, previously this feature would only scan apps as they were being installed but adding these new capabilities should improve your device's overall security.
How do i enable it? The feature can be enabled in the Settings tab > Security > Verify Apps.
How do i know if my Android version supports it? If your device is running Android 2.2 or above it does support this new feature. If you have bought your Android device in the last 4 years it is very unlikely you are running an older version of Android then 2.2 as we currently are at version 4.4 called Android Kit Kat.


This week's blog is brought to you in memory of Robin Williams, and in the hope that one day we will better understand depression and be able to provide the proper support that is needed for those who suffer from it.
Sometimes you got to specifically go out of your way to get into trouble. It's called fun.
I had to go into the office, which meant I was unable to get to the morning session with Regiment Fitness. I made up for that by doing my 6 x 800 Interval Workout along something at least approaching the correct distance for the first time, which would be six sets of 800 metres at 5km pace, each followed by 400 metres at 10km pace. I was not running on a track to measure this, so instead I ran 3 minutes of warm up followed by six sets of 4 minutes at the full pace, with 2 minutes after each at the recovery pace. I ran 4.3 miles in the 37 minutes, with only one of the miles at a time of over 9 minutes, so I was pleased with that effort.
I ran over to my session with Jon Bell, and it was a good run, almost my best. I am definitely getting used to this route and will keep pushing on it, as it is a great way to warm up for the session. This evening's session was a little different because it did not feature a WOD. Instead we worked on my technique for deadlifts, and the three sets I did took me up to 55kg x 10 repetitions, and introduced chest presses, with me getting up to 45kg x 10 repetitions this first time after the three sets. It was all finished off with some time on the rowing machine doing 1000 metres in 3 minutes and 54 seconds, putting me in the sub-4 minute club. Once again the run home went slower than the run to get there, and was a hard couple of miles, but I will keep them going because they will be the miles which count for some of the events I have planned over the next 6 months.
I went along to the early Regiment Fitness session at Welwyn, which was being taken by Joe and Tom, who I had not met before. As I got talking with Tom he noticed my Merrell TrailGloves and said how he preferred them for running too, which led into a very interesting conversation and a great way to get ready for the session. The evening was fine, if cloudy, although there was a hint that it might actually rain during the session. An active warm up finished up with us in two groups making the letters A, J and R with our bodies, which is always chaotic fun, and then a push with a run over to the buildings before we returned to the van. This evening we got into pairs for the gate circuit, where one of us wouldexercise while the other ran laps by going out of the gate and around the outside of the exercise area. The way it worked was press ups during 2 laps, squat jumps during 2 laps, burpees with a tuck jump during 1 and a half laps, and mountaineers during 2 laps, before we finished with a push by running over to the buildings and back to the van. We split into two groups and I started with the boxing, working in pairs with one of us doing 40 straight punches, then both of us doing 4 burpees, the same person doing 50 straight punches, then both of us doing 5 burpees, and the same person doing 60 straight punches, then both of us doing 6 burpees, before it was all repeated with the other person punching. We followed that up with 90 seconds of pistons from the sitting position, with a big push for the final 10 seconds. We swapped groups and got into teams of three for tyre shuttles, first up to one end and then back again, with a final push around the circuit to finish things off, or so we thought. There was still time for Joe to put us through some squats pain, working on each leg individually. Thankfully the warm down was done sitting down. We had run 2.2 miles during the session.
So this was the second session in this new series of the DUO, a course designed for runners and cyclists, which ran from 0615 to 0715 on Wednesday mornings in St Albans, and that was great news for me, giving me another series of early Wednesday training sessions to take me through August. Even better for me this morning was turning up to find that everyone else was on holiday so it became a one-to-one session with Bex instead, which gave me a great opportunity to chat with her while doing the session. I started off with a warm up running between cones on the netball court, doing different movements between them and moving in random directions. Then we moved to the Adizone and the cushioned surface for the circuit, doing three sets of 45 seconds on and 15 seconds off of burpees with a twist jump of 180 degrees between each; repetitions of 2 press ups and 4 mountaineers; repetitions of 2 jack squats and 8 high knees; repetitions of 4 ice skaters and 4 squat jumps; and repetitions of two steps forward then lunging down and two steps back and lunging down, and 4 squat kicks. I followed that with wall sitting for 60 seconds followed by 10 lunge walks on each leg, 45 seconds followed by 15 lunge walks, and 30 seconds followed by 20 lunge walks. With my legs burning after that, what could be better than some plyometrics ? We played a game called 'red light, green light' where I had to stay still on a red light and could move on a green light, doing it with power frogs, then power hops on my right leg, and finally power hops on my left leg. It was interesting that I got so much more power out of my right leg while hopping, and yet was much more easily stable on my left leg while holding. Next up were some core exercises, starting with plank for 30 seconds then plank to press up for 10 seconds, then plank with hot hands (moving each hand up to the shoulder and back down in turn), before Bex said that we would be moving on to side plank and I laughed, explaining that I cannot do side plank. I got into the position for right plank and although we adjusted my arm it was still a huge effort to hold myself completely off the ground. I held that for 10 seconds. I switched to my left side and it was so much easier. So the lesson is I need to do a lot more right side plank to work on that weakness. We finished off a brilliant session with some stretches. I had run 0.7 miles during the course of the session.
I was at a work conference all day and so could not get out for a run during the day, and was left too tired by the time I got home. I do not like ending up doing nothing in a day.
I was too busy with work to get out for a run today, which was especially annoying after yesterday.
I went to the Regiment Fitness tabbing session in Hemel Hempstead in the morning, and you can read more about that here.
I then drove back to St Albans to run the parkrun with Debbie and we ran a personal best for the parkrun, which we were very pleased with. It is getting close to my own personal best for a 5k.
I ran down to the morning session with Regiment Fitness carrying my bergen, just to get in that little bit extra time with it. The session itself was being taken by Shaun and Tom, who had taken yesterday's tabbing session in Hemel Hempstead – never seen Tom before this week and then he comes along three times ! After an active warm up we moved on to the sprint circuit, which is always tough work. In fact, when Shaun said how tough it was going to be I followed him to the other side of the line of white cones to join the easy/medium group, before being sent back. One of the perils of being known to the instructors ! The way the sprint circuit works is straight forward – do a stupid number of repetitions of an exercise, jog out to the pole, sprint 100 metres, jog back to the starting point, repeat, then move on to the next exercise. We did 50 press ups, 50 sit ups, 30 burpees, and then a combination for the final set of 100 jump lunges (50 on each leg) the first time and 30 crucifix sit ups (arms out to the side while lying flat, and they come up to your legs as your legs and shoulders come up together) the second time. My legs actually felt good in the sprints for a change, although I do still need to get that sports massage, and I pushed through the whole thing. We split into pairs for some tyre shuttles, but because of the odd numbers I was left on my own to run the 4 repeats out to the far cones and back, which was not so bad. Then we moved on to doing 3 repeats of the jerry can push, and suddenly, because I was on my own, Shaun suggested that I do 4 repeats. You have to enjoy these little pushes or you would collapse. Actually, you will probably collapse anyway. We moved on to the boxing and as I did not have a partner I was with Shaun, doing straight punches for 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off, for 4 repeats, and because I was with Shaun and he was not doing them I also joined in with the final 2 repeats when it switched over. We continued with hooks in the same way, with me getting some extras again. Then we did 20 straight punches followed by 10 press ups for 4 repeats, and again I joined in with the final 2 repeats when it switched over. Finally we got into two ranks, with Tom slotting in for Shaun (on the face of it so that Shaun could show him the drill, but really because he was going to have to take part) and in turn we went down the line doing 20 straight punches with each person until we had each run through once. The team I was in won. The excellent session was closed off with a warm down and we had run 2.2 miles during the course of the session. All that remained was for me to run home with my bergen.
Positives from this week – I got in some great interval runs and enjoyed a splash through a river.


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Q: Need to Loop Copy each row a set number of times based on cell value I have the following code which I am using to loop through a worksheet. Each row needs to be copied a certain number of times and the new rows pasted at the bottom, after the last row that currently has any text. The number of rows to copy for each present row is in the cell for column BU of that row.
Hence, in order to do this, I have created the following loop to move through each row and use the cell value in column BU to copy cells in columns A through BT, then paste after the last active visible row.
However, it's not working well.
Any thought?
Sub Transfer()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Dim lastrow As Long, lngRows
lastrow = sht.Cells(sht.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row + 1

Dim wsSource As Worksheet
Dim wsDest As Worksheet
Dim rowCount As Long

Set wsSource = Worksheets("Forecasted Movement")
With wsSource
rowCount = .Cells(.Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row ' <-- modifed this line

On Error Resume Next
For i = 2 To rowCount
    If .Cells(i, "BU").Value > 0 Then

        lngRows = .Cells(i, "BU").Value

       Range(Cells(i, 1), Cells(i, 72)).specialcells(xlCellTypeVisible).Copy

        wsSource.Cells(lastrow, 1).Resize(lngRows).PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteValues

    End If
Next i
End With

Application.ScreenUpdating = True

End Sub

A: If this is all in the same worksheet ( as the code suggests) the your lastrow is your problem.  You need to recalculate it everytime you paste a new row.
Sub Transfer()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Dim lastrow As Long, lngRows

Dim wsSource As Worksheet
Dim wsDest As Worksheet
Dim rowCount As Long

Set wsSource = Worksheets("Forecasted Movement")
With wsSource
rowCount = .Cells(.Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row ' <-- modifed this line

On Error Resume Next
For i = 2 To rowCount
    If .Cells(i, "BU").Value > 0 Then

        lngRows = .Cells(i, "BU").Value

       Range(Cells(i, 1), Cells(i, 72)).specialcells(xlCellTypeVisible).Copy
    lastrow = .Cells(.Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row + 1  ' recalculate this for the next blank row
        wsSource.Cells(lastrow, 1).Resize(lngRows).PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteValues

    End If
Next i
End With

Application.ScreenUpdating = True

End Sub

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