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Not-So-Little Feature To Help Teachers

AppleIt’s no secret that Apple held its World Wide Developers’ Conference in California today. Among the impressive lineup of hardware and software updates revealed was a relatively small feature added to iOS6 that will have teachers dancing in the streets.

All Apple mobile devices, when upgraded to iOS6, will sport a new Single App mode. It’s a very simple feature that, when activated, removes home button functionality. This essentially turns the iPhone or iPad into a single app device, hence the name.

The educational applications for Single App mode are widespread. Without having to hover, teachers can rest assured that students are actually using the math app and not surfing the Web via Safari. Ambitious classes can use the devices to administer tests and quizzes confidently because the temptation to use other apps or the Internet to cheat is removed. In younger grades, accidental touches of the home button will no longer interrupt usage, and teachers will not have to fear inadvertent trips to the App Store.

Single App mode is a pretty minor thing to come out of WWDC 2012, but it is one that will resonate with teachers.

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Students Show Shocking Changes In Their...

Researchers at Kent State University studied the general knowledge of students throughout the United States in order to compare what facts they knew in 1980 versus 2012.

The studyused college students~ and shows some major differences between what was most often absorbed in 1980 and what's filling the minds of today's students.

The folks at...

Adventures in Substitute Teaching

The job of a substitute teacher is not an easy one. Subs have to be prepared to teach any subject in any classroom~ and to top it all off~ they have to learn loads of new names each time that they cover for a classroom teacher.

Especially in one's early days of serving as a sub~ bad days can happen. Kids can be unruly and disrespectful. Instructions left by the classroom teacher can be unclear. The school's routines can be confusing.

If these scenarios sound familiar~ we want...

The Use of Social Media in School

The folks over at Best Masters in Educationhave provided the EducationWorldCommunitywith this excellent infographic on the use of social media in education.Enjoy!

The Use of Social Media in School
Teens are actively Tweeting~ Posting~ Liking~ and Commenting all across Social Media and there...

Woz Says 'Jobs' No Good

Apple co-founder and tech icon Steve Wozniak doesn't think too highly of the recent biopic made about his former partner Steve Jobs.

Asked to offer a review of the Ashton Kutcher-led film by Gizmodo, Wozniak was cordial while saying it wasn't as good as he'd hoped.

...

A Little Lego

The idea for this post comes from an old Lego piece that lies on my desk.

Its a black piece with eight notches. I have no idea what Lego kit it comes from~ nor do I care.

But the piece will stay on my desk as a powerful reminder~ a reminder that we owe it to ourselves and to the children in the schools where we work to allow kids to share their interests and passions~ and whenever possible~ provide time and encouragement to pursue those passions with vigor.

First...

Time: Invest In Yourself

Time in yourself is time well invested! Reflect on the time you spend each day in essential preparations for others: as a professional, a care-giver, a parent, a spouse, a pet owner, or with a partner in your life, your time is centered on the wellness of others. Caring is the essence of our profession; it is what attracted us to the profession in many instances. Here are some of the best nuggets I can offer you for self-care to remain focused, healthy, and...

Time: Spend It Building Community First

Time is a currency of teachers; spend it on building community! Building any community is centered around the idea of shared common visions and shared story telling. Tell your story to your students in simple ways that can transform learning and create teams of learners. Start small to create your shared classroom legends and legacies.

  1. 1. Each student has a story; help share the story by telling your vision first. "I am here because I purposely applied...

Time: The Real Currency of Teachers

Time: The Real Currency of Teachers
Time is either our best friend or our nagging older sibling! Time is an educators currency and it requires that we harness it through- determination (save time)~ imagination (invent time)~ and collaboration (invest time). Let's examine the essentials of these ideals for first year years.
1. We need you to maintain your compassion for teaching! Manage your time!
2....

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I saw an article on beluga whales today that brought a smile to my face. The world's largest aquarium~ the Georgia Aquarium~ in Atlanta~ Georgia~ was told they can not acquire 18 more beluga whales. They currently have four such whales. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration said that the beluga whales~which are very intelligent~should exist in their natural habitat~ the polar oceans~ and not in an aquarium. I realize that there are two sides to the issue. In captivity~ scientists...

Meet The Real WALL-E

Robot creator Mike McMaster made a replica with his team of robot tinkerers (also successful in coming up with some perfect R2D2s) of WALL-E~ Pixar's earth cleaning~ garbage-collecting bucket of bolts that audiences fell in love with. The robot is a 1:1 scale as shown in the movie~ determining the size of their WALL-E by references held in...

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