Parents and teachers who allow the children in their care to use Android devices are paying closer attention to content Google thinks they want. The cause for the scrutiny is a series of dubious recommendations when users search GooglePlay for the Disney app "Where's My Mickey." The results include the popular Disney app, and what are described as gay erotic literature.
With titles like "Boys Caught in the Act," "Pretty Boys and Roughnecks," and "Boys Will be Boys," the books are clearly not intended for younger eyes. The reason they appear as recommended reading for those searching for "Where's My Mickey" seems to come from the fact that their author's name is Mickey Erlach.
This isn't the first time GooglePlay has shot back questionable search results. When attempting to browse though the educational apps (a category generally accepted to mean intended for K-12 education) in the store, users often find apps to help truck drivers attain their CDL and other apps that technically educational, but decidedly not what the user wants.
As featured in Smithsonian magazine, a 1,600-year-old goblet named the Lycurgus Cup (due to its depiction of King Lycurgus of Thrace trapped in tangles of grapevines by the Greek god of wine Dionysus) displays the Romans striking grasp of nanotechnology.
The Roman goblet calls the British Museum home. When the museum...
Recently, during an open house, I met a students uncle, who had an accent. I became curious as to his nationality. I pointed to the mans pointed dress shoes and told the other teacher in the classroom, I bet he is French. Having spent some time in France this summer, I unimpressively explained to the teacher that I noticed pointed shoes were in fashion there.
Sure enough, the man was French.
I told him I really liked the shoes and explained how I unsuccessfully...
Dusting off my soap box once again:
On the first day of every school year~ my husband would don what he called his teacher uniform. He wore a suit and tie and his dress shoes. He always felt it was important to start the school year dressing accordingly. From that day forward~ he'd always wear a pair of slacks~ dress shirt and tie and sport's jacket.
I also felt the need to dress what I felt was professionally for the my students~wearing one of my skirt sets or dresses. I never...

A superintendent in Ohio stirred up controversy when he was caught having plagiarized a letter welcoming parents, students and staff.
Dr. Glenn Faircloth, superintendent of Lorain County JVS in Oberlin, Ohio, admitted to using large parts of another welcome letter, penned by a different superintendent in New York.
"I liked how it was worded. I thought it was...
As a teaching Head of High School, I seek the wisdom of those around me to nurture my spirit and feed my soul. We need this "food" to sustain a service-centered heart in teaching and leading. My colleague, Jane, so nurtured and inspired me yesterday; and, as a kindergarten teach and a teaching Head of Elementary School, she asked all of us to consider developing our talent in four ways:
Dear Mrs. Tuttingsgood~
Thanks for the extra time you spent with me on my spelling every Tuesday and Wednesday after school this year. The tootering really helped a lot.
Tommy
This poem is based on a letter that my wife received many years ago. It had us laughing for hours. I still laugh out loud every time I think of it. Fortunately~ she was his math tutor.
This poem is excerpted~ with publisher permission~...
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Lao Tzu~ Tao Te Ching
About five years ago~ when I first began teaching gifted children~ I had no idea what to expect.
Here are some of the social-emotional challenges I faced:
One girl~ whenever receiving anything less than a 90 percent on her tests~ would crawl up under her desk in a ball and cry for an hour until I could coax her out (boy~ I was happy to get a C in geometrynot the best student...
I Posted this last year but thought with lots of new teachers at the forums~ it might be of value. Feel free to add any additional suggestions to the Teaching A-Z list.
Have a wonderful school year.
Gail Hennessey
A-Always exhibit an interest in what you are teaching. If you think its important ~ your students will~ too. Have an assessment for how to grade your students.
B- Be prepared with your lesson. Have bell ringers to keep students on task when you are collecting...
Starting the school year and need an activity? I have just added another topic at my website for teachers/kids~ FACTS to Wow your Friends! This time~ the information is on bees. Did you know that bees can actually sense the location of land mines or that a honeybee can move its wings about 11~400 times a minute? Read these and about 20 other bee facts under the BUZZ about BEES at this link: http://www.gailhennessey...