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Hawking's Brain to be 'Hacked'

HawkingA team of neuroscientists is working on a device they say has the ability to “hack” a person’s brain. They are so confident in their work that they will be testing the so-called iBrain on none other than the smartest man alive, Stephen Hawking.

Hawking, who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, is agreeing to test the iBrain in a effort to improve his communicative abilities. His body continues to deteriorate from his affliction and he no longer is able to effectively use a clicker to operate his voice simulator. If effective, the iBrain will allow Hawking, and others with similar debilitating conditions, to operate computers and other machines using only their thoughts.

The iBrain, which is worn around the head and can measure brain activity, is only in its infancy, and it remains unclear if it will have any practical applications. Scientists are hopeful that, with further testing like that that Hawking is participating in, those applications will be realized.

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A Novel Idea!

I have an idea I want to share. I don't know about you~ but as an educator I have sometimes sat in professional development trainings and wondered how the training applied to my classroom. I have also wondered how much my school district might be spending to bring in these trainers~ some of whom may haven't been in an actual classroom in years.

How about this: school districts use professional development days to allow educators to come together and share their best practices....

John Glenn~ First American to Orbit the...

Whenever astronaut John Glenn left on a mission as a fighter pilot~ he'd tell his wife~"Well~ I'm going down to the corner to buy some chewing gum". He said the same thing on Feb.20~ 1962~ when he left to board the Mercury capsule~ on a mission to orbit the Earth~ In a 9 1/2 by 6 ft. space...

Keep'em Moving!

Movement. I think it defines my classroom for most of the day. I have students take a stand when debating. They stand to answer questions or play games. They stand and perform movements when singing chants. When they get an answer correct~ they come up to the front of the room and jump a few times on the trampoline. Keeping youngsters moving just makes sense. Expecting children to sit still in a room all day is a recipe for disaster. Using movement purposely in your teaching does a few...

Don't Forget the Tunes!

Noise level is something we have to control every second in our classroom. It can't be too noisy, or others will be bothered, including the teacher next door. I was always conscious of my class's noise level so I didn't become a nuisance. It is never much fun to hear the "Wow, your class must have been really excited about something today" line from your partner across the hall.

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Money Saving Strategies for Schools

Editor's Note: This week's Pulse blog comes from Fatima Haris~ an educator in Pakistan.

Less is More

It is very important that we reduce our expenses in schools. Instead of the fancy soft board displays~ we can use recycled material. In my school~ the same displays are rotated on different floors so that cost is cut down while maintaining the quality. There is no compromise on the quality of service rather more time and energy is spent on each child...

Learning at the Carpet

Many teachers believe that teaching from the carpet is a practice that should end after Kindergarten. The argument is that the students should practice self-control and be able to learn from their seats. In the real world, adults are not able to sit down on the floor to work. My view is that these teachers are correct. But, I am not teaching adults in the workplace. I am teaching children, who do not have the same level of concentration or maturity that an...

Happy Presidents' Weekend-Fun...

John Quincy Adams brought his pet alligator to the White House He also liked to skinny deep in the Potomac River. A reporter once sat on his clothes until he gave her an interview! John F. Kennedy was the first president to have been a Boy Scout James Garfield was the first president to be left- handed AND could write with both hands(and different languages at the same time-Greek and Latin) George Washington was a spelunker, loved searching in caves. Presidents' Weekend is almost here. I...

Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens(...

When you think of Christmas, probably,the book which has been made into the most movie and television specials is,A Christmas Carol.With the 200th birthday, of British writer, Charles Dickens, on Feb.7,1812,I thought this might be a great time to share a webquest on one of the most famous writers of all times. Two quotes of Charles Dickens: A day wasted on others is not wasted on ones self. An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself. Here is the link to...

Relevance--what's in it for me?

Greetings,

What's in it for me? That's a question we all ask when sitting in front of a teacher or speaker or someone who is taking upour time. It is also a question your students ask themselves constantly, and if you can't provide a strong answer, you can bet that you're going to have attention and discipline problems in the classroom.

So much of classroom discipline deals with keeping student in line through incentives, consequences and other techniques....

Should students be given weekly...

This week~ "Cooperative Learning 365~" an EducationWorld Facebook fan~ asks:


Should students be given weekly spelling tests?


ANSWER: First of all~ thank you for your question. Weekly spelling tests are a time-honored tradition in American elementary schools. For quite some time now~ however~ schools across the U.S. have elected to cut them out of their curriculum. Why? Because many education experts~...

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