A 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.
This news story might be a great discussion starter:
With so many hungry people in the world~ a restaurant in Saudi Arabia has come up with an unusual idea...fine diners for not cleaning their diner plates! The World Health Organization estimate one billion people are starving around the world. The restaurant owner is using the fine imposed for "having eyes bigger than their stomachs" when it comes to ordering meals~ to add starving people in Somalia. What do you think of this idea?...
The largest library in the world~ the Library of Congress~ is found in Washington~ DC. The current Library of Congress Librarian is James H. Billington~ a position which is appointed by the President of the United States.As of 2011~ there are approximately 838 miles of bookshelves at our nation's library! With over 33 million books~ if you could read ONE book a day~ it would take you 60~000 years to read all the books in the Library of Congress' collection!Just posted a new webquest~ great...
On this day of Thanksgiving~ I want to thank my first and most influential mentor~ Rafe Esquith. Esquith isanationally recognized~ fifth-gradeteacher based in Los Angeles.
During my first year as a teacher~ I was ready to quit. While teaching middle school~ I felt overwhelmed~ dissapointed and doubtful about whether I chose the right profession. However~ afterhearing Esquith speak on NPR~ I read his book "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire." I then e-mailed him~ and he called...
Has proof of aliens visiting earth been found in Peru? A mummified body found in the city of Andahuaylillas~ Peru~ is very unusual. It has a very elongated skull. In fact~ the skull is almost the length of the entire body! And~ the skull has very large eye sockets. Some scientists think it may be the remains of an alien! The teeth in the mummified body have two very large molars~ yet there is a so...ft spot in the skull which would suggest it could be the body of a child. Others say...
Editor's Note: Today's guest post comes from Dr. Matthew Lynch~ an assistant professor of education.
Understanding the deep-rooted importance of family and parental involvement in education and its effect on the academic performance of a child requires recognizing the fact that parents are childrens first teachers. Home is the first school~ and as such~ it is the place where children learn an abundance of skills~ knowledge~ and attitudes~ some of...
Sadly~ scientists of the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN)~have announced that wild black rhinos can no longer be found in West Africa. It is now extinct...no more walk the planet. Also~ the last Javan rhino is gone. And~ the white rhino of central Africa is very close to extinction. Did you know that 1 out of 4 mammals are at risk of also becoming extinct? Loss of habitat and poaching are the main causes. Learn more about the rhino at this webquest....
Hello~
I want to share this website for creating really nice slideshows in a short amount of time.
The site is www.animoto.com. It allows you to create up to 10 minute slideshows that include photos~ videos and music. It's easy for students to learn~ and best of all it's FREE!
When you pull up the site~ scroll down to the bottom of the page where it reads "education." Click on that and sign up for a free account. You...
Parent-Teacher Conferences can be very frustrating for all involved. The parents may or may not have had a good previous experience in school and feel uncomfortable in the atmosphere. The teacher who has to prepare all the materials~ must give only a snapshot of the student because there is only so much time during the allotted night; usually only 15 minutes until another parent comes through the door. Lastly~ the students are nervous as they wait at home...
Do you have any tips to add to my New Teaching A-Z List?
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 papers~ etc. Its better to have MORE than not enough for each days lesson.
C-Try to make connections with other areas of study with cross curricular activities...
Need a fun reading on the first Thanksgiving? I wrote a short story about a substitute teacher that takes her students back to witness the first Thanksgiving with purple adventure goggles. I also developed a webquest on the Mayflower and Pilgrims~ a short webquest on Turkeys and lots of links to other materials you might find of use during this month~ including a short read on "What Became of the Mayflower?...