If you’re reading this, odds are you are not one of the 570,000 people in the U.S. infected with the DNS Malware Virus. Congratulations. Yet, while you can still surf around to your heart’s content, ISPs are working overtime to help those less fortunate users find their way back to the information superhighway.
This morning at 12:01 the FBI shut down its DNS servers, which were acting as the only path to the Internet for hundreds of thousands of computers. s reported by CNet, the whole problem goes back to an online criminal ring from 2007 that was tinkering with computers' settings and then directing users to rogue servers that the criminals had set up. These servers then re-directed users to malicious Web sites. Late last year, the FBI arrested the ring and seized the rogue servers. But since so many infected computers relied on the servers to reach the Internet, the agency opted not to shut them down and instead converted them to legitimate DNS machines. Due to the high cost associated with operating these servers, the FBI has decided to shut them down.
ISP are taking a proactive approach to the problem with Comcast has contacting users with infected computers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Verizon has lined up technicians who can help customers remove the virus and AT&T plans to redirect infected PCs to the correct Web sites.
People who are unable to get online should call their ISP to see if their computers are infected. CNET has also posted a how-to guide to help people detect whether their PCs are pointing to the DNSChanger network.
Parents and educators are encouraged to participate in a series of free webinars provided by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that help to educate on the effects of prejudice and bullying on children.
The ADL belives that by educating parents and teachers about anti-hate values, children can be more educated and open-minded when it comes to living their lives. By...
In the news. Here is a short activity to start a class.
I can't even imagine surfing down such a wave of water!
Burle has surfed into the record books by hanging ten down a wall of water estimated to be 100 ft. tall! The beach at Nazare, Portugal,Praia do Norte, is famous for their REALLY big waves and Burle hit the jackpot thanks to the St. Jude storm that had recently hit the European area. Currently, the record for surfing the biggest wave, was done by Garret...
In recent blogs~ Ive elaborated on Common Core~ school wide programs~ and other complex topics.
But this week~ lets keep it simple and talk about potato chips.
In truth~ I want to share strategies and ideas for making your independent reading sessions for gifted and all students come alive~ and for teachers to avoid those session from becoming too monotonous and predictable.
If one of our goals as educators is to foster a love of reading~ then we must challenge...

The fall issue of the Big Deal Book of Technology for K-12 Educators featured Education World, and we couldn't be more honored.
The downloadable eBook of the fall issue:http://bigdealbook.com/ebook
Our entry is on page 47 in the Fantastic Free Finds section.
The Big Deal Book of Technology for K-12 Educators is a semiannual print and electronic...
A pumpkin grown by Tim and Susan Mathison,Napa, California, has smashed the record for its mammoth size. The giant pumpkin weighed in at 2032 pounds! Grown in 105 days, the pumpkin surpassed the 2012 record pumpkin of 20089 pounds. Photograph from http://napavalleyregister.com.jpg)
Pretend you are a pumpkin sitting on a front porch on...
Teaching elementary students, as young as first grade, to research is no easy task. It requires enormous patience, persistence, and a belief in your students.
Training children to be young researchers provides them with all kinds of skills, which will help them succeed in college and the workplace.
Research skills have found their own place in the national Common Core English Language Arts standards, which requires students to conduct short and sustained research projects....
One of the greatest challenges that the education community faces in implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative is ensuring that the education workforce is ready to help students succeed under these new, higher standards.
Facing this challenge requires providing the current workforce with high-quality professional learning opportunities, something we talk about a great deal at the national level. But it also...