Search form

Back to Blog

Internet Doomsday is Here

DoomsdayIf 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.

More

Desk Olympics

Sometimes~ it feels like a no-win situation.

You position the students desks facing each other~ in cooperative learning style~ and their eyes are on each other~ instead of you.

You face the desks toward you~ and it may discourage discussion and create the feeling of being an institution.

I think teachers~ in general~ struggle with the best way to arrange the desks in their classroom.

That is~ until you learn about Desk Olympics.

The concept involves training...

E-readers vs. Books Infographic

Your traditional paperback and hardcover books aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but you might be seeing a lot less of them in the hands of average readers. E-reader sales are on a consistent incline and are proving to be one of the few modern technologies that don't have big age barriers. While it's unlikely that the e-reader will replace physical books altogether, their low cost, light weight and broad selection of content have made them immensely popular. This infographic provided to us...

SOM Turns Tutorials on Their Ear

SOMWant to dip your toe into the "flipped classroom" water without a big investment or learning curve? A free online tool that records actions on one's computer is winning fans among educators. Screencast-O-Matic, which allows users to create narrated videos of the actions that appear on their computer screens, is being hailed by some as the next level of digital learning.

...

Common Core Curriculum Maps

I am back with yet another Common Core teacher resource book. I have spent the past few days reading through the first grade section of Common Core Curriculum Maps. Again~ l...

The Common Core Lesson Book

The Common Core Lesson Book K-5 by Gretchen Owocki arrived on my doorstep late yesterday evening. Luckily for me, we had early release today at school. I was able to spend some time reading through the first section of the book. Let me quickly note, I have no relationship to the publisher or authors of this book. My opinions, are just that, mine. I am only sharing what I think about this as a resource for planning...

Bombs Away!

Not sure how I did it, but one school year, I convinced my principal to let me fill up over 500 water balloons, bring the kiddies out to the P.E. field, and let them reenact the Battle of the Alamo.

The project took on a life of its own.

The next year, we filled up 1,000 balloons. The students made bandannas to mark their teams and donned goggles and other protective gear. We used PE equipment, garbage cans and other items to create an Alamo structure.

Parent served...

Harry Potter and Science

It seems that some of the amazing things used by fictitious famous wizard, Harry Potter, are becoming a reality. Last year, an invisibility cloak along the idea of the one Harry wore to go unnoticed through the halls of Hogwarts, has been tested in a lab. Now, add floating...

Rethinking Principal Evaluation

Leadership matters. Principals set the tone of a school and can inspire students and teachers alike to reach new heights. They are second only to teachers among the in-school influences on student success.

Yet we dont hear much about how to measure a principals performance. And the little research that exists on principal evaluation suggests that current systems do not accurately judge performance, do not provide information that is useful for professional growth, and often...

Make Your Lessons Glow

Youve heard of glow-in-the-dark clothes~ toys~ maybe jewelry.

How about glow-in-the-dark math?

Thats right. Word problems that shine in fluorescent colors when you turn the room black.

I want to share with you an exciting lesson that involves using glow- in- the-dark paint to make any subject shine.

First~ you need to get some glow-in-the-dark~ watercolor~ stain-free paint in various colors (you can find it at WalMart and other stores that sell arts and crafts...

Apple Comes Up Big With iPhone5

iPhone5Leave it to the Wizards of Cupertino to upstage everyone in the tech industry with a new iPhone model that blows away anything on market or on the horizon from their competitors.

During a special unveiling event in San Francisco Apple revealed the latest version of their flagship mobile device that boasts upgrades across the board. The new model is 18% thinner...

Pages