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Microsoft Enters Tablet Market

SurfaceNo, that image to the left is not an iPad surrounded by SmartCovers. That is the Microsoft Surface. Not to be confused with the giant table-sized computer the company released a while ago, the Surface is Microsoft’s entry into the tablet market.

Attempting to take a page out of Apple’s playbook on several levels, Microsoft revealed the Surface during a mystery press event in California. What those in attendance saw was an iPad knock-off that is heavier, boasts shorter batter life and an inferior chip. To be fair, the Surface does have an impressive cover that contains a fully functioning keyboard, but that is an accessory that must be purchased.

Microsoft has two versions of the Surface in the works, each for a very different audience. There’s a “consumer version” that will run Windows RT and a “business version” that will run Windows 8.

Microsoft isn’t saying exactly when the Surface will be available for purchase, or how much it will cost, but experts are predicting the “consumer version” to fall in the $500 price range with the “business version” to come in at over $1,000. The pricier version does have better overall tech specs than its cheaper brother, but that improved performance comes at the cost of weight and, of course, cost.

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Action: Semester Examinations

  • As we plan for the knitting together of our major concepts into semester examinations~ it is time to consider ways to have students present to us what they have learned in this semester.
  • What did my students learn can be summarized via a series of questions:
  • 1. Can they argue a point?
  • 2. Can they identify~ explore or show me a new way of thinking about an idea?
  • 3. Can they justify~ illustrate~ or locate main points in our work together?
  • 4. Can...

Healthy Mind Diet for Children

Ask children about the food pyramid and the need for a balanced, healthy diet, and I would bet that many would be familiar with the concept.

Now, ask those kiddos about the need for a healthy, balanced diet for the mind, and I think you would lose them.

Recently, I have been fascinated with the work of Dr. Daniel Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA school of medicine, whose work includes the Healthy Mind Platter concept. The model proposes that in order...

Education World Pinterest Site Named as...


Education Worlds Science and Technology Pinterest board has been listed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center as one of seven boards to follow for STEM resources.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education is a national priority, aimed at making U.S. students more proficient in these key fields. Pinterest, a fast-growing social platform, has evolved as...

Using the News in your Classroom: World...

Scientists say they have found what is being called the "world's oldest public toilet"...for dinosaurs. Thousands of fossilized droppings(called coprolites)have been uncovered in the country of Argentina~in a region called La Rioja Province. The dino poo is from a dinosaur called Dinodontosaurus~ a herbivore(plant eater) that lived about 240 million years ago which was somewhat like the rhinos of today.

It is thought that even dinosaurs didn't want to "go" where they lived and ate. And...

Action: Look Inward First

  • As teachers we are now heading into a busy season of holidays, school and family traditions, religioushallmarks, and final examinations for many schools. It is time to take action and look inward in order to successfully stay well and appreciate all of the events surrounding us as role models and human beings.
  • Don't wait for another new year to make a failed resolution, resolve before the end of the year runs over you to reaffirm your commitments to wellness! Be ready to be the...

iOS7 Can Run Smoother on Older Devices

iOS7Owners of older Apple devices cheered when the news came from Cupertino that iOS7 was going to be available on older models like the iPad2 and iPhone 4S. However, the joy that came with running a brand-spanking-new OS on an older machine was tempered with the realization that the older hardware produced good-but-not-great performance.

The folks over at...

Thanksgiving Peace and Prayers

  • It is with sincere best wishes that I offer to each of you at EducationWorld, my best wishes for a peaceful and joyful celebration at Thanksgiving. During this holiday, we are united in our praise, humbled by our accomplishments, thankful for our smallest gifts, and knitted together in our love for family and friends.
  • It is also in this holiday that we can rally behind those in need, those who have less than us, and those who have nothing. Pray for victims of weather, death,...

Effort: The Ultimate Gift of a President

  • The assassination of a president is always a shock to its people. As we mark this 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, I am asking my students to:
  • 1. remember the legacy of all assassinated presidents by listing a few of their accomplishments in office
  • 2. consider what causes a nation to mourn the loss of a fallen leader and the efforts made on behalf of our nation
  • 3. evaluate how we are different because of unfinished presidential terms...

Effort: The Flipped Classroom

  • As a teaching head of high school~ effort is the key educational psychology concept I teach students early in the new year. As an essential component in understanding attribution theory~ students are drawn to the ideas surrounding their efficacy. The flipped classroom is in my judgment part of the efficacy of self determination and a partner to understanding individual effort and talent.
  • In a recent article by Katie Lepi~ "What Is A Flipped Classroom?"~the author...

Ever wonder what became of the...

Ever wonder what became of the Mayflower, the ship which took 102 Pilgrims over the Atlantic to North America in 1620?

Check out this interesting reading: On a trip to England, my husband and I visited a Quaker barn in Old Jordans, Buckinghamshire,that may have had the Mayflower used in its construction! Check out the story at my website:
http://gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?barn.html

There are some photographs I...

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