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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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Is School Funding Fair?

Not in most states, according to a national report card dedicated to answering that question.

Back in 2010, the first edition of a national report card on school funding and fairness was released. Considering fair school funding to be a state finance system that ensures equal educational opportunity by providing a sufficient level of funding...

Measuring Success

How do you know you're a good teacher? How do you know you are successful in the classroom? Test scores, the kids are behaved, parents are satisfied, a strong evaluation from the principal?

It's a good question, one that I think educators begin to ask themselves as they gain years of experience in the classroom. Without defining success, it's easy as a teacher to get discouraged, to work hard but not know whether you have arrived.

Recently, I was talking with...

Pretesting and Analyzing Student Growth

Pretesting students is the key to finding measurable gains in the classroom, whether it is in a public school setting or in an corporate employee training program. By finding out what material the students already know and do not know, you are able to tailor the program to fit the students' needs and alleviate...

Tick Tock

I think good teachers have mastered one important skill: time management.

Without the ability tomanage the hours ina day~ learning does not take place~ and educators do not accomplish their goals. To makematters worse~ teachers have incredible demands ontheir time.Loads ofpaperwork~ emergency drills~ new remedial programs~ specials classes~ assemblies~ morning announcements~ faculty meetings--the list goes on.

I have to admit~ sometimes it drives me a littlecrazy. I have...

NBC Splits From Microsoft

The partnership between Microsoft and NBC is over. The news agency bought out the tech giant’s stake in MSNBC.com, putting to bed an online relationship that spanned 16 years.

The original arrangement paired NBC News' exclusive news and video content with Microsoft's technological expertise in a 50-50 joint venture between Microsoft and NBCUniversal. Because the two...

A Magical Recess

My classlearned some ofits most valuable lessonson the playground--with the teacher playing a very limited role.

Trust, cooperation, teamwork, handling pressure, losing with grace.

And it all happened by accident.

We would sneak out for recess once or twice a week (due to a tight schedule, an insane amount of attention on test scores, and other factors, recess does not always happen). Some of the boys began playing a game learned at physical education classcalled...

P.R.A.I.S.E.


How do I get my son/daughter to do their homework?
As a teacher, you probably get this question often from parents.
Perhaps, the following might be of interest to you as a classroom teacher or parent.


Parents are an integral component in the success of their children in school and the issue of homework is a perfect example of this. As the parent, you must make school and doing homework a top priority in the course of a day, over sporting practice, lessons, etc. I...

Setting Up a Preschool Classroom

Preschool classroom layouts tend to be much different than traditional elementary school desk arrangements. Spaces are needed, of course, for teacher-led time. But, children of this age are not developmentally ready to sit for long periods of time. They learn through play and interacting with other children. For...

Internet Doomsday is Here

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This morning at 12:01 the FBI shut down...

Source of All Mass Found

CernDecades after it was first theorized, scientists have proven the existence of the Higgs boson, or “God Particle” that is responsible for creating mass. The achievement confirms the standard model of physics and can potentially lead to explanations as to how mass in the Universe came to be.

The discovery was made by experiments running through the giant Large Hadron...

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