No, 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.
“We use play because play is learning.” – Catalina Gonzalez
Catalina González, founder and director of Literacy4all, begins her story in Colombia. A young school teacher, Javier González-Quintero, was asked to send report cards for his students to their parents. Javier decided this would not work since...
Fun Flag Facts:
I thought it would be interesting to trace back turning points in my teaching career--times when I had a breakthrough in teaching, met influential people, experienced intense, meaningful events or occurrences. Dictionary.com defines a turning point as “a time at which a decisive change in a situation occurs, especially one with beneficial results.”
Reflecting on turning points, in my opinion, can help connect the dots, to see how events are connected, and what molded and shaped our...
When teaching class recently, the topic of how people respond to finding out that my students are studying to become elementary school teachers came up. Almost all of these student teachers had stories. Often, when they told someone they were becoming a teacher, the person made a face. In one case, a gentleman told the aspiring teacher, “you can do better.”
Ouch.
Can do better than serving young people for a living? Helping them have a better future? Spending years of their...
"Our planet needs every one of us to take an active part in this transformative process." – Pero Sardzoski
The Pegasus English Language School, located in Tetovo, Macedonia, was founded in 2002. According to the school’s Director of Studies, Pero Sardzoski, the original goal was to create a “peace project” focused on...
Japanese baseball legend, Tetsuharu Kawakami, dedicated himself to Zen Buddhism and was known for spending hours meditating and honing his concentration. He claimed that his focus was so powerful that, when batting, the “ball would just stop.”
While you may not be a Zen master, there is much benefit to exploring mediation and mindfulness practices in the context of teaching. Mindfulness, which involves intentionally paying attention to the present moment and becoming more aware of...
Even for a 5th grader, Aidy was energetic. But today she could barely quiet her gangly limbs from tapping desks and rattling against her chair. She had waited all month to visit her mother in prison so when the day finally arrived, she was perfectly prepared with a tidy pink hair bow and tiny heeled dress shoes. As she crammed her coat into a messy locker, she confidently explained how her aunt would pick her up early from school and they would eat burgers wrapped in crinkly paper on the way...
Understanding the reality of the working world becomes clearer the more times a young person interacts with the world of work.” – Nick Chambers
The future will be about pairing the cognitive, social and emotional capabilities of human beings with machines. The ‘...
“Our Riverside school uses a curriculum that we call ‘Humane’, and the 5 E’s that shape our curriculum are Empathy, Ethics, Excellence, Elevation and Evolution” – Kiran Bir Sethi
Children are the future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.
Since 2009, Design for Change, based in India, has...