While there's currently no version of Microsoft Office for iPad, a young software firm, hopTo Inc., is providing iPad users with a convenient workaround.
hopTo allows users to create, open and edit Office documents on the iPad before saving them to the cloud. The current version supports both Word and Excel files, with PowerPoint slated for an upcoming update. CNet's Lance Whitney has put the app through its paces, and his findings are positive.
"You can access files and documents from Dropbox, Box and Google Drive. A representative for hopTo told me the company plans to add support for Microsoft SkyDrive in the near future. You also can retrieve files from your local computer by installing a File Connector program. For now, the program works only on Windows PCs, but hopTo said that Mac support is coming soon."
While the app's performance is garnering positive reviews, its most valuable feature may be its price. hopTo is currently available in The App store for free.
COOL facts about Ice Cream
Did you Know that JULY is National Ice Cream Month in the USA? It was established by President Ronald Reagan, in 1984. National Ice Cream Day is the 3rd Sunday in July. Learn some fun facts about ice cream!

“A learning tool is not a subject of learning. You shouldn’t have to spend time to master a learning tool, it should teach you itself.” – Andrey Bayadzhan
How is technology empowering the next generation of composers?
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You don’t have to go far to realize that we are facing a major shortage of teachers in U.S.schools. News reports show that school districts across the country are scrambling to find qualified teachers to meet fast-growing enrollment at public schools.
The National Education Association has described the situation as “worse than we thought.”
Reasons for the shortage stem from retirement of teachers and teachers leaving the profession.
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In my last blog, I wrote about the concept of deep learning and how k-12 teachers might work to become the type of teacher that facilitates this type of deep learning.
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In his work on top performing professors, Ken Bain wrote about three types of college students: surface learners, strategic learners, and deep learners. Surface learners are those students just trying to survive. Strategic learners play the system, learning and scoring well enough to get the A. On the other hand, deep learners are also successful but immerse themselves in the learning itself, understanding conceptual ideas, thinking critically and creatively, and becoming adaptative...

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“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...