Seton Hall University is partnering with Microsoft to outfit all 2012 incoming freshmen with a bundle of Windows devices in an effort to better prepare them for the 21st Century workplace.
Included in the package of tech includes a Nokia Lumia mobile phone featuring Windows Phone 8 and Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook running Windows 8. Schools officials are touting the tech bundle as a difference-maker in the world of post-secondary education.
“This year’s freshmen class will be on the cutting edge of a totally new approach to mobile computing,” The Seton Hall Web site reads. “We call it an ‘educational ecosystem’ because it deploys the most advanced and integrated technology system in higher education. SHU Mobile Computing brings tomorrow’s workplace to campus today so that our students will be prepared for careers that demand greater fluency in technology.”
Seton Hall president Dr. Gabriel Esteban said the Windows products will help undergrads as they prepare for their careers.
“We want to give all our students access to the technology they need to be successful learners and future leaders,” Esteban said.
Microsoft, AT&T, Nokia and Seton Hall are providing voice, text and data plan (free through the end of 2012) to students who receive the Lumia phones. The university is unclear if students will be forced to pick up the voice, text and data bills after the free period ends in a few months, or whether students who already own mobile phones will be required to take and eventually pay for the Windows devices.
I’d like to take a moment to write about an often-ignored topic in teaching. Likely, it’s not covered in professional development or faculty meetings or college coursework, but I believe it is, nonetheless, a vital, living, breathing component of the classroom, which can transform learning and uplift students and teachers.
Humor. It’s present in some classrooms, dreadfully absent in others. It comes natural to some teachers, difficult for others.
Believe it or not, humor in...

“American kids are now 10, 20, 50 or 90 times more likely to be on prescription psychiatric medications compared with kids in other countries (the rate varies depending on the diagnosis in question). I think it’s an important and disturbing trend.” — Dr. Leonard Sax
Dr. Leonard Sax graduated Phi Beta...
I found this recent news story of interest and wanted to share. Perhaps, it might be a writing prompt for your students.
Imagine reaching the summit of Mount Everest. Now, imagine reaching it TWICE in one week. Anshu Jamsenpa, of India, set a new women’s record for a double ascent of Mount Everest in one season. Even more amazing, this is the FIFTH accent of Mount Everest by Jamsenpa! At 29,028 feet, some say it is now 29,035, Mount Everest stands about 5 1/2 miles above...
It’s no secret that social studies regularly takes a back seat to other academic subjects. If teachers are honest, they will admit that they struggle to find time to teach social studies, and if they do, it’s crammed into the last minutes of the day, or perhaps creatively combined with other lessons.
What if there was another way to approach social studies? What if there was model that could provide students with meaningful, relevant social studies instruction, while at the same time...

UCLA’s 2015 survey of US students found that “interest in political and civic engagement has reached the highest levels since the study began 50 years ago....

In a technology driven, infinitely connected world, the roles of teachers and parents in the learning process are changing. Good communication is arguably more important than ever before. A teacher-parent relationship that’s in sync is the best way to create a positive experience and learning environment for each student. So how do...

“The more that financial education initiatives are developed, both in and outside of school, the more important it is for governments and other stakeholders to evaluate and prioritize such initiatives and to scale and spread good practice.” — Andreas Schleicher
To thrive in today’s innovation-driven economy,...
As summer vacation nears, principals begin scrambling to fill teaching positions. College graduates start sending out resumes and trying to interview for jobs. Working with final interns (last semester of the program), I have begun to explore how to help these aspiring teachers land a job, preferably at a school of choice. Part of this process (we also work on crafting a resume), involves successful interviewing. To gather information on the topic, I started asking principals to speak to my...

“Like many things with parenting, it’s a near-impossible job description, but most of us do our best with it (and beat ourselves up if we get it wrong).” — Justine Roberts
“Parenting is probably the most important job most of us will ever do,” says Justine Roberts, Founder and CEO of Mumsnet....
Flag Day is coming, a day to honor the flag of the United States. Flag Day is June 14th.