Two giants of the Internet want to make sure you can still get to them after July 9.
Google and Facebook are actively scanning the computers of their users to find some of the nearly 1 million people who have been infected with the DNSChanger malware in the U.S. Google is displaying a warning across the top of its search results page, while Facebook has placed a similar warning at the top of its post-login page. If a user’s computer is infected, Google and Facebook will know and display the warning. Users who are not infected will see no warning at all.
With so many computers potentially impacted by the DNSChange malware, it is no surprise that these two mega-sites want to help eliminate it. Any machine afflicted with the DNSChanger will not be able to connect to the Internet after July 9.
As reported by CNet, the whole problem goes back to an online criminal ring from 2007 that was tinkering with computers' settings and then directing users to rogue servers that the criminals had set up. These servers then re-directed users to malicious Web sites. Late last year, the FBI arrested the ring and seized the rogue servers. But since so many infected computers relied on the servers to reach the Internet, the agency opted not to shut them down and instead converted them to legitimate DNS machines. Due to the high cost associated with operating these servers, the FBI has decided to shut them down on July 9, leaving any infected computer that has not been fixed with no way to reach the Internet.
The Google and Facebook warnings offer links to information on how to remove the DNSChange malware. Anyone who thinks he may be a victim is encouraged to run a Google search, or log in to Facebook to find out for sure.

“The more we standardize school, the less our kids have the time and support to develop the ability to learn how to learn, think independently, and create initiatives that make their world better.” – Ted Dintersmith
“Our kids will be adults in a world where automated solutions absorb all routine...
In this installment, I write about the themes I discovered in my story of working as a gifted education resource teacher. Essentially, I experienced much frustration until I learned to first collaborate with classroom teachers, until I gained their trust and respect, only then could I begin to share my expertise. Interspersed in the writing are journal reflections and e-mails, which convey my thoughts and emotions at the time of the experience.
...
Note: This article first appeared in The Qualitative Report. This is the first installment of a series on working as a resource teacher of gifted education. I am sharing a modified-version of this article in pieces because I think it sheds might light on the challenges that teachers face collaborating together—when one “has” their own classroom and the other visits the classroom to work with students. Both resource teachers and classroom teachers can learn from each other, for the benefit...
Years ago, a mentor gave a very useful suggestion. He told me to visualize what my ideal classroom would look like. Not just the decorations on the wall and the seating arrangement, but all the aspects of my “ultimate classroom,” including how the students behaved, what the learning looked like, how I was teaching each day, my interactions with parents, and the kind of academic (and social/emotional) results I would achieve. It was a powerful exercise.
I was recently reminded of the...
So, word walls… I can sum this one up in four words...
Are you ready?
Kids. don’t. use. them.
Yep, I said it! Let’s keep it real. While the idea of a word wall is a good one, in practice, I just have not found them to be a very effective tool for my students. Even if my words are huge, even if we practice using it together, even if they help me make it, a typical word wall just doesn’t do the trick.
Why? I...
![]()
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!
1. One scoop of ice cream needs about 50 licks to finish.
2. The Chinese...