They Might Be Giants are experimenting in creating educational materials. Similar to Schoolhouse Rock, TMBG are creating songs and videos that show educational topics in simplified manner with visuals and lyrics that help everyone understand how the world works. The videos below are from TMBG’s series, Science is Real.
These videos were found on youtube, but you can also order the DVDs online.
Friday, December 24
Thursday, December 23
Stroke of Insight
Jill Bolte Taylor is both a brain scientist and a former stroke patient. In the video below, she describes how the two hemispheres of the brain control different abilities and therefore act and respond in completely different ways. With the left side of her brain paralyzed by the stroke, Dr. Taylor was able to view the world with only the right side of the brain which changed the way she would normally perceive the world. Many people would describe a stroke to be a tragedy, but Dr. Taylor describes a beautiful experience that enabled her to see the magnificence of our world while feeling that she was full and perfect without being distracted by the self talk the left side of our brain controls.
She wrote a book about her experience titled Stroke of Insight, which I plan to read. I think you will find her to be a very engaging and passionate speaker. I wish she taught be science when I was younger.
I think this video would be great as an introduction or review when teaching about the brain. It is also great for anyone to see when trying to understand more about how our minds work.
She wrote a book about her experience titled Stroke of Insight, which I plan to read. I think you will find her to be a very engaging and passionate speaker. I wish she taught be science when I was younger.
I think this video would be great as an introduction or review when teaching about the brain. It is also great for anyone to see when trying to understand more about how our minds work.
Wednesday, December 22
Proud to be an American!
I have failed miserably with writing regularly this month, but I have been reading and watching a lot that I want to share. I thought I would have time to write during my last trip to D.C., but my flights ran so smoothly that I got off one flight and then directly on the next. In June, I wrote about my last trip to D.C. when I visited Clara, the mom of the host family that I stayed with when I taught in Ghana. Well this time, her two daughters, Eduwa and Fritsewa were there visiting her, and I HAD TO take the opportunity to visit them. I was even lucky enough that my sister could come.
We had an amazing time. I had no idea when I signed up to teach in Africa that I was expanding my family. These people open their homes to me and took care of me when I needed it the most—I consider these people to be members of my family. I cannot describe the feelings flowing through my mind and body as I reunited with them, but I know I am a very lucky person.
The girls were 4 and 6 years old when I lived with them, and now they are 10 and 12. They look and act exactly how I would have imagined. It is interesting to me that there is so much about human’s personalities and temperament that never seems to change.
I asked the girls what they want to be when they grow up—Eduwa wants to be a pharmacist and Frits wants to be a scientist. Hopefully, they will have the opportunity to study their respective sciences in America. The only reason Clara is living and working here is the possibility of giving their daughters an American education with the opportunities available to many of us. It’s not easy, and I know she has her doubts…but she puts all her faith in a higher power that everything will work out. The dad of the family hasn’t been able to get a visa, and it breaks my heart that the family hasn’t been one physical unit since Clara moved to America.
On the way to D.C., my sister and I got to see soldiers in the airport reuniting with their families for the holidays. I probably looked crazy getting teary-eyed in line for security while I watched men and women dressed in their military attire hugging their family members that never wanted to let go. One young daughter that looked like she was 4 years old didn’t let go of her daughter the entire time—she was either hugging him or her arm was around him.
This trip of mine reminded me how lucky I am to live in a country that people want to immigrate to and a country whose citizens volunteer to defend what our country stands for. I am grateful for my ancestors who sacrificed a life that they knew to come to a strange, new country for the possibility of a better life with more opportunities. I am thankful for the soldiers that sacrifice time with their loved ones to defend the country they believe in. While this country isn’t perfect, it attracts strong, resilient people that are willing to sacrifice their comfort for a better future for their children and children’s children. We are lucky that we get to call this place home.
During the last days of 2010, I will concentrate on the positive stories that both inspire and energize me. These stories remind me that anything is possible when we least expect it.
I hope everyone has a happy holiday and gets to end the year surrounded by the people they love!
We had an amazing time. I had no idea when I signed up to teach in Africa that I was expanding my family. These people open their homes to me and took care of me when I needed it the most—I consider these people to be members of my family. I cannot describe the feelings flowing through my mind and body as I reunited with them, but I know I am a very lucky person.
The girls were 4 and 6 years old when I lived with them, and now they are 10 and 12. They look and act exactly how I would have imagined. It is interesting to me that there is so much about human’s personalities and temperament that never seems to change.
I asked the girls what they want to be when they grow up—Eduwa wants to be a pharmacist and Frits wants to be a scientist. Hopefully, they will have the opportunity to study their respective sciences in America. The only reason Clara is living and working here is the possibility of giving their daughters an American education with the opportunities available to many of us. It’s not easy, and I know she has her doubts…but she puts all her faith in a higher power that everything will work out. The dad of the family hasn’t been able to get a visa, and it breaks my heart that the family hasn’t been one physical unit since Clara moved to America.
On the way to D.C., my sister and I got to see soldiers in the airport reuniting with their families for the holidays. I probably looked crazy getting teary-eyed in line for security while I watched men and women dressed in their military attire hugging their family members that never wanted to let go. One young daughter that looked like she was 4 years old didn’t let go of her daughter the entire time—she was either hugging him or her arm was around him.
This trip of mine reminded me how lucky I am to live in a country that people want to immigrate to and a country whose citizens volunteer to defend what our country stands for. I am grateful for my ancestors who sacrificed a life that they knew to come to a strange, new country for the possibility of a better life with more opportunities. I am thankful for the soldiers that sacrifice time with their loved ones to defend the country they believe in. While this country isn’t perfect, it attracts strong, resilient people that are willing to sacrifice their comfort for a better future for their children and children’s children. We are lucky that we get to call this place home.
During the last days of 2010, I will concentrate on the positive stories that both inspire and energize me. These stories remind me that anything is possible when we least expect it.
I hope everyone has a happy holiday and gets to end the year surrounded by the people they love!
Monday, November 29
Just Right
If Goldie Locks was presented with a smart phone, a tablet, and a PC, the tablet would be “just right.”
Smart phones aren’t strong enough to entirely replace PCs, but the phone’s mobile capability draws people to use a smart phone for many of their computing needs. PCs are too large to be conveniently transportable, but the small screens of smart phones make it impossible to use it with ease for some computing needs. It is smart-phone technology that has evolved tablets into a thin screen that runs a touchscreen-focused mobile operating system requiring less processing power than preceding operating systems such as Windows.
Below are a couple articles that describe tablets and their future in schools, businesses, and homes around the world.
PC World’s “What the Ultimate Tablet Would Look Like”
Here is a summarized list of tablet ideals taken from the article:
Kno Releases Tablet Designed for Students
Smart phones aren’t strong enough to entirely replace PCs, but the phone’s mobile capability draws people to use a smart phone for many of their computing needs. PCs are too large to be conveniently transportable, but the small screens of smart phones make it impossible to use it with ease for some computing needs. It is smart-phone technology that has evolved tablets into a thin screen that runs a touchscreen-focused mobile operating system requiring less processing power than preceding operating systems such as Windows.
Below are a couple articles that describe tablets and their future in schools, businesses, and homes around the world.
PC World’s “What the Ultimate Tablet Would Look Like”
Here is a summarized list of tablet ideals taken from the article:
- Weigh less than 1.5 pounds.
- Antiglare coating provided as an option.
- Kickstand to prop up the tablet.
- USB ports included.
- HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
- Capabilities to support Web standards such as HTML5and Flash.
- Quick turn on.
- Dual camerasincluded.
- Open videocapabilities.
- The ability to print from the tablet.
Kno Releases Tablet Designed for Students
Saturday, November 27
Apple Makes iPads More Useful for Schools
Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad can do and show so much, but until now, users haven’t been able to print from the devices. The iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad don’t have the ports needed to connect the devices to a printer, but Apple, Inc. developed software that makes it possible for users to print wirelessly over Wi-Fi networks. The software, called AirPrint, allows the Apple gadgets to locate printers on home, work, or school networks, and then print. Currently, only certain Hewlett-Packard Co. printers are lucky enough to be compatible with AirPrint.
AirPrint along with AirPlay are two new feactures available with iOS 4.2, the latest operating system for the Apple devices…just in time for the holidays.
AirPrint along with AirPlay are two new feactures available with iOS 4.2, the latest operating system for the Apple devices…just in time for the holidays.
Monday, November 22
Microsoft Certifications Earned at North Carolina High Schools
Next fall, North Carolina will be the first state to offer Microsoft computer training in every high school. Currently, about 30 high schools are using the Microsoft IT Academy —which is a “subscription-based membership program designed to help schools offer students and faculty learning solutions for IT skills training and certification as well as technology essentials for professionals.” The North Carolina students will have the opportunity to earn certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist or a Microsoft Certified Professional.
Even after graduating college with a degree in Computer Sciences, I know that many people spend their free time pursuing certifications such as these because they are either required in order to be hired by a certain company or they bump a person up to the next level of pay scale. While it would be ideal for students to have the chance to be certified with various types of software rather than just Microsoft, I think it is really cool that these students have the chance to leave HIGH SCHOOL with a certification that would actually be worth something in the real world with a real corporation that offers a real salary and benefits. I think this is the new direction for many technical schools serving students 18 years and younger.
Even after graduating college with a degree in Computer Sciences, I know that many people spend their free time pursuing certifications such as these because they are either required in order to be hired by a certain company or they bump a person up to the next level of pay scale. While it would be ideal for students to have the chance to be certified with various types of software rather than just Microsoft, I think it is really cool that these students have the chance to leave HIGH SCHOOL with a certification that would actually be worth something in the real world with a real corporation that offers a real salary and benefits. I think this is the new direction for many technical schools serving students 18 years and younger.
Monday, November 15
National Ed-Tech Plan...revisited
On May 19th, I wrote about the proposal of the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) and its goals. Well…It’s official! Last week, the final version of the National Ed-Tech Plan was released by the U.S. Department of Education.
The document is organized into 5 components that the Department of Ed says are essential in “learning powered by technology”:
Even if reading a 90-page government plan isn’t your thing, I encourage you to check it out. There are sidebars on many of the pages that are boxed in light blue. Each of these sidebars explains real-life programs in schools and organizations that are taking advantage of the benefits of technology.
The document is organized into 5 components that the Department of Ed says are essential in “learning powered by technology”:
- Learning: Engage and Empower
- Assessment: Measure What Matters
- Teaching: Prepare and Connect
- Infrastructure: Access and Enable
- Productivity: Redesign and Transform
Even if reading a 90-page government plan isn’t your thing, I encourage you to check it out. There are sidebars on many of the pages that are boxed in light blue. Each of these sidebars explains real-life programs in schools and organizations that are taking advantage of the benefits of technology.
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