Category Archives: Factoid

No Fear No Risk

Haegler and others at the University of Munich report that people who are anxious release a chemical signal that’s detectable by those close to their sweat. The experimenters conducted a double-blind controlled study to arrive at their results. Detectors make … Continue reading

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Microsoft develops shape-shifting touchscreen

Microsoft this week filed a patent application covering a novel way to construct a “tactile” touchscreen – a display that uses technical tricks to convince users they are actually touching the ridges, bumps and textures of a displayed image. Marks, … Continue reading

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Background Music Disturbs Reading

“… comparison of studies that examined background music compared to no music indicates that background music disturbs the reading process, has some small detrimental effects on memory, but has a positive impact on emotional reactions and improves achievements in sports. … Continue reading

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Illusions of Causality and Teaching-Learning

Matute, et al. demonstrated how repeated occurrences of two events can lead to illusions of one causing the other. It reminds me of a couple of nagging questions. Teaching and learning follow that repeated pattern of two events. I wonder … Continue reading

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Intel Teach Trained 7M Teachers Plus

The Intel® Teach Program has trained 7 million teachers in over 60 countries to integrate technology into their lessons in order to promote students’ problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. This is the largest, most successful program of its kind. … Continue reading

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1 Trillion Bits per Second Ethernet by 2015

Researchers with the University of California – Santa Barbara Terabit Optical Ethernet Center (TOEC) will develop a technology necessary for a new generation of Ethernet a thousand times faster, and much more energy efficient, than today’s most advanced networks. They … Continue reading

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School Boards, Not Teachers, Responsible for Curricula

Mark Walsh reports that teachers have no First Amendment free-speech protection for curricular decisions they make in the classroom. “When a teacher teaches, the school system does not regulate that speech as much as it hires that speech,” Sutton wrote, … Continue reading

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First All-Digital Science Textbook Will Be Free

Within two and a half years, the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation hopes to complete a 59-chapter digital textbook about biology called Life on Earth. As each chapter is finished, the foundation plans to put it into the hands of … Continue reading

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Educators Receive Pay to Increase Learning

Jenna Zwang, Assistant Editor, eSchool News, asked for opinioins about the following questions. I’ve added my response: JZ Q: Do you think the federal and state governments should be responsible for finding solutions to 21st century school problems? Tablet PC … Continue reading

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Closing the talent gap: Attracting and retaining top third graduates to a career in teaching

McKinsey and Company will hold a live webinar to discuss the report of their recent study titled “Closing the Talent Gap: Attracting and Retaining Top Third Graduates to a Career in Teaching.” Attracting more young people with stronger academic backgrounds … Continue reading

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