Chanatown

Having read and enjoyed Dan Ariely's first book, Predictably Irrational , I was excited about plunging into the follow-up titled The Upside of Irrationality . Also, after reflecting on how SuperFreakonomics (a similar book with some overlapping experiments) can save education , I set about reading Ariely's work with the mindset of an educator. Below are three chapter connections as they apply directly to the classroom.

25 years in the making, the Illinois Computer Educators (ICE) Conference has grown to a four day affair consisting of two days of workshops sandwiching two days of general sessions. Yesterday marked the first general day, and I was ready to go at 8am for the keynote. Reflections on the presentation after the jump.

Welcome 2011 ICE Attendees! Here are the links to my poster resources: Embed/ Link to Prezi Teacher Websites - What Works, What Doesn't, What To Do? on Prezi Embed/ Link to Full eGuide (version 1.0) Open publication - Free publishing - More ice11 Link to Poster Handout Link to ICE 2011 Wiki For more thoughts on Technology,  please consider subscribing to the RSS feed or through email .

Article first published as Apple's iPad 2 Announcement - What To Look For On March 2 on Technorati. Well, we've got a date (March 2) and a theme ("Come see what 2011 will be the year of"), so the only question remaining is what the new iPad 2 will officially look and feel like. Here is a 3-2-1 of what is almost inevitably included, what's likely shelved for the future, and what's a possible sleeper pick for next Wednesday's big event.

Article first published as An iPhone With A Keyboard? Three Reasons Why It Could Happen on Technorati. Well,  the latest rumor about the iPhone involves a keyboard , and before you go dismissing this as another crazy story trying to drum up attention and page views, allow me to hypothesize why those innovative Apple designers could be toying around with such a configuration. Although I think there's more of a chance that we'll see  an iPad mini first , here are three reasons why an iPhone "Slider" just might be in the works.

Inside this issue: Black History Month on Discovery Education Streaming Announcing "TechSpace" (ETHS) Google Apps Transition (ETHS) Best iPhone Apps EdTech Conferences and more! Open publication - Free publishing - More monthly For more thoughts on Technology,  please consider subscribing to the RSS feed or through email .

Perhaps, it's because I use Groups mostly through our school domain, which is not currently set for pre-release features, or perhaps, it's because I've been so consumed with other work, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the new Google Groups features when logging into my personal Gmail account this morning. Apparently, users were given opt-in options starting late last year , but I swear the link only popped into my account recently. Anyways, here's three reasons why educators may be particularly interested in the new Groups.

Article first published as  Why an iPad mini would make sense for Apple  on Technorati. There was a rumor this week that aside from the second generation iPad , Apple may be releasing an iPad mini later this year. Now, before you go writing this off as just another crazy Apple rumor, let's consider why a mini would fit right into Apple's master plan.

Article first published as Recommended iPhone Apps for New Verizon Users - Part II on Technorati. With a sudden influx of iPhone users enjoying their first weekend with their new smartphone, I suspect many will be spending a fair amount of time getting cozy with iTunes loading up on apps. Today, we pick up where we let off and dish out some of the best apps for you to consider for that shiny new device.

Article first published as Recommended iPhone Apps for New Verizon Users—Part I on Technorati. It's the big V-day, and I'm not talking about chocolates and roses. No, it's the day when those shiny new iPhone 4's take to the scene on Verizon's nationwide network. How will Big Red handle the sudden influx of data hungry users? That's for another discussion. Today, we welcome and embrace new iPhone users to the club, and suggest a few solid apps to load or if you're really excited, pre-download and have at the ready for that very first (and likely, really long) iTunes sync.

Today, I gave a short presentation/demonstration to a class of AVID students on alternatives to PowerPoint. Starting with the mention of the familiar phrase "Death by PowerPoint" and a slideshare by Alexei Kapterev , I then discussed a few quick and easy options for our students. Descriptions of each after the jump, and a webpage with examples can be found here .

Article first published as iPad App Review: The Daily on Technorati. Much liked an over hyped summer blockbuster, The Daily for iPad news application was finally released last week after press announcements, promised release dates and tantalizing previews dating back to late last year. Within a few days, the app rose to the top of the free apps chart, and thousands of reviews chimed as users created a clear divide between 1-star and 5-star ratings. The main reason for the big attention for another free news app lies with the fact that The Daily touts itself as a new way of disseminating news on the iPad . Let's take a look at what this app promises and manages to deliver.

As we've been deploying document cameras to more teachers at ETHS, my first meeting with teachers generally involves setting up the machine, introducing them to the basic functions of the device, and then discussing some general ideas for how to use the machine. This month, we've continued with the second wave of training, which involves installation and exploration of the Aver+ software that is available for download from AverMedia .

When I recently discovered that Google had resumed sending out Cr-48's, I was being picked up by my wife and we were on our way to our first date night as parents without the baby. I promptly asked, "Did I receive any packages today?" She casually replied, "Oh yeah, there was one." "And...?" I pondered. "Oh, it just said Chrome on it." Classic, and thus began my weekend, chock full of exploration and excitement over the new hardware initiative from the folks in Mountain View . After a week of playing and a day long conference, here are my thoughts and how they tie in with future education deployments.

First, I'd like to thank you the reader for visiting and reading my blog. Without readers, I would not be driven to take time out of my schedule to write with any sort of frequency. Second, I'd like to thank you for your patience in seeing ads on my site. My hope is that they are relevant enough to the posts that you may actually want to click on them. I know I have been tempted to do so (a big no-no with Google, so for the record, I have not clicked on any of my own ads). With that being said, I have been observing a steady trickle of pennies coming through the gates, enough to collect my first check. As promised, I recently issued 8 new Kiva loans ( for more info, please visit the Why Ads? page ). For 2011, I'd like to use all blog generated revenues to benefit two charities, the first being announced today. January-June 2011 Beneficiary:   Eden Place Nature Center Eden Place is a 3.5-acre urban garden, nature preserve, and educational center on the South side of Chi