MS Student 2006
Microsoft is releasing "MS Student 2006" which will combine web browsing/searching with their Encarta encyclopedia and an Office-like suite of word processing and database products. It includes a graphing calculator for math and science homework as well. I think the best part is that web-searches also bring up related articles from the Encarta encyclopedia so students can verify information they find on the internet.

It definitely seems useful as a whole. I wonder if it will be more appropriate for middle-school rather than high school students. I feel that at the high school level students should be preparing for the same products and software they will encounter in college/work. Also, by the high school level most students have developed their more of a web-sense and can find appropriate material on their own. Although I have been surprised by the number of students who do not consider the URL when "googling."


eSchool News online
- posted by mrdaly @ 1:47 PM 0 comments

 
Intel's Education Visionary Conference
eSchool News online

Intel Corp.'s fourth annual Education Visionary Conference. Looks like an interesting conference with some significant presenters from schools and major tech companies.

A principal from Texas, Tracey Freeley, talks about how technology intergration has changed her school. Besides changing her personal focus from "graduating kids" to "preparing them for life" she points out that the overall atmosphere of the school has changed.

"We have changed what we teach, and how we teach, in the classroom," she said.
"Teachers are facilitators of learning--that's a huge role reversal. You walk
into the classrooms, and you find students teaching. When kids take ownership of
learning, that's when learning happens. That's engagement."

- posted by mrdaly @ 1:19 PM 0 comments