We are unpacking boxes (finally) from our move. We found this thing in a box of tech stuff. Any ideas?
I tried Google image search and I think I know what it is. I do not remember ever actually using this, but I associate it with a “ribbon cable”.
Sphero
If you are interested in the educational potential of robotics or teaching students to code, you may find this Leo Laporte interview with Ian Bernstein CTO of Sphero. You can listen to the blog, but watching the video is more informative. The developer describes how Sphero works, the creative process leading to the product, and learning basic coding with Sphero.
A future for Microsoft?
This post from Stratechery is worth a listen if you have broad interests in the future of technology. The discussion covered so many topics, but I latched on to suggestions that Apple give up on their own cloud strategy and partner with another company that is more successful in implementing the cloud. The two suggestions were Microsoft and DropBox.
I do applaud Microsoft for an obvious advantage over Apple in the use of the cloud. I actually like OneNote, but still use Evernote. What I am having difficulty imagining going forward is where future Microsoft revenue will come from. What is it that Microsoft offers you really need to pay for?
In the era of the cloud, an OS, software, and apps are the core building blocks of our use of technology. Microsoft is not a hardware company. Microsoft is an operating system and app company. An OS comes free with Apple hardware. Apple makes money on hardware. Chrome OS will run on pretty much any hardware. Google makes money on ads. Microsoft apps are fine, but how many users need to pay for Word, Excel, etc.? Docs is beautifully embedded in the cloud and costs nothing. Apple gives its apps away.
Apple paying Microsoft for cloud services seems the source of revenue Microsoft will need in the long run.
How social is social bookmarking?
The following request from Diigo got me thinking about this question. Diigo, a SOCIAL bookmarking site has noticed that few use the social opportunities the bookmarking site allows and wonder if it is worth the expense. I use Diigo as my personal bookmarking site and offer access to my own site to my students.
The idea in the social of social bookmarking is that users can share access as a way to identify helpful resources identified by others. On the surface, this makes some sense. One can follow someone you consider a leader or someone with similar interests and see what they have uncovered. I do not use this capability a lot, but I do use it some. I would think sharing with students would be a great application.
I wonder if many ways for locating resources (RSS, social bookmarking) have been abandoned as people rely on Twitter. Microblogs would seem useful for current events, but not as a way to search.
Diigo plans (for those interested)
Remind
Remind.com is a very popular tool (the company claims 50% if schools have an account) allowing teachers to communicate with students and parents. The unique approach Remind allows protects the phone numbers and email addresses of all allowed. So, the company serves as an intermediary that passes messages and other content back and forth between the parties. Teachers create an account and then share a pdf provided by Remind with an explanation and instructions.
Remind is far more flexible than I have described here, but consider it a way to share messages, announcements and files. Content can be sent to individuals or to an entire class. Should it seem appropriate an announcement can be send without the option of providing a response. This is presently a free service.
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Local Digital Divide
Today’s StarTribune had an interesting feature on digital access opportunities in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. The article indicates that one-quarter of residents within the lowest income areas have no personal access to the Internet while the overall lack of access is 9%. So, despite Minneapolis having one of the highest connectivity rates in the country note that educators cannot assume their students will be able to connect from home.
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