Only one iPhone…

November 24, 2009

Last week, both my wife and daughter bought iPhones. They started out identical, but already are vastly different. My wife is mainly focused on logging her daily exercise routines and staying on top of her work. My daughter is focused on texting faster, discovering interesting new music, and waking up on time.
Already, the two phones [...]

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Add a dash of empathy, please

November 23, 2009

The New York Times reports that: a raft of new research in humans suggests that (the peptide hormone) oxytocin underlies the twin emotional pillars of civilized life, our capacity to feel empathy and trust. Reporting this month in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that genetic differences in people’s responsiveness to [...]

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The trap in “nature vs. nurture”

November 23, 2009

Few questions better summarize the limitations of our thinking over the past century than “nature or nurture?” The question implies that we need to pick one, that we need to reduce the differences between people down to the simplest possible level.
In fact, the reverse is true. We need to delve as deeply as possible into [...]

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Just how unique are we?

November 23, 2009

The bankruptcy earlier this month of DeCode Genetics raises the question, “Just how unique is each human being?” The well-funded ($700 million) company found that the genetic underpinnings of human disease are much more complicated than scientists anticipated. It seems that at minimum thousands of genetic mutations - rather than just a handful - cause [...]

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Intel says its Health Guide gaining momentum

November 23, 2009

Intel announced today that it has added a reseller and several new customers for its Health Guide.
GTSI Corp., an enterprise technology solutions and services provider, is the latest addition to the list of Intel Health Guide authorized resellers. In the United States, Intel has added new customers including the Veterans Affairs (VA) Rural [...]

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New Generative Design blog

November 12, 2009

Here’s a potentially very interesting new blog, GenoForm, by Sivam Krish, CEO and Founder of Genometri.
Sivam says he has been frustrated by the incompatibilities between the design practices in Design and Engineering. He earned a dual degree in Engineering and Architecture from MIT, and is an assistant professor teaching product design at the National [...]

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What the iPhone can teach us about teaching (from Mindsteps)

November 11, 2009

(excerpts) What if we taught like an iphone? Apple doesn’t try to anticipate my needs. Instead, it built a phone that is flexible enough that I can make it fit my needs. In the days of DVR’s that allow you to watch TV when and how you want, and Pandora radio that lets you create [...]

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Touch technology used to accelerate learning (from Fortune/Brainstorm Tech)

November 10, 2009

(excerpt) Smart Technologies, the makers of the interactive SMART Board whiteboard have also introduced the SMART Table to classrooms. Already in more than 500 schools, SMART Tables have been an incredible success already both for business and for students.
New York’s Verrazano School has used SMART tables in its classrooms since May, and teachers say it’s [...]

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How Social Networking Will Transform Learning (Tom Vander Ark)

November 9, 2009

(excerpt) I’m betting on social learning platforms as a lever for improvement at scale in education. Instead of a classroom as the primary organizing principle, social networks will become the primary building block of learning communities (both formal and informal). Smart recommendation engines will queue personalized content. Tutoring, training, and collaboration tools will be applications [...]

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Remarks by Jason Levy, Principal of CIS 339 in the Bronx

November 9, 2009

(excerpt) I presented yesterday at the GooglePlex in Mountain View at the Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age conference. I was on a panel called “New Learning Designs: Scaling Innovation to Reverse the Dropout Crisis.”
My goal was to paint a picture of 339’s turnaround (so far) and the role technology has played. Keep in mind [...]

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