Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 01/25/2012

• Vim - Applidium

  This app is interesting not onky because it is a very simple free text editor bit it is open source "charityware." I cannt recall hearning the term charityware but they have a suggested charity they would like you to donate to if you like the app. That is a great idea.

  tags: education news

• Research Blog

  Google is open sourcing Google Sky Map for Android. ".Today, we are delighted to announce that we are going to share Sky Map in a different way: we are donating Sky Map to the community. We are collaborating with Carnegie Mellon University in an exciting partnership that will see further development of Sky Map as a series of student projects. Sky Map’s development will now be driven by the students, with Google engineers remaining closely involved as advisors. Additionally, we have open-sourced the app so that other astronomy enthusiasts can take the code and augment it as they wish."

  tags: education news Google

• Gadgetbox - Apple vs. the textbook: Can education go paperless?

  Apple's move into textbooks. Perhaps bumpy at first but with lots of potential. I have seen a lot of favorable thoughts with the Apple announcement. Here is a note from MSNBC I thought expressed a concern of many. Great article about the announcement that is balanced and not just fanboy worship that we get from many sites. ". Can Apple control quality and manage the educational boards? As soon as the iBooks Author tool was introduced, many Apple watchers who had previously witnessed the garbaging up of the iTunes App Store — with useless or redundant fart or flashlight apps — let out a collective sigh. How long until the shiny new corner of the iBookstore, where the textbooks will reside, is filled with hastily made, low-quality products, or worse yet, works of high quality that nevertheless contain misleading or unsubstantiated information."

  tags: apple. education news texbooks ibook ebook

• Japan Reviews Disaster Plan Amid New Quake Concerns - WSJ.com

  Japan has work to do. This is heartbreaking indeed. From the Wall Street Journal. ".Underscoring the risks facing Japan, a new research institute investigation has determined there is a 70% chance of a magnitude-7 earthquake striking the Tokyo metropolitan area within the next four years, and 98% over 30 years. The March 2011 earthquake was a magnitude-9."

  tags: news japan

• Finnish Miracles & American Myths : 2¢ Worth

  David Warlick's reflection on the miracle of Finland's flourishing education system is a great read.

  tags: education news finland bestpractices

• Sloan-C’s Definition of 'Online Course' May Be Out of Sync with Reality ~ Stephen's Web

  How do you determine what an online course is? I love Stephen Downes' tongue in cheek thought on how this is being defined. great points.

  tags: education news elearning

• North Sanpete School District In Utah Sued Over Student's Suicide

  Sad, but this is happening. I do have to wonder that if it was that bad should the parents have moved him? The parents are suing the school for notbprotectingz their child from bulkying and false accusations. I was bullied. Simple answers dont exist.

  tags: education bullying news

• Google tracks consumers’ online activities across products, and users can’t opt out - The Washington Post

  Expect the FTC to take a closer look at Google who will be tracking your activity across all their products as of March 1st with no choice to ot out. what are they doing with google apps for ed?

  tags: education news google

• Apple's First Quarter Earnings: The Unbelievable Numbers

  Apples envious numbers have everyone talking. ".Big test looming? Grockit is a social study tool that’s customizable and connects you with friends on Facebook. Study guides are available for middle school, high school, college and graduate students — from the SAT to GRE. The program has some hefty research behind it, too. Experts in curriculum design who’ve worked for Apple and Houghton Mifflin helped create some of the lesson plans on the app. Study solo or connect with study partners on Grockit. Let your Facebook friends know you’re studying on Grockit and boast about the latest badges you’ve earned on the site."

  tags: education news apple

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.