TOSHIBA FOLIO 100 PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS ARRIVE

The promotional videos of the upcoming Toshiba Folio 100 Android tablet has hit the cyberspace. The Toshiba Folio 100 has a 10.1 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It is powered by a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and runs Google Android 2.2. The supported connectivity options include WiFi and Bluetooth. The promotional videos show some of the unique

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COMPAQ AIRLIFE 100 ANDROID SMARTBOOK HITS CHILE

The Compaq Airlife 100 made its debut at CES early this year, but the machine hasn't hit retail shelves in the US yet. The Compaq Airlife 100 is one of the first smartbooks to hit the market. It is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and runs Android operating syStem. The device is kind of a cross between a laptop and a smartphone. The Airlife 100 has been available in Spain for a

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RIM UNVEILS BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK 7 INCH TABLET

Research in Motion (RIM) has officially unveiled a tablet computer called BlackBerry PlayBook. The PlayBook is designed to serve a variety of purposes including web browsing, multimedia and business. The BlackBerry PlayBook measures less than half an inch in thickness and weigh 0.9 pounds. It has a 7-inch multi-touch capacitive display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The tablet runs the

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LENOVO LAUNCHES THINKPAD EDGE 11 THIN AND LIGHT LAPTOP

Lenovo has made a new addition to its ThinkPad Edge family with the launch of the ThinkPad Edge 11. The 11.6 inch ThinkPad Edge 11 measures 1.1 inches in thickness and weighs less than 3 pounds. It is actually the smallest and lightest ThinkPad Edge available at the moment. The Edge 11 is available with a choice of Intel Core / Pentium or AMD Vision Pro Athlon processors. Lenovo claims that the

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HP TO CALL ITS WEBOS TABLET PALMPAD

It is now almost official: The upcoming HP WebOS tablet will be called PalmPad. An HP executive referred to the tablet as PalmPad yesterday. The WebOS is the operating system that powers the Palm Pre and Pixi smartphones. And ever since HP acquired Palm and the WebOS, it has been rumored that the compnay will launch a WebOS tablet. The WebOS powered PalmPad will reportedly launch in early 2011.

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A Conversation to Improve

With the suggestion of Mr. Kohn, I set up the classroom early on Monday morning circling all the chairs into the center of the room moving all the tables aside. I opened the class explaining to the class about the past few days: my initial blog, the response from Alfie Kohn and others, and the importance of today’s conversation. I explained my frustrations to the class regarding their work completion, efforts at achieving successes, and reminding them how intelligent I think they all are. Then I talked to them about the three questions I wanted us to discuss for the rest of the class: What is working? What isn’t working? How can WE do better? Here is what they said:

What is working?
· Reading as a group and annotating together- talking through what we are reading
· Food
· Writing topic sentences
· Using technology
· Watching movies
· Editing in class
· Six weeks to redo work
· Redo work allows us to learn more, less pressure, more flexibility, not happy with my grade until work is satisfactory
· Class blog keeps me organized, scribes are extremely helpful
· Skype- nice to have direct contact with you
· No books, nice to have print outs
· You aren’t a hypocrite- you do the work with us
· PLN- helps so much with my writing, I can voice my opinion
· PLN presentations- it is great that we get to pick what we can do and present on
· Like the interactive methods of teaching
· Nice to have time to work on writing paragraphs in school
· Note taking is minimal
· Nice to be able to pick the day you scribe
· Rolly chairs and tables
· Make up days- nice to have the time to make-up work and get caught up; you can prioritize your other classes with the flexibility of this class
· Not strict about talking and behavior

What isn’t working? (we talked about solutions with the problems- those are indicated in parenthesis where we had a solution)

• Hand writing is hard to read (online comments work best)
• Annotations: it is really hard to read to understand, make connections and ask questions all at the same time (can we read a bit, then stop and pause to write questions and make comments; reading could be the night before so that we can read for understanding during the night, and then leave annotations for the next day in class; small group reading based off of reading ability)
• Big assignments (can these be broken down more into a day by day format; or paragraph by paragraph format)
• Annotating in the format you suggest doesn’t work for me (don’t worry about the literary devices, move on and ask big questions, make big connections)
• Don’t like downloading programs such as Picasa and Google Earth (?)
• Homework can be overwhelming (?)
• Hard to get used to blogging and homework (?)
• Structure paragraphs (go over paragraph structures again and again, go over different parts of the paragraph to redo; breakdown each paragraph and give work time to finish)
• Assign rough drafts (next day could be a work day, edit, and then edit again, and then final draft)
• Show examples of what you mean, don’t just tell
  

How can WE do better?

• 
  Bring in work the next day when it is assigned
• Get homework in on time
• Turn in work on time so you get time to redo the work
• Work in smaller groups based on how fast we work
• Hold us accountable when we don’t do what we are supposed to
• When we do good things, can you bake for us? YES!
• If we all do good things, can we all get rewards?
• Be more specific with online comments
• Have more group projects
• Hold one another accountable
• Slow down
• Take time with our annotating
• Talk about our PLN’s and maybe do one together
• Read in circles more often
• Put questions up- expand on what questions need to be about
  
  
  

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Origin Eon17 Gaming Laptop

Desktop processors in a laptop may not seem as common as they once were, but that hasn't stopped Origin PC from creating a line of high powered gaming laptops, including their newest product the Eon17. The Eon17 is a seriously powerful gaming laptop that runs games as well as, if not better than, most desktops.

Inside the Eon17 you will find Intel's Core i7 processors as well as 24GB of DDR3 memory making sure nothing, not even a 100 Zergling rush, will slow you down. The Eon17 from Origin has everything you need to conquer your enemies on the field of battle or to create your next masterpiece work of art.

The Eon17 is so crammed full of stuff that it is amazing it fits into a laptop shell. Aside from the Core i7 processors you will find dual nVidia GeForce GTX 480M video cards in SLI, a Super Multi Blu-Ray Burner Combo drive and high definition audio. What will really interest you is the full list of everything you can get in your Origin Eon17 like:

- 17.3 Full HD Widescreen, 16.9, 1920 x 1080
- Up to Intel Core i7 980X Desktop Processors
- Up to Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M Video Cards in SLI
- Up to 24GB of Triple Channel DDR3 Memory
- Up to Three Hard Drives
- Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Key Pad
- HDMI In and Out; Optical Digital Out, and 7.1 HD Audio
- Touch Sensitive Multi-Gesture Pad and Instant Access Buttons

I don't know about you, but I now have to wipe the drool away from my face. That is one seriously intense spec list. With hardware like that there is no doubt that you will have absolutely no problem gaming whether you are heading up a raiding party with your Horde brethren in World of Warcraft, leading a charge against the deadly Zerg and mighty Protoss in StarCraft II or defending the world in Crysis.

The Eon17 from Origin is definitely one impressive machine and a serious gaming laptop that can rival some high-end desktops. The only problem is that all this power directly at your fingertips won't come cheap. The Eon17 has a starting price of $2,499. It is available now, but for that price you could build yourself two ultimate gaming desktops if you know where to get the right parts. They just won't be able to go everywhere with you.

Looking for a nationwide Hitachi Projector Rental? Then call Rentacomputer.com today at 800-736-8772 to get your Hitachi Projector Rental.

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SHARP LAUNCHES GALAPAGOS ANDROID TABLETS

Sharp has introduced two new Android tablets. The company is positioning the devices as eBook readers, but with their color displays and Android OS they have specs that meet the definition of a tablet. Sharp says that the two new tablets are designed to work with the company's new eBook service. The Sharp Galapagos tablets are due out in December. They will have access to a library of 30,000

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ACER TIMELINEX 1830T GETS INTEL CORE i - SERIES PROCESSOR

Acer has updated its 11.6 inch Aspire TimelineX 1830T thin and light laptops with Intel's Core i-Series processors. The TimelineX 1830T originally shipped with Intel core 2 Solo processors. Now Acer is offering the ultraportable with your choice of an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processors. The updated models have prices ranging between $600 and $900.The base model which is now available

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TOSHIBA LAUNCHES SATELLITE L635 KIDS PC

Toshiba has teamed up with Best Buy to launch a notebook for kids. The Toshiba Satellite L635 Kids PC is the kid-centric version of the original Satellite L635. The Satellite L635 Kids PC is designed for kids aged five to ten. It has several features that would make it stand out from other kids laptops in the market. The notebook has a 13.3 inch display, a keyboard that can be cleaned and a matte

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CLEVO X7200 GAMING LAPTOP WITH DUAL GEFORCE GTX 480M UP FOR SALE

Taiwanese laptop maker Clevo has introduced a 17.3 inch gaming laptop called X7200. The notebook is powered by dual GeForce GTX 480M video cards and Intel desktop CPUs.Besides two GeForce GTX 480M graphics cards in SLI configuration with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory, the Clevo X7200 also has Intel Core i7 LGA1366 processor, up to the six-core i7-975, and three DDR3 SoDIMM memory slots for up to 12GB

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HP SLATE 500 TABLET CAPTURED ON VIDEO

More video footages of the HP Slate 500 tablet have surfaced. The new video features a look at the packaging and docking station with HDMI output and detailed specs. It is also rumored that there will be both retail and enterprise models of the tablet. HP had previously stated that its Slate 500 Windows tablet would be targeted at business customers. Here’s a rundown of the specs:Processor:

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ACER ASPIRE ONE D255 DUAL CORE LAPTOP REVIEWED

In terms of looks, the Acer Aspire One D255 isn't all that different from other netbooks Acer introduced this year. But under the hood, the D255 is a different machine. It has a 1.5GHz dual core Intel Atom N550 processor. In fact, the Aspire D255 is one of the first 10 inch netbooks to hit the market with a dual core Atom processor. The netbook has been reviewed by the folks at Laptop Magazine

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Alfie Kohn Comes to the Rescue

After posting yesterday about my struggles in class, I tweeted out the blog post. A few hours later, a DM from none other than Mr. Kohn appeared in my Tweetdeck letting me know he had read my post (I practically fell on the floor), and that he wanted to know more: he wanted to know, "At what pt do I get to hold the studs responsble?" What wd that mean, exactly? Punishing them? Wd that improve lrng? Interest?". Since Mr. Kohn doesn't follow me, I couldn't get back to him through DM-ing, but he suggested an email exchange. He didn't promise a detailed response, but did encourage me to write out my questions and concerns and he would respond back when he had time.

Here is the email I sent:

Mr. Kohn-I don't believe in punishing kids- I think all kids learn from their mistakes. Your book The Schools Our Children Deserve changed many perceptions I had about schooling. Your work on homework has changed how and what I do with homework. My husband and I use your Unconditional Parenting with Love and Logic at home. So, please know I am a huge fan... but, I am running into a problem in my school, district and state, where I am continually being measured for things my students are supposed to be able to do. I wonder how I am supposed to be measured by these tests when kids have no stake in the test? Why can't we hold kids accountable when all the factors for success are there? I use Atwell's writing strategies and Daniels work on reading.

I am wondering how do I reinforce turning in homework such as writing, reading, and speaking? How do I help my kids avoid being lazy and come to class prepared? I don't have this problem, of course, with my honors level classes, but with my boys- 33 boys and me! We read current literature, watch videos, read in class, and model good writing in class; they comment about how much they like it, but they don't respond to what I ask them to do with writing or reading homework. I do most of the reading in class with them because I value the reading and writing components greatly. As far as work, my class has a no D policy so kids can't turn in what we call "crap work." As a class, we agreed to only turn in quality work- they defined for themselves and they class what constitutes quality work. Also, I accept work up until the six week grading period so they can redo an assignment as many times as necessary until they have demonstrated they have learned and understood the concept. (This is a change I made a couple of years ago based off my graduate school work with Gary Stager and Margaret Riel).

How do I hold kids accountable without "punishing" kids? How do I get them to do more quallity work and thinking without holding their hands and being the task master teacher I don't want to be? How do I get them to want to be more and hold themselves to a higher standard?

Thanks for inviting the conversation,
Anne Smith

And today, here is the response I received: (this is reprinted with his permission)

I, too, taught difficult kids once upon a time, so I sympathize. But I needed some distance from the situation to realize that I was too quick to blame them for their lack of interest in what I was trying to get them to do. I thought of them as unmotivated or resistant rather than asking how I had failed to engage them.

It's particularly important, I think, when you're on the receiving end of all this accountability nonsense (and top-down control), not to turn around and treat students the way you're being treated, but instead to treat them the way you wish you were being treated.

The high-achieving kids know how to play the game, and they jump through our hoops. Sometimes I worry more about them (over the long haul) than about the kids who don't care so much about the extrinsic inducements and are more likely to say, in effect, like Bartleby, "I prefer not to" when they don't see the point.

Maybe the problem is that you're telling them to do this stuff at home, in effect making them work a second shift after they've spent all day at school. Given that many teachers assign no homework at all (with fabulous results); given that research finds absolutely no benefit to homework, at least before high school; given that it's questionable whether schools have any business telling kids how to spend their time when they're home -- I frankly don't blame them. If you've seen my book The Homework Myth, you know I'm doing more than just asking teachers to assign less of it. At the least, it should be assigned only on those occasions when it's truly necessary (to help kids think more deeply and get them more excited about the topic), not on a regular basis.

Or maybe the problem isn't with what you're asking them to do so much as with the students' perception that they had nothing to say about it. Kids are more likely to respond positively when they participate in making meaningful decisions about the curriculum and other aspects of their education. (I write about this in the current issue of English Journal: www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/nonreaders.htm>.)

There are plenty of consultants out there who are happy to answer a question like "How can I reinforce turning in homework?" -- a question that (a) simply assumes homework is necessary and useful, (b) draws from a behaviorist tradition (in which the idea of reinforcement is grounded), and (c) seems focused mostly on getting compliance. I think what you really want to ask is "How do I nourish their interest in learning?" [Bold is my addition] If so, then a focus on accountability and reinforcement, as well as traditional practices like grades and tests, can only get in the way.

To reach kids who are (understandably) turned off to school means you have to meet them where they are, realize that their lack of interest in what they're being made to do doesn't mean they're "lazy," think about how to create a more democratic classroom (which involves giving up some control -- a frightening prospect for most of us), and be willing to rethink many features of your curriculum and instruction -- what you're teaching and how. That's a long-term process, one that requires not only skill but courage, and it's best undertaken with at least one or two colleagues who are also more interested in creating truly student-centered classrooms than in looking for tricks to make the kids more compliant.

The first step may be something as simple as holding a class meeting, with everyone in a circle, in which you confess your frustration, ask your boys to tell you what is and isn't working for them in your class, listen without defensiveness, and request their help in improving the class. Regardless of what they tell you, the fact that you're willing to ask may itself make an impression on them.

I know my response raises more questions than it answers, and I apologize that I don't have the time to do justice to the issues you're struggling with. (My inbox is perpetually full, and I've already spent more time than I should have.) I do appreciate your reaching out for help, though -- something that complacent and cynical teachers rarely do -- and I wish you luck in this journey.

-- Alfie Kohn
http://www.alfiekohn.org/index.php

Yes, Alfie Kohn lived up to all I have believed him to embody- he came to the rescue of a teacher in need of some direction. A teacher who wants to do best by her students. He answered the call and left me thinking of how to approach my students and my teaching in a whole new direction. I know Monday will be a different day with me focusing on "How do I nourish their interest in learning?" rather than "How do I reinforce turning in homework?" or "When do [students] get to be held accountable?". Thanks for Mr. Kohn for showing me which side of the fork in the road I want to follow.

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SAMSUNG WORKING ON A 10 INCH GALAXY TAB?

The 7 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab is already one of the most sought after Android tablets on the market. It hasn't started shipping yet, but it is coming soon. In fact, in a few weeks it will be available on all four major wireless carriers in the US. And now word is that Samsung is planning to launch a 10 inch version of the tablet. This particular model is expected to ship in the first half of 2011

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HP MINI 5103 AND MINI 210 NOW SHIPPING WITH DUAL CORE PROCESSORS

The HP Mini 5103 and Mini 210 netbooks are now available with dual core processors. The Mini 5103 is aimed at small and medium businesses whereas the Mini 210 is consumer-oriented. The base model of the Mini 5103 is priced at $399. For that price, you will only get a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive. The base model with a 1.5GHz dual core Atom N550 costs $542

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Store n’ Go USB Drive

Verbatim has recently designed a USB drive that can provide more functions than that of a regular USB drive. The Store n’ Go Clip-it USB Drive features a clip right on the drive. It is a great way to attach something like a business card or a folder of documents onto a presentation or other information stored on the USB. The Clip-it basically serves as a high tech paper clip.

Some may point out the fact that a USB drive is meant to eliminate paper documents, but Verbatim does not feel that this is always the case. The clip is simply an added feature that could really be useful in many situations.

The Store n’ Go Clip-it USB Drive will be available in either 2GB or 4GB form and will give you the choice of seven different colors. Pricing has not yet been announced by Verbatim.

I really feel that this is a very interesting idea. Although USB drives really do eliminate most paper documents, there are times that you simply want to attach a quick note or instructions to the USB drive. With the Clip-it, this task will be easy. It gives you the option to add anything you might want to send along with the device. If Verbatim isn’t asking a ridiculous price for the drive, I feel that it would definitely be a useful device to pick up.

In the market for a nationwide Aircard Rental? If so, then call Rentacomputer.com today at 800-736-8772.

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Alfie Kohn- I Need You

About a week ago, Alfie Kohn tweeted a new article “Schools would be great if it weren’t for the kids” that he composed in response to a previous article written by Robert J. Samuelson. Samuelson placed much of the blame for the lack of success in schools on the students, and Kohn took issue. Kohn explains:

People who blame students for not being “motivated” tend to think educational success means little more than higher scores on bad tests and they’re apt to see education itself as a means to making sure our corporations will beat their corporations. The sort of schooling that results is the type almost guaranteed to . . . kill students’ motivation.

What may look like simple apathy, laziness, or opposition on the part of kids often reflects a problem with what, and how, they’re being taught, or the extent to which they’ve been excluded from the process of making decisions about their own learning.

Conversely, if you want to see (intrinsically) motivated kids, you need to visit classrooms or schools that take a nontraditional approach to education, places where students are more likely to be absorbed and frequently delighted, where what they’re doing is not merely “rigorous” (a word often applied to very difficult busywork) but meaningful.

Those who presume to weigh in on problems with education should visit schools that look very different from the ones that most of us attended -- and even more different from the chillingly militaristic places that rich white people cheerfully recommend for poor black children. Read Dewey, Piaget, Bruner, and Montessori.

Read the contemporary giants: Meier, Sizer, Goodlad. Read other educators who are thoughtful about what great classrooms look like and how to create them: Lilian Katz, Eleanor Duckworth, Constance Kamii, Harvey Daniels, Nancie Atwell, Jackie and Marty Brooks, Jim Beane, Steven Wolk, and many more.

I want to preface what I am about to say with how much I respect and value Kohn’s work in education. I have read his books, follow him on Twitter, and appreciate his information regarding how to change education. But, I wish he could come into my classroom, and work with my kids, and deal with the constraints, and challenges of a public school. (See new standards post)

I see myself somewhere between the two positions: I see that my students aren’t to blame for my inadequacies as a teacher- if I am not excited, motivated and passionate about what I am teaching, then they shouldn’t be either. If I don’t provide sufficient resources for them to not just meet their expectations, learning and understanding, then they can’t turn in their work. If I am not challenging them, being open for their feedback, or am placing too high of expectations on them, then they can’t succeed. If I don’t fully explain assignments or requirements, then they can’t learn. If I can’t provide a safe, secure, supportive learning environment with extensive resources, then they can’t flourish.

BUT…

What if I am doing all those things, and the kids still aren’t doing the work, turning in assignments, being engaged, motivated, succeeding, and flourishing? When do the kids take some of the responsibility for their learning? When are they supposed to accept responsibility for their half of education? When do they get to be held accountable as teachers are?

As I have previously written, my all boys class continues to be one of my favorites as well as one of the most challenging for me. With my reading of Kohn’s article, and my belief in what he advocates for, I am left wondering how to change my class? As we are working on writing their first essay, we spent one full class just outlining an essay. On Thursday night, their homework was to follow the examples and write their own outline of their paper to bring to class on Friday. On Friday, we took those outlines and started writing the intro paragraph in class. Over the weekend, they were to finish writing their essay for Monday so that we could peer edit their essay before its due date on Wednesday. NINE kids had it completed. So, at the end of class on Monday, I asked how many would prefer another peer editing day so more kids could receive some feedback before their final piece was turned in. Unanimously the class all voted for another day. Before the kids left, I reminded them that all would need to bring a piece for editing tomorrow. Of the 33 boys in the class, only EIGHT had a piece the next day ready to edit. Why? Because as they admitted, they didn’t do their homework.

I wonder what it is going to take to change the state of “work completion” in my class. I don’t accept mediocrity for my students and so I return any work that isn’t satisfactory. They HAVE TO turn in quality work. Is this too much to ask? I don’t think I assign work that is simple completion assignments or mere regurgitation. Also ,I don’t assign work that is meaningless and without purpose. I feel like what I am doing in classroom is meaningful and engaging, but I still don’t see kids completing simple assignments- writing a paragraph, posting a topic sentence, completing a vocab card, adding a vocab word to a piece of writing, etc… My classroom, definitely as Kohn points out, “looks different” from others, and yet I still can’t kids to complete work. My boys have the six week period as the grade deadline and so much of what we do in class is paced by each student not by me. My classroom does a number of untraditional assignments (blogging, Google Earth, podcasts, reading more boy centered literature). We use laptops each day to help my boys write. We don’t do book reports instead we do PLNs. Are my boys too overscheduled in their academic careers to be successful? Are they too unscheduled outside of school to be successful? I don’t even think it is a question of can they do it? I think it is simply some won’t do it. Maybe there are more kids who lack basic technology skills? I am pretty sure we have 8th grade competencies they need to meet, but if they don’t, what’s the consequence? What is going to happen to these kids who still don’t know how to post to their own blog? Who can’t proofread something before they post it online? Who can’t comment properly to another blog? Is this a problem because of the hour I teach the class- 7:21 am – 8:19 am?

Maybe I need to revisit the purpose of why it is important to read critically, write effectively and speak eloquently? As I realized only eight had completed their homework, I was angry. I gave them a very serious talk about how they want to live their lives and was this the kind of behavior that will get them into a college, a job, let them keep a job, or move up in this world? Is this who they want to be?

I have read Dewey, Piaget, Montessori, and I have studied the classrooms of Atwell and Daniels. So Mr. Kohn, at what point do I get to hold the students responsible as I am held responsible? At what point to do they accept and are held accountable for their part in changing education? Mr. Kohn, maybe you want to take a visit to Littleton, CO and come help me out- I am sure my students and I would thanks you for it. Also, I think there are a number of teachers and students here who would love the conversation and learning adventure.

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ASUS G73JW-A1 Republic of Gamers 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop - Black

ASUS G73JW-A1 Republic of Gamers 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop - Black

Product Description

17.3" FHD (1920x1080) (LED)/Intel Core i7-740QM (1.73GHz Quad-Core)/8GB DDR3 RAM/NVidia GTX 460M 1.5G GDDR5 VRAM/1TB HDD (500G x 2 7200RPM)/BD Combo Drive/Illuminated Keyboard/Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit)/802.11BGN/2.0M Pixel/Bluetooth/8 Cell battery/Gaming backpack and Gaming Mouse included/1 USB 3.0 port/3 USB 2.0 ports/8-in-1 card reader/2YR Global warranty/1YR Accidental Damage Warranty/30-Day Zero Bright Dot/2-way FREE shipping/24-7 tech support

>>> Shop Now for FREE with Super Saver Shipping<<<

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ASUS K42F-A1 14-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

ASUS K42F-A1 14-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

Product Description

The new K42F is the perfect fit for work and play. Powered by Intel’s new Core i3-350M processor and 4GB of DDR3 memory, the K42F is ideal for your versatile computing needs. The K42F was not only designed to be powerful, but it was also designed to be comfortable. The K42F has a sunken hinge design which allows for more comfortable viewing angles. It also has smudge proof palm rests and a concaved chiclet keyboard which allow for a more comfortable typing experience. Lastly, the K42F comes with ASUS’ new Palm Proof Technology which intelligently differentiates between the touch of a finger and the touch of a palm on the mouse pad, preventing accidental movement of the mouse cursor. The notebook comes with the ASUS 360 service program that includes a 2 year global warranty, one month zero bright dot guaranty, free two-way standard shipping, twenty-four hour tech support seven days a week, and a one year accidental damage warranty, protecting the notebook from drops, fire, spills and surge.
>>> Shop Now for FREE with Super Saver Shipping<<<

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NEOFONIE WETAB CAN RUN BOTH MEEGO AND ANDROID

The Neofonie WeTab tablet hasn't started shipping yet, but it will in a few days, and some bloggers have managed to get their hands on one of the first units. The WeTab has an 11.6 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by an Intel Atom processor. What is most impressive about the tablet is its custom user interface. The WeTab runs a custom

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DELL INSPIRON MINI 1018 NOW SHIPPING

Dell has started shipping its Inspiron Mini 1018. The Inspiron 1018 is a budget netbook powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor. It has a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The laptop also has 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. It runs Windows 7 Starter Edition.While the Inspiron Mini 1012 is available with premium features such as a high resolution display and

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3G-ENABLED TOSHIBA LIBRETTO W100 HITS EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST

The Toshiba Libretto W100 dual screen laptop is undoubtedly one of the most interesting machines to hit the market recently. While a typical laptop has a keyboard and a display, the Libretto has two 7 inch touchscreen displays. The lower screen can serve as a virtual keyboard when you want to input text. The Libretto W100 has a 64GB SSD, 2GB of memory and an Intel Pentium U5400 processor clocking

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CTL's 2go Pad SL10 Windows 7 Tablet

With the success of the iPad, all major tech companies out there are trying their best to come up with the newest innovations in tablets, including CTL. CTL will soon be releasing their attempt at an iPad killer which they have dubbed the 2go Pad SL10. The 2go Pad SL10 is a 10.1-inch tablet with an Intel Atom processor as well as Windows 7 OS.

Aside from the 10.1-inch screen and the Windows 7 OS, there are a lot of reasons why the 2go Pad SL10 could be a good purchase for you. The screen is a multi-touch 1024x600 pixel LED backlight display, and the processor is an Intel Atom N450 at 1.66GHz. In addition to that, the 2g0 Pad SL10 has 2GB DDR2 memory, a 250GB hard drive, 1.3MP front-facing camera, microphone, stereo speakers, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a single Ethernet LAN port, two USB connectors, a Micro SD Card reader and a mini VGA port.

A big thing the 2go Pad SL10 has over the iPad is support for Flash Video Player. This allows you to freely watch YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and any other type of online video with a tap of the screen. The 2go Pad SL10 also comes fully compatible with HTML5 video and can even connect to an external display without the help of an expensive adapter.

The 2go Pad SL10 is also very compact and easy to travel with. The device only weighs 2.6 pounds with its 4-cell battery installed which gives you up to five hours of run time. The 2go Pad SL10 is available for pre-order now for a $499 price tag and is expected to begin shipping by October 15th, 2010.

Call Rentacomputer.com today at 800-736-8772 if you are in the market for a nationwide Electronic Copyboard Rental.

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AMD-POWERED ASUS EEE PC 1015T USER MANUAL NOW AVAILABLE

Asus introduced its Eee PC 1015T AMD-powered netbook in June, but it hasn't started shipping yet. The company has, nevertheless, uploaded the user manuals for the netbook in 29 languages which is a good indication that the launch date is nearing.Regarding specs, no new details are available now. The Eee PC 1015T reportedly has a 1.2GHz AMD V105 single core processor and ATI Radeon HD 4200

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US wireless carrier AT&T has just introduced a new pay-as-you-go service called AT&T DataConnect. What this service means to a notebook owner is that they can now avail of AT$T's 3G data services without having to sign up for a long term service contract.Prices aren't very cheap, especially when you consider the fact that each plan is associated with low bandwidth caps. On the plus side, there is

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HP INTRODUCES PHOTOSMART ESTATION PRINTER WITH ANDROID TABLET

HP has just introduced a $399 Android tablet that comes bundled with a free internet-connected printer. The HP Photosmart eStation was formerly known as HP Zeen. It is basically a $399 printer which also happens to have a 7 inch Android tablet that you can use to surf the web or perform other activities. And since the tablet is removable, you can use it around your house. The basic purpose behind

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WEBDT 312 TABLET HITS FCC

These days hardly any day passes without us hearing about a new tablet PC. The WebDT 312 is one such machine. It isn't the best tablet PC you have probably heard about but it does have a few features going for it. For one thing, the WebDT 312 has a 10.4 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. Most tablets - current and upcoming - sport a widescreen aspect ratio display with 1024 x

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CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW HP MINI 210 NETBOOKS

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CTL 2GOPAD WINDOWS 7 TABLET UP FOR PRE-ORDER

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DELL INSPIRON M501R AND M5030 NOW SHIPPING WITH AMD PROCESSORS

Dell has refreshed its Inspiron line of laptops. The new models called Inspiron M501R and M5030 sport AMD processors and optional discrete ATI graphics. The Dell Inspiron M501R has a 15.6 inch display. It is available with AMD Phenom II Triple core or quad core processors and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 integrated or Radeon HD 550v discrete graphics with 1GB of video memory. Other specifications

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LENOVO TO LAUNCH LEPAD 10 INCH ANDROID TABLET IN DECEMBER

Lenovo will reportedly launch its LePad Android tablet computer in China in December. Word is that an optional keyboard/laptop component will be available in January for those who are really interested.The Lenovo LePad started life as the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid. Lenovo first introduced this machine at CES in January. what is interesting about the concept is that it features a detachable display that

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DELL STUDIO XPS 15 AND XPS 17 LAPTOPS COMING

Dell is going to refresh its Studio XPS laptop line. The new additions to the Studio XPS series will be the Studio XPS 15 and XPS 17. In fact, the two laptops have already made an appearance at the French retailer website LesDelliens.comThe Studio XPS 15 and 17 will both have Intel's latest Core series processors and an unspecified NVIDIA graphics. While the XPS 15 will ship with up to 8GB of RAM

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SAMSUNG LAUNCHES MEDIA HUB ONLINE CONTENT STORE

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SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB COMING TO AT&T, SPRINT, T-MOBILE AND VERIZON WIRELESS

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TOSHIBA FOLIO 100 HITS FCC

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VIEWSONIC G-TABLET WITH NVIDIA TEGRA PROCESSOR COMING SOON

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Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student (Disc Version)

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REFRESHED HP PAVILION DM3T NOW ON SALE

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Dell's New Inspiron Duo 10-inch Tablet

With the recent release of the iPad, companies around the globe have been working quickly to improve on the platform that Apple has jump-started. While there has been a lot of talk from different manufacturers out there, one company has produced a very interesting product that could very well best the iPad and take it out of the spotlight.

I'm talking, of course, about the new Inspiron Duo 10-inch Tablet. You may be asking yourself right about now, "What is so special about this device?" Well, does a 10-inch Windows tablet built with a dual-core Intel Atom processor and a full QWERTY keypad that can be hidden by a swiveling tablet display tickle your fancy?

If the answer to that question was no, then you obviously care nothing about technology and thus should leave this blog right now. If what was mentioned above made you sit up in your seat and go "Whoa!", then you are in the right place.

According to Dell, they are marketing the Inspiron Duo as a consumer device capable of delivering not only entertainment as a tablet-slate but also productivity as a clamshell. Dell also threw in that the Inspiron Duo runs Windows 7 Home Premium and can support "a variety of popular Microsoft applications".

The Inspiron Duo was showcased at the IDF 2010 keynote with the demonstration showing the device navigating Google Earth with very smooth rendering. The Inspiron Duo also showed itself off by playing back a stutter-free HD version of the classic movie Up and playing some games.

All this sounds pretty incredible, but history has shown us that when a company teases us with a product like this one, we can't expect to see it anytime soon. Well, Dell is throwing that legend on its head by stating that they confirm the Inspiron Duo will be available later this year. Unfortunately, Dell did hold a few things back like pricing and an exact release date.

If things keep shaping up like they are, the Inspiron Duo could very well come out to be an iPad killer. Keeping checking back here regularly for updates on this story and the Inspiron Duo.

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A New Mix

One part teacher values+ one part state standards= one hard to swallow pill

Over the past few years, as our school has undergone the transformation from teacher led departmental meetings to district Professional Learning Communities, the challenge of being a good teacher has increased dramatically. With each PLC meeting, I feel an ever-growing urgency to defend practices and assignments in my classroom that I think hold larger value than the state standards that are passed down onto me and my colleagues.

As I was sitting in my last PLC meeting, I began reflecting over the last two years of PLC time. Here we were two to three years ago being handed state standards and asked to write essential learnings and common assessments. It literally took us two years to get to a place where we all agreed on the essential learnings and common assessments for those standards. And now, we have a new set of standards to address. A new set of essential learnings we are asked to create and assess.

Rather than approach the state standards as I have done in the past with much contempt and stubbornness, I looked over what the CDE is asking me to do as a teacher:

Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening: Deliver organized and effective oral presentations for diverse audiences and varied purposes. Demonstrate skill in inferential and evaluative listening.
1. Oral presentations require effective preparation strategies
a. Give formal and informal talks to various audiences for various purposes using appropriate level of formality and rhetorical devices
b. Use verbal and non-verbal speaking techniques to communicate information
c. Define a position and select evidence to support that position
d. Develop a well organizes presentation and defend a position
e. Use effective audience and oral delivery skills to persuade an audience
2. Listening critically to comprehend a speaker’s message requires mental and physical strategies to direct and maintain attention
a. Follow the speaker’s arguments as they develop; take notes when appropriate
b. Give verbal and non-verbal feedback to the speaker
c. Ask clarifying questions
d. Evaluate arguments and evidence
e. Explain how variables such as background knowledge, experiences, values and beliefs can affect communication.

Standard 2: Reading for all Purposes: Read a wide range of literature (American and world) to understand important universal themes and the human experience. Demonstrate comprehension of a variety of informational, literary, and persuasive texts.
1. Increasingly complex literary elements in traditional and contemporary works of literature require scrutiny and comparison.
a. Analyze character types, including dynamic and round character, static/flat character, stereotype, and caricature
b. Explain the relationship among elements of literature: characters, plot, setting, tone, point of view and theme
c. Identify the characteristics that distinguish literary forms and genres
d. Examine the ways in which works of literature are related to the issues and themes of their historical periods
e. Use literary terms to describe and analyze selections.
2. Increasingly complex informational texts require mature interpretation and study
a. Identify the intended effects of rhetorical strategies the author uses to influence readers perspectives.
b. Evaluate the clarity and accuracy of information through close text study and investigation via other sources
c. Describe how the organizational structure and text features support the meaning and purpose of the text.
d. Use flexible reading and note taking strategies (outlining, mapping systems, skimming, scanning, key word search) to organize information and make connections within and across informational texts.
e. Critique the author’s choice of expository, narrative, or descriptive modes to convey a message.

Standard 3: Writing and Composition: Master the techniques of effective informational, literary, and persuasive writing. Apply standard English conventions to effectively communicate with written language.
1. Literary and narrative texts develop a controlling idea or theme with descriptive and expressive language.
a. Write well focused texts with an explicit or implicit theme and details that contribute to a definite point of view and tone.
b. Organize paragraphs or stanzas to present ideas clearly and purposefully for a specific audience
c. Write literary and narrative texts using a range of poetic techniques, figurative language, and graphic elements to engage or entertain the intended audience.
d. Refine the expression of voice and tone in a text by selecting and using appropriate vocabulary, sentence structure, and sentence organization.
e. Review and revise ideas and development in substantive ways to improve the depth of ideas and vividness in supporting details.
f. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of own writing and the writing of others using criteria.
2. Informational and persuasive texts develop a topic and establish a controlling idea or thesis with relevant support.
a. Develop texts that define or classify a topic
b. Use appropriate rhetorical appeals and genre to engage and guide the intended audience
c. Arrange paragraphs into a logical progression
d. Anticipate and address readers’ biases and expectations
e. Revise ideas and structure to improve depth of information and logic of organization
f. Explain and imitate emotional , logical and ethical appeals used by writers who are trying to persuade and audience.
3. Writing for grammar, usage, mechanics, and clarity requires ongoing refinement and revision
a. Use punctuation correctly (semi-colons with conjunctive adverbs to combine clauses; colons for emphasis and to introduce a list)
b. Identify comma splices and fused sentences writing and revise to eliminate them
c. Distinguish between phrases and clauses and use this knowledge to write varied, strong, correct, complete sentences
d. Use various reference tools to vary word choice and make sure words and spelled correctly

Standard 4: Research and Reasoning: Gather information from a variety of sources; analyze and evaluate the quality and relevance of the source; and use it to answer complex questions. Demonstrate the use of a range of strategies, research techniques, and persistence, when engaging with difficult texts or examining complex problems or issues.

1. Informational materials, including electronic resources, need to be collected, evaluated, and analyzed for accuracy, relevance, and effectiveness for answering research questions
a. Integrate information from different sources to research and complete a project
b. Integrate information from different sources to form conclusions about an author’s assumptions, biases, credibility, cultural and social perspectives, or world views
c. Judge the usefulness of information based on relevance to purpose, sources, objectivity, copyright date, cultural and world perspective (such as editorials), and support the decision.
d. Examine materials to determine appropriate primary and secondary sources to use for investigating a question, topic, or issue (e.g., library databases, print and electronic encyclopedia and or other reference materials, pamphlets, book excerpts, online and print newspaper and magazine articles, letters to an editor, digital forums, oral records, research summaries, scientific and trade journals)
2. Effective problem solving strategies require high-quality reasoning
a. Analyze the purpose, question at issue, information, points of view, implications and consequences, inferences, assumptions and concepts inherent in thinking
b. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of their thinking and thinking of others by using criteria including relevance, clarity, accuracy, fairness, significance, depth, breadth, logic and precision
c. Implement a purposeful and articulated process to solve a problem
d. Monitor and reflect on the rationale for, and effectiveness of, choices made throughout the problem solving process.

With each standard, we are to create one essential learning and common assessment. Thinking about what I value in my own classroom, I am not sure where my values align with what the state and district is asking me to do? How as a 21st century teacher and learner can I contribute to effective discussions about the standards, make sure my students are achieving these standards and at the same time feel as though I am preparing my kids for more than just another year of school? I do believe many of the learning activities my students currently are engaged in are present in these standards, but what is going to happen if my department doesn’t agree? If my PLC doesn’t agree? What happens if our interpretations don’t match? I really do fear giving up what I value most: the creative genius, the out of the box thinking, the critical thinking and problem solving nature, the independence, the autonomy to be my own teacher and learner and for my kids to feel and be the same in my classroom. What happens when I have to give out 9 common assessments throughout the school year, not including the pretest and post tests that accompany each assessment? What happens when all I am doing is giving assessments that measure essential learnings? What happens when the mix doesn’t work?

I don’t have answers to all of my questions. Like cooking, I know recipes for success can always vary. I know with each new recipe I try, I am tempting fate that it might not turn out. I feel the same way approaching this year of PLC meetings, new standards, new assessments, and essential learnings- it might not turn out like the picture in the recipe book. But, with each new recipe I try, I also can create a new formula for success. I can challenge the way previous ingredients have been combined and make a new and improved version. I can create a new mix that improves both the product and the chef.

On a side note, the old state standards for Language Arts (reading and writing) comprised 21 pages, the new state standards (reading, writing, and communicating) 168 pages.

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SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB COMING TO THE US NEXT WEEK

The Samsung Galaxy Tab was introduced in Europe last week. And now Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung will launch the device at an event in New York on September 16th. The Journal also states that Samsung has worked out deals with wireless carriers AT&T, Verizon and Sprint which means that you will be able to pick up the tablet from these companies at a subsidized price with a long term

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ASUS EEE PC 1215T WITH AMD K125 PROCESSOR SHOWS UP IN GERMANY

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Giving Myself Six Weeks

This past week has been a struggle for me on a number of accounts. However, I am having a growing concern regarding my all boys class- they simply aren’t turning in work. Even what I have received from them has been minimal in depth and quality. It seems as though I am working harder than they are in order to help them improve as learners and human beings.
TO paint the picture more accurately, and to help me vent more in-depthly, I want to give you an idea of what I am facing. Each morning at 7:21 am, my 33 boys show up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for another day of reading, writing, and discussion. (I might be exaggerating about them being bright eyed and bushy tailed, but as I stand at the door greeting them, they seem ready to go. ) The moment I start class, the boys take out their student calendars and we go over the homework for the day. Often times we clarify about what the expectations are for each assignment, review the previous day’s work, check in to see who is scribing and should be recording all this valuable information for the class, and then move on to the real learning.
We have been studying the big question of “how do the words and actions of others affect who others become?” We watched Alfred Hitchcock’s The Rope, read Richard Connell’s “Most Dangerous Game”, David Brenner’s “Fish Eyes”, and then this weekend they are reading Ray Bradbury’s “The Utterly Perfect Murder.” With each story, we are practicing annotating by asking good questions, circling words we don’t know, looking for literary devices, and then answering our guiding question at the end of the story. I haven’t given one pop quiz, one reading check, or asked them to fill out one worksheet. I simply want them to read with a focus, to answer one question and to do some thinking while we are reading.

In addition to the short stories, despite what the other 9th grade teachers are doing, I am focusing on one vocabulary word a week. On Monday I introduce the word, we break it down looking at the root word, the prefix or suffix and then we complete a vocabulary frame card for Wednesday. On Wednesday, we review the vocabulary frame. On Friday, we take a quiz on the one word. Last week, the boys had to some how include the word misogynist in their personal reflection to me. There were some real doozies! This week, they need to incorporate the word misanthrope into their PLN entry about Will Richardson’s article “Footprints in the Digital Age.”
Finally, during the week, instead of doing the typical outside reading book, my kids write two PLN (Personal Learning Network) entries, one on Tuesday and one on Friday. On Friday, we have five students present one entry from their PLNs to the class using good speaking strategies, discussing what matters from their entry, how it connects to him personally, to education, and to the world. At the end of the presentation, the student needs to ask a question of his audience and then facilitate a discussion. The students give the presenter feedback on his own blog so that he knows immediately what he needs to do to improve on his next presentation.
After writing all this down, it seems like we are doing A LOT. As I was working out Thursday morning, I suddenly had this thought that maybe what my kids need is a day to get their stuff together. I mean we all have those days where the work seems to pile up, and you get lazy making simple mistakes where if you had just take a little more time, it would have been completed correctly. Maybe they needed a breather- a day to get themselves put back together. So, on Thursday I opened up class with a polleverywhere question:

Now some kids couldn’t text in their vote-I couldn’t believe some kids didn’t have texting capabilities on their cell-phones- but we still included their votes after. We established the conditions for work that day: quiet work time, ask questions if necessary, write down in your planner all your missing or incomplete work, and get to work giving me a sticky note with your completed work that needs to be re-graded. By the end of the hour, I had about 60+ sticky notes not including all those I did the day before, of make-up work from my boys. The problem, and the frustration, was that the work they submitted was not their best- it was CRAP!
Here I had given them the time to work, to help themselves and their grade out, and here I am going to have to grade all this work again, because it still isn’t done to the best of their ability. (Note: I don’t accept crap work in my class- if it is not done as A, B, or C quality work, it is returned to them to redo. My boys have up to the six week grading period to redo their work as many times as necessary to produce their best quality work. )

Which brings us to today and I conversation I had with my favorite, Karl Fisch. As I was venting about my class, I came back to a conversation I had with my student’s parents at Back to School night. I asked the parents that night to give their child six weeks- six weeks to get their act together, six weeks of freedom from mom and dad checking on everything they do, six weeks to own their learning. If I am asking the parents to do this, why am I not expecting the same of myself as their teacher? They need this time to figure things out. I am giving them the time, the resources, and most of all the learning experiences to mess-up and fix it. There is no mess-up and not fix it in my class. If it takes them to the bottom of the grade-dom, then they have to find a way (of course with my help, when they ask) to get them out. I need them to struggle so that the next four years and beyond aren’t spent still trying to figure life out. I need to give myself six weeks.

In today’s class, we talked about all the grading I did yesterday, and what I realized about their quality of work. I asked them how many of them had just turned in the work to get it done. Many hands were raised. When I asked them about the frustration I felt for having to re-grade their work, many agreed that this would be frustrating. So, as one bright, shiny, bushy-tailed student pointed out in our discussion, “if we would just do our best work the first time, this wouldn’t happen.”

Things might be looking up….

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SanDisk Cruzer 16 GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive SDCZ36-016G-A11

SanDisk Cruzer 16 GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive SDCZ36-016G-A11

Product Description

From the Manufacturer With USB ports popping up everywhere you look, you need a simple and reliable way to store and share your photos, videos and music on the fly. The SanDisk Cruzer USB Flash Drive is your answer. Because it works with virtually any computer or electronic device with a USB slot, this flash drive lets you leave your laptop at home but still take your vast amounts of content with you to share with family and friends. Whether you need to transport your latest MP3 downloads, vacation videos, or your college thesis, the SanDisk Cruzer USB Flash drive offers portable storage that you can trust.
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ASUS G53JW, G73JW GAMING LAPTOPS ANNOUNCED

Asus has announced two new Republic of Gamers gaming laptops - the Asus G53JW and G73JW. The notebooks feature the newest Intel Core Series processors and a NVIDIA GeForce 400M series graphics card. The G53JW has a 15.6 inch display whereas the G73JW is equipped with a 17.3 inch display. Both notebooks are available with Intel's Core i3, i5 and i7 processors and the GeForce GTX 460M discrete

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HP ZEEN TABLET SPOTTED IN THE WILD

The HP Zeen Android powered tablet has been spotted in the wild. The HP Zeen will come bundled with the HP Photosmart eStation C510 all-in-one printer. It will not be sold separately. The printer-tablet bundle is designed to enable printing of ebooks and web content without the need for a separate PC. Regarding the Zeen tablet, it has a 7 inch display. It runs HP's custom TouchSmart user

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ELOCITY A7 ANDROID TABLET UP FOR PRE-ORDER

The eLocity A7 Android tablet is now up for pre-order at Amazon. It is built by a little known Philadelphia based start-up company called StreamTV. What is interesting about this machine is that it packs impressive specs into a reasonably well priced device. While earlier reports suggested that the tablet would sell for $399, Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for just $370. The eLocity A7 is

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ARM INTRODUCES CORTEX-A15 DESIGNS FOR BLAZING FAST MOBILE CHIPS

Most smartphones and some tablets on the market are powered by ARM-based processors. The top-of-the-line ARM processors available at the moment run at 1GHz. But today ARM announced a new Cortex-A15 architecture which will support both single and dual core processors up to 1.5GHz. What's more, the new Cortex-A15 architecture also supports quad core chips up to 2.5GHz. The new Cortex-A15 Eagle

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LaCie USB Hard Drives

Are you running out of room on your laptop or desktop computer? If so, you need an external hard drive. LaCie has just announced their newest USB 3.0 drives, the Minimus and the Rikki. Both of these external hard drives are compact and extremely portable.

The Rikki transfers data at the excellent rate of 5GB of data per second and is the smaller of the hard drives. Although the Minimus is larger than the Rikki, it provides you with even more storage. Both of the devices' cases are made of brushed aluminum. This not only gives the hard drives a sleek look but also keeps them well protected. Both the Minimus and the Rikki come complete with LaCie’s Software Suite that allows you to easily back up your data on Windows and Macintosh computers.

The Rikki can be purchased with either 500GB or 1TB of space with a starting price of $99.99. The Minimus can be found with either 1TB or 2TB of capacity and starts at $129.99. Both of these external hard drives are available now.

Not sure what you should be looking for in an external hard drive? Check out these tips on buying an external hard drive.

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KNO DUAL DISPLAY TOUCHSCREEN TABLET TO SHIP BY THE END OF THIS YEAR

The Kno dual-display touchscreen tablet will reportedly ship by the end of this year. The device is aimed at the education market where it is supposed to replace traditional textbooks, notepads and laptop computers. Of course, you have got to agree that it is a crazy ambitious project. The dual display 14 inch tablet weighs 5.5 pounds. The Kno is powered by a NVIDIA Tegra processor. At $1000,

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ARCHOS 32 INTERNET TABLET NOW SHIPPING FOR $150

Archos has started shipping its 3.2 inch Android tablet called Archos 32. It is now available for purchase from the Archos store for 149.99 USD. The Archos 32 is actualy the first of the five new Archos tablets to go on sale. The tablet has 8GB of in-built storage and a 3.2 inch display. It could probably be termed as the Android equivalent of the iPod Touch, but it is much cheaper. The iPod

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CLOSER LOOK AT ARCHOS 101 INTERNET TABLET

Archos introduced 5 new internet tablets last week. Of these machines the Archos 101 is the largest and the most powerful. It has a 10.1 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The tablet is powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. It also has an HDMI output. What is particularly impressive about this machine is that it measures just 0.47 inches in thickness

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CHEAP ANDROID TABLETS NOW AVAILABLE FROM SEARS

At least three cheap Android tablets are now available for purchase at Sears.com. These machines are based on designs from Chinese electronics makers. Sears doesn't offer these tablets in its store. They are actually sold by a third party distributor called Tech Galore. Here is an overview of the tablets that are currently on offer.Elken TabletThe Elken Android tablet has a 7 inch display. It is

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HP Mini 5103

The new Mini 5103 from HP is virtually the same as the previous 5102 with one huge, gigantic, overwhelming difference and that is the dual-core Atom N550 processor from Intel that the 5103 ships with. The new Mini 5103 packs the new 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 Processor, 2GB of RAM, Broadcom's Crystal HD accelerator and runs Windows 7 Professional.

Multitasking feels faster on the 5103 than on other netbooks and the benchmarks are definitely better. Most netbooks score around 1,200 PCMark05 while the 5103 scored an impressive 1,866 PCMark05. Intel is still relying on its GMA 3150 graphics which means no real change for the 5103. On the flip side, it is said that the processor should be able to handle 720p content with no problem as well as full screen flash videos.

The processor also speeds up video encoding, converting a 27MB .mov file to .mp4 in about three minutes. You already know the 5103 can handle HD playback as it comes with Broadcom's Crystal HD which allows the playing of local 720p and 1080p video in Windows Media Player. One good thing that Intel promised is that the dual-processor wouldn't impact battery life. Surprisingly enough, they were telling the truth as the 5103 still has an impressive six hours of battery life.

Pricing is what most people are going to be concerned about with this new netbook. While HP has yet to release a final price on upgrading your existing processor to the new dual-core N550 from Intel or to acquiring the new 5103, you can surmise that it will cost no less than $600. For that price, however, you are receiving a netbook with a dual-core processor, higher resolution display, touchscreen, Windows 7 Pro and Broadcom's Crystal HD.

Buying a laptop can be expensive. Thankfully,there are places like Rentacomputer.com. Rentacomputer.com has been in the computer and AV rental business for over 20 years. You can get any type of technology rental you need, including Laptop Rentals. Just give us a call at 877-422-1907 or visit us online.

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iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)

iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)

Product Description

A magically and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price.

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Logitech G500 Programmable Gaming Mouse

Logitech G500 Programmable Gaming Mouse

Product Description

The Logitech Gaming Mouse G500. Your weapon of choice.
The Logitech Gaming Mouse G500. Your weapon of choice.
When it comes to gaming, the smallest details can make a difference between winning and losing.
The Logitech Gaming Mouse G500 provides unparalleled precision, control, and comfort. It offers a gaming-grade laser that allows for smooth precision at any hand speed. Onboard memory lets you take your settings for your favorite titles wherever you go – with no added software. Personalized weight tuning of up to 27 grams gives you the feel you want and more control. The dual-mode scroll wheel provides click-to-click scrolling that's perfect for weapon selecting in games and the hyper-fast scrolling is ideal for flying through long web pages. On-the-fly adjustable dpi allows for precision targeting (200 dpi) to lightning fast maneuvers (up to 5700 dpi). And 10 programmable buttons gives you the ability to outmaneuver your opponent. The game is in your hands.

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Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBAAU0015HBK-NESN

Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBAAU0015HBK-NESN

Product Description

Western Digital's WD Elements Desktop USB 2.0 external hard drive is the right answer for simple, reliable add-on storage. Simply plug it in to a USB port and start saving your photos, music, video, and files.

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SAMSUNG INTRODUCES ORION DUAL CORE 1GHz ARM-BASED PROCESSOR

Samsung is known for its line of low power, high performance ARM-based processors for mobile devices such as smartphones. The 1Ghz Samsung Hummingbird processor is one of the fastest ARM chips available on the market right now. But Samsung wants more. The company has just introduced a new 1 GHz dual core processor code-named Orion. It is meant for mobile devices such as netbooks, tablets and

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EXOPC WINDOWS 7 TABLETUP FOR PRE-ORDER

The ExoPC Windows 7 tablet is finally up for pre-order. The ExoPC is an 11.6 inch Windows 7 tablet PC. The company had earlier said that they would take only 1200 preorders that too from members of the ExoPC forum. But now they are accepting pre-orders from the general public - but you still need to sign up for an ExoPC Forum account.The 32GB model will retail for $649 Canadian whereas the 64GB

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SAMSUNG TABLET COULD COST BETWEEN $200 AND $300 WITH A CONTRACT

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has been making a lot of headlines even since Samsung introduced the tablet a few days ago. The Galaxy Tab is an Android tablet with a 7 inch 1024 x 600 pixels capacitive touchscreen display. It also has a 1GHz snappy prcessor, a 3G modem and comes complete with access to the Android Market which has over 100,000 applications to choose from. While we know almost everything

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COBY SHOWS OFF 8-INCH ANDROID TABLET

Coby is not quite a well known PC maker. Nevertheless, the company has been showing off netbooks since CES 2009. And now it looks like Coby is interested in the tablet space as well and that makes sense: who isn't building a tablet these days?A Coby tablet was on display at IFA show in Berlin this week. Called the Coby MID810, the device sported an 8-inch TFT display with a resistive touchscreen

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NVIDIA RELEASES GEFORCE 400M SERIES GRAPHICS CARDS

NVIDIA has officially released its GeForce 400M discrete graphics cards for laptops. The GeForce 400M GPUs are based on the 40nm Fermi architecture. They include the high-performance GTX 470M and GTX 460M dedicated graphics, as well as the mid-range GT 445M, GT 435M, GT 425M, GT 420M and GT 415M.The news graphics cards support Nvidia Optimus automatic graphics switching technology. They also

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ARCHOS INTRODUCES FIVE NEW INTERNET TABLETS

Archos unveiled five new Android tablets this week.Two of these machines - the Archos 70 and Archos 101 - are regular internet tablets with large capacitive touchscreen displays and fast processors. They also have WiFi and Bluetooth and can be used for surfing the web, reading eBooks and playing media. The rest of the models are in an altogether different league. The Archos 28, Archos 32 and

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SAMSUNG INTRODUCES N350 NETBOOK WITH 3G AND 4G MODEMS

The Samsung N350 which was on display at IFA this weekend is basically a rebranded version of the Samsung N210 netbook which also happens to be the thinnest Samsung netbook on the market. But that is not what sets this machine apart.The Samsung N350 supports both 3G and 4G connectivity. The model that was on display at IFA had an HSPA+ 3G modem. It also had an LTE modem for connecting to 4G

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Toshiba 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive HDDR320E04XW (Vivid White)

Toshiba 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive HDDR320E04XW (Vivid White)

Product Description

Toshiba’s Portable External Hard Drives make computer backup simple. Our drives take the complexity out of backing up your computer data by providing easy-to-use backup software for both Windows and Mac users. Powered by USB 2.0, you can take your files just about anywhere. Just one click and you’re on your way to creating a digital safety net to help protect your files. With Toshiba’s Portable External Hard Drives, you’ll enjoy mobile storage space for even the largest digital libraries. Our 320GB1 Drive is capable of storing up to 91,000 digital photos, or 84,000 digital music files, or 260 downloaded digital movies. Toshiba’s Portable External Hard Drives work with both Mac and PC computers and include software that makes backing up your computer simple. >>> Distcount Sale at Amazon <<<

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Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 (68A-00001)

Product Description

Share life as it happens — it’s easy with the Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000. Take instant messaging with family and friends to a new level of sight and sound — with the Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000. This webcam is compatible with all leading instant messaging software, so it’s simple and fun to use. Great video quality and features, plus crystal-clear audio, make you feel like you’re right there! 

Product Features:

• Superior video quality and High Definition still photos
• Automatic face tracking software
• Video effects
• Pan, tilt, and zoom controls
• Automatically adjusts for low-light conditions for improved video quality
• Built-in unidirectional microphone with acoustic noise cancellation
• Windows Live™ Call Button
• Fits on most monitors, including flat screens, or sits directly on your desk

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Acer Aspire AS5251-1805 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Product Description

The stylish Acer Aspire AS5251 laptop (model AS5251-1805) offers powerful AMD V Series performance, the latest connectivity technology and rich media features at practical price. Starting from the gorgeous 15.6-inch widescreen LED-backlit display with integrated HD webcam to the full-size keyboard with dedicated numeric keypad, you have everything you need for efficient multitasking and smooth communication at home or away.
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FUJITSU ANNOUNCES LIFEBOOK T580 NETVERTIBLE

Fujitsu has announced a new convertible tablet style netbook called Fujitsu LifeBook T580. The company claims that the LifeBook T580 is a 'slate-beater'. That claim is apparently based on the fact that the T580 is a convertible netbook which can be used in the tablet mode by folding the display down over the keyboard.The T580 supports four-finger multitouch. It has a 10.1 inch resistive

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SD CARDS WITH READ SPEEDS OF 300MBPS COMING

Toshiba launched its super-fast SDHC UHS-I cards yesterday. These cards can hit read speeds up to 95MB/s. But it looks like these aren't fast at all. The SD Association has approved a new standard that could lead to the creation of flash memory cards that can reach read speeds of up to 300Mbps. The new SD cards will have the same dimension as the existing SDHC cards, but they will reportedly have

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Reality Check for the Teacher

This week, I asked my class to reflect on how the first three weeks have gone for them and to set some goals for the rest of the semester. The students submitted their answers to my questions in letter form- it is simply a way to easily and privately communicate to me what’s going on in their lives. The questions they were to answer were (some of these were ones I have used before; others were added courtesy of Karl Fisch):

Looking back at our first couple of weeks in English 9 or English 9 Honors, how are you feeling? What’s going well or you are excited about? What’s challenging or are you concerned about? Let me know how I can help. Please answer in complete, thoughtful sentences.Then I want you to set three goals for yourself for this semester.
· One goal specifically related to English 9 or English 9 Honors
· One goal related to AHS in general (can be related to classwork, sports, activities or something else at AHS)
· One goal outside of AHS.
Make these goals fairly specific, not just “I want to get a good grade.” For each one, answer with what, why and how – what is your goal, why is it your goal, and how will you accomplish it. Also, let me know how I can help you achieve your goals.

I thought it would be meaningful for my students to answer my own questions.

So here goes:

I am feeling ok. Physically, I am feeling good, but tired. I always forget every school year how exhausting teaching is. I get up every morning about 4:30 am just to exercise and by the time the school day is over, I am ready for bed. But, we, my husband Jeff and I, are usually off carting one of our kids to some activity, or running (yes, literally running) home to get them started on their own homework. I feel much more in the swing of things after getting week three under my belt.

I am really excited about my classes. I was worried after the first couple of weeks regarding my all boys class. Last year, they were probably my favorite, and I wasn’t sure if my new set of young men could go above and beyond as last year’s group did. But here on week three, we are hitting a new stride. They are finally getting to understand high school is different, expectations are higher, and you have to turn in your work. There are no easy assignments.

With my Honors classes, we are finally getting started with reading Macbeth. This is always a tenuous time because Maura and I don’t teach them Macbeth-we expect them to teach one another. It is so challenging watching them sit there and not ask ANY questions of one another. I mean they are reading one of the most challenging of Shakespeare's texts, their teacher is not spoon feeding them an interpretation, and they have NO QUESTIONS? HOW CAN THAT BE? However, period 5 today did a fantastic job dissecting their reading, and I enjoyed listening to the class help one another figure things out. Hopefully, this gets them started on a good trend. I am hoping to see them use the blog to help one another understand, but as classes in the past have done, sometimes it takes the first quiz for them to see how important asking questions can be. Failing a detailed quiz often motivates them to ask questions of one another in class and on the blog.

Challenges and concern continue to be what I have talked about before: are the kids going to catch on, are they going to get their work turned in, are they going to ask good thinking questions, are they going to take charge of their learning, are they going to push themselves to do more and be more, and of course, are they going to change the world?

My goals are a little different from the kids. I blogged before about my goals for the year, but as I was talking with the kids, I wanted to set another goal that I would see each one of them in one of their activities this year. They simply just have to let me know what game/activity/ performance they want me to come to. I used to do this a few years ago BK-before kids- but thinking out loud here, I know how much my own kids love coming to AHS activities, it is just me now making time to get them over here.

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