Kindle DX in time for hitting the books this fall

Kindle DX is the beefier version of Amazon’s Kindle reader.  Compared to the traditional Kindle it is larger (9.7″ vs. 6″ diagonal), holds more books (3,500 vs. 1,500) and is more expensive ($489 vs $359).

Another important difference is that the Kindle DX has an auto-rotating screen that allows you to view full screen maps, graphs, tables, web pages, etc. This is especially important to on of the primary audiences for this device–college students who are using them in place of traditional textbooks.

Technology is changing education in many ways. This is just one more step in the journey.  Six universities Arizona State University, Case Western Reserve University, Pace University, Princeton, Reed College and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia will participate in DX pilot studies.

Would you pick Kindle over traditional textbooks?

School of Tech

Mobile technology will one day play a major role in learning, says a new study on the untapped potential of mobile learning by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (Yes, the Sesame Street People) .

Called “Pockets of Potential:Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning,” the study outlines a national mobile learning strategy and calls upon the incoming Obama administration to invest in digital learning and teacher training.
 Among the recommendations are to build a digital teacher corps and to change school policies which ban cell phone use in schools to enable them to be used within appropriate boundaries for learning.

 “Mobile devices are part of the fabric of children’s lives today: they are here to stay,” said Dr. Michael Levine, Executive Director of The Joan Ganz Cooney Center. “It is no longer a question of whether we should use these devices to support learning, but how and when to use them. Sesame Street introduced children to the educational potential of television.  A new generation of mobile media content can become a force for learning and discovery in the next decade.”

Help your student schedule time better

While there are endless calendar programs available on the web, Studyrails is specifically designed for students and has some features that might actually help you get more done.

The program is designed to help students overcome procrastination, send email and cell phone reminders about study time, and even block websites, software and games during study time.  If your students spends more time chatting than reading, this program may be worth a try.

Students can set up assignments and goals as well as other activities. The program helps you determine good study times and assists with reducing distractions.  Students can also email updates to parents to keep everyone in the loop about assigments and study habits.

Another neat feature of this web-based program is how it integrates mobile texting to update your calendar or keep you informed of activities or even when to study what subject.  The program’s “blocking” feature is very customizable so you can select specific programs or websites to block so you can use those you need to study or complete homework, but avoid those that will lead you to waste time.

The service is $4.95/month, but compared to wasting money on college tuition now or in the future if your student doesn’t learn good study skills, it could be a bargain.

Weekly Links–Discovery Edition

To infinity and beyond . . .

Watching the space shuttle lift off is a sight that still gives me goosebumps. You can watch live video from NASA as the shuttle Discovery orbits the Earth. 

Making a special trip this time around is veteran spaceman Buzz Lightyear! NASA and Disney have partnered to encourage students to learn more about science, technology and math.  A 12-inch action figure is flying in the crew compartment of the latest shuttle flight.

Beginning Saturday, May 31,  online games featuring Buzz Lightyear will be available by visiting NASA’s homepage and clicking on the box for the NASA Kids’ Club

Photo credit:NASA/Steven Siceloff

Get your free copy of Sesame Street Magazine here.  This 16 page PDF can be viewed online and activities can be printed to enjoy with your child. I have some of the print versions of this magazine, and look forward to checking out this option.

Now that summer is here, I am always looking for things to do with my son. I especially love art and discovered this wonderful site filled with creative art projects developed by a real art teacher, Kathy Barbro. The examples of work she posts from elementary school children is really top-knotch. She says on the site that she posts the ideas to help kids get more art in their lives now that so many schools are cutting art education. Kudos!