Last week an email passed though my inbox that said something like “my district is buying the latest shiny new computing gadget. What software should I get to teach computer science on it?” OK now I am a software guy and biased towards software but this question seems all wrong to me. I’ve always believed that first you figure out what software you need to solve your problem (or teach your course) and then you find the operating system and hardware that software runs on. As I Tweeted last night “Asking what software should I buy for my computer is like asking what kind of car should I buy for my tires.”
What far too many people, and unfortunately far too many people spending scarce educational technology dollars, are doing is finding some hardware and in effect saying “this is magic – let’s find some problems that it solves!” Now 38 years of using computers has taught me that once you have a computer and some software you will find all sorts of solutions to all sorts of problems many of which you didn’t know you had. But that is not the
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One of the most common questions we get from applicants is, How strict are schools about word limits in their admissions essays and personal statements? While the answer itself is rather straightforward, we often encourage applicants to stop focusing on the number, take a step back, and consider what admissions officers are really communicating when they put forward a word limit.
First, well answer the question directly: Schools are not out to reject you for going over a word limit by a small amount. Okay, okay Whats a small amount? youre asking. One rule of thumb that is frequently tossed around is 10%, although its worth noting that admissions consultants tend to promote this rule more than any admissions officer does. However, if you can stay within 10% of the word limit for an essay, you probably are okay.
Having said that, we rarely encounter an essay that we dont think can get down to the word limit.
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Connecticut Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor has selected the director of a New Haven scholarship program to join his state agency as part of its reorganization.
The New Haven Register reports that New Haven Promise director Emily Byrne’s last day in her current job is Friday. She’s joining Pryor’s staff to work with him on legislation, communication, policies and other projects.
New Haven Promise plans to launch a national search for a new director.
That program helps eligible city school graduates attend Connecticut colleges and universities. Yale pays their partial or full tuition, and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven covers the program’s administrative costs.
Byrne is credited with playing a major role in developing the program.
Byrne’s move to the state was first reported by the New Haven Independent.
In this virtual classroom, participants can join in a seminar led by Poynter faculty and visiting faculty. This screencast includes live audio and a slideshow presentation in which participants can post questions and respond to poll questions posed by the host.
Online readers zip through websites with blistering speed. You want them to put on the brakes when they visit yours. But is the writing on your website getting the job done? Does your online audience want to stop to get to know more about you, your company or your message?
This Webinar will cover ways to deliver engaging and well-crafted website writing to impatient online readers.
This Webinar is part of our Poynter Writing Series. Learn more about the entire series of 10 Webinars, and how to get discounts on the series with our Webinar Pass, here.
What Will I Learn:
- How to make sure your website writing is clear and effective
- How to write content that stops online scanners in their tracks
- Simple writing devices that appeal to website readers
- Questions to ask yourself to create compelling website content
Who Should Take this Course:
Writers and editors wanting to make sure their written content is reader and user friendly to an online audience.
Meg Martin is online editor at The Roanoke Times|roanoke.com.
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I have a new paper on SSRN entitled “Solving the Good Time Puzzle: Why Following the Rules Should Get You Out of Prison Early.” Most U.S. jurisdictions permit inmates to obtain credit toward early release based on good behavior in prison. It’s not immediately clear, though, why the severity of a prison sentence should vary depending on how well an offender follows the rules while incarcerated. No amount of good or bad conduct in prison is capable of changing the seriousness of the underlying crime for which the offender is being punished.
The most common justification for good time is probably that it makes the job of prison administrators easier by giving them an additional set of incentives and sanctions to hold over inmates. Critics question, however, whether the potential loss of good time really does add anything to the deterrent effect of much more immediate sanctions, such as disciplinary segregation. Criti
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