pre-test

Please complete this survey for the pre-test

tutorials

Here are tutorials to use as you start your blog:

tutorial for using Blogger

tutorial for using WordPress 

custom search engine

Try using this search engine in addition to whatever you usually use to search as your start this assignment.

Why Budget?

 

Check out this video:

Why Budget?.

renting textbooks on the Kindle

Check out this article on CNET about Amazon letting textbooks be rented on the Kindle.  As with most new e-books ideas, it sounds intriguing but I think we’ll have to wait and see, and maybe endure some bumpy spots while they iron out problems.  The CNET article refers to a research project done by graduate students at the University of Washington.  In the research project the author states:

“The digital text also disrupted a technique called cognitive mapping, in which readers used physical cues such as the location on the page and the position in the book to go back and find a section of text or even to help retain and recall the information they had read.”

This is one of my concerns about using e-books as textbooks.  Often I have read something and when I try to recall the information I can “see” the page and location of what I read and that helps me locate it again.  I don’t think I would be able to do that with an e-reader.

Just a bit of information for your perusal.

which one is greener, e-books or textbooks?

Lots of things come to my mind when thinking about e-books versus textbooks, or really any print books.  One of those things is the automatic assumption that e-books are “greener” than textbooks.  I mean, just think about all that paper you are saving! However, this article by Daniel Goleman compares the ecological impact of textbooks and e-readers (the author calls it eco-math) and it was very interesting to read.  The author brought up some points that I never would have thought of and shows that there is more to being eco-friendly than just cutting down on paper.  For example, traditional books require less minerals and water to produce them than e-readers.  Also, manufacturing the e-reader creates more toxic materials than producing a book.  However, buying a e-books causes much less pollution than driving to the store to get a print book (or having it shipped to you via vehicle).

A book by the author who wrote this article - I don't know if this particular article is in his book

Goleman estimates that you would need to read somewhere between 50 and 100 books on your e-reader in order to “break even” and become more eco-friendly than just getting those books in print.  The question becomes, how many of us will actually read 50 – 100 e-books on an e-reader?  Especially considering how often we want the newest and best, and thus upgrade our technology before we’ve hit that amount of books read.

So what do you think – are e-books better for the environment than print books as many people claim?  Goleman ends his article stating that getting books from the library is the most eco-friendly route to take, but what about textbooks?  They aren’t usually at the library.  How do we become more green with our textbooks?

Tags: e-books, e-readers, eco-friendly, textbooks

personal finance class

This YouTube video is a clip of a FOX news segment about the personal finance class at Columbia High School (not sure what state).

My thoughts:

1.  Credit cards for teenagers???  Bad, bad, bad!!!

2.  This class is fantastic!  I would absolutely love to teach that class.

3.  I would have loved to take this class in high school and I wonder why more schools don’t offer something like this?  Isn’t our goal to prepare students for the future?

What are your thoughts about this video?

Tags: budgeting, high school, personal finance