Learning Innovation

Dear Google. Congratulations on your release of the Nexus 7 tablet. At $199 bucks at launch you have done the first important thing - keep the costs down. The hardware specs seem reasonable, and I expect that the Nexus 7 will work really well as a media consumption and gaming device. My question to you, Google, is if you have thought about the Nexus 7 as an educational device?

A quick show of hands. Does your employer prohibit you from talking to the media?

Why would anyone spend over $2,000 bucks on a new laptop, only to use it like a $500 Chromebook?

This weekend the NYTimes ran a story headlined "Apple’s Retail Army, Long on Loyalty but Short on Pay". We learn that of the 43,000 U.S. Apple employees, 30,000 are relatively low-paid store employees. Apple's 327 stores sold $16 billion in merchandise, and have per square foot earnings that are higher than any other retailer (next is Tiffany's).

What do you think are the most important attributes for a successful career in educational technology?

Microsoft jumping into the tablet market with the Surface is a good thing for education. Competition will push Apple to improve the iPad, push Google to prioritize the ChromePad (or whatever they will call it), and focus the mind of Jeff Bezos on his Amazon Kindle Fire.

These are the first words that I have typed on my new laptop. After years of living with a succession of 15 inch MacBook Pros, I finally pulled the trigger on a 13 inch MacBook Air.

It's retreat season once again. Does your department, team, division, or group have any plans for an offsite retreat? Where are you going? Can you offer any advice about retreat best practices.