Third Time’s the Charm

Hard to believe but the third generation of the Linutop Linux micro desktop PC is out and it looks like a winner to me. Priced at about $470, it is still a tiny, inexpensive desktop PC that can be screwed under a desk or attached to the back of a monitor with Velcro. The big difference is that it now has a more powerful Via C7 processor, 2GB of internal flash memory and graphics that can support up to 1,920 by 1080 resolution. It has 6 USB ports as well as a generous mix of included software and applications. The best part is that it uses only 8 watts of power, so it doesn’t need a fan and can cut a schools power bills. 

 

Letting Biology Teach Itself

For young students, seeing really is believing, and the best way to teach biology is by putting away the textbook and showing kids the magic of life. The GeoSpace Easy-Hatch Fish Hatchery is a great tool for teaching the details of aquatic reproduction and ecology. The fish eggs come dehydrated and grow into brightly colored tropical fish in a matter of days. The set costs $25 and includes the bowl, eggs, a magnifying glass and a supply of shrimp eggs for food.

Spring Cleaning

Spring not only brings rain and green growth just about everywhere but a new series of Vernier Software & Technology’s seminars on how to best use the company’s  handheld sensor units in science and math classes. The four-hour classes cover the basics of data collection and analysis as well as how to integrate Vernier’s LabQuest hardware with PCs, TI graphic calculators and Palm handheld computers. This semester has 41 workshops in a variety of cities and ends in early May.

Compass Announces Odyssey High School Program [FETC HIGHLIGHT]

As schools begin to get more pressure to offer credit recovery and intervention programs at the high school level, Compass reponds by offering a new program to support secondary market. The high school Odyssey program integrates its management and assessment features into eight core subjects, ranging from Algebra to U.S. Government.