EduSciTech

Google Wallet is now integrated with Gmail

2013-06-17T18:15:00.003-04:00

This is revolutionary considering how easy Google has made it to send money to your friends, families or clients. You can now send money to anyone in the US with a gmail and Google Wallet account.

As we slowly but surely move away from cash, we are becoming more and more connected thanks to the power of Google and the internet. Learn more about it here.

Hidden Gem: Google Cultural Institute

2013-06-15T14:19:00.000-04:00

I found this to be an inspiring hidden gem to allow us to really explore arts and museums across the world in the luxury of our homes. It's all free and you can perhaps start a Google Hangout session with a few friends and discuss some of the magical works of others. Technology is here to empower us and to help change the world. Some of these arts are in gigapixel so you can really zoom in and appreciate the art in details.

Obviously, there is no substitute for physically visiting the plethora of displays in these institutions. Take the time to delve deeply into your inspirational arts through this website: http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home

Just Signed up for CitiBike Annual Membership

2013-06-14T01:51:00.000-04:00

What kind of science educator would I be if I did not promote and live by my green ideals? I plan on taking full advantage of this program all summer long, as well as next year by truly exploring the city. I already have a bike at home, which made this a difficult decision. Still, I thought it was convenient just by looking at the number of stations they have installed. At the end of the day, I should be getting more exercises thanks to these bikes and I won't be taking the car to the city as often. I wish this program success and am glad to be an early adopter to support them. I <3 NY.

App of the week: PrimoSpot (FREE)

2013-06-09T12:15:00.001-04:00

Anyone with a car in the city should take advantage of this useful App called Primospot. It has a list of available parking spots based on parking rules. Also, you can remember where you parked your car with this app. It's also FREE so you have nothing to lose. Learn more about it on their website.

Can you think of a better parking app? Leave your ideas in the comment below.

Screenshot of PrimoSpot

Upgrades to Queens Central Library

2013-06-08T13:55:00.001-04:00

One of the most under-utilized FREE resource out there is the local library. I went back to Queens library after over a year and saw some major upgrades. The librarian told me that some people are not too excited about the changes. I'll let you decide. Either way, I will be taking more advantage of the library this summer as should you.

Artwork of Cricket seen on top of the newly organized library

There is even a quiet study room

Computerized self return for books

TedMed talk: David Blaine explains how he pushes limits

2013-06-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

If you don't think this guy is crazy, I have to question your sanity. I do love his respect for science.

Jon Stewart's favorite Bassem Youssef talks at Time 100 dinner

2013-06-08T08:03:00.001-04:00

What appeals to me the most about Daily Show's Jon Stewart is that he is not only funny, but witty and an incredibly smart guy. One of his disciples, if you will, Bassem Youssef was imprisoned by the Egyptian authorities for making fun of the government. Dr. Youssef used to be a heart surgeon and currently runs a Daily-Show like Egyptian program. His humor is witty and he seems like a really smart guy as well. This bond and friendship between Bassem and Jon also speaks volumes about the fact that all religion can and should work together for one common purpose - improve humanity - in this case, through laughter - which they say is the best medicine. My sense of sarcasm needs work but I hope to develop it over time. Get in touch with me if you want to be my sarcasm teacher =)

Watch this funny video from Bassem Youssef below from earlier this year: http://entertainment.time.com/2013/04/24/watch-a-stirring-jon-stewart-moment-bassem-youssef-egypts-jon-stewart-offers-toast-to-daily-show-idol/

TedTalk: Want to live longer? Play games!

2013-06-06T21:12:00.001-04:00

I have always advocated for making education more fun - just as fun as games. I see it as a game. You have an objective. You have to solve a challenge through creative means. Turns out, TED Talk presenter Jane Mcgonigal claims that games can help you live longer. So dont take life so seriously. Play some games everyday, stay creative, work that brain, have fun and enjoy your life!

What's your favorite game?

Return of the Cicadas

2013-06-01T21:00:00.001-04:00

My co-teacher brought a live one in class. The story of the cicadas is fascinating.

Return of the Cicadas from motionkicker on Vimeo.

pjamal.com Presents: Word Circles as a Literacy Improvement Tool

2013-06-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

In an effort to improve literacy, which is a major part of the new Common Core, this is a Word Circle that I use with my students. I don't claim credit for coming up with the idea, but several literacy coaches such as E.Smith has helped me create this. Hope you benefit from it too.

Which college majors earn the most salary?

2013-05-31T02:01:00.002-04:00

Besides the inspiration to discover and do something meaningful, here is another reason to consider STEM careers. According to a latest salary survey, engineers seem to make the most average starting salary with just a Bachelor's degree. Obviously, you make a lot more with a graduate degree. This could be your motivation for paying serious attention in your math and science classes. #Science Rules!

Ted Talks: How great leaders inspire action

2013-05-29T19:52:00.003-04:00

Funny but true for so many of us

2013-05-27T17:30:00.003-04:00

Credit: someecards

Want to download Star Trek (2009) for FREE?

2013-05-26T22:42:00.000-04:00

I went to watch Star Trek Into the Darkness in IMAX today and they sent me this. I have no need for this, so if you wish to use this code, feel free to use it. I also have no problem promoting this movie because I thought it was incredible. J.J.Abrams did not disappoint.

Large scale study gives hints at avoiding kidney stones

2013-05-26T21:21:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a large scale study involving 194,095 people that was conducted for over 8 years, we now have more clues about kidney stones. Caffeinated beverges such as soda and punch seems to make it worse, whereas, tea, coffee, beer, and wine seem to have a positive effect. Read more about it below -

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/study-another-reason-for-daily-wine/276148/

CitiBike Green Initiatives

2013-05-25T20:03:00.001-04:00

Excited to see green friendly initiatives such as these in the city. The setup and the plan seems well structured so far. I like how the mayor first focused on creating bike lanes all over the city. Looking forward to trying these out. For more information, visit http://citibikenyc.com/

Get Ready: Google Just Went to the Galapagos, and Pretty Soon You'll Go Too (Via Street View, of Course) - Rebecca J. Rosen - The Atlantic

2013-05-24T00:13:00.001-04:00

Darwin would have been proud of this news below...

Get Ready: Google Just Went to the Galapagos, and Pretty Soon You'll Go Too (Via Street View, of Course) - Rebecca J. Rosen - The Atlantic: Chrisophe Bailhache of the Catlin Seaview Survey, a Google partner, navigates the underwater camera through a group of sea lions. (Google/Catlin Seaview Survey)
On Sunday, a team of Googlers returned to Mountain View with a special, digital cargo: hard drives loaded with 360-degree imagery taken during a 10-day adventure around the Galapagos Islands, covering both the islands' lush terrain and their surrounding waters. The crew passed off their files to the engineering team, who will stitch the files together into a seamless, explorable landscape to be released on Street View later this year (Google would not say more precisely when).

Yahoo Deal Shows Power Shift - WSJ.com

2013-05-19T22:44:00.001-04:00

I think Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer is a visionary leader who has already changed the culture within Yahoo. Her ability to invigorate the company while bringing in exciting startups such as Tumblr is a game changer. Yahoo can finally get back in the game as a major player to be taken as seriously as Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook.

My Photography part of the website runs on Tumblr, so I am excited for the potential upgrades this might bring. Congratulations are in order for both Yahoo and Tumblr. More details in the article below.

Yahoo Deal Shows Power Shift - WSJ.com

CNET's Sharon Vaknin compares Siri vs Google Now

2013-05-18T20:29:00.002-04:00

This is a nice comparison of the types of questions that can be automated with Google Now and Siri. She concludes that Siri is a better assistant for productivity. Also, I do prefer my iPhone because I can benefit from both Google Now and Siri on my iPhone. For a list of questions that Siri can answer, click here.

Source: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57584898-285/google-now-vs-siri-virtual-assistants-duke-it-out-video/

Forbes' Naveen Jain shares his vision on the future of education

2013-05-18T11:36:00.001-04:00

The field of education needs an iPhone-like revolution. The following author, published on Forbes, brings forth the science behind making education for adaptive, personalized, effective and addictive. I have highlighted the main points that the author makes and we should seriously consider the role of technology in improving education.

Favorite quote - Imagine how the world will change when we bring “creativity” to science and “logic” to arts.

Creating Adaptive, Personalized, Effective and Addictive Education System for the Next Century - Forbes

Photo Credit: http://www.davinciinstitute.com/

It’s time for us to go back to the drawing board and redesign the education system for the next century. Let me give you my thoughts on the functional specifications of the education system for the next century.

Adaptive – Student Centric Learning

Personalized – Self-paced learning

Gamification for Immersive and Addictive learning

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Collaborative and Peer to Peer learning

Punishment vs. Encouragement

Role of teacher to humanize the learning

Technology and future of education

Inspiring video from the TED Talks Education event on PBS.

2013-05-16T00:20:00.002-04:00

Some of the best and brightest minds in education spoke at the TED Talks Education event on PBS. It is not every day that you see John Legend on the topic of education and bring all of these wonderful speakers and leaders together in one forum. If you missed it on TV, check it out below. All the speakers truly engage your thinking about education and inspire you to improve and be better. My favorite by far was Sir Ken Robinson even though all of them were inspiring in their own ways.

Watch TED Talks Education on PBS. See more from TED Talks Education.

CO2 level passes a disturbing number - 400 ppm

2013-05-10T23:33:00.004-04:00

Interesting graphics that addresses the disturbing trend of global warming. We have to ensure that the Obama administration is making climate change a top priority. The last time CO2 level was this high was 3 million years ago during the Pliocene epoch when the sea level was higher and earth was much much warmer.

Time history of atmospheric carbon dioxide from 800,000 years ago until January, 2012.

Google Spreadsheet auto generates lists for you with just two examples

2013-05-02T21:55:00.003-04:00

Oh, the power of the Google. Apparently, you only need two examples of whatever list you are looking for and once you begin dragging the cell down while holding Option or Control, Google will fill out similar categories for you. Talk about a brainstorming buddy - Google is at it again. Pure Genius =)

Check out a full list of options from the website below -

http://www.buzzfeed.com/justinesharrock/a-glimpse-into-googles-brain-hidden-in-a-spreadsheet-app

Plan your digital afterlife with Google Inactive Account Manager

2013-04-11T21:58:00.001-04:00

Google's Inactive Account Manager lets you plan your digital after-life.

Immortality is finally at our fingertip. Technology has reached a point, where, technically we can keep you alive forever....digitally. Google really does think of everything, don't they? Apparently Facebook also has a policy to memorialize accounts for folks after they pass away. However, the process Facebook implements is more reactive rather than the proactive approach Google seems to be exploring. Kudos to your innovative approach Google and thank you for providing the freedom and choice to your customers. I predict Facebook and other major service providers to follow this trend of empowering their consumers.

Learn more about this here. Sign up and access Google Inactive Manager here.

Rumor has Google close to buying WhatsApp for $1B

2013-04-08T12:33:00.001-04:00

I think the current messenger feature within Google Plus is abysmal. This would be a welcoming addition to improve messaging functionality of Google. Whatsapp is extremely popular on the iOS as well as Android and was one of the original method of communication between Blackberry and the iOS.

Rumor has Google close to buying WhatsApp for $1B:
"Rumor has Google close to buying WhatsApp for $1B
By AppleInsider Staff

Google is said to be well into negotiations with the team behind WhatsApp, with the search giant reportedly considering a $1 billion price tag for the popular cross-platform messaging app.