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Science Hill’s Surprising Policy on Cell Phone Use at School

  • February 14, 2010 2:43 am
Wow!  My generation was the wave prior to widespread cell phone use, but even still, electronic devices were strictly verboten at my High School.  This article from the Johnson City Press blew my mind.  I did not know that cell phone use in High Schools was allowed.  I’m a child of the eighties and nineties and Walkmans and GameBoys were routinely confiscated as classroom contraband. Those were the big. “must-have” items back then and they were considered “public enemy number 1″ with most teachers and administrators.  What happened?

Science Hill High School’s policy on student cell phone use is fairly flexible, except for one no-no: they must be turned off or put on vibrate when they enter classrooms and other school functions. Though teachers can, at their discretion, allow cell phone use for certain purposes, such as emergencies, they also can request that students drop the devices in a basket or box when they come through the door.

Let me tell you, I’m more than a little jealous right now!  I want kids today to put up with the same perceived hardships as I had to endure.  What next?  What other ancient, long-endured, school day restriction will this generation of High School softies get a pass on?  I bet next they’ll allow …..(gasp)……kids to chew gum.  Or the school nurses will….(gasp)…..pass out contraceptives.  Naaaa…….that’ll never happen, but at least they can use their cell phones.  Well, use them, barring any major infraction:

If the policy is violated, the cell phone is taken and held by the school for 30 days. If a student refuses to surrender the phone, they may be considered insubordinate and face suspension.

Now we’re talking!  That’s a punishment worthy of 1988!  That’s a month without their phone.  Do you know the price tag on a punishment like that?  Sprint, historically, has the cheapest plans, so we’ll go with them.  Their unlimited plan is $99.99, so really, listen up Mom and Dad, your kids’ cell phone use could get your wallet and your kid a detention.

I’m actually starting to feel a little better now.  My teachers would always relinquish the Game Boys by the end of the day and the Walkmans?  Well, the battery life on those would hardly last the bus ride to school much less a tune or two during a boring lecture.  You know, those were some good times.  A poor grade and a detention here and there never cost me a hundred bucks.  If you are a High Schooler, then hit me up on your mobile phone with some comments below .  Comment during the week day between the hours of 7 and 3, I know where you’ll be.  Your teachers won’t mind.

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5 Canadians I would’ve liked to see light the Olympic flame

  • February 12, 2010 10:55 pm
I was sadden to learn that not one of the following 5 famous Canadians were given the high honor of lighting the Olympic Flame.  There was not one ounce of Blackberry love either.  Come on!  For shame, for shame.  When I think of Canada, I think Research in Motion and Blackberry. Ok, my top 5 in reverse order…..drum roll please:

5.  Snow -One hit wonder boasting that he's no Informer.  A licky boom boom, ah haaa

4.  Jim Balsillie -CEO of RIM, beloved makers of the Blackberry.

3.  Alanis Morissette -I'm a closet fan of this Jagged Little Pill.

2.  Dan Aykroyd -of Saturday Night Live fame.

1.  Bob & Doug McKenzie of Strange Brew fame.

There you go, my top 5 Canadians I would've liked to see light the Olympic flame.  Now, who are your top 5?  Hit me on the comments with your lists.

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6 Benefits of Using Twitter for Nonprofit | Pamela Grow’s Grantwriting Blog

  • February 10, 2010 10:56 pm

“Because if we don’t use Twitter, we cut ourselves off from the following benefits:

  1. To listen to what our community says about the issues we purport to be experts in.
  2. To promote our work within and connect to a wider audience.
  3. To monitor a variety of topics that we are interested in, simultaneously.
  4. To let people share our work with their networks and beyond.
  5. To respond quickly to our audience’s questions.
  6. To participate in discussions involving our strategic focus.”

Why would a nonprofit who scraps for every dollar take the time to build their social portfolio? Ok, I might have just coined that word…hmmm..maybe. Anyhow, the time spent developing these various mechanisms, I hear the Boss saying, would be better spent smoozing the deep pockets in the community. Kind of makes sense right? Pamela addresses the issue in her blog with 6 pithy points that might just flip the Boss man on his position. Enjoy. Oh, and, ….save your smoozing, my pockets are about empty.

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What’s the buzz about Google? Update

  • February 10, 2010 10:30 am
Google Buzz has only been out for a few days and already the Early Adopters are voicing their concerns.  The general consensus has been positive but the issue of privacy is causing a, ……well, it’s causing a buzz.  Hit the jump to see the original story then check out Google’s Gmail Blog to learn how they are addressing Buzz’s privacy concerns.

The Ubiquitous Facebook ((Tags: Facebook Connect, Facebook Integrations,

  • February 9, 2010 6:10 pm

Photo source:  InsideFacebook

This graphic is from an InsideFacebook article about Facebook Connect, but for me the picture spoke more than the article.  It was a visual punctuation of the ubiquity of Facebook.  It goes with us on our mobile phones, it's our companion on our gaming consoles, it's a stand alone application on our desktops, and it's there for us on the web like a trusted friend as it has been from the start.  It will be exciting to watch the socialsphere as more and more seemingly non-related entities integrate aspects of social media.

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What is Google Profiles?

  • February 1, 2010 5:04 pm
What is Google Profiles?  Profiles, simply put, is a way for you to summarize yourself and your online activities into a searchable biographical brief. Google describes it this way:

A Google profile is simply how you present yourself on Google products to other Google users. It allows you to control how you appear on Google and tell others a bit more about who you are. With a Google profile, you can easily share your web content on one central location. You can include, for example, links to your blog, online photos, and other profiles such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. You have control over what others see. Your profile won't display any private information unless you've explicitly added it

Below is a screen shot from the Google's Profiles page.  You should really go there and soak up every little detail.  Google has so much to offer.  It's free.  How nice it that.  I'd love to hear your comments on this after you look this over, so hit me up.  I want to hear your voice on this.

  1. Receive messages.
  2. Add photos.
  3. Create a page about you.
  4. Add your contact information.
  5. Add links to your other profiles and sites.
  6. Show your location.

The premier expert on all things Google is Chris Lang.  You will need to bookmark his site as it will prove to be an invaluable resource.  Also, be sure to check out his tutorials on Youtube

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Autopost test

  • February 1, 2010 1:37 am
This is a routine test that checks my autoposts to make sure there aren’t any redundant loops are endless cycles. This should post here, Facebook, the blog, and Twitter. I have FB posting to Twitter as well. Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
www.theparamobile.com
twitter.com/theparamobile

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Because a cool graph causes me to Geek Out…..

  • January 30, 2010 1:26 am

The Nike example above really drives home the power of this fascinating tool.  I hope to have some "Geek Time" alone with it while I wait for the Spring thaw.  If you are in the TriCities right now, you know what I mean.  Stay Safe in this icy weather!

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Are you Moblin?

  • January 27, 2010 5:40 pm
Are you always on your smartphone, surfing, browsing, Instant Messaging, texting, Tweeting, blogging, vlogging, and talking? Can you update and download like you were in front of your PC? If you can do all that and do it on the run from you phone or laptop, then you are Moblin! Check out an urban dictionary definition: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Moblin

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
www.theparamobile.com
twitter.com/theparamobile

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What is the battery life like on the iPad?

  • January 27, 2010 2:33 pm
Pictures courtesy of Engadget
The sylings are very familar, it's a giant iPhone, right?  My big question would be, "Hey, Steve, what is the battery life like on the iPad?"   The device is so slim, battery life is the first question that pops into my noggin.  We all know it's going to be awesome, that's not a concern.  What's the battery life?  I'm googling it now….wait for it….wait….got it!  10 hours!!!  Wow, we knew that but really?  In a practical every day situation, what's it typically going to be.  My guess is 8 hours, but that is still very good.  What is your guess?  Hit me on the comments.  Oh, and check out the pics over on engadgets site for some more eye candy. 
 
More details can be found at Engadget and Cultofmac

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