Man arrested at Large Hadron Collider claims he's from the future | CNET UK

Man arrested at Large Hadron Collider claims he's from the future | CNET UK:

A would-be saboteur arrested today at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland made the bizarre claim that he was from the future. Eloi Cole, a strangely dressed young man, said that he had travelled back in time to prevent the LHC from destroying the world.

The LHC successfully collided particles at record force earlier this week, a milestone Mr Cole was attempting to disrupt by stopping supplies of Mountain Dew to the experiment's vending machines. He also claimed responsibility for the infamous baguette sabotage in November last year.

Mr Cole was seized by Swiss police after CERN security guards spotted him rooting around in bins. He explained that he was looking for fuel for his 'time machine power unit', a device that resembled a kitchen blender.

Police said Mr Cole, who was wearing a bow tie and rather too much tweed for his age, would not reveal his country of origin. "Countries do not exist where I am from. The discovery of the Higgs boson led to limitless power, the elimination of poverty and Kit-Kats for everyone. It is a communist chocolate hellhole and I'm here to stop it ever happening."

Desain Undangan Pernikahan

Desain Undangan Pernikahan - Kumpulan gambar desain undangan pernikahan. Memberikan undangan dengan desain yang unik menarik dan lain dari pada yang lain, boleh jadi jadi ide yang menarik. Kalau bisanya desain undangan pernikahan sangat simpel dan sederhana berupa kartu undangan yang isinya kapan acara pernikahan di langsungkan serta gambar "biasa" dengan memilih desain undangan perkawinan yang

What's so Bad about "Smart?"

I once had a student tell me they were not smart.  They would never get good grades, that they would never be a success. This 4th grader, already beaten down by the school system and themselves, thought they would never be successful.  That school was for kids that got it, for kids that already understood, for kids that were born smart.  Smart was not something you became, it was something you already were, and it was completely outside of their reach.

How many of these kids walk our hallways?  Those kids that no one ever told they were smart?  Those students that come into our classrooms thinking that they are not smart, have never been, and will never be.  Beaten down by lack of success in an overly rigid school system, having few academic successes and little curiosity left.  Those students need to hear the word "smart."

Research tells us that we shouldn't use the word "smart," that students instead should be heralded for their work ethic, their creative problem-solving skills and their perseverance.  The evidence shows (simply stated) that if you tell a child repeatedly that they are smart they will take the easy way out, give up more easily and not like challenges. But those students that already have given up?  Those students need to hear it over and over when they do have successes so that they can start believing it.  So for those I make an exception.

I tell them they are smart when they conquer a math problem, when they raise their hand timidly at first but then more and more confidently.  I tell them that they can do it, that they too know things when they grow, when they share.  So that they can believe that they are worth something, that they are capable, that they are smart.  And I don't regret it, no matter what the research says, because later on we can work on the creative problem-solving skills and never giving up, but for now; they need to believe they are smart.

Sunset Last Night

An Awkward Moment With Police Commissioner Ray Kelly – Bwog

An Awkward Moment With Police Commissioner Ray Kelly – Bwog:

About fifteen minutes ago, NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was answering questions in former NYC Mayor/Columbia Professor David Dinkins’ SIPA class about urban public policy when a student pulled out a projector and began to screen images of police officers beating civilians on the wall behind Kelly. “We’d like to offer an alternative version,” one slide read.

People started shifting awkwardly in their chairs, then shifting much more awkwardly when the student turned the projector around so that the film was facing Kelly as he continued to speak. Kelly ignored the film, finished answering his question and called on another student, who was interrupted by a young man reading a textbook about military history.

Tonight's Sunset - The View to the South

DSCF1606

10 things the iPhone Siri will help you get instead of an abortion | The Raw Story

10 things the iPhone Siri will help you get instead of an abortion | The Raw Story:

Ask the Siri, the new iPhone 4 assistant, where to get an abortion, and, if you happen to be in Washington, D.C., she won’t direct you to the Planned Parenthood on 16th St, NW. Instead, she’ll suggest you pay a visit to the 1st Choice Women’s Health Center, an anti-abortion Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) in Landsdowne, Virginia, or Human Life Services, a CPC in York, Pennsylvania. Ask Google the same question, and you’ll get ads for no less than 7 metro-area abortion clinics, 2 CPCs and a nationwide abortion referral service.

Ask in New York City, and Siri will tell you “I didn’t find any abortion clinics.”

Syahrini Dandan 4 Jam Demi David Beckham

Syahrini Dandan 4 Jam Demi David Beckham - Syahrini rela empat jam merias wajah di salon. Syahrini melakukan itu demi acara makan malam bersama idolanya, David Beckham.

Setelah melakukan coaching clinic bersama sekitar 250 anak di Stadion Gelora Bung Karno, Selasa (29/11) sore, David Beckham beserta tim LA Galaxy Amerika Serikat mengadakan gala dinner bersama para sponsor dan penyelenggara. Syahrini termasuk yang hadir dalam acara khusus tersebut.

Tak mau tampil buruk di depan idolanya, asisten Syahrin, Rendy mengatakan, Syahrini sangat mempersiapkan diri untuk bertemu dengan David Beckham dalam acara gala dinner yang berlangsung di Ritz Carlton Hotel, Mega Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan, Selasa (29/11) malam.

"Acara makan malamnya pukul 20.00WIB. Tetapi Syahrini make-up 4 jam lebih sebelum bertemu Beckham," ungkap Rendy kepada INILAH.COM, Selasa (29/11) malam.

Sebagaimana diketahui, Syahrini diutus SCTV dan penyelenggara untuk mendampingi David Beckham dan squad LA Galaxy selama berada di Jakarta. Pertandingan persahabatan LA Galaxy melawan timnas Indonesia selection sendiri akan digelar di Stadion Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta Selatan, Rabu (30/11).[Inilah]

Students Define Letter Grades

My students took some time today to discuss what the different letter grades mean to them in preparation for their determination of their own grades.  I was absolutely captivated by what they thought and to me it once again speaks clearly as to why letter grades are not the solution to reporting progress.  (Note: F's are not attainable in my class since I have yet to meet a kid that isn't learning something).

So an "A" means:

• A students understands completely
• Participates in the discussion
• Is enthusiastic about school
• Always gives best effort
• Shows lots of progress
• Understands almost everything
• And has a great attitude 

A "B" means:

• Understands concepts most of the time
• Fulfills most of the things to get an A but not all
• Has good effort but could do more
• Shows a little bit of progress
• Understands a lot and gives a great effort
• And has a good attitude

A "C" means:

• Pays little attention
• Could try better
• Developing as a learner
• You are not trying your hardest
• Could use some improvement
• Average attitude

A "D" means:

• Does not understand content
• Do not show their knowledge and strengths
• Needs to listen more to better understand
• Only understands a little
• Is not focused
• Needs a lot of help
• And works poorly by themselves

What a stigma change between "B" and "C!"  This definitely is providing me with food for thought.

Ibnu Anggap David Beckham Pantas Jadi Ikon Dunia

Ibnu Anggap David Beckham Pantas Jadi Ikon Dunia - Ibnu Jamil sangat mengagumi David Robert Joseph Beckham karena pantas sebagai ikon dunia. Pasalnya, tak hanya jago bola, tapi selebriti juga.

"Beckham itu sudah menjadi ikon dunia. Dia bukan cuma seorang pemain bola, tapi juga sudah menjadi selebriti," ungkap Ibnu Jamil di SFC Cup 2011 di Stadion Lebak Bulus, Jakarta Selatan, Selasa (29/11).

Ibnu pun menambahkan dengan mengatakan, "Apalagi ditopang oleh istrinya, Victoria Adams yang seorang selebriti juga."

Sebagaimana diberitakan, Beckham, mantan kapten Timnas Inggris itu, bersama timnya LA Galaxy akan bertanding melawan Indonesa Selection di GBK Senayan, Jakarta Selatan pada Rabu (30/11) mendatang. [Inilah]

Gita Sinaga Kesulitan Adegan Ketakutan

Gita Sinaga Kesulitan Adegan Ketakutan - Gita Sinaga kesulitan memerankan adegan ketakutan. Mengapa?

"Gue tuh, nggak bisa harus masang tampang takut atau ngelucu-ngelucu gitu," terang Gita di RCTI, Kebon Jeruk, Jakarta Barat, Senin (28/11).

Dara berdarah Batak ini justru ingin mendapatkan tawaran bermain film drama. Ia menilai karakter dalam film drama lebih mudah dilakoninya.

"Gue memang mencari suasana baru main drama di film. Di sinetron dan FTV (film televisi) gue biasa main drama. Karena kalau di drama, gue lebih mudah mendalami karakter, beda sama di horor atau komedi," terangnya.

Gita pun berharap bisa mewujudkan keinginannya untuk memerankan film drama. "Karena sepanjang main film juga nggak pernah main film drama, jadi pengen saja," paparnya.[Inilah]

We Pass on Our Wondering

My grandfather always told me that a little girl lived in the water-tower by his house and that if I paid enough attention, I would notice her stocking hanging out of the little window to dry.  To this day, when I go home to Denmark, I pass that water-tower knowing that his story is probably not true and yet I wonder.  My grandfather gave me that gift; that little spark of curiosity that kept me focused and interested even beyond my curious years.

I try to pass that on to my students.  I don't make up stories as much as he does, but rather leave them with a spark of curiosity.  I proudly exclaim that I do not know the answers and how will we ever find out?  I ask them to seek their wonder, to allow their mind to ponder, and to take some time to reflect.

The day passes by and we do our curriculum and yet we try to squeeze something out of every minute we have to give us some extra time to wonder.  We wonder out-loud, we wonder silently, sometimes alone, sometimes as a group.  We speak of it because that provides it a legitimate place in our classroom.  We cherish it and we laugh about it.  Not all wonderings are meant to be explored.  The gift that my grandfather gave me I now pass on to my students.  A fitting legacy for the man that means the biggest part to me, the man whom we chose to name Theodora after, the man who now is in the twilight of his life.  Every time I drive by a water-tower I wonder if there is a little girl upset that her stockings are always wet, looking for a window to hang them from and then I wonder whether he remembers?

As my grandfather slowly succumbs to ill health, I keep him in my thoughts, knowing that I made him proud.

Gambar HP Handphone

Gambar HP Handphone - Kumpulan gambar HP atau gambar Handphone. Saat ini perkembangan selluler di Indonesia sungguh sangat pesat. Handphone sudah menjadi bagian dari kehidupan hampir semua orang. Mulai anak-anak hingga dewasa, apapun profesinya sudah tak lepas dari HP. Kemanapun dan dimanapun benda bernama HP ini tak pernah lupa di bawa. Pada kesempatan kali ini blog pribadi desain gambar design

Syahrini Nangis Usai Bertemu David Beckham

Syahrini Nangis Usai Bertemu David Beckham - Syahrini tarik nafas panjang saat bertemu David Beckham. Tak pingsan, Syahrini ternyata tak mampu menahan air mata bahagianya.

"Ada 22 orang dan Beckham urutan ke 19. Syahrini bilang welcome to Indonesia. Selama menanti urutan itu dia tarik nafas panjang supaya nggak pingsan," ucap Rendy, asisten Syahrini melalui BlackBerry Messanger (BBM), Senin (28/11)

Bisa menahan untuk tak pingsan, Syahrini tak kuasa menahan tangis bahagianya. "Dia nangis tadi sehabis ketemu Beckham. Nangis saat selesai acara. Lantas cerita-cerita katanya seneng banget," terangnya.

Seperti diketahui, LA Galaxy akan menggelar pertandingan persahabatan dengan Indonesia Selection di Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno pad Rabu (30/11) malam.

Sebagaimana diberitakan sebelumnya, Rombongan skuad LA Galaxy yang membawa David Beckham, tiba di Bandara Soekarno-Hatta, Cengkareng, Banten, Senin (28/11), pukul 08.25 WIB dan langsung menuju Ritz Carlton, Mega Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan dengan mengendarai dua bis pariwisata.

Sesampainya di loby hotel Ritz Carlton, sekitar pukul 09.30 WIB, David Bechkam beserta rombongan mendapat sambutan hangat dari artis penyanyi Syahrini yang mengalungkan untaian bunga ke leher suami Victoria Adams.

Syahrini yang mengenakan baju terusan berwarna peach tampak tersenyum manis ketika berpapasan dengan David Beckham dan rombongan LA Galaxy. [inilah]

Wonkbook: The GOP's dual-trigger nightmare - The Washington Post

Wonkbook: The GOP's dual-trigger nightmare - The Washington Post:

In August, Republicans scored what they thought was a big win by persuading Democrats to accept a trigger that consisted only of spending cuts. The price they paid was 1) concentrating the cuts on the Pentagon while exempting Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare beneficiaries, and 2) delaying the cuts until January 1, 2013. That was, they figured, a win, as it eschewed taxes. Grover Norquist's pledge remained unbroken.

But 12 years earlier, George W. Bush had set a trigger of his own. In order to pass his tax cuts using the 51-vote budget reconciliation process, he had agreed to let them sunset in 2010. A last-minute deal extended them until the end of 2012.

So now there are two triggers. One is an extremely progressive spending trigger worth $1.2 trillion that goes off on January 1, 2013. The other is an extremely progressive tax trigger worth $3.8 trillion that goes off on...January 1, 2013. If you count reduced interest payments, the two policies alone would reduce future deficits by about $6 trillion. That's far more than anything the supercommittee came close to discussing. It's distributed far more progressively than anything the Democrats have even considered proposing. And all that needs to happen for it to pass is, well, nothing.

Republicans can't stop these triggers on their own. They need Senate Democrats and President Obama to join them in passing an alternative, or they need House and Senate Democrats to join them in overturning President Obama's veto of their alternative. So the only way for Republicans to avoid this dual-trigger nightmare is to somehow convince Democrats to bail them out. And for that, they have two points of leverage.

Gambar-Gambar Mobil

Gambar-Gambar Mobil - Buat Anda yang ingin cari gambar gambar mobil baik itu gambar mobil terbaru, gambar mobil sport, mobil yang unik dan langka, blog desain gambar design kali ini akan menampilkan gambar2 mobil buat Anda. Buat Anda pencinta otomotif mungkin Anda ingin tahu lebih banyak mengenai dunia otomotif mobil. Tenyata banyak sekali jenis mobil yang ada di dunia ini, baik mobil sebagai

Gambar-Gambar Rumah

Gambar-Gambar Rumah - Kumpulan gambar gambar rumah dengan desain dan interior rumah sederhana dan modern. Buat Anda yang berencana membangun rumah tinggal dengan desain rumah minimalis Anda bisa lihat gambar2 rumah yang ada di blog desain gambar design ini. Contoh gambar gambar rumah berikut mungkin berguna buat Anda ketika membutuhkan desain model rumah yang menarik dengan beberapa model rumah

Mira Lesmana Bercita-cita Bikin Film Silat

Mira Lesmana Bercita-cita Bikin Film Silat - Sutradara Mira Lesmana bersama rumah produksinya, Miles Films lebih sering berkutat di genre film drama. Tapi Mira bercita-cita membuat film silat.

Punya karya film silat sudah lama jadi angan-angan perempuan di balik sukses film 'Laskar Pelangi' tersebut. Mira ingin sekali memiliki karya seperti film karya sutradara Ang Lee pada 2000, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'.

"Saya sebenarnya pengen banget bikin film silat kayak 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', karena saya juga penggemar komik silat. Jadi mudah-mudahan. Cuma biayanya nggak bisa murah," ujar Mira ditemui di EX Plaza, Jakarta Pusat.

Mira tak mau memaksakan diri membuat film di luar genre drama karena ia mengerti betul potensi yang ia miliki. Mira tak mau memaksakan diri. Meski ia sangat tertarik membuat film aksi, seperti yang dilakukan sutradara Gareth Huw Evans yang membuat film 'The Raid' dan 'Merantau'.

"Bikin komedi takut nggak lucu. Bikin horor nanti nggak nakutin. Film action tertarik sekali, tapi mesti belajar dulu sama Gareth," tuturnya ramah.[DetikHot]

No Size Fits All - Some Thoughts on Prescribed Systems in the Classroom

I am sometimes asked what system I used in my classroom; which system do you prescribe to to get them to act this way, which system do you believe in for your philosophy.  I always feel like a disappointment when I tell them, "None."  It is not that I am pioneer within education, or a maverick, but rather that I don't believe in systems.  A system to me means prescribed, a system means rigidity, rules to follow, and scripts to use.  I tried that for 2 years when I first started teaching and it failed, horrifically and miserably.  My classrooms doesn't work that way, it doesn't fit into a book description.   So while some people may say I fall under whatever system they think, I always giggle a little because the truth is much simpler.

I follow the Pernille system.  The one that says to listen to your students, give them a voice, get out of the way, and then change your mind when needed.  The system I use has no book or no guidelines but only common sense and a lot of reflection.  I don't manage my children, they are not stress I must constrain.  I guide them, they guide me and we trade spots more often than I can count.   I do not read a book to see how I should train my students the first week of school; they are not circus animals getting ready for a performance.  Instead we get to know each other and we laugh a lot because laughter is a key ingredient in my life.   I do not hide the "real" Pernille from my students because I believe education must be authentic to be meaningful.  My students share their emotions and opinions whenever they can.

I know that if I wanted a book-deal or masses of followers I should call my system something, my husband jokes about that all the time.  That way people could refer to it and ask themselves, "Well what would Pernille do?"  And then they would be confused as to why my system wouldn't work as well for them, because  a system has to be as personal as your classroom.  You borrow, you steal,  you get inspired by others, but in the end your voice and that of your students is the one that needs to  shout the loudest and it needs flexibility and adaption skills.  So trust in yourself, sure read the books, ask the questions and then reflect; what will you do and what will your students do?  Hint:  It requires conversations with your students to create your own system.  Good luck.

Related articles

• This is My Room - How Controlling Ones Classroom Can Send the Wrong Message (mrspripp.blogspot.com)
• 10 Ways to Make it "Their" Room (mrspripp.blogspot.com)
• The Real Reason Kids Are Missing From School (coopcatalyst.wordpress.com)

Menikah, Andi Soraya Pensiun Jadi Artis

Menikah, Andi Soraya Pensiun Jadi Artis - Setelah menikah dengan Rudy Sutopo aktris Andi Soraya bakal pensiun dari dunia entertainment yang telah membesarkan namanya. Andi Soraya pernah berujar akan berhenti jadi artis jika sudah menikah.

"Saya dulu pernah bilang akan jalani dunia entertainment selama diinginkan oleh penggemar, tapi saya juga akan berhenti jika saya sudah jadi seorang istri. Kalau saya menjadi seorang istri itu menjadi pendamping suami, apakah seorang istri harus terus-terusan meninggalkan suaminya di rumah? Alhamdulillah saya dipertemukan sama pasangan jiwa saya. Apapun perintah dari suami saya itu yang saya jalani," ungkap Andi Soraya saat ditemui di Talavera Office Park, Cilandak, Jakarta Selatan, Minggu (27/11).

Meski belum memutuskan resmi untuk berhenti namun Rudy mengaku akan membebaskan Aya, sapaan akrab Andi Soraya. Ia tak mau memaksakan istrinya itu untuk berhenti.

"Aku orangnya bebas saja, nggak mungkin orang bisa mengubah orang. Tapi aku bisa kasih tahu dunia entertainment seperti ini efeknya seperti ini. Kita sama-sama rasain dunia ini apa alangkah nggak adil kita minta mereka ngerti kita," terangnya.[Inilah]

CALL FOR PERFORMERS, DANCERS, SINGERS, ACROBATS, MUSICIANS, MORE!
OCCUPY BROADWAY!

Begins Dec. 2nd at 6pm
Meet at Times Square between 46th and 47th streets south of the red staircase
A 24 Hour Performance Occupation
This is Creative Resistance!

On Dec 2nd at 6pm, hundreds of performers and artists will occupy a privately owned public space near Times Square with 24 hours of non-stop free performances.

In recent weeks, we have seen a push to tramp on our rights to public assembly, public space and by extension democracy itself.

In response, we join a global struggle from Tahrir Square to Davis, California with occupation as a form of creative resistance. Rather than oppose something, we are using public space to create a more colorful image of what our streets could look like, with public performances, art, and music in once vacant corporate, bonus plazas. Through this movement, New York re-imagines itself as a work of art, rather than a retail shopping mall. With capitalism gone mad, foreclosures increasing, and bank crises consuming whole communities, we are signaling through the flames that there is another way of living. Join us.
Occupy public space. Reclaim democracy. Enjoy the show.

Get off the sidelines and break through the third wall.

How to be involved:
-be part of the carnival opening ceremony with Rude Mechanical Orchestra- jugglers, stilt-walkers, puppeteers, clowns, hoopers, and more! 6-7pm Friday.
-perform with your group in a 5 mins. to 1 hour time slot. Music acts before 10pm and after 6am. Confirm ASAP with a couple time suggestions that could work. If you are open, please say so.
-Show up and help us occupy with your body, enjoy the shows!
-Spread the word
-We need legal, food, art, sign-painting, media, MCs. Any and all help to make it a safe, creative, well-documented event

Read our entire manifesto and sign here.

Thank you so much! I hope you can be involved in what promises to be a fantastic event.

Monica Hunken
www.monicahunken.com
www.revbilly.com
www.times-up.org

Cinta Kuya Raih Presenter Ngetop SCTV Award 2011

Cinta Kuya Raih Presenter Ngetop SCTV Award 2011 - Cinta Kuya, kembali mengalahkan ayahnya, Uya Kuya sebagai Presenter Ngetop di ajang SCTV Award 2011. Ini merupakan kemenangan Cinta selama dua kali berturut-turut yang dikutip dari Inilah.com.

"Senang, dulu aku pernah dapat ini juga. Aku nggak nyangka, piala aku ada dua, bukan buat aku doang tapi buat kru Cinta Kuya, papan mama dan semuanya," ungkap Cinta saat ditemui di Balai Sarbini, Plaza Semanggi, Jakarta Selatan, Jumat (25/11) malam.

Cinta merasa bangga berhasil mengalahkan ayahnya selama dua kali berturut-turut. Bahkan kemenangan itu sempat membuat Uya Kuya kaget.

"Papa kaget dong, terkejut. Aku yang menang lagi. Papa pernah menang, aku yang kalah. Sekarang aku yang menang," ujarnya girang.

Cinta menambahkan dengan kemenangan tersebut ia akan mendapatkan hadiah boneka dari orang tuanya yang sudah menjanjikannya.

"Mau boneka barbie. Kata mama papa pernah ngomong mau beli buku sama barbie," tukasnya.

Why the Report Card Should Be Getting an F

Several days ago I quickly jotted down thoughts on how one of the major components of education; the report card, may just be becoming obsolete. Immediately the discussion that followed was one that spurred me to think a little deeper on this institution, particularly as I approach the deadline for writing 25 of my own.

The report card used to be useful. Before the age of Internet and faster communication with parents, the report card was the communicator of success or lack of it from school. We have all heard the stories of what happened when a bad report card was brought home and can probably remember our own anticipation or dread when it was handed to us. This was it; the ultimate report on how hard we had worked, how much we knew, and how much we cared about school. The was no conversation, no goals, just grades and teachers recited missives which on mine included the usual, "Pernille should really try to apply herself more.". Whatever in the world that means.

Yet now, faced with the ever-evolving tools for communication and also teachers own increased visibility and feedback giving, it seems it has lost its purpose. That is if its purpose was to report how the child is doing academically.  Instead many teachers have running grades online; which I don't actually think is necessarily progress either, or feedback is given to the students or sent home regularly.  In my own classroom, I meet with students regularly setting goals and discussing how they are doing, not even handing them a letter grade but rather feedback and meaningful conversation.  This does get communicated to parents as well either through email, phone calls, or even small meetings.  Conferences also act as a communicator of progress and goals.  I may be in the minority of how I handle progress in my classroom, but I think I am in the growing minority.  So why also do a report card?  It seems to be a duplication of all of the work we already do although it does provide an easy out for those who choose not to communicate throughout the semester.

So if the report card's purpose is solely to communicate to parents how their child is doing, there are certainly other alternatives.  How about a weekly email or note, penned by the student?  Or a shared Google doc where parents and students can add notes and questions?  Conversations can be recorded using a Livescribe pen and emailed to parents as well, which also creates another record.  In my team we already send home unit math scores breaking down each skill the student has been practicing.  Writing assignments are handed back with a rubric attached and comments on them.  To me, it seems that we already do all of the reporting that is duplicated for the report card.  What about a report card created by students?  I often wonder what they would put weight on and choose to report, and also how it would look.  Either way I think it is time for a change, do you?

So is it time for the report card to disappear or at the very least lose its formality?  Is it time for it to no longer be the final product and instead be a piece of information in a long line of information.  Should we hand back the power of goal communication to the students so that they can take more charge of their education?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

What on earth is China building in the desert? - The Washington Post

What on earth is China building in the desert? - The Washington Post:

“The Chinese have been building huge structures in the desert for a long time. Back in 2006, they built this 1:20 scale model of disputed border region between China and India. That’s a terrain model 0.7 kilometer wide by almost 1 kilometer tall. Uncanny. Why would they build such a model of a terrain? To play a 1:20 scale war with 1:20 scale tanks? Mind boggling.” — Gizmodo readers are poring through Google Maps and discovering some odd and gigantic structures that China’s been building in the desert. Experts have suggested they might be there to calibrate spy satellites.

day two hundred and seventeen

Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Waiting. Walking. Watching TV. Working out. Winding down. Waking up. We check email pretty much everywhere these days. And when we do, we want easy access to our important messages so we can respond quickly and get back to life -- or slinging birds at thieving green pigs.

With that in mind, we’ve created a new Gmail app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. We’ve combined your favorite features from the Gmail mobile web app and iOS into one app so you can be more productive on the go. It’s designed to be fast, efficient and take full advantage of the touchscreen and notification capabilities of your device. And it’s one more reason to switch to Gmail. 

Speed

We want to give you the information you need quickly, with minimal effort and distraction. So we’ve included some time-saving features:

• Get alerted to new messages with push notifications and sounds
• Find an email in seconds with search across your entire inbox
• Autocomplete email addresses from your Gmail contacts or select from your device’s address book
• Upload photos with a click using the new attachment button in compose view
• On iPad, navigate your inbox and read your mail simultaneously with split view

Upload photos	Reply, move, label and more

Efficiency 

Our inboxes overflow with dozens and even hundreds of messages a day—and this can be even more challenging on a smaller screen. The new Gmail app helps organize your mail so you don’t have to go wading through your inbox to find that key message from your boss or loved one: 

• Focus on your important messages first with Priority Inbox
• Quickly scan countless emails on the same subject with threaded conversations
• Organize your mail by archiving, labelling, starring, deleting and reporting spam

Threaded conversations on the iPad

Touch 

We’ve also optimized the interface so you can perform common actions in Gmail with the lightest touch: 

• Pull down your inbox to rapidly refresh if you’re eager for new mail
• Swipe right to view your labels without ever leaving your inbox
• Swiftly scroll through dozens of emails just by sliding your finger

Pull down to refresh	Swipe right to view labels

We hope the Gmail app makes checking email on the go a little easier. It is available in the App Store today and works on all devices running iOS 4+. For more information, check out our help center.

Google Calendar

Suggested times in Google Calendar

Creating an event is easy, but finding a time that works for everyone is sometimes tricky and time consuming. To make this easier and save you time, we’ve added a new 'Suggested times' feature to Google Calendar.

To get started, create a calendar event, add guests and click Suggested times. The resulting list will include upcoming times where all participants are available. For example if you want to create an hour long meeting with Kara, and she already has an hour long meeting at 3pm, then times like 2pm and 4pm will be suggested.

As part of our ongoing commitment to accessibility, the list can also be navigated using the arrow keys and is accessible with a screen reader.

Gmail and Friends

A new way to connect with Gmail and friends

When you add the Gmail page to your Google+ Circles, you'll see updates from our team, including launches, tips and tricks, and more. You'll be able to discuss those updates with other Gmail users in the comments on the posts. Mention +Gmail when you share your own tips -- if we see a really stellar tip, we might reshare it. We’re also planning to hold regular Hangouts, so you can shoot the breeze with Google community managers, engineers, product managers and designers.

In addition to Gmail news, we’ll feature some of your other favorite Google products, including Google Calendar, Google Voice, Google Chat and Google Tasks. Be sure to add the Gmail page to your Circles and let us know what you think.

Changing information Density

Changing information density in Gmail’s new look

When our design team looked at tackling a redesign across Google properties, responsive design was high on our list of priorities. Responsive design implies that a page or application should dynamically re-adjust itself based on your environment. The specifics of the device that a user is using, and in particular the size of their browser window, should have an impact on the way the application presents itself. To put it simply, Gmail needs to look and feel great on a tiny netbook screen, on a high resolution 30” monitor, or anything in between.

You can try this out yourself if you are using Gmail’s new look. Open up Gmail and make your browser window much smaller. Everything should crunch down as you adjust to give you a better experience in a smaller window. No matter what size your browser window is, Gmail should look and feel great out of the box.

We also thought quite a bit about the density of the information on the screen in the new design. Gmail’s old design packs a huge amount of information into a small space. While this is perfect for some, many people appreciate a more airy design with more whitespace between lines and elements on the page. This is especially true on larger monitors.

We wanted Gmail to be more attractive and easier to read by default, so if you’re on a larger monitor you will see that the items in your inbox are spaced farther apart than they were in the old design. We believe that this results in a better overall experience, but it does take some getting used to. In our internal testing we found that most of us adjusted to the new spacing after about a week and found the old spacing cramped and uncomfortable when they looked back at the old design.

Others, however, found the original spacing to be ideal and wanted to see as much information as possible without scrolling, even on a large monitor. We added a density setting to the gear menu in the toolbar to make sure that everybody can find a setting that works for them: Comfortable, Cozy, or Compact.

Comfortable is the spacing that we recommend for most people. With your density set to Comfortable, the display adjusts fluidly based on screen size.

Compact is the densest setting and matches the line spacing that existing Gmail users are used to. With your density set to Compact the display will stay dense no matter what size your window is.

Cozy is somewhere in the middle. With your density set to Cozy the display will get a little denser when you make your window small but the changes aren’t as dramatic.

Mathletes among you may recognize that the density setting is really a ceiling function.

We think Gmail should be smart enough to always make itself look good on your screen, so we incorporated responsive design. We also think you should be able to see what happens when you change your settings, so we put the density settings in the gear menu right next to your inbox. When you make a change, you can immediately see what it looks like. Our density settings reflect our design philosophy that Gmail’s new look should be more responsive, personal, and beautiful. 

Improving themes

Improving themes in Gmail’s new look

One of the most visible improvements in last week’s Gmail update is the entirely new theme system and the new high definition themes that it supports. This refresh to themes both simplifies them and makes them more immersive. You can browse what some of the new themes look like below:

Themes are now implemented as semitransparent layers on top of a large background image. Each theme uses either a dark or light variant of most UI elements to balance legibility and visibility of the background image, allowing the background image to peek through and provide color and personality. Background imagery can also change based on date, time, or weather. Bringing all these changes together really makes the new themes shine:

In addition, these changes also reduce the technical complexity of the theme system, which will enable us to create more beautiful and unique themes in the future.

Like the new themes? You can switch to the new look today by clicking on Switch to the new look in the bottom-right of Gmail.

Develop Gmail’s New Look

How real users helped us develop Gmail’s new look

When building Gmail’s new look, our goal was to make the most engaging, accessible, and most of all, easy to use email experience possible. To accomplish that, we had many real Gmail users try out changes to the look and provide feedback during its development.

One of the most important ways we obtained feedback was through usability studies. In these types of studies we observe people trying out our products in a controlled environment. We invited Gmail users from all walks of life to participate in usability studies and used the results to find problems and identify improvements before we launched.

For Gmail’s new look, we started very early. Long before any Googler began using or even building the new look, our designers created an early prototype. We then had Gmail users participate in a usability study either by coming to one of our offices or remotely connecting from their homes.

An example of one of our usability labs. People in usability studies use our products on the pictured computer while they are being observed through a one way mirror and video cameras from the room next door.

The study participants evaluated the early prototype by doing many of their everyday Gmail tasks, such as reading, sending, and replying to emails. We then looked at how easy or difficult it was to complete those tasks, and made changes based on this feedback. For example, one of the things we found with our prototype was that we had put too much emphasis on conversation level actions at the expense of per-message actions. As a result, our study participants had difficulty finding the reply button on each message. In response, we changed its appearance, size, and location to make the reply button easier to see.

As we continued to develop the new look, we evaluated our progress through additional usability studies with even more people. Much of what we captured from these studies was users’ first reactions to the new look. But Gmail is something people use repeatedly, not just once. So in addition to first impressions, we were also interested in seeing how people adjusted to the new look as they used it repeatedly in their daily lives. To find that out, we conducted a different kind of study called a longitudinal study. Longitudinal studies are used to observe the longer term effects our products have on people’s usage.

The longitudinal study consisted of turning on the new look for a group of Gmail users. We captured their initial reactions after their first experience. Then we let them use the new look in Gmail as they normally would as part of their everyday lives. As the days and weeks passed by, we periodically checked with them to see how they were adjusting to all the changes. Like with anything new, there were some changes that our participants initially needed time to adjust to, but later came to prefer as they used the new look more. On the other hand, problems that were not seen during the first couple times of use later emerged after more prolonged use. For example, many of the changes we made to the new left navigation were the result of people reporting their repeated experiences using labels and the chat area over time.

These studies have been absolutely critical in helping us build Gmail’s new look. Much of how it looks and behaves is a result of people participating in these studies and giving us their feedback. If you are interested in becoming a participant in a research study about Gmail or any of Google’s products, you can sign up at google.com/usability.

Gmail app for iOS

Gmail app for iOS available in the App Store (again)

Two weeks ago, we introduced our Gmail app for iOS. Unfortunately it contained a bug which broke notifications and displayed an error message, so we removed it from the App Store. We’ve fixed the bug and notifications are now working, and the app is back in the App Store. For an overview of what’s available in the Gmail app for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, check out this blog post.

In the short time the app was public we received a lot of helpful feedback and feature requests. This included requests for everything from bigger features like multiple account support to customizations like improved notifications and mobile specific signatures.

We’re just getting started with the Gmail app for iOS and will be iterating rapidly to bring you more features, including all the ones listed above plus many more. Based on your comments we have already improved our handling of image HTML messages - they are now sized to fit to the screen and you can pinch to zoom in.

To try out the Gmail app today, install it from App Store on any iOS 4+ device. Those who already have the Gmail app released Nov 2 must uninstall or log out of the old app prior to installing the new app.

Changes to the look of Gmail

Changes to the look of Gmail

You might have noticed that Gmail looks a little different lately. We’ve made some changes at Google to make our products simpler and more consistent so that your experience can be more productive and enjoyable.

Why we made these changes

The way people use and experience the web is evolving, and our goal is to give you a more seamless and consistent online experience -- one that works no matter which Google product you’re using or what device you’re using it on. The new Google experience that we’re working toward is founded on three key design principles:

• Focus: With the design changes in the coming weeks and months, we’re bringing forward the stuff that matters to you and getting all the other clutter out of your way.
• Elasticity: The new design will soon allow you to seamlessly transition from your desktop computer to your mobile phone to your tablet, while keeping a consistent visual experience. We aim to bring you this flexibility without sacrificing style or usefulness.
• Effortlessness: Our design philosophy is to combine power with simplicity. We want to keep our look simple and clean. But behind the seemingly simple design, the changes use new technologies to make sure you have all the power of the web behind you.

What's changed

Throughout Gmail, you’ll notice some changes in layout and color. We’ve also minimized or removed borders in certain areas to create a cleaner look. Below you’ll find a summary of specific improvements:

• Options at the top
• Using labels, chat, and gadgets
• Reading your messages
• Search and filters
• Settings
• Contacts

We think you’ll find the new design easier to use. If your account has been upgraded but you’re not quite ready to make the switch, you can temporarily switch back to old look by clicking the gear icon in the top corner and selecting the option to postpone switching. Gmail will offer the new look to you again after several days.

Options at the top

We’ve cleaned up the Gmail toolbar, and it stays with you so that you can reach these options at any time. All of your familiar features are still there. Here’s how they’ve changed:

• Now you can access Contacts and Tasks by clicking Mail on the left, below the Gmail logo.
• Toolbar options like Archive, Spam, and Labels are now collapsed until you need them. Select or open a message to see actions you can take.
• Most toolbar options are now graphic icons or shorter text to keep your toolbar more consistent. They’re in the same order as before, and hovering over the buttons will remind you of their meaning. 
  Old: 
  New:
  
• The +/- buttons have been removed. Instead, just click the importance tag on the left side of a message in the list, next to the sender’s name, to mark it as important or unimportant without opening it.
• Oldest and Newest navigation options have moved beneath the message range. Hover over 1-50 to reveal them.
• There’s a new gear icon to access your settings . Use it to change your theme, get help, and access all other Gmail settings.
• The settings gear also has a new set of options called "Display Density". Experiment with these options to adjust how much information you see on the page. Learn more about how to use this setting.

Using labels, chat, and gadgets

The left side of Gmail that includes your labels, chat, and any additional gadgets you’ve used to customize Gmail is now more adjustable, more responsive, and faster. Here are some specific changes:

• The column stays fixed in position as you scroll through your messages so that you don’t need to scroll up to get to your labels or chat list.
• Click and drag the solid line below your list of labels to adjust the height of the panel below them.
• If you have a large number of labels, moving the cursor over them will automatically expand the list, and moving the cursor away will automatically contract it. This way, you can keep them hidden until you need them.
• By default, labels and chat always show. If you’ve added other features to the left side of Gmail, such as the Google Calendar gadget or the Quick Links lab, switch between chat and your gadgets with the icons at the bottom. 
• Gmail will remember the toggle position the next time you sign in.
• You can also click whichever icon is currently highlighted a second time to have neither chat nor gadgets show.
• If you want to turn chat off, you can do so by clicking the gear icon, choosing Settings, clicking the Chat tab, and changing the setting to disable it.
• You can use the arrow keys to navigate within the labels section, as well as between panels in Gmail.
• The grey “Compose mail” button now stands out in red, unless you’ve switched to a different theme.

Reading your messages

We’ve streamlined email messages to make them easier to read and to better show who’s involved in a conversation.

• When viewing the list of your messages, you can navigate via the arrow keys on your keyboard. A blue vertical line at the left shows which message is in focus, replacing the previous sideways arrows icon.
• Messages in a thread flow together as a conversation. We’ve made them easier to read by removing extra surrounding graphics.
• Put names to faces: images your contacts have selected to show (or images that you’ve selected to show for them) now appear next to each message.
• If no image exists for a sender, a default icon shows that is colored to help indicate who said what.
• The full list of message recipients is below the sender’s name. To show a long list, click the down arrow at the end of the row.
• Click the down arrow  to reveal more details about each message, including cc assignment and exact date. This information was previously under the “show details” link.
• Stars for individual messages in a thread are now on the right side, next to the reply button.
• The “Reply” button on the right is now an icon
  
• Beneath the arrow to the right of the Reply button, you’ll find the options to filter messages similar to the current one, reply to the sender by chat, and others.
• Quoted text from earlier in the conversation is now collapsed within the "Show trimmed text" icon  rather than a text link. Click it to show or hide the trimmed content. Signatures are also collapsed under an ellipsis.
• To mark messages you’re reading as important or not important, click the importance indicator next to the subject line. Or, click More in the application toolbar next to the "Move to" and "Labels" icons: 
• Reply quickly using the box at the bottom of a conversation, or use the Reply, Reply to all, and Forward links within the box.
• The Archive, Spam, Delete, etc., options are no longer at the bottom of the message. These options stay fixed at the top while you move down the page, so they’re always on the screen.

Search and filters

Search in Gmail is easy and powerful. Use the search box at the top to find things in Gmail and on the web.

• There’s now a single magnifying glass button for Search. You can still use the same text box to “search Mail” and “search the Web.”
• Access the “Advanced search options” and “create a filter” tools using the small arrow in the search box. Clicking this arrow will open the new advanced search tool.
  
• If you want to create a filter to automatically take actions on your messages, after filling in the search terms, click “Create filter with this search” at the bottom of the advanced search tool. You’ll see your test search results behind a new set of options to help finish creating your filter.
• After you perform a search by clicking the magnifying glass icon, you’ll see the text version of your search term in the search box.
• You can still search across the web from the Gmail search box; when you type your query, an option to search the web will show up as a drop-down. 
  

Settings

Most of your settings are the same, and you can access them by clicking the gear icon. 

• Themes have been refreshed with new background color and image options. A small number of themes are no longer supported in the Gmail upgrade. We’re working to improve older themes and create new ones.
• It’s no longer possible to customize Web Clips with your chosen RSS feeds. If you previously customized them, visit the Web Clips tab of the Settings page to get a copy of your feeds list.
• It’s no longer possible to limit your contacts’ pictures to only the ones you’ve chosen for them. You’ll always see your contacts’ chosen pictures next to messages from those contacts; if you have contacts without associated pictures, you can still add ones of your own.
• If you need to use the basic HTML version of Gmail, access it here; if you always need to use the basic HTML version, change your setting when prompted.

Contacts

To access the contact manager in Gmail, first click Mail at the top left and choose Contacts.

• As in Mail, your toolbar buttons remain collapsed until you select or open a contact.
• The “Add to My Contacts” button is now an icon. 
• The “Groups” button is now an icon. 
• The “Email” button is now an icon. 
• The left side of the page automatically expands on mouseover if you have a lot of contact groups, just like labels.
• To get to the end of your contacts list quickly, click the range of names at the top right of the list.
• You can still assign a picture to contacts who don’t have one of their own set, but you can no longer suggest that picture to the contact.

It’s no longer possible to access the older, deprecated contact manager.