Branching out into the world of technology

Yahoo have asked me to start contributing articles on science and technology and so eager to impress, I have been getting stuck in to researching and writing articles on a range of topics from 3D printing to the Oculus Rift.

Finger print scanners? I'll take my chances with passwords

With the introduction of finger print identification technology, you may no longer need a password or a pin number to access your accounts, your money or your personal details. I ask if this really a good thing or just another way for Big Brother to keep even better tabs on us all.

 

Computer science essential in the modern classroom

Computer science is becoming increasingly important in modern society but children are not learning enough in schools to make them leaders in the next generation of employment. I look at whether schools need to be pushing students harder in terms of their technical skills especially when it comes to computer science.

 

 

Can 3D printers make a difference in the classroom?

Education Secretary Michael Gove wants students in schools to get the chance to experiment with 3D printers in order to raise standards in subjects like science, technology and maths. I question whether this will be beneficial or a giant waste of money. They sound brilliant either way and I'd love to see one at work.

 

Argos' affordable tablet could revolutionise the classroom

Cheap and cheery high street retailer Argos are launching their own brand of tablet that will only cost £99.99. The MyTablet has gone on sale and is likely to lead an all new assault in classrooms on the good old fashioned pen and paper. I love the idea of kids being able to take notes on these kinds of things but I also worry about the decline of good old fashioned hand writing.

 

 Is The Oculus Rift the future of virtual reality gaming or something more?

The Oculus Rift is a 3D head mounted display that is a huge step forward in the possibilities of virtual reality. But is it just for gamers or are the possibilities of this new technology endless?

 

 Any of these articles take your fancy?

Dangerous Minds enters the Emporium @StaticMass

My good friend and wonderful editor Patrick from Static Mass Emporium invited me to write a piece on the film Dangerous Minds recently. He told me that there was a back to school theme going on with a piece being contributed on Dead Poet's Society and Apt Pupil and that a piece on the 1995 film Dangerous Minds would also be very welcome, especially coming from a teacher.

I hadn't seen the film since I saw it in the cinema back in '95 but as Patrick pointed me to a YouTube link to the whole film online for free, I thought I'd give it a go. My main memory of the film is of Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, a song I still love and know all the words to until this day. In fact my wife and I sang the whole song as we rode through the night on a moped on a Greek Island once. How gangsta is that? OK maybe not...

Anyway re-watching the film, I liked it a lot. Watching from the perspective of a teacher was very interesting as I was constantly thinking about what Michelle Pfeiffer's character was doing and whether it would be realistic to try anything similar. It's a surprisingly convincing film and pretty emotional too.

Here's a link to my full review of Dangerous Minds at Static Mass Emporium and you can watch the film below for free if you're interested.

"Dangerous Minds (as well as being the film that gave us Coolio’s classic Gangsta’s Paradise) is the story of one woman’s wish to change the future of an entire class of young adults who’ve been disregarded by the system and left with little chance to turn their lives around. LouAnne, an ex-marine divorcee enters the high school classroom determined to help these students graduate but there’ll be many complications that get in the way of her educational quest..."



Seen it? What did you think?