3D Printing Pen that Lets you Draw Sculptures off the Page

3Doodler02“It’s a pen that can draw in the air! 3Doodler is the 3D printing pen you can hold in your hand. Lift your imagination off the page!” (Source)

“Forget those pesky 3D printers that require software and the knowledge of 3D modeling and behold the 3Doodler, the world’s first pen that draws in three dimensions in real time. Imagine holding a pen and waving it through the air, only the line your pen creates stays frozen, suspended and permanent in 3D space” (Source).

Learn more about 3Doodler.

Hat tip to one of my co-authors, Sharon Smaldino, for bringing this to my attention.

Facebook Considers Giving Access to Kids under 13 (Video)

“Facebook is working on new technology that would let young children use the social network without having to lie about their age, reports the Wall Street Journal. Facebook currently doesn’t allow users under the age of 13, though many sign-up anyways — last year Consumer Reports said that 7.5 million of Facebook’s users were 13 or younger, including five million under the age of 10. The proposed technology wouldn’t create a separate version of the network for these users, but instead would put in place features that give parents control over their child’s online experience. A child’s account would be connected to their parent’s, for instance, and tools would be put in place to manage who can be added as a friend and what apps and games are used” (Source).

Note that the WSJ is reporting that Facebook is exploring this. It is a multifaceted issue involving Facebook policies and governmental regulations. We will have to see how this unfolds. The following video provides a broad overview about this issue.

 

Image Source: Smosh.com

Encourage Student Questioning

“The test of a good teacher is not how many questions

he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily,

but how many questions he inspires them to ask him

which he finds it hard to answer.”


–Alice Wellington Rollins

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Suggested Mac Software

(Cross-posted from BILD Institute)

Several of you are new Mac users and have asked me to suggest software that can be used on the Mac operating system. Here are some of my favorites followed by resources that I strongly recommend you look through.

Firefox browser – Safari is a nice browser and has its strengths, but I greatly value the ability to customize and extend Firefox through the use of downloadable extensions, add-ons, themes, etc.

Adium – Use all of you different instant messaging services (AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, and more…except Skype) in tool.

Skype – Free video conferencing. Oovoo is good, too.

Tweetdeck – I appreciate being able to use multiple Twitter accounts and Facebook all in one place. It’s also helpful that it syncs with iPhone.

Skitch – Fast and fun image editing and sharing.

Comic Life – Software for creating and sharing comics and artwork.

Cyberduck – Nice software for those that FTP.

Additional Resources

5 Apps to Get More out of Your NEW Mac

Must-Have Mac Software

20 Websites Every Mac Fan Must Bookmark

30 Must-Have Tweaks for Your Mac

Microsoft Downloads for Mac

Windows Media Player for Mac

Don’t Take My Playdough

Playdough

The following story comes from my friend’s blog. It was told to him by his sister-in-law.

The funniest story happened yesterday at church. Our minister [Mike] was preaching…All of a sudden the side door of the auditorium burst open. A little three year old is running and yelling, “No, no, they are after me.”

Mike [the preacher] stops and asks, “Ryan, who is after you?”

“They are after my playdough.”

Mike laughs and yells – “Run, Ryan, Run, here they come. Don’t let them get your playdough. Run to that door over there, that side.”

The little boy takes off squealing, gripping tight to his playdough. The whole congregation breaks out in laughter and applause as Ryan breaks through the side door with his playdough and the embarrassed teacher enters looking for his lost pupil. It was priceless. Ryan was screeching as he broke through the door to freedom.

I wish I had been there! 🙂