If you haven’t caught up with the news yet, rumors are aplenty that Apple is scheduling an event for September 12.  Numerous sources have reported that this will be the date when Apple will announce the new iPhone, an iPod Nano and Touch, and possibly the detail of the iPad Mini.   Wild speculation also exists that they may even mention something along the lines of a new iPad.  September 21 seems to be the date most believe these items (or at least the iPhone) will hit the streets.

Plenty of articles below to confirm.  Happy reading.

• Apple will unveil iPhone 5 and iPad mini on September 12, release them soon afterward, sources say (thetechblock.com)
• Coming This September: Next-Gen iPhone, iPad Mini, and iPod Nano (amog.com)
• Apple to unveil iPhone 5, iPad mini on September 12; iPhone release rumored for September 21 (bgr.com)
• iPhone 5 Release Date: Apple Planning iPhone Event For September 12 (webpronews.com)
• Apple to unveil new iPhone September 12, launch on September 21 (idownloadblog.com)
• iPhone 5, iPad mini reported to debut September 12 and be released on September 21 (iphonelife.com)
• Apple shares jump after iPhone reports (bigpondnews.com)
• Evidence of 12 September iPhone 5, iPad mini event floods in (macworld.co.uk)
• September 12 iPhone 5 (And iPad mini) Announcement Projected (iphone5newsblog.com)
• iPhone 5 and iPad Mini to be Announced on September 12th with iPhone 5 Release September 21st (macrumors.com)

You can see previous entries here

This was at the end of a long day drive.  We had headed out from Melbourne early in the morning and had made our way down the Great Ocean Road.  By dinner time we had reached Port Campbell.  The sun was setting and a 30 second exposure was dying to be taken.

Port Campbell – Victoria

Well, while I slept last night Apple unleashed their new operating system for desktops and laptops – Mountain Lion.  This update is a relatively small one compared to their last, however it still boasts of over 200 new features.  Thanks to the overnight drop here in Australia and a full work day today I haven’t had time to download it yet.  A weekend job me thinks.  However, there are people out there who have already paid their $20 and purchased it.  Below is a list of tutorials and reviews that you may wish to consider before you upgrade.

Installing Mountain Lion

Apple’s official upgrade page - http://www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/

MacWorld Australia’s Guide - http://www.macworld.com.au/help/how-to-install-mountain-lion-over-leopard-os-x-10-5-65370/

Redmond Pie’s Installation Guide is very good - http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-install-os-x-mountain-lion-v10.8-on-your-mac/

MacWorld’s US Guide - http://www.macworld.com/article/1167693/installing_mountain_lion_our_complete_guide.html

Egg Freckles Guide - http://eggfreckles.net/notes/installing-mountain-lion-clean/

MacLife’s Guide - http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_install_os_x_mountain_lion_your_mac

Three Things to Do Before Installing OSX Mountain Lion - http://osxdaily.com/2012/07/24/3-simple-things-to-do-before-installing-os-x-mountain-lion/

I’d love to know how people go – drop me a line via Twitter or leave a comment below.  Happy updating!

You can see previous entries here

This image was taken up in the Toolangi State Forest while I was on a school camp.  I love stopping to notice the details that most people just walk past.

For that you should check out this Domo infographic.

Reblogged from Orignal Source: http://www.domo.com/blog/2012/06/how-much-data-is-created-every-minute/

WordPress here won’t allow me to embed this on my site here (any suggestions of workarounds gratefully received), but if you click on the image you’ll be taken to a Prezi explaining and illustrating these new features.

Other places that you can go are illustrated in the screenshot.  They are many and varied, and will obviously be added to.  Click on the image to access a larger picture.

Google has also included videos along the way and more specific maps of where these natural landmarks are.  As part of this initiative you can also see inside other landmarks such as world wonders and museums.  This could be a big tool to use when planning a virtual field trip.

Source: Google Street View

Related articles

• Google unveils Street View imagery from Antarctica, including South Pole Telescope, Shackleton sites (boingboing.net)
• Google Street View recreates Scott of the Antarctic’s expedition (pocket-lint.com)
• Google Maps adds panoramic images from Antarctica to Street View (slashgear.com)
• Google Takes Street View to the Bottom of the World (technewsworld.com)

You can see previous entries here

Back in 2011 I attempted to start a 365 Photo A Day project, which lasted really well until work resumed full time and I couldn’t dedicate the time to it that I wanted.  I seem to be one that over does the detail in some of the images I take – especially photos done for a project.  This image was taken in January at Federation Square.  We had taken the family down to ‘Melbourne‘s Meeting Place’ and were watching the Australian Open on the TV screen they have there.  I like this one.

Last term my teaching colleague and I changed tack for the last four weeks of the term.  We teach Year 4s.  We had just heard (again) Adam Brice, speaking to us about the difference the students at a school he was teaching at, made for others.  After hearing him, I took away the desire to do something different.  Something that wasn’t currently happening at my school to any great degree.  I wondered whether we could do a Challenged Based Learning project – a variation of one – for the final few weeks of term.

Setting The Scene

Kathryn, my teaching colleague is currently over in Kenya Africa on, for want of a better expression, a missions trip.  She is visiting a community whose children have basic education, basic food supplies and basic accommodation.  Kathryn has been a few times before, visiting, setting up projects and contribution to the welfare of the people there.  In the past the students at our school have been passive participators.  They contribute money to the cause and listen to the stories and see the photos when Kathryn returns.  My proposal to Kathryn was to have our students contribute in a practical way to this community.

Our big idea was ‘How Can Our Community Help Another?’  We proposed to the students 8 different projects that they could work on.  Kathryn had already received requests from the Kenyan community that they needed Literacy and Mathematics resources, and so we differed a little from a true CBL project and suggested to the students the activities they could choose from.  We allowed them to privately vote for their choice, and in some way we gave them a freedom, citing that we wanted them to choose based on their passion, and not on their friends choices.  This worked as well as we could have hoped, with a group having only one boy in it.  He didn’t want to swap but was committed to his choice.

In the end our children worked on;

• Word Lists and subsequent activities
• Math / Number Games
• Beads and Badges
• Masks
• Masks Kits
• Letters to the Orphans (Each of the 90 or so children got an individual letter)
• Animal Cutouts for the children to decorate

The Process

We really had no idea on the way to ‘let go’ – so we did.  Each group pitched their ideas on how they would complete their activity and were constantly monitored to ensure progress.  We opened up our classrooms at lunchtime and the students were free to come and go.  We kept them consistently aware of the timeline and how much classroom time would be dedicated to their efforts.  It was exciting to watch them work, and even more so knowing that it was their efforts that was making this come to fruition.  The enthusiasm that the students had for these projects was beyond anything that Kathryn and I had witnessed before.  Numerous times we heard students talking about the difference they were making.  As their teachers, it was this connection that we wanted them to make the most.

Each group encountered problems and difficulties but to the students credit they rose to the challenge and either asked for assistance or resourced their answers themselves.  It was impressive to watch them tackle their problems and come away with a collective answer.

The Reflection

In a way our project is not yet over.  Kathryn is, as I type, in the middle of her trip.  The students plan to Skype Kathryn and look at the photos and spot where the activities have been used.  Most of them are keeping up to date with Kathryn’s blog and so when we resume today one of our first things we do will be to check in and make that connection.  But before we ended the term we did a round circle allowing the children the chance to openly and honestly reflect on their efforts.

What these Year 4s contributed left Kathryn and I amazed;

What We Leant About Others

• Flexibility in thinking
• People have different capabilities
• People work really well in jobs they are passionate about
• When someone is trying their best you let them do it
• Others like to help you – bounce your ideas off each other
• People have different likes
• Working together is fun when we all co-operate
• Working for a purpose is fun and real
• People are less fortunate than ourselves – we are incredibly lucky
• Little arguments can be productive as you can work through them to get work done – which is most important

What We Would Do Differently

• Start tasks earlier
• Join different group and work harder
• Have a different roles in our group – to build other skills
• Help everyone
• Strategies and process of tasks to be a bit more organised
• Putting two people on one task increases productivity
• Not spend so much time on computer – refine what we’re looking for
• Watch the timeframe more closely
• The Project Manager needs to clarify when meeting with the teachers at the start what the rules / roles for others in the group are

Where To From Here?

This term we are handing over to them challenges based on our school environmental situation.  We want them to explore the amount of rubbish we generate and what proportion of that is recyclable or green waste? How much do our heaters use?  What can be done around the school to be more efficient in our energy and waste?  We will this time, give them an issue and allow them to explore and find solutions according to their passions.  We look forward to the challenge – for both them, and us, their teachers.