Hasta La Gadget!

Now if the rumors are to be believed, Microsoft could be getting ready to announce the next generation Windows operating system in the form of Windows 9 on the 30th of September. It is unclear when the operating system will be released, but we suppose at the very least it could be made official on that date.

There have been many rumors regarding some of the features of Windows 9 and according to a recent report from the folks at Neowin, additional details of the operating system have been revealed. According to Neowin, it seems that Microsoft has included a button that allows users to upgrade builds just by clicking it.

Why is this a big deal? Well compared to before where previous updates to build might require the reinstallation of the OS, this single click will allow users to upgrade quickly and easily.  This should aid Microsoft’s plans to roll out OS updates on a more frequent basis. However Neowin notes that the button is found on internal builds of the OS.

What this means is that there is a possibility that Microsoft could be thinking about removing the feature upon its release, although they do point out that the button has been integrated into the UI, suggesting that it will most likely ship with the OS, but a little skepticism never hurt anybody. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but do check back with us on the 30th of September to see if Microsoft has any announcements for us.

Windows 9 Rumored To Feature One-Click Upgrade Button

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Back to school is happening around the country. Exciting times for students and teachers. So what can we do differently and better this year? Here is one idea.

Teaching writing has been a challenge for teachers for years. That is one of the reasons why many adults are poor writers; they did not get the training they needed in elementary school and high school. So is there a way to break this trend? The answer is yes. There are many ways and here is one way that works effectively and has a great track record. Engagement is the KEY.

This program is called Being a Writer series and it is a flexible writing curriculum for grade K-6. It is based on building a community of writers—kids write together about literature they find interesting. It is part of the “interest-based learning” curriculum. Kids want to read books about things of interest to them. No one gets excited about “See Spot Run” type of books.

Schools and teachers can get these pre-selected books as part of Being a Writer program. As a 30 year teacher, I can say that this approach to learning works. Even young kids can find books that are interesting to them and if they are part of a group of kids all writing about a topic suggested by the book, then kids are interested in being part of the community.

“There are few commercially-available elementary school curricula that really address growth in writing,” says Richard Sterling, Director Emeritus of the National Writing Project. (NWP) “Not just writing as a way to improve reading,” he adds, “but writing on its own terms. Being a Writer is one of them. I served as advisor and Trustee for the Developmental Studies Center (DSC), the non-profit organization in Oakland that developed the program for several years, and I am pleased to see this program made available to schools and districts nation-wide.”

Being a Writer is built around regular and ample periods of writing with units focused on genre study using high-quality children’s literature and trade books. Units are also built around recurring ways of working together in the community of writers: teacher and peer conferences, classroom discussion of writing informed by models, collaborative writing, student self-assessment, and an emphasis on choice. Careful attention to teaching students how to work positively in a community harken back to the DSC’s founding by Eric Schaps as a research center concerned with character development, social and emotional learning, and positive youth development in schools and communities.

The common interest in workshop models for writing instruction has led to partnerships between districts implementing Being a Writer and local Writing Project sites. Peter Brunn, Director of Professional Development for DSC, sees this as a natural partnership, where local Writing Project sites become long-term professional development homes for teachers who begin to engage with teaching of writing as their school moves forward with the program. “Writing project teachers bring a passion and depth of knowledge that can really support a school working with Being a Writer,” according to Brunn. “It gives teachers a community.”

And in support of NWP’s mission, Brunn adds, “Being a Writer gives districts an opportunity to scale quality writing instruction. A lot of teachers come to the National Writing Project and they come to feel a vocation, almost, as teachers of writing, and they give of themselves as teachers and leaders. Our challenge is to provide experiences for teachers who haven’t had that yet and are just getting started.” Partnerships between districts using Being a Writer and local NWP sites can provide a place for a whole new generation of teachers to work with writing in their classrooms and then take their developing insights and questions to a community of engaged colleagues at the Writing Project.

Check it out at the Developmental Studies Center website. This is the perfect time of year to improve curriculum and make teaching this year more effective and satisfying for teachers, students and parents.

John Lennon’s killer has been denied bail yet again.

Mark David Chapman, the man who gunned down the former Beatle in December 1980 outside the musician’s New York apartment, has been denied parole for the eighth time. Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in 1981 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. On Friday, Aug. 22, a three-person Parole Board panel denied the inmates request for release. The panel decision came from a concern that Chapman would commit more crimes and that his release would be “incompatible with the welfare of society,” according to the decision.

Chapman was last denied parole in 2012 even though the panel acknowledged his good conduct in prison. The board found that at the time his release would “trivialize the tragic loss of life which [he] caused.” Now 59, Chapman won’t be eligible for parole for another two years.

[via Daily News]

If there’s one thing we all can agree on, it’s that getting food poisoning can be one of the most miserable experiences imaginable. Thankfully, we know which foods are most likely to make you sick, so be extra-careful when you eat these.

Click Here to See All of the Foods Most Likely to Cause Food Poisoning

Food poisoning can come in many different forms, and there have been some terrible outbreaks over the years. Most of these outbreaks have come from salmonella, which usually occurs when produce isn’t properly cleaned, or from E. coli, as a result of eating undercooked animal products. Another major cause of food poisoning is listeria, which can cause miscarriages, and hepatitis A and a whole host of other illnesses can be contracted through food.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, about 76 million people contract foodborne illness, and about 5,000 of them die. That means that your odds of actually dying from food poisoning are pretty slim (chances of death are higher for the very young and very old), but you’re still going to have a bad time.

Unfortunately, food can become contaminated at any point during production and preparation. Chicken can be contaminated with E. coli while it’s still in the slaughterhouse, or it can begin to spoil while it’s being kept in a restaurant’s cooler. Same for vegetables; they can carry disease all the way from the farm to your table, or an inattentive cook might use the same knife he just used to de-bone a chicken on your lettuce. Thankfully, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been keeping close tabs on which foods most commonly carry food poisoning.

So read on to learn which foods are the most likely to give you food poisoning, along with some tips on how to best avoid contracting it.

Click Here to see the Original Story on The Daily Meal

-Dan Myers, The Daily Meal

More Content from The Daily Meal:

History’s Worst Food Poisoning Outbreaks
What to Do If You Have Food Poisoning
12 Hidden Poisons in Your Food
10 Natural Ways to Settle Your Stomach

CHICAGO (AP) — The success that a baseball team from Chicago’s South Side has had at the Little League World Series is giving the whole city something to cheer about.

Large crowds are expected at watch parties in Chicago as the 11- and 12-year-olds from the Jackie Robinson West All Stars take on a team from Las Vegas in Saturday afternoon’s U.S. final in Pennsylvania. The winner will face an international team in the championship game Sunday.

The Chicago team has captured the attention of politicians and residents.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel can’t miss a game, and has organized two watch parties Saturday, one in the heart of downtown and the other at a Far South Side community center.

Emanuel says the team has brought neighborhoods together and is the “pride of Chicago.”