Special Blog Post #1

WolframAlpha Search
"Compare populations of India, China, and United States"
India | 1.21 billion people China | 1.35 billion people United States | 309 million people                 (2010 estimates)

"Compare populations of Mexico and Canada"
Mexico | 111 million people Canada | 33.9 million people (2010 estimates)

"Compare populations United States and Europe"
United States | 309 million people (world rank: 3rd) (2010 estimate) Europe | 595 million people   (2008 and 2010 estimates)


I have never heard of WolframAlpha before. I love numbers and populations and statistics if I can wrap my mind around what they mean.  "Wolfram|Alpha introduces a fundamentally new way to get knowledge and answers—not by searching the web, but by doing dynamic computations based on a vast collection of built-in data, algorithms, and methods."  Very interesting for personal use and use in a classroom.  This sight could be used for information for the whole class or for individual assignments.

Social Media Count
What does it mean for my teaching career that all these changes are happening at such an astounding rate? Well, first of all the fact that these changes are happening is one thing.  What is astounding is the fact that these changes are instantly tracked and displayed on this sight.  Many times while doing a simple task like washing my hands, I wonder how many other people in the world are doing the exact same thing at the exact same time.  The truth is there are probably thousands.  The idea that all this data is instantly tracked and compiled on one site like this is scary.

While I am boggled by the numbers flashing before my eyes regarding technology usage, I find it interesting that the money made from selling physical books in the U.S. is far outpacing the money made from selling eBooks in the U.S.  All this computer stuff has it's place but apparently there are some people out there like me that still love the feel of a book in their hands.  As far as what all this means for a teacher, I don't know if I can keep up with technology, but I must be willing to try.