Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, and you are likely to get a range of inspirational and creative responses. Whether it is archeologist, astronaut, dolphin trainer, pro-baseball player, or firefighter, children provide some of the best answers to this age-old question.  Now, with the Lenovo Dream To DO Contest, all K-8 students at schools across the United States are invited to respond to this question with the hopes of winning a $50,000 technology makeover for their school. (As the world's #1 supplier of PCs to the education market, Lenovo feels strongly about the role of technology in schools.)  By submitting a drawing and accompanying sentence of what they would like to DO when they grow up, students are automatically entered to win an extra-rugged ThinkPad X130e laptop, as well as the chance to win the grand prize tech makeover for their school. Winners will be chosen based on internet voting, which is open to students, family and friends. Teachers are invited to download special Dream To DO class materials, which include age-appropriate lesson plans and materials to help inspire students to dream big about their futures. Learn more about the contest details, and download class materials by visiting http://www.LenovoDreamToDO.com. Contest Details: • Open to K-8 schools in the U.S. • Contest runs February 1, 2012 – April 16, 2012 Darcy Delph is a Sales and...

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Working in an industry that provides goods or services to education can be a bit tricky. Obviously companies must operate in a manner which ultimately supports the financial well-being of the organizations, its shareholders and its employees. However, when working with schools we must also remember that it is important to keep in mind the significance and magnitude of the work being done by educators.  As the #1 PC manufacturer in education, Lenovo has a responsibility to build hardware appropriate for education that enhances the learning environment and enables educators to improve learning outcomes. Recently we announced two new product lines that do just that. In January at BETT Lenovo showcased, its second offering of Classmate Plus. Based on the Intel Learning Series, we are offering a clamshell version as well as a Lenovo-enhanced convertible Tablet PC.  Both systems are built on Intel's Atom Processor technology and both are ruggedized to meet the demanding needs of classrooms. In addition, the classmates have a full suite of education optimized applications, including classroom management tools, creativity applications, and e-reader.  Also for those schools looking for more computing power, Lenovo has released an 11.6” notebook, the

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Evernote and Lenovo

I recently came across a video of a partner of ours, Evernote.  Prior to seeing the video, I was unaware of our relationship, so when I saw it I was very pleased, not just because it is nice to hear compliments from a satisfied Lenovo user, but because the feeling is mutual.  Without knowing of our relationship, I have been trumpeting my love of Evernote (and Stitch) during every presentation I do that involves our ThinkPad Tablet. I first became aware of Evernote in my previous life as a teacher and Instructional Technology Director. During that time, I was an avid Tablet PC user and a diehard Microsoft OneNote enthusiast. I was often asked for alternatives for those without access to Microsoft Office applications. Evernote was the closest I could find, and its multi-platform approach made it a wonderful solution for many. Now that I am a multi-device user, I have come to rely more heavily on Evernote. For example I am using Notes Mobile on my ThinkPad Tablet to handwrite this blog post (my typing skills are so bad).  Once it is completed,...

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A tweet I saw this morning and a news article I read last night got me thinking about YouTube and schools. With our recent SpaceLab collaboration with YouTube I have been wrestling with the challenge that faces many schools and districts: To Block YouTube or Not To Block YouTube?   In previous years, when there was some focus on getting educational content from TV programming, due to the regulation of cable companies and the availability of Public Television, it was relatively simple to manage the content such that inappropriate content did not find its way in to classrooms.  However, when we look at modern media, the gateways to content are largely unregulated and not easy to manage.  As a result, many schools simply block them (or attempt to block them).  The most prominent example is YouTube.  While there is certainly a lot of content on YouTube that has no place in a classroom, there are also incredible resources and it allows access to wonderful content there. Obviously, the devil is in the detail, but it will be interesting to see to what extent schools currently blocking YouTube content are willing to use this feature to allow...

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Quite recently there has been a surge in articles about schools keeping computers and technology out of their classrooms.  A recent New York Times article, “A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute,” focuses on the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, an independent school in the American technology heartland, which does not use computers.  In fact, “the school’s chief teaching tools are anything but high-tech: pens and paper, knitting needles and, occasionally, mud.” In particular the article emphasized the apparent disconnect between the day-to-day work of the parents, many in technology fields, and their children’s school experience. In a spin-off article on the Huffington Post, Meryl Ain, Ed.D. asks “Are Schools Getting Too Carried Away With Technology?” While the article is mostly a shotgun blast, casting pellets at many hot-button topics around technology in schools, there is at least one worthy conversation starter.  Referencing the NYTimes article, the author summarizes the perspective of the Waldorf parents: They [the parents] think it’s easy enough to pick up computer skills, and that what’s really important is great teaching...

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