No, really. Click on this second picture for a closer view. I can't be imagining that many annoyed expressions and grimaces, can I?

If nothing, it's an interesting bit of a contrast to these smiling folks:

Happy or not, the students don't keep the laptops permanently, instead they use them like loaners during school semesters. Still a pretty sweet arrangement unless you really prefer a non-Apple product. [USF]

To make things easier, OnlineCourses has put together a list of 100 open tech courses and broken them down into 10 categories: Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Security, Programming, The Web, Software, Information Technology, Communication Technology, Technology in Education, Tech Math and Technology and Society.

Looking over the list, about 98% of the courses come from MIT, so you know you are going to learn something valuable. Admittedly, some of the courses are a bit out of date, but they should provide you with a foundation on usefull topics like computer systems engineering, C++, Computer graphics, Flash and Database systems to help you decide whether or not to pursue your education further. Hit the link for the full course list. [OnlineCourses]

The idea being that repetition builds muscle memory, and you'll improve faster.

You'll need to email for pricing, but it does look like the included software works with any MIDI file. Less certain is if there's an evil teacher mode that turns up the voltage when you misbehave. [Concert Hands via The Raw Feed via DVICE]

As school goes back, it's a fun reminder that the laptop wasn't always the essential piece of tech gear that you need to survive college. And with e-book readers and tablet PCs taking on more and more text-book duties, maybe clam shells in classrooms will soon be old fashioned. Time will tell. [PC World]

I am certain this gave Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos one hell of a tingle when he saw the report, but in spite of the repeated mentions of Amazon and Kindle, I'm pretty sure he had very little to do with it himself. Here's why:

The DLC—'scuse me, NDLC—estimates the up-front cost of materials to be around $200, but could fall to $80 by 2012. Since the government now spends about $109 per student on text books, the initial investment seems in line. However, I don't think they're looking at the appropriate model. The Kindle 2's teardown revealed that it costs around $185, but that includes $60 for the 6" screen. Don't these fat cats in Washington know that textbooks only work on the $489 DX (and even then just barely)? Even at cost, I guarantee you're looking at a lot more than $200 per kid for one with a 10" screen.

And don't even get me started on the subject of smashed Kindle screens.

Doing the math here, my numbers are a lot higher than the DLC's, and furthermore my estimates on E-Ink's future price drop are way more pessimistic. Especially since the jury (meaning us) is still out on the longevity of E-Ink as an ideal screen technology, and only volume will really drive down the price. Wait a few years, see what happens with LCD, with laptops and netbooks, with iPhones and other smartphone platforms, and then, just maybe, you'll be able to select a decent product to subsidize 56 million times over.

Oh, and dudes, don't go creating terms like eTextbook—we already have lingo for this stuff, and you sound like you just arrived in a time machine from 1996. [DLC via New York Times]

The straight demographics are hard to argue with—on average, iPhone users do tend to be slightly younger, wealthier, and better educated than users of BlackBerrys or Windows Mobile devices. But the "more productive" conclusion is totally erroneous: It's based on the fact that iPhone users are more likely to use the Internet at least once per week, which in our definition is most certainly not a rubric of productivity. I've spent entire weeks on the Internet and all I've produced is the beginnings of a bed sore and maybe an extra five pounds around the waist.

The survey was, obviously, taken before the introduction of the $99 iPhone, and we're all curious to see if the slightly-cheaper option will impact the iPhone's demographics. Ted Schadler, who commissioned the study, promised to revisit it later this year to see if there's been any change. Until then, enjoy your iPhones, Supermen and Superwomen. Just try not to use them while you're flying to work, it's dangerous. [AppleInsider]

The simulation is simple. Students grasp the motion sensitive wheel in one hand, and a cell phone in the other. Then, just like in a real live driving situation, they fire off a blue shell before bounding over spongy mushroom jumps while a mustachioed plumber hurls bananas and high-pitched Italian-esque insults in their general direction.

See? Totally serious.

Now, silly as it sounds, this program apparently did educate the students about the dangers of driving in the Mushroom Kingdom while texting. "I ran into a lot of things and it was very stressful," said 13-year-old "it's-a me!" Alli O'Brian.

Good on her, and good on Eagle County, seriously, for educating these kids early on. As we saw here in Boston recently, texting's no joke. In fact, as Chen pointed out, it's getting pretty frickin' ridiculous.

[9 News - Thanks, Phil]

Simply put, it's a 20-pound ball attached to a shackle with a study timer that can be set for up to four hours. When the time has elapsed, the shackle will unlock. And no, this is not a concept—it actually exists. In fact, you can purchase one for around $115. Needless to say, you might have a Study Ball of your own after Child Protective Services gets wind of this. [Curiosite via FayerWayer via Newlaunches]

The 2-XL was an interactive educational robot (by interactive, we mean it had four buttons: question, yes/true, no/false, and "more info) from the late '70s that used different 8-track tapes for its different functions. Basically, it was just a talking 8-track deck, and the four buttons just selected different tracks.

It was later re-released in the early '90s with cassettes instead of 8-tracks, but that really lessens the kitsch value, we think. [Toy Whimsy]

India had previously done a test pilot of the OLPC and decided they could make a better, or at least cheaper, laptop themselves, but after their $10 laptop turned out to produce a product that was not a laptop and could not be made for $10, they appear to have come back to the fold. The quarter-million OLPC XOs will go out to about 1,500 schools, though we're not sure if they'll be getting the newer versions with the upgraded processor, memory, and storage. Congrats to OLPC; they've had a rough go of it but we're always in favor of weirdly adorable computers for the less fortunate. [Ars Technica]

While the creationist groups did not manage to get the bulk of their agenda included in the State Board of Education's legislation, they did pass a few amendments casting doubt on the theory of evolution. Some tricky language, like an amendment requiring students to "analyze and evaluate scientific explanations concerning any data on sudden appearance and stasis and the sequential groups in the fossil record," is more insidious than it seems. When new textbooks come up for review in 2012, the board can reject books that they feel do not adequately address the issue, a key creationist talking point. And as Texas is a major buyer, textbook publishers may be forced to alter their products so as to avoid conflict with the self-proclaimed creationists on the Texas Board of Education, which could affect the rest of the country as well.

It remains to be seen if these new amendments will indeed affect science textbooks, and hopefully they'll make no difference at all. Check out Salon's article for more information from a decidedly pro-science point of view. [Salon]

Here are the details: they're a new Latitude notebook design branded for the education market using the Atom architecture. They can support an optional SSD, hold up to 2GB RAM, hit 1.6GHz and weigh in at under 3lbs.

In other specs, there's three USB ports, SD/MMC slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 a/g/n, Bluetooth, 3 and 6-cell battery options and a possible Touchscreen. Dell's trying to launch this around May 2009 in time for back to school season. If this leak is true, this is a pretty snazzy netbook for schoolkids for a pretty decent price. [Thanks Tipster!]

Saya has 18 motors hidden behind her latex face which can help her express emotions that run the gamut from approval to anger. She can also speak different languages, carry out roll calls and set tasks for her robot-fearing pupils.

Apparently, Saya took 15 years for science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi to create. She is one of various robots being designed to take over human jobs in Japan in an effort to deliver a cheaper workforce as the Japanese population ages.

Call me a traditionalist, but something unnerves me about using a robot teacher on little kids. Sure, Saya might be less inclined to show favoritism or get snappy, but isn't there something about human emotion-something no facial motors could ever replicate-that students are supposed to learn from a young age? If Saya gets rolled out to other schools, what would be be unintentionally depriving these children of? [Telegraph]

Teachers can customize activities on the tablet by using the SMART Table Toolkit on their PC or Mac. The new activities are then saved onto a USB bracelet and plugged into the table for activity synchronization. Smart Tech is also offering free apps and activities for download on its education website.

Not a bad buy if you're a teacher (the education website also helps you request grants to buy one), or if you're just a parent that wants to seriously one-up that little Leapfrog Crammer the Jones' got their kid. [Smart Tech]

Yes, with hundreds of Circuit City stores all across the country set to be left vacant in the very near future, the question has arose about what to do with them. One idea is to sell them to schools. Weird!

According to DJM Realty, the company in charge with offing all those red-capped monstrosities, "Circuit City's real estate has begun to create interest among national and regional retailers and supermarkets. There are great opportunities for schools and other non-retail uses." Sure there are, DJM. Sure there are. [Blogging Stocks via Consumerist]

The first interactive TV-based learning system to engage full-body movement, ZIPPITY leads kids through eight lively learning games that use an interactive mat for lower-body movement—such as running, dancing, jumping and marching—and a tummy-high giant joystick, or "bopper," for upper body action—such as left, right, forward and back. The easy-to-use system comes with all eight learning activities pre-loaded plus a foldable mat and bopper, which interacts wirelessly with the ZIPPITY console.

These learning games utilize popular Disney characters like Mickey, Pooh, Handy Manny and the Little Einsteins to trick kids into learning about subjects like math, problem solving and the arts. All-in-all, it seems like a great way to introduce fitness to young children—something that they will hopefully take with them throughout their lives. Zippity will be available for kids between 3-5 starting this summer. It will be priced at $79.99, with 3 additional games running at $24.99 apiece. [Leapfrog]

LEAPFROG AND DISNEY INTRODUCE NEW ZIPPITY™ SYSTEM FOR PRESCHOOLERS

First Interactive TV-Based Gaming System Combines Full Body Movement, Music, Education & Fun

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF) and Disney Consumer Products (NYSE: DIS) are proud to announce their first co-developed product, the start of a planned line that expands the duo's existing relationship. Set to launch in summer 2009, the ZIPPITY high–energy learning system is the first interactive TV-based gaming system for preschoolers that combines full body movement, music, education and fun. By joining forces to introduce the ZIPPITY system, LeapFrog extends its innovation and leadership beyond handheld educational gaming and reading to movement-based learning and Disney grows its presence in the preschool segment, complementing its award-winning Playhouse Disney programming with meaningful toy lines.

Combining LeapFrog's learning products expertise with Disney's storytelling heritage and curriculum-oriented programming especially developed for preschoolers, the ZIPPITY system lets kids bring the magic of Playhouse Disney and Disney characters to life in their own home. Kids can dance, jump and move with characters from Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny, as well as Disney Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess and Disney·Pixar's Cars. As they groove and play, kids can gain a greater understanding of core preschool skills such as math, language, music and culture.

Full Body Movement Drives Learning

The first interactive TV-based learning system to engage full-body movement, ZIPPITY leads kids through eight lively learning games that use an interactive mat for lower-body movement—such as running, dancing, jumping and marching—and a tummy-high giant joystick, or "bopper," for upper body action—such as left, right, forward and back. The easy-to-use system comes with all eight learning activities pre-loaded plus a foldable mat and bopper, which interacts wirelessly with the ZIPPITY console.

"Combining full-body movement with educational challenges can deepen children's learning," said Dr. Jim Gray, director of learning for LeapFrog. "The ZIPPITY system is designed to provide a powerful blend of learning and play by incorporating Disney characters and stories children love and parents trust and engaging children on multiple levels as they jump to explore letters or 'bop' to reinforce memory skills. Studies have found that young children have a better understanding of words and concept—such as over and under—when they're able to physically experience them. "

"Leveraging LeapFrog's leadership in kids learning products, the new ZIPPITY system provides a wholesome experience for children that brings Disney characters and stories to life right in their own living room while also engaging them with developmental activities that are made to be pure fun," said Catherine Bachmaier, director of toys for Disney Consumer Products. "

Learning in Step with Their Favorite Characters and Shows

The system's eight onboard preschool learning games feature Playhouse Disney characters in television-quality animated sequences. Each game features two levels of play—to keep kids appropriately challenged and engaged—and promotes preschool skills through fun play with favorite characters: Mickey Says focuses on math skills; Super Sleuths on the Case focuses on problem-solving with Tigger and Pooh; Tool Box Beat, focuses on music and phonics with Handy Manny; and Rocket's Musical Mission focuses on music, art and culture with the Little Einsteins.

The fun can be expanded with three additional ZIPPITY games also featuring popular Disney characters, Disney Princess and Disney-Pixar Cars – which are among the top three licensed characters in the preschool learning category*, as well as a game based on the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated theatrical film, The Princess and the Frog releasing this holiday.

As with all LeapFrog products, the ZIPPITY system is on the LeapFrog Learning Path, a free online resource that provides parents with insight into their child's passions by providing details on the LeapFrog products that have kept their kids most engaged, the skills their kids have learned and what learning milestones are on the horizon. With the ZIPPITY system, parents will be able to access the Learning Path both online as well as on the TV through the main onscreen menu.

Availability

The ZIPPITY system for children ages 3 to 5 will be available this summer at www.leapfrog.com and all major retailers. The ZIPPITY system has an MSRP of $79.99, and additional games an MSRP of $24.99.

Steve Jobs Technological High School Center (Steve would NEVER have used that name!) is currently open, and apparently seeking applicants. Be mindful that there is a one in five chance that this is actually a horrible con, and that you'll immediately be shunted into an underground sweatshop where you'll sew exact replicas of out-of-production black turtle necks and Levi 501s. [Macenstein]

Currently in England's Durham University, researchers received about $3 million to create SynergyNet, a system of infrared-sensitive multi-touch desks for children. The goal is to improve collaboration between students and with their teachers, and to engage "hard to reach" kids, especially boys who are increasingly disenfranchised. It makes sense in a lot of ways: Not only does it let kids share their work and even their desks with others for group activities, but the high-end processing includes video support and a game-quality physics engine, so who knows what might appear in the lesson plan?

I'd like to have one of my own, for sure, but I still have my doubts: The reason kids don't succeed surely isn't that they've been writing with pencils and looking up at the teacher's chalkboard instead of keeping their heads down and moving numbers and letters around virtually with their hands. [Science Daily; Reg Hardware]