Happy Birthday World Wide Web!

Today is the 20th anniversary of the first web page. Want to see it? Here you go. The way we see it now is different from the way everybody saw it back then because the browsers are so much more sophisticated. We still see the default Times New Roman type, underlined blue active links, underlined purple visited links, no navigation (other than links), no graphics, and no design. What we don't see is the gray background that was the default on the old browsers (modern browsers let come with white background as the default and allow you to change your settings) along with the primitive buttons. The internet has come a long way since going public in 1991. I have been lucky enough to be along for the ride since 1992 or 1993 thanks to my years at Michigan Tech, coincidentally the first school in Michigan to get the World Wide Web.

Art + Technology Integration

Oh my inner nerd is so excited today! I love technology. And I love art. Check out what Mercy High School in Farmington Hills is doing with technology. A little background first -- MHS is a private college-prep school, has a 1:1 computing program that requires students to purchase a tablet PC when they begin school. On this tablet, they read textbooks, take notes, share presentations, and now they create art too!

Susan Young, the art department head posted this youtube video showing how they integrated technology into art education. It's cool the way the compare/contrast working with real charcoal vs. tablet-simulated charcoal, sketch and plan 3-d projects, and get assessment/feedback online.


Larry Baker, an Apple Distinguished Educator Class of '09 and MHS teacher, has a blog that covers what he's doing with technology in education. Here's his description, "I blog from 'down in the trenches' of 35 years of high school teaching and have found my muse. Here I offer my perspectives on technology, free of dogma and seasoned with practicality. I chat about tech integration and use this space to archive my presentations."