Once a year, I get one call from a new product developer that wants a Latin or Greek name for a product,  website, or school motto.  ( I also get the occasional call from a relative stuck on a NY times crossword puzzle or etymological debate with a co-worker.)

How many electronic products on the market today have Classical ties?

1) The Pegasus smartphone by Huawei: "Huawei is hoping its Pegasus smartphone sculpture at Mobile World Congress 2012 will help slay some competitors." It took 3500 smartphones to make this Pegasus. Do I hear a future class project calling, discipuli et discipulae? Get the pun? 

NB: Pegasus was born from the blood of Medusa after Perseus decapitated her.  The winged horse is NOT associated with Hercules!  Disney continues to mislead thousands of children regarding this literary fact.

2) The tablet computer and stylus:

Roman schoolchildren used waxed tablets or  tabellae or tabulae and an instrument used to etch letters, a stylus. You can read more about these items HERE.

Sony derived its name from the Latin word sonus, meaning sound, and the slang word "sonny," for "sonny boys," because the young workers considered themselves smart and presentable young men.

I just ran across a 2009 article posted by Teachpaperless.blogspot.com: "21 Things that Will become Obsolete in Education by 2020."  A fascinating read.  What do you see happening now?  Do you disagree with anything on the list?

I thought # 5 was the most interesting: 

"The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions
The AP Exam is on its last legs. The SAT isn't far behind. Over the next ten years, we will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 factor in college admissions."

I read all the time how employers look at Facebook pages to judge an applicant.  How often do you judge a blog by its immediate design and photos before reading the articles?  How can we teach content if the visual content is so important? What skills in design and film will play a role into a student's digital portfolios?  Dear colleges, please don't make me have to videotape student recommendations!

I love the idea of students creating audiobooks using Powerpoint and Videothread.  Check out this story: The Boy Who Cried Bear.