Codepad – The ClassHelper.org™ Blog

Today is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for military members who fought and died in the service of our nation. Please take this opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made by others for our great country, and to thank any uniformed service members you know for their courage and dedication.

We’re pleased to announce the launch of ClassHelper.org.uk. Initially serving as a London-based mirror for ClassHelper.org, the new site will grow to include regional content from the UK and Europe in general; new user-contributed crossword and word search puzzles will be posted separately from our US-based site. Enjoy!

We’re pleased to announce the achievement of a milestone for our site; in the last 30 days, we’ve served over 300,000 pages to educators, parents, and students from around the world.

ClassHelper - 300,000 Pageviews

Over the summer break, we’ll be concentrating on adding more educational resources to our site, with special attention being paid to the development of new sections for history, social studies, and the sciences. Your input, as always, will be greatly appreciated during this new development period. Please let us know what you’d like to see on ClassHelper, and we’ll do our very best to get suggested features implemented.

In closing, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our community for its support as we look forward to continued growth in the years ahead. Without this support, we wouldn’t be here today.

I’m proud to note that Linode (my full-time employer) has been the subject of an extensive VPS performance review, and has come out as the clear winner.  For those who don’t already know, a virtual private server (VPS) gives you the power of a dedicated server at a fraction of the cost (a Linode 360 costs $19.95/month).

Linodes are a great platform for educators, parents, and students looking to learn more about Linux and open source software in general. Whether you’re interested in hosting a personal blog or a school website, you don’t have to sacrifice flexibility and performance for price. In fact, ClassHelper.org runs on a Linode, happily serving hundreds of thousands of page views each month without breaking a sweat.

Obviously, some may point out the fact that I’m a bit biased. I’d respond by noting that I was an extremely satisfied customer for over five years prior to joining the Linode team as an employee, and used Linodes to meet the hosting needs of many clients. I can honestly say I’ve never seen another hosting provider come close to the value and quality of support offered here.

This Thanksgiving holiday, I’m giving thanks for the many gifts in my life. I’m fortunate enough to have an amazing job in a time when so many are unemployed. While I’m not the world’s most social person, I count my coworkers as great friends. I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve shared with them thus far for anything.

There is a roof over my head, food on the table, and gas in the car. While many people are struggling with health concerns (especially given the unemployment rate), my family is in good health. Blessings such as these should never be taken for granted.

The ClassHelper.org community has grown significantly over the past two years, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue to provide resources that parents and teachers can use on a daily basis. It is my sincere hope that everyone will enjoy a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Please take a moment to reflect on the gifts you enjoy every day, and let your loved ones know how appreciative you are of their presence in your life.

We’re pleased to announce the availability of free math crosswords. Although these aren’t crossword puzzles in the strictest sense (the puzzle grid is comprised of numbers), they are solved in the same manner.

To fill in the puzzle, a list of math problems must be solved. If a mismatch in the solution grid is encountered, the solver must double-check the math problems that link to the affected area for accuracy. This is a great way to reinforce math skills. More math crossword categories will be released soon, including algebra puzzles. Have fun!

Traditionally observed in the United States on November 11 of each year, today is Veterans Day. Intended as a day of honor for those who have served our nation in the military, the holiday was originally conceived by Woodrow Wilson as Armistice Day in 1919.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has created a Veterans Day teacher resource guide to assist educators in helping students learn about this holiday.

Please take this opportunity to thank your local veterans for their service. The sacrifices made by these citizens in the defense of our nation are immeasurable and deeply appreciated.

As an employee of Linode, an outstanding Linux virtual private server provider, I’m excited to announce their support for Ubuntu 9.10. Whether you’re a student looking to learn more about Linux, a teacher who would like a solid platform to use for teaching classes on UNIX/Linux concepts, or a professional developer, I recommend taking a Linode VPS for a test drive. Enjoy!