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Google Inc. Fiber signage is displayed outside of the company’s office in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. Google Inc. will move a step closer to offering the a new fiber-optic network.Julie Denesha/Bloomberg

The best of the web on education from kindergarten to postsecondary, as chosen daily by Globe and Mail education editor Simona Chiose.

How to build a brain

Waterloo University neuroscientist Chris Eliasmith and his team have built what is being described as "the world's largest simulation of a functioning brain." Named Spaun, the virtual brain can count, remembers lists of object and can move from task to task. Dr. Eliasmith talks about the pitfalls he tried to avoid.

Google donates 2 per cent of profits to education, non-profits

Google has announced $23-million in grants in its first round of Google Global Impact Awards and the recipients are education and non-profits. Among the recipients are donorschoose.org, on which teachers post what they need for their classroom and donors choose among the requests, and Equal Opportunity Schools (eoschools.org) which helps underrepresented students enroll in challenging high-school courses. The recipients are highlighted in this snazzy video.

No end to school

As kids in most schools start the countdown to Christmas holidays, 20,000 kids in the U.S. will be wondering how they will be spending 300 more hours in class. That is the amount of time five states are adding to the school year in a bid to raise the performance and test scores of students.

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