Hate Vista? Next Windows may be sooner than you think.

It has been rumored since early in the year that Microsoft wanted to get it's next operating system, Windows 7, finished by mid-2009. It now looks that Microsoft has made it official they'd like to have Windows 7 on the market for the 2009 holiday season. I would assume this is in response to Apple's Snow Leopard and the luke-warm consumer response to Vista. Here's hoping Windows 7 works better than Vista and isn't nearly as delayed.

Vista Service Pack 2 Beta

For those of you who use Windows Vista for your e-learning purposes, Service Pack 2 is right around the corner. Though SP1 was just released in the spring, SP2 began Beta testing on Wednesday October 29th with release date to be determined. The package will contain the usual "reliability, performance, and compatibility" fixes a windows service pack includes.

Some new features included in SP2 include:
Windows Search 4.0
Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack
Blu-Ray media recording capability
Windows Connect Now (WCN) (Improved Wi-Fi Configuration capabilities)

Source: Windows Super Site

Beam me up, Scotty.

As I was glued to my TV on Tuesday night watching the election coverage, I discovered that many stations had really gone all out with their technology usage during their broadcasts. Instead of static maps and boring political analysts, some stations were using smart boards, interactive graphics, and wonder of all wonders, holograms. In case you didn't happen to catch any of CNN's coverage, they were using holographic spokespeople to report from different locations around the country. They even beamed in a hip-hop celebrity (Will I. Am from the Black Eyed Peas) to discuss his support of President-Elect Obama. I think this new technology could really open up some interesting ways to report the news. Imagine having a reporter that's station in a war zone or on location after a devastating natural disaster being able to be holographically shown on the news. Who knows, maybe we could one day have our favorite reporter beamed into our own living room to interact with.
In case you missed seeing this, here is a video of CNN's new technology in action:

Online Storage Solutions

I've learned my lesson a long time ago, ALWAYS back your data up. If you are like me and constantly back your documents up to multiple locations, I've got some news for you. Ever need another alternative storage spot? How about an online storage solution? With IDrive.com you can get 2gbs of free online storage space. All you have to do is install some software and create an account. Your storage space will be encrypted and feature an intuitive interface that resembles Windows Explorer. Other options include a IDrive Pro with a 150gbs of online storage for 4.95 a month.

Click here for more information.

Class Activity for Chapter 8 of our Text

Hi everyone!

Since we ran out of time in class tonight, I'm sending via email a PP presentation that explains the class activity for Chapter 8 of our text.  Please read through the first several slides carefully, then find the set of decisions you are to work on.  Add your information to the appropriate slide and send it back to me via email by Wednesday, Nov. 12th.  I'll have the slides ready for our next class.

I'm looking forward to seeing your answers!  And yes, this is definitely an open book exercise, and even a collaborative exercise if you like.

Cheers, Dr. N

Copyright-Friendly Resources.

I just want to remind everyone that there is a wiki listing copyright-friendly resources. A colleague and I began this wiki to prepare for a presentation about Digital Media Ethics.

Please check it out and better yet, join it and add some of your own favorite resources. Pass it on, I'd love to see it grow.

The wiki also contains information about Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons. It's worth checking out for the video clips alone!

http://digitalmediaresources.wikispaces.com/

Out of the Woods into Technology

As a newcomer to social networking I have found last weeks presentations extremely helpful. Three years ago I met a lovely woman who asked me to contact her via e-mail, at that time I had let my e-mail account go, and was doing my best to live without the use of technology. I had no telephone, no television, and no computer. I was practicing a specific type of hatha yoga around 5 hours a day and was working as a associate manager of a vitamin and herbal medicine department. I had little time for technology and didn't miss it. But owe how things change, the day i met my now fiance, i opened up a hotmail account and soon after purchased a cell phone. I am now in my final semester in a technology heavy instructional design program and have come full circle (everything but a television:-) and feel more balanced as a result. Social networking sites were once a pet peeve of mine, tools for tennie bopper wanna be rocks stars but now I am seeing they can be amazing tools for keeping in contact with long lost classmates, co-workers, and even possibly new friends. Although i still find the overwhelming number of quizzes and mindless things I am sent, I no longer feel a disdain towards what I now feel is a helpful tool and a powerful medium for connecting our world. Thank you

Learning tools powered by Google

Google has always been in the spotlight for the powerful search engine. Apart from being a search engine Google provides a variety of tools, to organize data online free of charge.
Top tools
http://groups.google.com
To share information in a group.

http://www.google.com/calender
organize your work using calender

http://images.google.com
Share pictures and images with your loved ones

http://books.google.com
Search online e-books and printed books online.

http://www.google.com/bookmarks
Bookmark your favorite websites.

http://www.google.com/ig
iGoogle
personalize your stuff using iGoogle

http://www.blogger.com
Blog your views with your friends and online community around the world.

http://www.google.com/reader
Read all your news and favorite websites in one place with Google Reader.

http://sites.google.com/
Design your own websites using Google.

http://docs.google.com
Share and view douments with friends world wide.

Pedagogy and Webagogy

The Masie Center has developed a book titled 701 e-Learning Tips to provide e-Teachers and e-Developers basic ideas for creating a successful learning learning experience. Some of the topics in the book include:

1. Getting Started: The ABC’s of “e"
2. Content, Content (Not ToMentionContent)…How To Best Design & Deliver It
3. The Name Of The Game: Integrating & Rolling Out Learning Solutions

My favorite chapter was "Pedagogy and Webagogy". This section provided tips such as:
1. Use a webcam when you are delivering.
2. Hold virtual office hours for students to contact you.
3. Offer spaces for small groups to learn together. Build a team atmosphere.
4. "Get the e-Learning to be the e-Teacher" to keep high levels of engagement.

Social networking sites dos and don'ts

In light of last weeks presentations I thought I would post something relating to Social Networking. I found this great article on CNN about employers and social networking. The article mainly talks about employers using the social networking sites to learn more about their job candidates.

22% of employers say they use social networking sites when evaluating candidates and 9% intend to use these sites soon. Only 16% of workers with these profiles have modified their pages with potential employers in mind.

So, if you want to use your profile to get hired here are some dos and don’ts to remember:

• Do keep your profile updated regularly
• Do join groups selectively
• Do have your profile cleaned up before you apply, not after
• Don't badmouth your current or previous employer
• Don't mention your job search if you are still employed
• Don't forget others can see your friends
  
  

So, if you belong to any of these social networking site and you are looking for a job, polish up your profile!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/11/05/cb.social.networking/index.html#cnnSTCText

YouTube for toddlers and preteens

There has been a lot of debate about time spent in front of the television and determining how much computer exposure is good or bad for children. I'm not completely leaning one way or the other but I do think that television and internet exposure can be a viable educational tool, if and only if it is monitored and limits are put in place. One website that has become increasingly popular is YouTube it offers a wealth of video resources and people have become famous from their postings.

One problem is that there is no filter and a 9 year old doing an innocent search on YouTube could see some pretty controversial and inappropriate results. With this in mind totlol was developed for the 13 and under crowd.

Here's an excerpt from the website "Totlol is a video website designed specifically for children. It is community moderated. It is constantly growing. It is powered by YouTube. All videos were submitted, screened and rated by parents. The selection is huge and if you like, you can participate too."

The most porpular and recently added videos are listed, you can search for videos and there's also a section where parents can screen videos awaiting approval. There are fun videos and loads of educational videos. For all of you "school house rock fans"...Yes it is there! I hope you'll take a moment to check it out and if you know anyone with children please share this resource.

http://www.totlol.com/index.php

iPods in Education

http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Earlier in the semester I posted a blog entry about iTunes U. While iPods are not necessary to view postings in iTunes U, they sure are a cool way to take your classes 'to go'! There is much debate about whether or not iPods belong in classrooms. Too many people, even educators (sometimes especially educators), see iPods simply as a distraction.

If one takes the time to check out these educational examples, instances, and plans for iPod implementation in the classroom, I can't imagine the argument could continue. The education possibilities for the iPod are endless - not to mention totally fun!!!

Educational iPod possibilities!

Getting Organized With Milk!!

“Remember the Milk” is a free personal productivity and time management tool that helps users to organize and manage their tasks. It allows the users to manage and add tasks easily, receive and set up reminders, organize, prioritize and locate tasks as well as share your lists and tasks to co-operate with others.

Some tools that “Remember The Milk” interacts with to make this all possible are Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, iPhone/iTouch, iGoogle, Google Gears (to make offline functions available) MilkSych (allows synchronizing with Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices) and Twitter (“micro-blogging” tool for sending updates via SMS, IM, the website and email). With these collaborating tools and partners “Remember The Milk” can organize your tasks, send reminders to your computer or mobile device as text or instant messages, RSS-feeds, or emails.

This site application looks really neat! I think it would be a wonderful resource for someone (including me) who sometimes has a hard time juggling between deadlines, to-do lists and managing tasks and time. The basic account is free and the Pro-account that comes with some extra features costs $25 annually.

Give it a try and tell us how it works! I know I’m curious!

Something close to my heart, Stencil Graffiti

For this weeks post I've decided to share with you all something I do extensively in my free time which is Stencil Art (aka Stencil Graffiti). Now keep in mind I do all my work on plywood, or things that are mine, I do not encourage anyone to do it on anything that they don't own.

I grew very attached to stenciling during my senior year of undergrad when I noticed the very distinct relationship between printmaking and stenciling. I spent most of my last semester working on four very large stencil pieces, all of which are four colors and the smallest being two foot by 2 foot. I will only post a cropped section of one my pieces here because they could be considered improper to post wholly.

The main reason I decided to post this is because there are lots of great tutorials out there that teach this simple method for make awesome images. Here is just one example. And one last time I will say that I don't condone doing Stenciling illegally, because it's mean (I don't stencil on you're stuff, don't do it on mine.)

Gamequarium

Gamequarium

Here is a really neat resource of educational videos for younger learners. Gamequarium was a link I found after reading an article about IT Specialists and the first word that would come to mind is "cute". However, it is very comprehensive and has icons on the top of the page that indicates what videos you can watch (there is a sombrero that represents Spanish videos and a piano icon that you click to learn to play the piano. These links take you to multiple resources of videos located on the Internet.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen many sites like these, but they really emphasize the video, or technical component of the resource. So if you're an educator who teaches younger students, check it out!





http://gamequarium.com/

Girls and Technology

TECHNOLOGY, GIRLS, TECHNOLOGY, GIRLS

I feel, after completing research for many of my assignments and attending the KSRA Reading Conference in October, that the United States is definitely behind the times with the use of technology. Okay, maybe not the entire United States - but definitely some specific locations. I found a website based out of Queensland, Australia that actually believes girls can and should become more involved in ICT endeavors. They have actually created a website devoted just for girls interested in ICT. The entire website has many useful links associated with technology and the way they incoprorate within the educational system.


Main Site Visited:
Department of Education, Training and the Arts --- Queensland

Visit these links that are also posted there:

Girls in ICT Information

Girls in ICT Website

Rethinking HOW we Think

Greetings from the top of the World. This is the largest building in the world (over 188 stories high) located in Dubai. You can almost see the curvature of the earth!


Carol Lattimore, PH.D. published a great article back some time ago in a magazine called "the meeting professional". She interviewed Dr. Howard Gardner who, according to Carol has influenced cognitive development across the globe. He holds the esteemed position of Hobbs professor of cognitive education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as well as professor of psychology at Harvard. In this candid interview a few great ideas around How we think were impactful for me this year.

• Dr. Gardner has a multidimensional approach to human intelligence and identified at least eight varieties of intellect that operate differently in each learner


• His theory of MI (Multiple Intelligence) has, according to the author, "Redefined how educators think about the measure of intelligence and how they approach the task of engaging and motivating students".


• In his new book "Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds" he points to a few important pieces, however what I'm looking forward to reading is what he refers to as "the seven levers of change".

Some good points to consider as we build Adobe Presenter, Centra, and other projects that was pointed out in this article and that is "What do we want our learners to remember and use in six months or a year from now?". I think the better we get at answering that question, the more impactful learning we will create.

Good Monday morning to everyone!

Just a reminder that the L - W group should be posting this week, but if anyone finds something really great don't hesitate to post!

Kudo's to everyone for the Wiki's!  (we are almost developing our own eLearning language here).  I would like for each group to be ready to spend about 5 minutes talking about the wiki and the process you went through to create all the material and add it to the wiki.  When we meet in Centra on Thursday I'll bring up each Wiki site and let each group give us a guided tour.

Talk to you all on Thursday!

Cheers, Dr. N

Instructional Design in Second Life

Hijack Alert!

My post today contains a link to another blog called "knowledgework." While I am posting to a specific post in that blog (here), the blog itself is also a valuable resource--for the same reason ours is! The postings there are often very similar to ours in content and type. There is a lot on elearning there.

This specific link is to a post about instructional design in virtual worlds. I found this while looking for some last-minute wiki info. Basically, the blogger found the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) location in Second Life to have some effective instructional design techniques built into their SL space. Anyone with a SL account may want to search the ASTD space and give it a look.

Global Blended Learning

In the October 9 print edition of The Economist (the publication is a great way to get the news while you ride the train to work), the Middle East/Africa section included a short story on the Talmud. The Talmud is a record of Jewish customs, law, history and ethics. It was originally compiled in Babylon, in the 5th century. Traditionally, orthodox Jews and Jewish scholars have found the text unwieldy. Physically, it weighs in around 72 volumes. Intellectually, it has challenged its readers for centuries. Originally written in Aramaic, people that study that Talmud often spend hours (and years) deciphering the meaning and interpretation of the Talmud. Add to all that intellectual struggle the many centuries of commentary and interpretation in any number of languages, reading and understanding the Talmud is a lifelong endeavor for many. Even the 11th century commentary, designed to make the text more accessible, and written by Rashi, a French Rabbi, do not elucidate the text easily for most readers.

The Economist's article focuses on "The Art Scroll Talmud," and its electronic approach to making the Talmud more accessible to readers around the world. Art Scroll, under Mesorah Publications, publishes books and translations and their associated commentary. According to The Economist:

Fifty-odd scholars in the United States and Israel, working alone but linked electronically, provide a colloquial translation of the text grounded in Rashi’s commentary, plus a digest of other, often conflicting commentaries. They use electronic archives of Talmudic literature that can be reached by key words and concepts but cannot produce the creative analogies and fine distinctions that are the stuff of Talmud study.

The Art Scroll Talmud is available in English, and Hebrew, and should eventually be available in French and Russian. The Economist goes on to say that many people around the world now study the Talmud- even on commuter trains (amusing for me, since I read about it on a commuter train). There is a page-a-day program, so thanks to the electronic collaboration amongst scholars, people can read one page a day, the same day that thousands of others are reading the same page.

This is an interesting approach to blended learning that exhibits what electronic collaboration is really capable of. Often, we think of blended learning situations as they apply to the course, the learning unit, or the curriculum. In this case, the blended learning approach took over 20 years to compile the Art Scroll Talmud, and it is still ongoing, in a universal manner that links diverse people all over the globe.

The full text of The Economist article is available online, and in keeping with the many conflicting commentaries on the Talmud, the comments associated with the article are far reaching in their topics and offer up the conflicting views of the article's readers.

Note that if you're reading this on a Saturday, the Art Scroll website won't be available- it observes the Sabbath, and the full breadth of the site is not available until sundown.