June 2004
June 30, 2004
Putting Taxes into Perspective
Tax Cuts - A Simple Lesson In Economics
This is how the cookie crumbles. Please read it carefully.
Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every
day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something
like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh $7.
The eighth $12.
The ninth $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite
happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a
curve.
"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce
the cost of your daily meal by $20."
So, now dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay
their bill the way we pay our taxes.
So, the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free.
But what about the other six, the paying customers? How could they
divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share'?
The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the
sixth man would each end up being 'PAID' to eat their meal.
So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each
man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the
amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings). The seventh now paid
$5 instead of $7 (28% savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12
(25% savings). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four
continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men
began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He
pointed to the tenth man "but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar,
too.
It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!"
"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back
when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get
anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded
the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat
down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they
discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between
all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls , union professionals, journalists and
college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the
highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.
They also pay the most tax! Tax them too much, attack them for being
wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore. There are
lots of good restaurants in Europe and the Caribbean.
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D
Distinguished Professor of Economics
536 Brooks Hall
University of Georgia
June 29, 2004
Best Practices for Administrative Evaluation of Online Faculty
This introductory-level presentation demonstrates how to evaluate the materials and teaching in online courses. Topics covered include similarities with evaluation of on-ground teaching, factors unique to online courses, technological considerations, helping administrators unfamiliar with online courses, and national standards, rubrics, and benchmarks
Best Practices for Administrative Evaluation of Online Faculty
June 28, 2004
Winged Sandals
Take the tour with Hermes the messenger god,
through a magical place filled with awesome gods,
daring heroes and fabulous monsters.
ABC Arts Online: Winged Sandals
Yuckiest Site
Learn about gross things from Discovery Kids. Read about worms and roaches and creepy crawly things. There are some fun games, too!
Welcome to the Yuckiest Site on the Internet!
Harry Potter and much more.
What a neat design...
Here's a treasure trove of information on the Harry Potter books and stories. Do you share Hermione's birthday? Check the site to find out.
J.K.Rowling Official Site - Harry Potter and more
The Worldwide art gallery
Put your artwork on display for the whole world to see! The Worldwide Art Gallery has pictures created by kids from Germany, Russia, Canada and, of course, the United States.
Kids' Art @ The Worldwide Art Gallery
Washington Post for Kids
You don't have to be a stuffy grown-up to read the newspaper. KidsPost has news stories that are geared specifically to kids!
June 25, 2004
WebCT Help Index
Another useful developer link.
WebCT Help Index
Introducing WebCT to Newbies
This presentation covers ten successful WebCT 'newbie' startup strategies developed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute over the last two and half years: (1) encourage use of online learning, support and content resources; (2) give instructor/designers an express course training and design session; (3) encourage multi-section course teams and sites for large courses; (4) encourage the use a web page templates with built-in learning materials; (5) initially, encourage the use of the bulletin board tool and a single web page for accessing course content ; (6) encourage editing/updating files on the WebCT server using Netscape Composer; (7) provide quick reference guides for WebCT Tools; (8) develop short web/WebCT workshops - live and online versions; (9) use TA and student developers for tedious technical tasks; (10) use an email listserv, brown bag lunch user group meetings and a bulletin board on the help/support/resources site to develop a campus WebCT community and keep WebCT users up to date.
Introducing WebCT to 'Newbies'
June 24, 2004
E-Learning made in Europe
K2 (pronounce 'kaytoo') originally was called K square, standing for knowledge square, and is a sequel project to the KALIF project. Our slogan is 'to share is to multiply', indicating that if you put people's knowledge together, you get a multiplier effect.
K2 - E-Learning made in Europe
Online Scholar
Linda Hazelgren earned her bachelor's degree in nursing without sacrificing time away from her home, family or job.
Northwest Indiana News: nwitimes.com - News: Online scholar
June 23, 2004
World wide View
The Teaching and Developing Blog has reached it's first milestone. In a couple of days it will reach the end of a school year. Originally designed as a method of sharing websites and ideas with the other developer and teachers at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. It's consistant high placement on the search engines has brought the world to the blog. It has grown into a world wide audience. As shown by this domain chart of the blog visitors.
Welcome to the blog world!
Global cyber glasses tinted to reflect the view.
Teachers learning new tools
Advances in electronics and computers are making it easier for special education students to be taught in regular classes. But devices for such students do more than help them learn, prospective teachers say.
June 22, 2004
Microsoft appoints a new IE evangelist
Microsoft has boosted the prospects for some enhancements to Internet Explorer by appointing a new member to its product management team.
Microsoft appoints a new IE evangelist | CNET News.com
Microsoft has boosted the prospects for some enhancements to Internet Explorer by appointing a new member to its product management team.
Nano Killers Aim at Mini Tumors
The future holds so much promise...this is so SCFI...very cool.
Wired News: Nano Killers Aim at Mini Tumors
Dell to Expand Push into Classrooms
We at the Cyber School Pod have been using nothing but Dells for the last 3 years and have nothing to complain about...you go Dell.
Yahoo! News - Dell to Expand Push Into Classrooms
June 21, 2004
Preparing Students for Learning in an Online World
This paper outlines the way in which Oscail (National Distance Education Centre - Ireland) has developed its technology strategy, from the initial research on student readiness to learn using technology to more recent studies which have identified the need for a programme specifically designed to prepare students for learning in the online world.
The skills for learning are not necessarily innate, and in particular, the skills for learning with technology need to be recognised and made more explicit. However, regardless of discipline, the development of preparatory courses for students to equip them with the skills for eLearning is essential if maximum benefit is to be garnered from the potential of this exciting means of teaching and learning.
The Student Passport for elearning (SPeL) programme has been designed as a learner-centred pedagogically driven module using a scaffolding approach to gradually introduce students to use of electronic media. Crucial to the success of the SPeL programme has been the level of support offered to students in pedagogical, technical and administrative terms.
Preparing Students for Learning in an Online World
Educational Technology Claptrap
OK, here's some juicy news for all you teachers out there. You've been outsorced by the Internet. Didn't know that one huh?
June 20, 2004
Navigation Complex
Years ago I did some navigation research. My goal was to find out if any type of navigation was particularly suited to certain kinds of sites. I also wondered if navigation isn't too complex in general.
Digital Web Magazine - Navigation Complex
The Basics of Navigation
You can have all kinds of great attractions on your site, but if your visitors don't know how to get to them, they'll just collect dust on the server. Worse yet, if visitors find your site's navigation confusing or convoluted, they'll simply give up and head off to explore the rest of the Web, never to return. So, good navigation design is an essential ingredient for any successful Web site.
Navigation Basics - How to build better web site navigation from efuse.com
Designing Site Navigation
Even with the best possible design of any single page, your site will fail to attract visitors if not equipped with a neat, consistent, and intuitive navigational interface. This article addresses the main issues designers confront when building effective navigation tools.
Designing Site Navigation. Introduction - webreference.com
Navigating a Web Site
One of the most difficult problems in web site design is navigation. When you say "web site design," a lot of people immediately think of graphics, of visual design. The core design challenges for a web site revolve around information, not visuals.
Basic Principles of Web Site Navigation
Navigation is one of the most critical aspects of Web site design - arguably the most important. No matter how good a site looks, and no matter how much useful information it offers, if it doesn't have a sensible navigation scheme, it will confuse visitors and chase them away. A simple, logical, understandable navigation scheme can increase your number of page impressions, boost return visits, and improve your "conversion rate" (the number of visitors who are "converted" into customers). It's a critical aspect of site design that has a direct effect on the bottom line.
Navigation 101 - The Web Developer's Journal
June 19, 2004
Center for Digital Storytelling
The Center for Digital Storytelling is a non-profit project development, training, and research organization dedicated to assisting people in using digital media to tell meaningful stories from their lives. Their focus is on developing large-scale projects for community, educational and business institutions using the methods and principles built around their Digital Storytelling Workshop. They also offer workshops for organizations and individuals, and provide a clearinghouse of information about resources on storytelling and new media.
Center for Digital Storytelling
Telling it like it is...
I found this a little hard to follow but it is great to see people asking the hard questions.
For those that don't know Murray Goldberg, he is the founder of WebCT
Roland Tanglao's Weblog: NMC 2004 Students tell it like it is with Murray Goldberg
June 18, 2004
Senate Tangles Over VOIP Rules
We use voip phones in the cyber pod. Each of our developers has a voip phone on their computers and we use them for contacting the students. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
Wired News: Senate Tangles Over VOIP Rules
June 17, 2004
Canada and Copyright.
In a global fight between copyright holders and users, the battles in Canada have stood out from the crowd. As a result of various opinions and court decisions, Canadians are one group out of very few who refer to downloading copyrighted music for free as legal.
Slyck News - Canada and Copyright
Wither the Semantic Web
I have been and continue to be a supporter of the Semantic Web. It is, however, an idea that I believe has drifted and with each passing day is becoming more irrelevant. I have enormous respect for the creativity and innovation of those working on it. But I wonder whether they haven't been led astray.
Wild Weblog Ideas
I've been mulling over a couple of "out there" projects that I'd love to get started next school year (or maybe before) built around Weblogs.
Weblogg-ed - Using Weblogs and RSS in Education :
June 15, 2004
Suddenly, Some Blog Requests
So here's a bit of a bright spot...teachers are actually coming to me requesting blogspace over the summer. And the core group of users that I had this year are letting me know they don't want their sites taken down once school ends on Friday. They have plans. This is good news, I think...
Weblogg-ed - Using Weblogs and RSS in Education :
Staffing for the next school year.
We are just about finished the staffing for the next school year. With the new courses that we want to develop we are adding 4 new people to the pod. Our counsellor has moved on to administration and is taking a position as an elementary school principal. One of our english teachers has moved onto a new position in another board. This means a fair number of new teachers in the pod. New people who are excited about the opportunity, if I can keep them away from the other jaded employees who have been in the project for a few years they might remain excited for a few months. Then the reality of the learning curve will set in and they will start to sink into the endless learning needed to be a successful developer/teacher online.
Someone should chart the flow:
Excited (Does not know any different)
Shocked (Looking around at the empty human husks around them)
Confused (Realize that no one knows everything about computers)
Learned (Start to know more than the future shop sales person)
Know it all (Start to help other with their computers showing off their skills)
Computer person (Has skills but is tired of helping everyone)
Geek (talks in a language only other geeks understand)
Anyway....the cyber glasses are starting to fog...I am out of here.
June 14, 2004
Bounty Hunters...I like the idea.
The Sasser computer worm may mark a turning point for law enforcement's ability to catch and prosecute computer virus authors.
Microsoft's bounty hunter | Newsmakers | CNET News.com
Invisible...could be cool
I am not sure what this has to do with teaching and developing online, but you do have to admit that it is cool.
BBC NEWS | Technology | Inventor plans 'invisible walls'
Mapping the New Internet:
SAN FRANCISCO -- Imagine a day when your doctor retrieves your information not from a paper file, but on an encrypted smart card. Or when an instant message alerts you that your laundry is done. Or--unbelievably--a day when you get not a single piece of spam.
PCWorld.com - Mapping the New Internet
SAN FRANCISCO -- Imagine a day when your doctor retrieves your information not from a paper file, but on an encrypted smart card. Or when an instant message alerts you that your laundry is done. Or--unbelievably--a day when you get not a single piece of spam.
Study: Leadership is key to ed-tech success
I keep telling those guys downtown but are they listening????
June 11, 2004
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is a teacher's resource offering ideas to enhance curriculum.
Lesson Plans Page.com
The Lesson Plans Page - Over 2,000 FREE Lesson Plans!
June 10, 2004
Principals warn of weakness in teaching technology
Build Virtual High School
ONN. Ohio News Now: District to build virtual high school as alternative to charter schools
June 8, 2004
Learning styles online
Learning styles are a way to help improve your quality of learning. By understanding your own personal styles, you can adapt the learning process and techniques you use. This site is dedicated to helping you better understand learning styles, as well as provide an easy way to discover your own styles.
Learning Styles Online.com - including a free inventory
E-learning tools and elearning templates
This is a great collection of resourses and links.
e-Learning Tools & elearning Templates from e-LearningGuru.com
Information seeking behaviour of Distance Learning Students
A contest to outwit google
I was not going to add this, but I kept thinking back to it. Not too sure what it has to do with online learning but it does speak to the internet and searching. It might just be another interesting article.
Wired News: A Contest to Outwit Google
Blogs can be infectious
I have no idea where this came from...lol
Wired News: Warning: Blogs Can Be Infectious
June 7, 2004
Unit Paths Help
SCCS version on WebCT Course Paths..found in the student help section of the school website.
Standard tools in WebCT at SCCS
SCCS version on standard course tools found in most courses...found in the student help section of the school website.
Course Tools Location
WebCT Home Page Navigation
SCCS version on how to navigate the WebCT Home page...found in the student help section of the school website.
homepage Navigation
Webct's Navigation
SCCS version on how to use WebCT navigation...found in the student help section of the school website.
actionmenu
Accessing Quiz marks in WebCT
SCCS version on how to access quiz marks...found in the student help section of the school website.
accessquiz2
Using Bread Crumbs in WebCT
SCCS version on how to use breadcrumbs in WebCT...found in the student help section of the school website.
Bulletin Board in WebCT
SCCS version on how to use bulletin boards in WebCT...found in the student help section of the school website.
WebCT Chatroom
SCCS version on how to use chatroom in WebCT...found in the student help section of the school website.
Chatrooms
Attaching a message to course mail
SCCS version on how to attach a file to course mail in WebCT...found in the student help section of the school website.
Message Attachment Info
How to use course mail.
SCCS version on how to use course mail in WebCT...found in the student help section of the school website.
June 6, 2004
When the Cows Come Home.
University faculty who have braved the transition from the traditional classroom to an e-learning instructor role report many changes. Most describe the knowledge gained from the e-learning world as making them better teachers in all delivery venues.
When the Cows Come Home: A Proven Path of Professional Development for Faculty Pursuing E-Learning
June 5, 2004
Serenity Prayer
This is how I try to live my life.
The Serenity Prayer -- Full Text
by Reinhold Niebuhr (1926)
GOD, grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
Courage to change the
things I can, and the
wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the
pathway to peace.
Taking, as He (Jesus) did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make
all things right if I
surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy
in this life, and supremely
happy with Him forever in
the next.
Amen.
Praying through my cyber glasses
The Man Who Thinks He Can!
I was watching soccer on TV and a body break commercial came on (the people in Canada will know what I am talking about) During the commercial they made reference to a poem. I thought it was cool and could apply to anything one does in their life.
The Digital Disconnect
Procrastination Research Home Page
I am surprised this website ever got built. (little joke)
It contains some interesting findings check it out.
Procrastination Research Group Home Page
June 4, 2004
E-learning Immersion
"Shifting from Industrial Age thinking and teaching to Informational Age thinking and teaching is as dramatic an adjustment as shifting from teaching in a classroom to teaching underwater. The training agenda is no simple list of skills; everybody must learn an entirely new approach. Actions that worked on the surface, such as running, jumping and yelling, create different effects underwater. Adaptation requires major readjustments and realignment. It requires immersion."
(Jamieson McKenzie, 1991)
Virtual Instructors in University Continuing Education
June 3, 2004
Communication Hub connects students across Canada
The grade 8 class from St. Maria Goretti School has just returned from a once in a lifetime trip to Prince Edward Island. The trip is an exchange and was funded by SEVEC and the department of Canadian Heritage. http://www.sevec.ca The students from Saskatoon travelled to Kinkora P.E.I May 26 and returned June 2. The twin grade 8 class from Somerset Elementary school in Kinkora P.E.I. will arrive in Saskatoon June 12.
The connection for these two classes began through a grassroots project concerning Citizenship and Identity. One of the components of this project involved connecting with a class in another part of Canada to discuss differences in culture.
Using a Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School Communication Hub (using web ct - a secure course platform) the students were able to chat bi-weekly beginning in October 2003. These chats instigated the dream of meeting each other. Fortunately, Sevec was able to make this dream a reality.
The pictures of the visit to P.E.I can be viewed at http://www.scs.sk.ca/gor/sevec/main.htm
The use of synchronous chat rooms enabled the students' relationships to develop before they met and eased any of the concerns they had before leaving.
What a wonderful way to connect with students around the world in a secure and moderated fashion!
Examples of Instructional Materials on the Web
Many people know that I regularly search the Web for examples of good instructional materials. Because folks often ask me for a list of the good ones that I find, I've decided to keep a web page with these good instructional examples. Please note that every example isn't necessarily wonderful in all respects... but each shows good use of certain types of instructional strategies and interactions.
Learning Peaks, LLC: Examples of Instructional Materials on the Web
12 steps to successful elearning
Introducing the concept of life-long learning is a massive undertaking for most organisations. It needs a major shift in culture, requiring commitment, careful implementation and ongoing support to be successful. George Eybers, chairman of Skills2learn, says there are 12 basic steps to ensuring the success of an e-learning implementation.
allAfrica.com: South Africa: 12 Steps to Successful E-Learning
June 2, 2004
Dilbert by Scot Adams
The following question will be asked about the cyber school in the next couple of weeks ...I wish I could remember Dilberts response when I am asked:
So, what have you accomplished this year?
Well, I used my empowerment to create a new paradigm and I teamed across functional boundries to improve quality. I dare say I was customer-focused and market driven! I proactively found excellence in the midst of chaos! I re-engineered my core processes and embraced change! I give you - Dilbert - the perfect employee.
I think I will write this on my hand and just wait for the question.
The view through Dilbert cyber glasses.
What is a Blog?
(n.) Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.
(v.) To author a Web log.
Other forms: Blogger (a person who blogs).
Year end staffing
This time of year I find very exciting. This is the time of year in a high school where transfers are made. New people in programs, change is always exciting. In the cyber school, multiple that by four and you start to understand what is happening in my world these days. We have one full time staff member (other than the secretary who really runs the place) that is me the administrator. That means that the other 20 plus developers/teachers are all part time. It was a decision that we made at the beginning that we use part time cyber teachers. The teachers attachment to other f2f high school in our division is a political move. It means we have cyber school spokes persons in each of our division high schools. For teachers moving into the cyber school it means they will have to drvie from their home f2f school to the cyber pod to develop or teach their cyber school course. This means they will not be in their f2f school full time. This makes it difficult to get the principals of the f2f school to agree to support the cyber school by allowing some of their best teachers to transfer to the cyber school. If we had full time teachers it might be easier, but then they lose the contact with the real world of f2f teaching and teaching a full slate of cyber school classes would from a time point of view be very difficult. To create a full cyber teaching load a cyber teacher would have to have at least 120 student willing to take their course at any one time...or the teacher would have to teach a variety of subjects. Part time teachers mean we have our teachers teaching one or two subjects each of which would be considered their majors. Master teachers teaching only their subject and only teaching one or two classes. Nice formula for success.
Great concept...just need to figure out how to make the principals accept the transfers of their best teachers...:)
Exciting times...I will try to fill in the blanks of this rant when I have a sec.
An incomplete view through the cyber glasses
Being a Cyber Secretary.
I asked my secretary to write up a paragraph about what it is like to be a cyber secretary. This was her response.
Wanted: Cyber School Secretary
Please apply if the following sounds like you:
* You are organized and know how to prioritize
* You will pay bills, order supplies, know what a "dongle" is, be efficient in word processing, MAT software, networking, database maintenance, WebCT, Excel and web pages.
* You will be able to operate a soft phone and a video phone.
* You will download, upload, and deal with a stressful workload.
* You will send over 100 e-mails a day, and file every e-mail that you send electronically. You will print off every registration you receive and file those hard copies, as well as file them electronically. You will deal with 1600 plus student per year and send a minimum of three e-mails to most of those students before they are even placed in their course request (did I mention you do that alone, there isn't another secretary?) You will file all marks electronically and send them to Sask Learning.
* You will be accurate in all data entries despite constant interruptions.
* You will know how to fix your computer when a problem arises.
* You will check, re-check, and re-check again.
* You will, at all times, know exactly how many students are in a particular class.
* You will constantly adjust to changes.
* You will know how to fix a student's computer when it isn't working for them.
* You will know where 20 plus staff members are at all times as they come and go throughout the workday.
* You will work well with others and you WILL smile.
My only fear is that she will leave and then we all know when the boss (secretary) leaves the place falls apart. So, don't really apply because she is not allowed to quit.
June 1, 2004
Website may catch, deter plagiarized work.
Although the Internet has been an easy source for collegiate plagiarism, it is now the remedy as well.
Daily Nexus Online :: Website May Catch, Deter Plagiarized Work
Internet takes blame for increase in cheating.
The number of students found guilty of academic misconduct is on the rise despite UCSB's efforts to end plagiarism
Daily Nexus Online :: Internet Takes Blame for Increase in Cheating
Experience-Enabling Design: An approach to elearning design.
This paper draws inspiration from diverse media to understand what constitutes experience. In doing so, it seeks directions for building experience into design of elearning products.
It is an interesting read.
elearningpost: Experience-Enabling Design: An approach to elearning design
Less is More: Designing an online course.
Faculty workload in the online environment is a commonly identified focus of concern among participating and non-participating faculty alike. Of particular concern is the possibility that teaching online courses may sentence instructors to become the slaves of their course e-mail, threaded discussions, or chats. The emphasis of this article by an experienced online instructor is on balancing structure and openness in the design and management of online courses to promote a positive experience for both students and teachers.
Less is more: Designing an online course
Blended delivery creates effective courses
The hype surrounding e-learning as the sole training method has passed as organizations realise the solution is in a blended mix of course delivery.
According to Pathlore director sales and services David Hobbs, e-learning will not replace existing education methods.
Some organizations forget the value of classroom training in their bid to reduce the cost of their training offerings, he said, adding that both online and classroom techniques should be used, a system known as blended learning, to carry out training.
Computerworld | Blended delivery creates effective courses
