November 2004
November 30, 2004
New addition to the Blog
In my other life I remove my cyber glasses and pick up a paint brush. I taught high school art for almost fifteen years during which time I painted. My online art gallery is called SaskGallery. I have decided to display an array of my art work in the top right hand corner of the blog to add some colour to the design. I hope you enjoy.
If there is a image there you would like to use in your web design, just drop me a note at dcannell@scs.sk.ca and I will let you use it. Open-Source Artwork the wave of the future.
Darren Cannell's online art.....SaskGallery
WWW.STUPID.CA
The Ontario government is launching an innovative multi-media campaign to prevent smoking among youth as part of its comprehensive tobacco control strategy, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman said today.
"Our government is committed to implementing an aggressive plan to reduce smoking - the number one preventable killer in this province," said Smitherman. "A key part of this plan is an anti-smoking campaign created by
youth, for youth. I'm thrilled to announce that we're fulfilling this important commitment."
The campaign specifically targets young people, a group most at risk of starting to smoke.
November 29, 2004
Social Computing Portal
The Social Computing Portal serves as a resource to assist you in gaining knowledge around the concepts of social computing
Gamers Portal
The Gamers Portal serves as a resource to assist you in gaining knowledge around the concepts of games and sims
November 28, 2004
Education Entrance E-portfolios a good thing?
If an educational institution requested an e-portfolio as part of your admission application would this be a good request for the institute? Would this be a good thing for the applicant?
For an institution to find value in the exercise of asking for e-portfolio as an entrance requirement they will need to give an example of what they would like included in said e-portfolio. Without clarification the e-portfolio would be too varied to be of any use. These varied e-portfolios might give an insight into an applicant's personality but not necessarily into the skills required to be a good fit or the institution's program. If the admissions department view e-portfolio as a resume on steroids then the contents could be dictated by the resume standards. These standards might not have been what an applicants would have included in their e-portfolio. But if an e-portfolio is going to replace the resume then it should be a resume with examples to better explain each of the applicants' achievements. It would include profession experience, employment history, education, certification, publications, interests, relevant experience, community involvement and technical highlights. Under each of the heading would be the resume standard point form entries, but will also include items to support and further explain the point form entry. The easiest one to explain how this might be done is the publications heading and how rather then just including the titles of your published works you would also include the work. In theory what this should supply a more in depth view of an applicant. However, to achieve this more in-depth view will require more time on behalf of the viewer. It would be like having to read the novel rather then the Reader's Digest Version.
For the applicant, this type of e-portfolio would be an even greater challenge than putting together a good resume. The challenge would be to try to figure out what to include and what not to include. An e-portfolio would have less restrains because it would be a significantly large collection of information. But just having the ability to include the material will not make it any easier to put together a good one. Businesses will start to spring up as they have with resumes, which will assist and educated people on how to put together a good e-portfolio. In time standards in what to include for an educational e-portfolio will emerge. Until the standards are set, Athabasca will have to explain what they would like to have included in turn making sure the educational entrance e-portfolios will be of value.
Does m-learning have a future in distance education?
Two factors will dictate the future of m-learning in distance education. These two factors are hardware and connectivity. Currently the hardware available for m-learning has limitations for the end users (students). These limitations are the number of different types of available devices. Each with a different type of limitation, for example the three inch screen devices (hand held devices) are too small while the laptops are less mobile. These devices also cause issues for the developer. The future device or devices will have to be able to display the successful distance education courses that have already been designed without having to reformat a course for each type of device. The future will create a device which will have the portability of the handheld and the power of the laptop and be able to display the already created material. The cost of this device will also be a factor in the possibility of m-learning being a part of future distance education.
The providers who are responsible for the connectivity of the future m-learning devices will play a major role in the success of m-learning. If they see the m-learning device market as frill market and the cost for this service continues to be high then the chances of m-learning being success will be slim. Size of a country and how much money they have already spent on their communication structure will be a factor in how willing and quickly they will be able to create an all encompassing wireless network. Such a network is the second factor which will determine the future success of m-learning. If the provider has already spent a large amount of money on the wired network in the country, then they will lack the willingness to quickly introduce a new replacement system especially if the country is large. For this reason some of the small less technologically advanced countries will be able skip the wired infrastructure and go directly to the wireless system. What will result is m-learning having a great chance at success in said countries.
As seen through my cyber glasses; m-learning will be a part of the future if the appropriate cheap flexible hardware is available to be used on the universal connectivity.
November 25, 2004
Why TV Will Never Be the Same
Digital technologies mean more than just sharper pictures. Here's a look at three major trends they'll make possible
Why TV Will Never Be the Same
Faculty Development and Learning Object Technology: Bridging the Gap
The following paper begins with a story, the story of a lived experience that illustrates the mismatch between faculty and technology experts' understandings of learning object technology. It then takes a look at faculty perspectives, to show that moving from the traditional approach in content creation to developing learning objects requires a paradigm shift for faculty content developers. Recognizing the changes that faculty face, and understanding their insights regarding new learning technologies, gives faculty support staff an opportunity to "put on" the faculty perspective. This "putting on" activity provides technical support staff with the mental models necessary to support faculty in "bridging the gap" between traditional content development activities and the creation and development of learning object technologies.
Teaching with Technology Today, Vol. 10 No. 4
Strategic Recommendations to Develop e-Learning Projects
Trainers Training and Evaluation are essential factors in an e-learning project, although they are not often considered as such. This article presents some key recommendations to develop a good e-learning project.
Hi-tech answer to student cheats
Measures to help detect cheating students are being demonstrated at a conference in Newcastle.
A survey of around 350 undergraduates found nearly 25% had copied text from another source at least once.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Tyne/Wear | Hi-tech answer to student cheats
LMS: The wrong place to start learning (TWO)
It's going to be difficult to get rid of this fixation with LMSs. I was in a client meet this week and found to my horror that they had already purchased a LMS even before any formal strategy was discussed. This shows the level of ignorance of the field. Here's something every decision maker should note:
November 24, 2004
Using LMS as Learning Communities
The Saskatoon Catholic School System has been a frontier in the development of education in the cyber world.
In the past, various teachers in the division have created subject curriculums online and ultimately taught these subjects as accredited courses. Having the opportunity to learn online as part of the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School has been very beneficial to the 3400 students who have taken courses in the past 4 years.
The Cyber School has recently launched its first set of elementary lessons and resources based on technology for grades 4 & 5 as well as math resources for grades 7 and 8. These resources have been widely accepted throughout the school division.
Cyber School has further advanced its contributions to the education system by developing and launching "Online Teacher Learning Communities". These 'Learning Communities' serve as a collection of useful resources for grade levels from kindergarten to grade 12 and encompass all subjects; from Physical Education to Aboriginal/First Nations Education. The resources are for both online uses as well as printable copies for classroom use.
The Learning Communities are housed in the Web CT secure platform. Teachers log into their respective Learning Community. Once logged into the community teachers have access to e-mail, chat rooms and bulletin boards. Teachers are then able to communicate with other colleagues who teach at the same level. Not only are teachers able to communicate and collaborate but they also have the opportunity to use any unit or resource found in the Learning Community.
Teachers are able to send their own curricular units or resources to Cyber School where they are inserted into the proper Learning Community by grade and subject. These units are then open for use by anyone registered in the Learning Community.
The Learning Communities are a part of the future in Education and the way in which teachers will communicate and collaborate with other professionals on a larger scale.
Future possibilities for the Learning Communities involve of the following:
Resources for parents
Resources for students
Partnerships with other school divisions' province wide and potentially worldwide.
Development of First Nations elementary kits which will include: Cree Language lessons, art projects and crafts
Connecting with First Nations communities throughout the province to share different cultures, spirituality and educational resources. This area will provide equal opportunities for all students in the Saskatchewan Educational System
Once launched, the Learning Communities will serve to break the cultural, spiritual, and spatial barriers that are presently straining our society.
Newspapers Should Really Worry
Publishers of newspapers and magazines like to corral readers when they're young. If you can shape kids' info-seeking habits when they're in their teens or twenties, so the thinking goes, you'll nab them for life.
Because brand loyalty isn't just about offering the best product for the best price, as it is with, say, minivans or socket wrenches. It's also about image: Are you a New York Times guy or a Washington Post aficionado? Do you read The Wall Street Journal, The Economist or Fortune? Do you subscribe to Newsweek or Time? Is Wired more than the way you feel after a double espresso at Starbucks? Your choice says a lot about you.
Wired News: Newspapers Should Really Worry
Security officials to spy on chat rooms
The CIA is quietly funding federal research into surveillance of Internet chat rooms as part of an effort to identify possible terrorists, CNET News.com has learned.
Security officials to spy on chat rooms | CNET News.com
Making a bee line to being a telecom provider
Canadian start-up BeeTelecom, whose software lets anyone become a small-scale Internet provider, says it's close to letting people create their own miniature phone networks as well.
Making a bee line to being a telecom provider | CNET News.com
New browser wins over net surfers
The proportion of surfers using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped to below 90%, say web analysts.
Net traffic monitor, OneStat.com, has reported that the open-source browser Firefox 1.0, released on 9 November, seems to be drawing users away from IE.
BBC NEWS | Technology | New browser wins over net surfers
November 23, 2004
Open Source on the Other Hand
I like open source. I think it's come a long way towards building corporate applications. I think the idea of distributed development is just fundamentally neat.
Asymmetrical Information: Open Source on the Other Hand
The Greatest Canadian
This is one of the neatest website designs I have ever had the pleasure of surfing. Check it out I am sure you will agree.
CBC.ca - The Greatest Canadian - Canucktions
Ladder of Participation now available online
One of the most powerful models for thinking about how much influence people have in public programmes is Sherry Arnstein's Ladder of Participation, developed 25 years ago. Her eight rungs range from Manipulation to Citizen Control. I developed a version for The Guide to Effective Participation, but could never find an online reference for the original. However, it is now available in full as web pages and downloads.
Designing for Civil Society: Ladder of Participation now available online
Ten Technologies That Are Going To Change The Way We Learn
Search technologies
Data visualization tools
Blogs - Direct publishing and content aggregation tools
Audio and video - increased use of audio and video as communication channels for small publishers
RSS - content syndication, aggregation, re-use
P2P - private and public file sharing networks
Unlimited storage - on the desktop and online
Unlimited bandwidth - Wifi - WiMax
Real Time Collaboration Tools
Collective and Collaborative Filtering - human spontaneous cooperative technology like del.icio.us and FURL
Ten Technologies That Are Going To Change The Way We Learn - Robin Good's Latest News
November 22, 2004
Is Open Source a form of Computer snobbery?
I have been following the open source movement for a couple of years, about the same time as I started to be called a geek. Why is it that the computer world has made me feel like I should not be able to wear my cyber glasses and my geekdom because I am not right into the open source concept? I do believe that having a community develop software will develop some very unique and useful software. But being a member of that community should be an option not something that has to happen as you get more and more proficient at using computers. Just because I know something about computers does not automatically mean I should like and promote the open source concept. In the scheme of things there is a very small percentage of computer users who would and could add something of value to the Open Source Community. Even with my so called geekdom I am a little stretched to be able to add to the open source community. I am sure I have some ideas that might make a product better. I have even been know to voice some of those opinions. But underneath it all, when I use a product I want it to work and for this I am willing to pay for the effort that was put into it. I want it to install, without me having to tweak and try to convince my computer to accept it. When it is installed, I would like it to be able to know that it will work with the Microsoft environment. Yes, I know Microsoft is a dirty word to open source people but the reality is that 90 percent of the market is theirs.
My time is valuable, yes, I get a kick out of programming, yes, I have ideas on how to make things better, yes, I like problem solving. But when I use a computer for a purpose, the purpose most times does not include trying to make the operating system and programs work.
Open source is an elite society of users who are much more gifted then the general computer user. To be asked to join the society is an honor, not unlike being referred to as a computer geek. I am not against open source what I am against is the people out there who feel it is wrong if you decide to use any operating system or program which is not. Freedom of choice; I choice to use programs that cost me money. My cyber glasses and geekdom are worn with pride and I say no to open source...maybe.
Here comes the analogy:
The modern automobile (computer program) and how its engine works is of little concern to most me an avid auto user. I just want it to work and do what it was designed to do. Automobile mechanics who know how it works do not ask me to help them design the next motor; in fact they don't even ask me what I would like the car to do and they certainly do not look down their noses at me when I refuse to join the society of mechanics. Come to think of it maybe I don't drive enough. Maybe I will go back to school and learn about engines them maybe they will ask me to join. Come to think of it now, I am a little concerned that maybe there is a group of people out there in the car world who don't like Ford and Gm and are designing their own engines. Maybe I have this all wrong, I need to take my cyber glasses off and go check this out...I will get back to you.
Anyways (holding my cyber glasses in my hand I ponder)...maybe I don't know enough about the open source to pass judgments.
Learning Management Systems: The wrong place to start learning
Learning Management Systems (LMS) are often viewed as being the starting point (or critical component) of any elearning or blended learning program. This perspective is valid from a management and control standpoint, but antithetical to the way in which most people learn today.
LMS' like WebCT, Blackboard, and Desire2Learn offer their greatest value to the organization by providing a means to sequence content and create a manageable structure for instructors/administration staff. The "management" aspect of LMS' creates another problem: much like we used to measure "bums in seats" for program success, we now see statistics of "students enrolled in our LMS" and "number of page views by students" as an indication of success/progress. The underlying assumption is that if we just expose students to the content, learning will happen.
elearnspace. Learning Management Systems: The wrong place to start elearning
Quit slamin' the LMS.
My cyber glasses are getting steamed because a lot of people are slamin' the LMS but do not have anything that offers the same features at the same cost. Sure, if I had lots of money and unlimited access to techies, I would custom make my LMS but that is on the other planet. On this one I cannot fly and I cannot afford the luxury of developing a custom made LMS.
After attending the ID conference in Saskatoon and listening to David Jonassen tell us in his key note how much he is against LMS. Then I start reading some articles like the "E-Learning Adventures beyond the LMS" and start to wonder am I missing something. Is something not coming through the lens in my cyber glasses? I have used both, an LMS to teach as well as just the html. The tools that a LMS bring to the table far out weight the constraints that comes with the system. Most people who off the cuff discard the LMS have not taken the time to explore the possibilities. My teams of twenty-two high school developers have not found many things that cannot be done within WebCT. Using a creative approach within the "confines" of WebCT and you will find that most goals are achievable. David Jonassen's approach seems to be creating a system for each course needs. This is a very unrealistic approach, when dealing with restrictive budgets and technical expertise. I would love to be able to send my content expert to team of people who would then create all the tools and management system to be able to create an individualized system for each of the courses we teach. WebCT has become the number one LMS because it is not as restrictive as many people state upon first glance at it. (This was my first impressing but as I delved deeper into it I found it was possible to do most things.) I would challenge anyone who has developed an individualized system to take their course to a WebCT Expert and see if they could import their system into the platform and make it work. My bet is that it would be possible and then you would have the tracking tools and all the other good tools that a LMS offers. And on top of that a student would not be required to learn a new LMS for every course they take.
Reasons for using a LMS
* One system to learn
* Cost
* Gives a structure to the newbies developers of online learning
* Have never found anything we could not do. (within reason and being very creative sometimes)
* Like the tracking tools
My cyber glasses have seen a lot, they have checked out a lot of systems and I still have not seen a replacement for using an LMS. It is easy to criticize an LMS but until you have a viable alternative it is better to use ones creatively to achieve your goals within what is available and what is most commonly used.
Another example of this would be Microsoft as an operating system, it might not be the best system out there and other should continue to try to develop something better but for 80-90 percent of the people using computers it seems to be the solution. With that percentage of the market it is hard to develop software that works on something else. Homegrown is great but it has to work and it has to fit.
No, my cyber glasses were not paid for by Microsoft or WebCT. They were purchased throught experience.
November 20, 2004
E-Learning Adventures Beyond the LMS
Given the marketing muscle behind the major LMS developers and their complete dominance of the e-learning space, it's hardly surprising that many people see an LMS as "the solution" to their future learning needs. But an LMS, as available today, is not a universal solution for a corporation's e-learning problems. In fact, an LMS is often the albatross around the neck of progress in technology-enhanced learning.
Parkin's Lot: E-Learning Adventures Beyond the LMS
E-learning becoming embedded, but more work needed on implementation
More needs to be done on the e-learning front, but at least its moving. A survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel at Development (CIPD) finds that "Five years on and e-learning still remains work in progress. Organisations need to address the implementation of e-learning to ensure they have support from line-managers and to develop a structure that meets the needs of both the organisation and the employees".
Next-Generation Course Management Systems: Beyond Accidental Pedagogy presentation from Educause Conference
For the institution, information technology, and academic programs, costs of purchasing, supporting, and managing course management systems (CMS) are just part of the challenge. A new generation of learners demand interactive and mobile learning while faculty demand seamless supports and functions. This session will describe how the next generation CMS can resolve these challenges.
November 19, 2004
So, these are our students
1. A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he'd found a cat, but it was dead.
"How do you know that the cat was dead?" she asked her pupil.
"Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move," answered the child innocently.
You did WHAT ? ! ?" the teacher exclaimed in surprise.
"You know,"explained the boy, "I leaned over and went 'Pssst!' and it didn't move."
2. A small boy is sent to bed by his father.
Five minutes later....."Da-ad...."
"What?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"
"No, You had your chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
I told you NO! If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad...."
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"
3. An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"
The boy thought it over and said,
"Well, I'll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!'"
4. One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?"
The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug.
"I can't dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room."
A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice:
"The big sissy."
5. It was that time, during the Sunday morning service, for the children's sermon. All the children were invited to come forward.
One little girl was wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat down, the pastor leaned over and said, "That is a very pretty dress. Is it your Easter Dress?"
The little girl replied, directly into the pastor's clip-on microphone, "Yes, and my Mom says it's a bitch to iron."
6 When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year old came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the shower. She said, "Mommy, you are getting fat!"
I replied, "Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy."
"I know," she replied, but what's growing in your butt?"
7 A little boy was doing his math homework. He said to himself,
"Two plus five, that son of a bitch is seven.
Three plus six, that son of a bitch is nine...."
His mother heard what he was saying and gasped, "What are you doing?"
The little boy answered, "I'm doing my math homework, Mom."
"And this is how your teacher taught you to do it?" the mother asked.
"Yes," he answered.
Infuriated, the mother asked the teacher the next day, "What are you
teaching my son in math?"
The teacher replied, "Right now, we are learning addition."
The mother asked, "And are you teaching them to say two plus two, that son of a bitch is four?"
After the teacher stopped laughing, she answered, "What I taught them was,
two plus two, THE SUM OF WHICH, is four."
8. One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little
to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"
The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?"
One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: 'Holy Shit! A talking chicken!'" The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.
9. A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply,
"I'm Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter."er mother told her this was wrong, she must say, "I'm Jane Sugarbrown.
The Vicar spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter?"
She replied, "I thought I was, but mother says I'm not."
10 A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with the boys?"
Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the boys, they're too rough."
The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked,
"If I can find a smooth one, can I play with him?"
11. A little girl goes to the barber shop with her father.
She stands next to the barber chair, while her dad gets his hair cut, eating a snack cake
The barber says to her, "Sweetheart, you're gonna get hair on your
Twinkie."
She says, "Yes, I know, and I'm gonna get boobs too."
Now keep that smile on your face and pass it on to someone else!!
"Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully you will find this to be so".
Marcus Aurelius
Do we want this to happen?
Is this a concern of yours?
Too much information on the net.
November 18, 2004
Students see explosion of information, resources
E-mail. Lecture notes, old exams, grade books and library resources online. Lap-top test taking. Virtual science labs and 3-D modeling. Hybrid classes. Distance learning courses and degree programs.
E-learning for college and high school students is evolving and expanding an electronic education arena that ranges from simple communication to earning a degree.
LubbockOnline.com - Students see explosion of information, resources 11/16/04
The Rise of the Creative Class
ITConversations: New Ideas Through Your Headphones.
This audio is interesting but the site contains many other great conversations.
IT Conversations: Richard Florida - The Rise of the Creative Class
An Educator's Helper: Designing course pages for WebCT
Why not let others learn from my trial and error? For the sake of newbies like I was just a short time ago, here are my own tips & tricks & trial-error discoveries as I taught myself to use WebCT. Hope it helps.
Preparing Course Pages for WebCT
WVNET Online Teaching and Learning Resources
A collection of useful sites dealing with the most important issues related to online learning: learning styles, teaching, community building, accessibility, copyright issues, and comparisons of online course management systems.
This information is focused on WebCT. These tips can help instructors of completely online courses, as well as those that are using WebCT to enhance classroom education. Many of these ideas and concepts are applicable to those who are using other course management systems.
WVNET Online Teaching and Learning Resources
Workshops and Online Resources a great WebCT How to's.
A series of WebCT tutorials from Colorado State University.
November 17, 2004
Theory and Practice of Online Learning
Theory and Practice of Online Learning, edited by Terry Anderson and Fathi Elloumi, is concerned with assisting providers of online education with useful tools to carry out the teaching and learning transactions online.
Theory and Practice of Online Learning
25% of Internet Sites Violate Copyrights of News Articles
The survey discovered that 25 percent of the online sites infringed on the copyrights of news stories.
Among the violators, 41.1 percent of business and economy Internet sites illegally used news content, while 38 percent of online education sites did the same.
The Korea Times : 25% of Internet Sites Violate Copyrights of News Articles
In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic Eye
The Spring Independent School District is equipping 28,000 students with ID badges containing computer chips that are read when the students get on and off school buses. The information is fed automatically by wireless phone to the police and school administrators.
The New York Times > Technology > In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic Eye
November 16, 2004
Conflicting Paradigms in Electronic Portfolio Approaches
There are a variety of strategies for developing electronic portfolios. David Gibson and I outlined two different technological approaches to electronic portfolio development: using generic, off-the-shelf tools (GT) or using customized, online systems (CS). That article presents a series of rubrics to evaluate the electronic portfolio services from the perspective of a variety of criteria covering both approaches. In this paper, I will address the underlying philosophy or conceptual framework that should be considered when selecting a strategy for developing electronic portfolios.
Competing Paradigms in Portfolio Approaches
Using Technology to Support
The link to this site is thanks to the person who commented on the posting before this one...thank you for this and the one above.
Who is pushing for e-portfolios?
After sitting through a two hour Elluminate presentation on e-portfolios I still come away with some miss giving about their value.
After reflection, my question is who is the driving force behind the push for e-portfolios?
It is not business because most employers seeking employees barely have the time to read through resumes never mind a person's complete portfolio.
Education institutions will not be welcoming the e-portfolio as a way of students to acquiring credits for past life experience. It does not fit into the curricullum.
Institutions might use them as an assessment tool, however they normalily see assessment as a method of see what students do not know. To see assessment as a way to give students marks for what they do know would be a major shift in the way things are done. I do not think the educational systems are ready for this.
As a personal collection of ones work for reflection sake, I think it has merit. But then I think the whole file structure I have on my hard drive could be considered my e-portfolio.
E-portfolio conversations usually refer to the sharing of one's work and allowing other to reflect upon it. For years I have been putting my artwork on a site, it began as a method of selling my work but has grown more into an e-portfolio of my artwork. Comments about my art are made through the online guestbook hence the reflection componet of e-portfolio is there. This artwork e-portfolio is a great way for me to share my work, but I also have control over which pieces of my work make it into the gallery. This I consider to be a must to increase my willingness to share my e-portfolio. I do not place everything I paint within the e-portfolio I have control over what makes the grade. E-portfolio must by default give all control over to the user. The user needs to be able to decide what goes into it and who sees it. This control is lost if e-portfolios become less of a personal tool and more of a resume on steroids or as an assessment tool for an educational institution. I am not stating that the last two do not have value, being an educator, any assessment tool other than a final exam excites me and being able to better show my level of expertise for a job is a bonus. On the other hand, I also believe all three of these uses of an e-portfolio need to be dealt with differently and different material added and different access control applied. In other words each person should have three portfolios; a personal, educational and employment portfolio. I have problems keeping my two page resume up to date, as if I going to be able to find the time to keep three e-portfolios.
My overworked tired cyber glasses do not see e-portfolios in my future. But maybe if the tint of the glasses change I might look at e-portfolios again.
Blogs, discussion boards keep kids' interest up
For years, social studies teacher Josh Reppun felt confined by short class periods that brought seminar discussions to an abrupt halt.
"It's like the discussion ends and you never come back to it," the La Pietra Hawai'i School for Girls teacher said.
When he discovered the "Internet classroom assistant" at NiceNet.org, he found not only a way to keep students engaged in thematic discussions after they left the classroom, but also a way to level the playing field between dominant and reticent students.
Blogs, discussion boards keep kids' interest up - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
Slowfood.com
Slow Food, founded in 1986, is an international organization whose aim is to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food and life. Through a variety of initiatives, it pomotes gastronomic culture, develops taste education, conserves agricultural biodiversity and protects traditional foods at risk of extinction.
Watch where you point that camera phone
Just because you can sneak your camera phone into the locker room and take a pic of Bob shaving his back hair doesn't mean it's a good idea.
Watch where you point that camera phone | CNET News.com
How to smash a home computer
An executive who froze his broken hard disk thinking it would be fixed has topped a list of the weirdest computer mishaps.
BBC NEWS | Technology | How to smash a home computer
November 15, 2004
Lists of sites..
Holy Crow there is a pile of links here...check them out.
November 10, 2004
Online presentation using Elluminate
Using the program elluminate was a great experience, (the previous post was about a presentation I had to do) it seems to work very well. It has some limitations, the one that caused a problem was the moving of powerpoint into the whiteboard. The whiteboard application took away all the animation used in the powerpoint. Yes, I realize that we could have application shared to my machine, but it seemed that when we pushed websites or application share that is where the technology tends not to be as strong. You can use the text messaging, you can use the audio, but start to push some of the other applications that elluminate offers and the end users computer speed, connection speed and other factors come into play. It still is one of the best audio conferencing tools I have ever used.
The only other feature that would be nice to have in the package, is the ability to cut off someone who talks too long. As I make this statement, I realize that everyone who were part of that presentation are going to wonder if it was them that talked too long. I had no one in mind when I made this observation, so relax everyone. I just think that moderater status in Elluminate should give you powers to cut someone off.
This is my view of Elluminate through my cyber glasses. You people at elluminate keep refining the product it is a good one and should be around as long as it keeps getting better.
Elluminated Cyber glasses....lol.
November 8, 2004
Online Presentation for Athabasca University. MDDE 663
Today, I am sitting in the lobby of the Westin Mission Hills Resort Villas (Palm Springs area) using my laptop with my new wireless card. I am on vacation but tonite I am going to assist three of my peers in doing a presentation using Elluminate and a couple of other tools. Doing such a presentation on my home connection would be a challenge, today in the lobby on wireless it will be exciting. I am sure all will work out ok, but we will see. The presentation is on social computer and we will be talking about blogs.
I promise to let you all know how it worked...stay tuned.
Sitting with my cyber sunglasses on..and preparing to dazzle.
November 7, 2004
The face that launched a thousand chips.
The face that launched a thousand chips.
Originally uploaded by dcannell.
The New York Times > Movies > A Face That Launched a Thousand Chips
November 6, 2004
Group as User: Flaming and the Design of Social Software
Flaming, an un-designed-for but reliable product of mailing list software, was our first clue to the conflict between the individual and the group in mediated spaces, and the initial responses to it were likewise an early clue about the weakness of the single-user design center.
Shirky: Group as User: Flaming and the Design of Social Software
November 5, 2004
US duo in first spam conviction
A brother and sister in the US have been convicted of sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages to AOL subscribers.
BBC NEWS | Technology | US duo in first spam conviction
E-learning's increasing popularity.
At the height of the dotcom boom, e-learning was tipped as the next big thing in workplace education, with experts predicting that the future was online.
CNN.com - E-learning's increasing popularity - Nov 4, 2004
How To: PowerPoint E-Books
Most teachers have exhausted PowerPoint and are tired of creating the same old slide shows. So what else can you create with PowerPoint software? You can use it to create an interactive PowerPoint e-book! The following lesson plan will teach you step-by-step just how to create a storyboard, interactive hyperlinks, record voice-overs, and develop cooperative group strategies. You can use the lesson plan to create group e-books that your students can use to publish their original stories. The e-books can be published on Web sites or Emailed to parents.
Techlearning > > How To: PowerPoint E-Books > November 1, 2004
The Real Story Behind the Failure of U.K. eUniversity
Despite considerable resources and a lengthy development period given to UKeU, the government announced in February 2004 that the project had failed to meet recruiting targets, and it quickly became clear that the initiative would not survive. Recruitment and marketing have ceased, and negotiations are under way to transfer certain activities and assets to the U.K. higher education sector.
EDUCAUSE Quarterly | Volume 27 Number 4 2004
November 4, 2004
flicktion
I like the way this author thinks...
Like this concept of "flicktion" where you post pictures to flickr and then write a few fictitious paragraphs to go with it. What a great concept, and I'm sure creative writing teachers will think so too. Students take a picture, write the story, post it, have people comment back about it, add to it... Or, have the teacher post the picture and then have students start a collaborative narrative about it, one paragraph at a time. Or...
Weblogg-ed - Using Weblogs and RSS in Education :
The 2004 National Survey of Information Technology in US Higher Education
Begun in 1990, The Campus Computing Project is the largest continuing study of the role of information technology in American higher education. The project's national studies draw on qualitative and quantitative data to help inform faculty, campus administrators, and others interested in the use of information technology in American colleges and universities.
More Professors Teach by Using Other Colleges' Online Courses
John R. Marks, a professor at Zane State College, doesn't have enough spare time to convert his classroom courses to a form that could be delivered online. And the college, a two-year technical institution in Ohio, doesn't have the resources to develop as many online courses as it would like.
So Zane State officials decided to buy a couple of ready-to-deliver online courses from Kirkwood Community College, in Iowa. Now Mr. Marks teaches the courses -- on treatment of wastewater and drinking water -- as if they were his own.
The Chronicle: 10/15/2004: More Professors Teach by Using Other Colleges' Online Courses
November 3, 2004
Wife 1.0 Tech Help
Subject: Tech Support
Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity.
Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Fishing 7.5 and Racing 3.6 no longer run, crashing the system whenever selected. I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!
Thanks, A Troubled User.
Dear Troubled User,
This is a very common problem that men complain about. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its creator to run everything.
It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once installed.
You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed not to allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife 1.0 and work on improving the situation.
I suggest installing the background application 'Yes Dear 6.0' to alleviate application conflicts.
The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGISE, because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGISE command before the system will return to normal anyway.
Wife 1.0 is a great program but tends to be very high maintenance. Improper use will cause the system to launch Nag Nag 9.5. Once this happens, purchase additional software -- Flowers 2.1, Chocolates 3.2.1 and Diamonds 5.0.
Best of luck, Tech Support."
My married cyber glasses see things this way.
November 2, 2004
Time to look for work elsewhere.
This is one of the most shocking things I have read in my years blogging. This decision by an institute of higher learning makes me shake my head. I do not understand the motivation behind their decision. I think on principle alone I would be looking for work elsewhere, because I would be embarassed to have my name attached to a book burning university. This makes my cyber glasses see red!!
incorporated subversion » Difficult
November 1, 2004
Teaching online.
The New Zealand Teacher's Magazine.
