One of the things that annoys me most is when I have to use technology that should be based on open standards but isn’t! A case in point – Microsoft’s Share Point. It’s a web based CMS very tightly tied to the Microsoft browser and Microsoft office products. It’s hard to get anything done unless you are using a PC and Internet Explorer (especially if it’s tied to Active Directory as well). You’d think a web based product would work well with different browsers and different OS’s – well, no it doesn’t!
After being told that our regional workgroup had to report fortnightly via a sharepoint wiki. I decided to to try a variety of different browsers on the Mac (No IE available). All browsers I tried didn’t know what to do with Microsoft’s proprietary text editor (see image below).
Fortunately, there are free, open source browsers like Firefox that allow developers to innovate. And the Firefox extension that came to my rescue was Xihna. It’s FireFox plugin that will allow you to use a portable rich text editor on ‘any’ web form.
The following image shows the Xihna editor in action. You can also choose to pop out the editor into it’s own window!
All of last year I was working with teachers and students to help implement a 1:1 computing environment with netbooks.
Given all of the press around the ‘iPad announcement‘, I’m wondering what are the pro’s and con’s for this device in education? And how does it compare with other portable devices such as netbooks?
Is it a netbook killer? Is it a kindle killer? Is it just a distraction? Is it only a media device with iphone apps and a web browser (is that all we need?) Is it something that would be useful in your classroom?
Obviously, for those schools making good use of mobile devices like ipods, this will be a natural extension as the device has the same operating system as the iPod touch and iPhone. The larger screen will allow for better input – inclucing note taking and a better browsing experience at the very least. And while I’m sure there will be a number of schools that will jump all over this device, I still think it comes up short in a number of areas. I’ll be the first to admit that I wanted a cut down Mac OS X rather than an appliance! I just can’t imagine not being able to multitask with applications. The issue of multitasking can be fixed in software but if the iPhone’s anything to go by, it won’t be happening anytime soon.
Here’s some of my thoughts …
Pro’s
Awesome interface, ipod/iphone users will immediately recognise
Great industrial design
Great ebook reader and media device
Most people who have actually used the iPad rave about it – may be I need to see it and use it!
Very responsive OS with 10 hours battery life
Con’s
no multitasking – one application at a time
no USB port – no memory sticks
no camera
no flash support for websites (come on Apple and Adobe!)
no SD card slot, HDMI port, or video out – without buying adapters
more DRM content
Will I buy one? Probably! Will this be a good device for education. Certainly, as education software will follow this device! But the lack of multitasking and a USB port is a show stopper for me. This product could have been revolutionary. It could have decimated the netbook market. But it still falls short as far as I am concerned. Perhaps I should wait for version 2.0 or 3.0? May be then I can get access to the things that would make this device simply awesome.
For some time I have been meaning to finish my Moodle course about Scratch. It has been on the back burner for at least a year! The course itself is mostly finished but has a few areas which desperately need some attention. I was hoping to finish it and put it on Moodle Commons like I did with the Web2.0 course. But I don’t think that will happen anytime soon
So here it is – unfinished and unpolished – but it may be of some use if you have access to a Moodle server and want to do some learning about Scratch with your students.
Podcast number 3 March 22nd, 2009.
[ICTGUY0903.mp3Running time: 24:52 mins, size: 11.5 MB]
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In term four of 2008 we ran an online professional development course for teachers through Moodle. The aim was simply to be an introduction to the world of web2.0 and how it might impact on the classroom. The course was undertaken over five weeks with the following areas of focus each week.
Blogging
Social bookmarking
RSS and personal homepage tools
Collaborative document creation including wikis
Digital story telling online
In addition we had weekly meetings using the Elluminate conferencing software.
Having benefitted greatly from the opensource community I am offering the course as a download, as a very small way of giving something back. You will need your own Moodle installation, or you can always get a free one at ninehub.com.
I spent number of days at this year’s VITTA conference. The theme was “Shift Happens – Technology alone will not save us!” For those unaware of the Shift Happens viral video, you should look here. There are also lots of supporting materials on the shift happens wiki.
Two of the opening keynotes presentations were focused on the role and impact games can have on education. Derek Robertson from Scotland gave a excellent keynote on day two titled ‘The Future of Gaming’. He discussed the ways in which he is investigating and researching the use of COTS or ‘commercial off the shelf games’ in education. In Scotland, they believe this area to be so important they actually have what they call a ‘consolarium’ to investigate game use in education. Derek’s blog is one I’ll be following in the future. Some of the work and a 48 page research paper can be found here.
Some the games Derek used were:
And another one suggested by the attendees Quest Atlantis
What was most interesting about his work, was the way the teachers he worked with used ‘games as a contextual hub’ for the learning. So the games were not an ‘add on’, or a reward, but were integral to the learning. More on this later, when we hope to get Derek to discuss this on the Ed Tech Crew.
Andrew Owen did the keynote on the third day and continued the theme of using games in the classroom. His keynote was titled ‘Games: Not the Educational Tool of Tomorrow, the Educational Tool of Today‘. He did an excellent job explaining how he used games to engage students in their learning. Many of the games he used were new to me. They included:
He also discussed the ‘Step It Up‘ program that he runs for work experience students. This is where students come into the workplace and work in teams all week to produce a game. The focus is on learning new skills, teamwork and producing something of value (not your usual making the coffee and getting the smoko type of work experience!)
Now all I need to do is to find some time to play some of these games – for research purposes of course!
I have been attending the 2008 VITTA conference this week and have been using “Cover It Live” to live blog the keynotes. If you are interested, check out the ‘live page’ here. The keynotes have been excellent!
The most useful part about ‘Cover It Live’ is the all of the ideas, links, comments and resources you receive from other participants contributing to the conversation. More on the conference later …
A week ago on the Ed Tech Crew Podcast we came across a presentation format called Pecha Kucha, which is basically 20 slides, times 20 seconds for each slide. So you end up doing a short, and hopefully impacting presentation, in around six minutes.
This is a very interesting format that would be interesting to use with students. The combination of clear oral communication, some precise limited text, and visuals, makes this a good medium for students to communicate an idea(s), be persuasive, or make a stand on an issue in a passionate way.
While going through my delicious network tonight, I came across a link from Hey Jude that lead to me a page of educational videos where I found Chris Lehmann’s pecha kucha presentation on School 2.0. I have actually read some Chris’ blogposts on this podcast. This is a great short video of Chris in action!
Virtualbox.org has just recently posted version 2.0 of it’s virtualisation software!
For quite some time now I have been using Virtual Box, a free opensource alternative to virtualisation from Sun Microsystems who also contribute heavily to Open Office. Virtual box is available for Mac, Windows and Linux.
I am also the owner of some other virtualisation software solutions for the Mac. I have paid for copies of both Parallels and VM Ware. However, I have found myself increasingly using the open source solution. It may not be quite as a polished or integrated as the other solutions, but coupled with open source operating systems (Ubuntu, Gos, OLPC and others) it gives you the flexibity to try different OS’s and software services, and also to pass them on to others. What’s even better is that you can try out open source alternatives for free, on your windows machines without having to partion disks, dual boot etc … just before you make the switch BTW it also runs Windows XP at very, very acceptable speeds!
A couple of days ago the MathTrain sent through a link about an application called Uuorld (don’t ask me how to pronounce it!) This application reminded me of one of my favourite Ted Talks by Hans Rosling where he brings vital global data to life through a series of visualisations.
Well, Uuorld turns out to be a great application for visualising data with students and adults. Once downloaded, you can choose from a variety of ‘data sets’ and then choose which countries (or the world) and the time frame for visualising the data. There are a large variety of ‘data sets’ made available through the application. At this stage you can’t import data but the future for these sorts of tools, in encouraging higher order thinking, looks good!
In additional to taking a still image of your data, you can also export your visualisation in a number of different video formats. They have versions for Mac, Windows & Linux.
I don’t often mention my other podcast ‘The Ed Tech Crew” on this blog. However, in the past week Tony and I have been fortunate enough to have interviewed Will Richardson from weblogg-ed.com. Will is one of the earliest educational bloggers that I know of, and has been pioneering learning in online spaces. He is very articulate and passionate about working with students online. If you have the time, I strongly recommend a listen. Also check out his ‘Powerful Learning Practice‘ network site. Enjoy!
The 2008 ICTEV conference is on this Saturday with a whole variety of different ICT sessions taking place. I am fortunate enough to be taking a 2 hour session on using Scratch in the classroom. Scratch is free software for developing programmable multimedia from the ‘Life Long Kindergarten’ group at MIT. Think of it like ‘Logo’ for ‘web 2.0′ but much more graphical and much more fun!
“When students create Scratch projects, they learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design.” http://scratch.mit.edu/about
What makes Scratch so successful is that it has a low entry point and high ceiling for learners, it is constructivist and constructionist by nature – students learn by doing, building, playing, constructing, modifying and debugging. With Scratch students create interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art.
I am very much looking forward to working with teachers who are considering using Scratch in their classroom. My presentation notes for “Scratch in the Classroom” are below.
The podcast I do with Tony Richards called the EdTechCrew needs your help. We have constructed a survey about software use and we need you to help fill it in. It is very short, easy to do and completely confidential – please take the time to check it out: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=l7yJs0sT6kHDRS8NtBBEuw_3d_3d
If you feel the need, please send the link to the survey to your friends to get them involved as well. We are hoping to get a good sample size and share the results on the Ed Tech Crew podcast.
Thanks
I recently wrote a post about videos to use as discussion starters for professional development when working with teachers, and particularly those that highlight the need for 21st century learning skills. So this morning via the twitter network Clay pointed out the video below which I’ll also be adding to the collection. The video was created by Matthew Needleman.
Heyjude pointed out that commoncraft have another great video explaining how twitter works. While I’m new to twitter and still coming to terms with the nuances of the world of ‘microblogging/text messaging‘ via the web, it seems to have some useful applications for education. I personally find it very useful for the ’synchronous stuff’ – someone puts out a tweet and says “Edtech live in 5 minutes” and gives the URL, or “I’m doing staff PD can some drop by and conference with us”, or “I’m trying this web app can you help at this URL?” In the past week I have conferenced with a school in Melbourne, tried out tokbox and skyped with someone who has won an EE PC. It’s also great for networking with other educators and following their links, blogposts and thoughts but you may get sick of the inane tweets like “Just going to walk the dog …” and “Having a lovely tea at home …”
Tony, my partner in crime from the from the Ed Tech Crew is currently experimenting with his ‘5 by 5 rule’, where he picks one person and then adds 5 people from their network. Each time someone adds him to their network he adds five people from their network. He’s currently following 247 people with 65 following him. I’ll be interested to hear about his experiences! It seems that proper twitter etiquette is to add someone to your network when you’ve been added to theirs. Anyway, enjoy the video. I’m the ictguy on twitter (of course!)
I will update with a non-youtube video when it becomes available – sorry to all Victorian schools!
Here is the flyer I recently sent to all principals regarding three professional learning programs that will be running in the ‘Sunraysia Mallee Schools Network’ in term 2.
Online Curriculum using Moodle
Exploring curriculum delivery in an online environment using a ‘Learning Management System’.
Interactive Whiteboard Learning Team
Exploring the use of IWB’s in the classroom and to develop a network of skilled IWB teachers.
New Tools & New Media
Exploring online tools in the classroom.
I just came across a new technology call iPaper which looks really promising. It basically takes a large range of documents and converts them into the Adobe Flash format. This means that it will basically work on 95% of all web-browsers. So if you want to publish or share a document, you no longer have to make it available as an external download, you can embed it right into the page. The iPaper has a number of document controls which allow you to zoom, select, search etc. You can watch the demo here.
Update: It seems the the embedded ipaper kept crashing the Internet Explorer web browser so I have removed it. Although it might serve as another good reason to use Firefox
I thought it might be useful to post some of my favourite Internet videos on ‘Educational Change‘. With a new year started, we have four new coaches working in our district and many schools looking at trying to get teachers moving with ICT. Hopefully, some of these videos can be used at staff meetings and professional learning opportunities to start rich discussions and conversations about learning in the 21st century.
This is another great video from the folks at commoncraft. They’ve explained wikis and social networking in ‘Plain English‘ and now you can watch their take on blogs. Enjoy
All of last year I was working with teachers and students to help implement a 1:1 computing environment with netbooks.
In term four of 2008 we ran an online professional development course for teachers through Moodle. The aim was simply to be an introduction to the world of web2.0 and how it might impact on the classroom. The course was undertaken over five weeks with the following areas of focus each week.
BTW it also runs Windows XP at very, very acceptable speeds!
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