Constant Learning Org

First Day Review ala Speed Dating

2012-01-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Creative Commons Licensed Work by MikeCrane83
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

My friend Roy just shared an opening day exercise with learners in the second course of a two-course sequence, based on the speed dating model. He said most of the students already knew each other from the other class and he wanted them to review some material as they entered the second term.

So he had them pair off, then gave them a question to discuss for three minutes. After the first three minutes, one of the pair would move on to discuss the next question with another person. He used 8 questions this time out, and said students asked to do that activity again.

The move and talk model not only keeps the interest going. His take was students were not only teaching each other and uncoving misconceptions, but "switching-up voices" provided another way of explaining the concept, possibly making it more clear than an earlier explanation.

Thanks, Roy! I love that you keep sharing these energizing practices.

Jan. Apple Announcements: The "Digitization of Education"

2012-01-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

Between 8 and 9 am yesterday, a colleague wrote to me w/ the link to the live announcements Apple was making in NYC about their new interactive book and authoring products, asking if I was tuned in to the event. The channels have been on fire with remarks, including my email response to her:

I spent some time looking at the IBookstore and IBookAuthor and the Twitter counter from the creator (earlier Apple Engineer) of Push Pop Press, http://pushpoppress.com/ourchoice/, which Facebook bought earlier
this year, saying Apple's product looks likes his re-branded.

I loved the products and still can't help but think about the competition between good inventions and intentions with market share (vendor bondage). This continues to raise the question of technology and privilege.

On the positive side, I've been watching custom publishing since the around nineteen ninety and also think about how we tried to get publishers working with CCCOnline to consider books as only one of their digital assets. And now the devices have added a twist once again.

Last, I intend to carefully read Apple rights to the books created with IAuthor. I'm not clear on that yet.

Great Post: "Learning a New Language 140 Characters at a Time"

2011-11-21T11:07:00.001-08:00

What a fabulous way to engage language learners in a language class. The students were asked to find and follow a person on Twitter who writes in the language being studied.
The student is not only stretched to learn more language to understand the tweets, but has a personal, real-life context.

http://hastac.org/blogs/coryduclos/2011/11/10/learning-new-language-140-characters-time

The Inaugaral Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture

2011-10-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

There have been two occasions for viewing media in the middle of the night. The first was during Desert Storm, when I hoped to catch a glimpse of my brother during the war coverage, and the other was early this am, to witness the meeting of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Reverend Archbishop Tutu, two Nobel Peace Prize awardees (Tutu in 1984, the Dalai in 1898).

What an opportunity to see how the digital world overcomes distance and circumstance to unite people. While the Dalai Lama was denied a visa to visit South Africa on the event of his friend Desmond Tutu's birtday, the two were able to dialogue across the world in Google Plus. My Tweet posts on this event are at the right side of this blog.

Like many, I felt so fortunate to "attend". LOL. Even though it meant getting up at 2 am.

Wonderful Video on Multimedia and Brain Rules

2011-09-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Tricia Rand presented at Colorado Mountain College's Faculty Day on Sat. both as the keynote and a workshop provider.

Look at this wonderful video she made to illustrate use of media for effective learning:

Pamela Call Recorder, Powergamo Choices for Skype Interviews

2011-08-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Had an interview scheduled today using Skype to phone. We hoped to save the files to .wav for editing in Audacity. I looked at ProGamo, though I had used a free version of Pamela before.

I downloaded the basic version of Powergamo and soon learned that it would not allow an export of Skype to phone on the free version. So I downloaded the Professional version to find out I now needed to register (purchase) it. I wasn't keen on paying $34 for a license I might use once, so I went over to Pamela.

Pamela cost about $20 for a version that allows exports that does not limit the recording time. (The free version does allow 15 minute recordings).

The screen information did say it was not available for Mac though (I was on my PC.) Skype automatically records to MP3, though you can set options to other file types, which we did (.wav). I did have to pay a few cents per minute to call from Skype to the phone.

So we proceeded. I called her phone to phone to review the script at no cost. We then went to Skype to phone and recorded.

Glad to know we have that part of the work in the bag--now it's in the editor's hands. What was so great about this interview was the expertise shared by the guest which will definitely add a practioner's viewpoint to the theory.

While you may be asking why we both weren't on Skype, this is just to say we were not, and I appreciated the guests time, however we might connect and benefit from this exchange.

2011-08-22T19:04:00.001-07:00

Cathy Davidson's video on "attention deficit" has been making the rounds. She states that in cases where people are asked to pay attention to certain things, they may miss other items in the same evironment. The extension to the digital age? Even with focus, we may miss things. Having the ability to focus is a needed skill. Additionally, having archived media lets us review events for what we may have missed.

Education as a Workforce Sector and Its Competitive Idea

2011-07-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

This slideshare showed up in Twitter today, shared by Jane's colleague Jay Cross (http://internettime.com). It's Jane Hart's presentation to an education conference in South Africa.

I am a big Jane Hart and Internet Time Alliance fan. Their work makes so much sense, and I'm using two of their books in a grad course I currently teach. I've also joined Jane's list of professionals in the field--which brings me to a point. When you sign up at her site, she asks that educators sign onto one list, and Learning and Development Professionals (non-educational practioners, the dark side, for profit, business...). I have puzzled over this some as I work on both sides, but the real reason for the puzzlement is that education (pre-service, higher-ed, P - 20) are all members of a broad workforce sector, one who also sends future employees into the world.

If our current time is the "Conceptual Age" (See Dan Pink's Work: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain.html), and our competitive edge is the use of ideas to provide the best that can be had, then education's preparation of learners who go forth in the 21st Century is the Competitive Idea. For this reason, I am glad to see that she presented to this venue.

SchoolNetSA Opening Keynote

View more presentations from Jane Hart

Organizational Trust and Social Media for Work

2011-07-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Criticality of Trust
As we continue exploration of new work, collaboration, and the technologies that develop these practices, our course reading in the Working Smarter Fieldbook 2011 emphasizes the importance of trust relationships--"competence trust" and "compliance trust" (p. 278). The foundation for collaboration is trust, foundational to the use of the tools. These types of trust display themselves in how top leaders support and expect middle managers to allow the use of social media tools by work groups, and the empowerment of several levels of an organization to manage or create content in the social-media environments. A condition of social media investment in an organization should also be justified by the results produced. (This summary is drawn from pp. 277 - 282).

Tools the Authors Share for Various Collaborative Purposes. These are the exact titles of the rich categories most certainly worth exploring (pp. 284 - 291).

Brainstorming
Mind Mapping
Collaborative Authoring
Collaborative Reviewing
Collaborative Reflection
Collaborative Commenting
Collaborative Annotation
Group Project Management
Collaborative Course Design and Development
Collaborative Learning

About Blogs
Tasks for this week are to create a blog and a wiki. I had used Blogger, explored Typepad, and returned to Posterous, thinking is would be the easiest of all. After mucking around in Posterous, I returned to my oldest choice, Blogger to write remarks for the class.

Aspects I like about Blogger: I can post to it from email, can quite easily embed video and photos in it, and easily push a post out to Twitter. I also like that the admin can add up to 100 authorized contributers. This makes it easy to share the voices that can contribute posts.

One of the drawbacks I have experienced when we moved Blogger onto a server at work was that we could only import the old templates, and not the new ones which allow the user to add a lot of widgets.
Perhaps this has changed.

An interesting blog article that showed up in Twitter this week was "Secrets of Bloggerhood" The post mentions a key component of popularity: exclusion. What does this negative word choice have to do with attracting readers to a blog? Good blog practices can capitalize on a synonym: selectivity of audience and selectivity of content for that audience.

About Wikis:
As for group work, the author for this section offers these insights: "...collaboration is the secret sauce of innovation....Conceptual work is inherently collaborative"(p. 314)

The description of wiki as a "group-editable website" and Google docs as "page-at-a-time wiki"(p. 315) are very helpful.

I am familiar with PBwiki, wikispaces, and wikimedia. Personally, I found PBwiki easiest to use a collaborative tool to support a face-to-face professional development event for adult educators:
http://chiresources.pbworks.com/w/page/15802021/FrontPage.

The Wiki Matrix site helps you compare various features of wiki products and services:

The Data Elephant on the Table

2011-07-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been working on two evaluation reports for the past two weeks. These involve examining evidence that supports goals set by the grants awarded for educational innovation. The agency does say that whether the innovation succeeds or does not succeed, that partners should capture the data because it can save others steps if they implement something similar at a future time.

What has come to my attention is the unease at questions raised as participants look at their data. The questions raised by examining their data are valuable ones and offer the opportunity for improvement of their project in process.

In thinking about the reaction, it seems to come from the usual experience of being required to submit data for compliance, for agencies who provide funding, with the concern that anything the falls short of the named goal will result in some sort of penalty.

Many Ways to Learn: 3 New Roles for Learning Professionals Driven by Web 2.0 #LCBQ

2011-07-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

I've added this blog to my subcriptions in Google Reader. This particular post names three category of activity for Learning and Development Professionals: Personal Knowledge Manager, Content Curator, and Community Manager. The last two categories are particularly pertinent as we explore blogs and wikis in the context of social learning for the 21st Century Training Technologies Class.

Many Ways to Learn: 3 New Roles for Learning Professionals Driven by Web 2.0 #LCBQ

social media policies - Twitter Search

2011-06-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Having a social-media policy is a recommended practice according to Jane Hart in the Social Learning Handbook. Click here to view the multitude of posts from a Twitter search on that very subject social media policies - Twitter Search. Yes some are retweets, but click through and you'll see there is a range of posts.

Free Music for Videos: Remember How it Started? by Dano

2011-05-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Saw this tweet today about Dan-O Royalty Free Music. There is a wide selection to draw from.

View it here:
Free Music for Videos: Remember How it Started? by Dano

Here's how to credit use of his files: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks, Dan O'Connor.

Request for L and D Learning Professionals as Guest Discussants

2011-05-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am planning a grad level course to be offered this summer for Learning and Development professionals, titled 21st Century Training Technologies. The course emphases are the use of social media and social learning as complements to formal training and performance support. If you are a L and D person in the field helping companies move to such practices and would be willing to be an online or real-time discussant during the week of August 8th, would you please contact me?

There is no budget for guest discussants--thought I should share that up front. I do know there are many generous people out there...

Thanks so much,

Alice Bedard-Voorhees, PhD
The Constant Learning Organization
Twitter: ConstantLearn

The History of Jazz - a Media-Rich App on a Timeline

2011-03-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to know more about jazz and found some enthusiastic posts about the History of Jazz app on Ipad. Here it is. I bought it and as an informal learner, I'm loving it. If you were teaching a course in the history of jazz, how would you use it?

On the more analytical side, I hope these companies consider other ways to offer such wonderful resources. We are back to digital divide issues, if they don't, and that is a potential learning barrier.

TED ED Invites You to the Revolution

2011-03-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

At a workplace in the nineties, I used to have a tagline that said "Here for the revolution." Somewhere I drifted over to the thought that change in education would be evolutionary, that people had to move along a continuum to really change the model. Well, it just has not been happening at the pace we need.

And beyond the political news, there is once again talk of the revolution with TED's creation of an educational community. So, I'm back. Watch the video and consider the opportunity to contribute to the TED ED BrainTrust: http://blog.ted.com/2011/03/01/join-the-ted-ed-brain-trust/

2011 Horizon-Report Video

2011-02-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

NMC and Educause's Horizon Report is out. This 3:26 minute video presents the major tech trends for Higher Ed within a 1 - 5 year adoption timeline:

0-1: Mobile Devices and E-Books
2-3: Game Based Learning and Augmented Reality
4-5: Gesture-Based Computing and Learning Analytics

You can also download the pdf version here: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Horizon-Report.pdf

The Why and How-To of Twitter Lists

2011-01-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to become more familiar with the capacities of various tools.

Here's a good post on why use Twitter lists. This post not only provides some good reasons for creating lists, but adds detail for use once the list is established (like how to add additional Twitter Users after you've established the list: http://slymarketing.com/how-create-twitter-list

Here's a four minute video tutorial as well:

Great Timeline of Social Media from Online Schools

2011-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

Via: Online Schools

21st Teaching

2010-11-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to see references coming out about 21st Century Teaching. As much as educators may know about the 21st learning skills, integrating them into course experience is another.

I will start here with a couple brief references because this topic will undoubtedly warrent

Critical Thinking Video

2010-10-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

The ability to questions sources and claims is truly a key requirement in all ages, and remains so in the information age. This video defines critical thinking and makes the case nicely:

How Are We Doing? Evaluating Technology-Based Practices in Our Courses

2010-10-13T17:29:00.001-07:00

This slideshow is adapted from one initially prepared for the City University of Hong Kong. A few slides were added to
define e-learning and it's part in 21st Century Learning.

How Are We Doing? Evaluating Technology-Based Practices in Our Courses

View more presentations from ConstantLearning.

Towards US Online Quality Assurance: What are the Policy Issues?

2010-10-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Just returned from two presentations in Hong Kong about models for developing and evaluating quality e-learning to see the US College Presidents Forum at Excelsior College, a meeting to discuss state policy barriers to a U.S. Quality Assurance System for online learning.

While all accrediting regions have adopted WICHE/WCET's Best Practices for the Delivery of Online Degrees and Programs, the way they play out vary.

This 2005 sampling presents how state policies express the implementation of the WICHE/WCET standards. Montana's appear to be the most explicit. In reviewing these sites for updates, some of these links are no longer available (like MT, for example). If you have updates you would like to share in email, that would be most appreciated.

Examples of States within a defined Accreditation Region

Accrediting Region

State Policy Incorporating WICHE-WCET/ CHEA DE Practices at State Higher Education Policy Level

Expressed State Policy Elements Responsive to WICHE-WCET/WICHE Standards

CO, MN, OH

North Central (NCA)

Montana (1999): http://www.montana.edu/wochelp/borpol/bor300/3037. Htm.

All WICHE/WICHE Standards are expressed in the Faculty and Course Management and Support sections under IV. Standards and Conditions, Policy 303.7, Delivery of Instruction via Telecommunication.

TX/FL/KY

Southern (SACS)

Kentucky (1998): http://www.kyvu.org/kyvu/additional-info.asp#guiding

As directly quoted from Kentucky’s site (1998,“Guiding Principles”):

Implement the vision, goals, and objectives of the statewide strategic agenda for postsecondary education.
Recognize institutional missions and their respective strategic plans.
Effectively and efficiently utilize existing resources, including faculty, services, and information technology, to accomplish its goals.
Capitalize on and create synergies among the educational resources and services of in-state institutions, both public and independent.
Use regional, national, and international resources to meet the needs of students that cannot be met by in-state institutions.
Use available state resources, including public schools, in the delivery of post-secondary education.
Develop importing and outsourcing options where appropriate. Use educational best practices across the country and globe to conceptualize, develop, deliver, and evaluate instruction, student services, and faculty development.
Respond promptly to demonstrated needs for programs and courses by providing instruction, learning resources, and student services where and when needed.
Respond promptly to demonstrated needs for programs and courses by providing instruction, learning resources, and student services where and when needed.
Promote faculty and staff reward and recognition systems that value innovative uses of alternative delivery systems.
Recognize, evaluate and, where appropriate and feasible, adopt state-of-the-art technologies and processes that can best serve Kentucky's needs.
Integrate, to the maximum extent possible, assessment of the KYVU with the CPE's existing accountability and comprehensive data base systems.
Address intellectual property and copyright issues.
Produce high quality student learning.

ME/RI/CT

North Eastern (NE

RI (1997): http://www.ribghe.org/disted.pdf

Expresses the directive that DE should build on” established system and institutional missions and quality academic programs,” and use DE to expand access, opportunity, with quality.

AK/WA/OR/ID/UT

Northwestern NW

Oregon (1995): http://www.ous.edu/dist-learn/dist-pol.htm

Framework provides for “Planning, Quality and Program/Courses; Student Services; Faculty Issues; Tuition/Fees and Student Enrollments; and Technical Standards”

NY/PA/

Middle States

(Middle)

NY (2004): http://web.nysed.gov/ocue/distance/

Framework: Draws from Middle States adoption of
WICHE/WCET best practices, and “Statement of Commitment Document.” Defines deliveries outside the state and seat-time equivalencies (good instruction, regardless of format).

I, CA

Western (W)

Hawaii (1998): http://www.hawaii.edu/ovppp/distlearn/policy.htm

Framework: Access, Instructional Quality are addressed.

Figure 1: State Policy Language Reflective of WICHE/WCET Best Practices

I have two questions about the policy issues: 1) Do the policy barriers relate to competition among a state's institutions for various student populations in a state or beyond? 2) Conversely, what can ensure transfer of quality courses among states, beyond a local attitude, that if it doesn't come from us, the student really should take our course?

James Alliban: Augmented Reality in Education

2010-10-11T17:05:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation on augmented reality--the embedding of "computer generated information in 2D or real world objects: See this explanation. Once these codes are read from scanning software on a device such as a Smartphone, the reader is connected to the digital content. Thank you James for this great set of augmented reality examples.

James Alliban: Augmented Reality in Education

View more presentations from University of London Computer Centre (ULCC).

A Review of and a Link to a Useful Multimedia Selection Guide

2010-09-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is a helpful guide for the many considerations for blended learning by authors Dr. Jolly Holden, Dr. Philip Westfall, and Dr. Keysha Gamor:

AN INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA SELECTION GUIDE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING—IMPLICATIONS FOR BLENDED LEARNING FEATURING AN INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL WORLDS

http://www.usdla.org/USDLA_Ins_Media.pdf

The strength of this short publication is that it connects cognitive strategies to instructional strategies to tech choices. It also names some of the limitations of those tech uses along with suggestions for types of instructional activities for a particular choice.

The section on virtual world applications clearly defines and discusses the potential for their instructional activity.

This is a useful guide for practioners and designers (and for the many who serve both roles) both early and somewhere along the road. For the more advanced, you may also be asking for more on Virtual worlds, and serious games, but this is a very good start. Nonetheless, the material here will also give the more experienced a chance to examine their current practices.

One point I think about as I design are questions to ask the learners. What are they using? Would their choices help them learn in this particular class? How?

Most recently I’ve also been thinking about the potential for certain activities across multiple applications and platforms. This choice of interoperatibility could immediately increase access to various activities for the various learners likely to come into a course.

Thank you to the authors and USDLA --- this is a clearly written, very useful contribution to the development of 21st century teaching and learning.

Ben Harper, Harrison and Arthur

2010-09-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

Become a member Live at KCRW on Morning Becomes Eclectic 08.26.10

Alec Couros' Presents on Informal Networks

2010-08-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Alec Couros is a higher educator for U of Regina. His presentation illustrates the way social medial has caused an explosion of knowledge and human sources for learning opportunity. Two good points: 1) Certain literacies are an important part of benefitting from such opportunity, and 2) How does a skilled educator facilitate such opportunity?

How Informal Learning Networks Can Transform Education

View more presentations from Alec Couros.

Tech Tools for Assessment

2010-08-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

This presentation is due for some updates, but I wanted to share this assessment presentation LisaMarie Johnson and I put together a while ago.

Letting Them Show What They Know: Tech Tools for Assessment

New Designs for Assesssment

2010-08-16T09:25:00.001-07:00

I enjoyed doing this presentation with CCCOnline's Karen Kaemmerling.

It addressed opportunities for interactive and engaging formative and summative assessment practices.

New Designs for Assesssment

Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0: What's on Your Plate?

2010-08-16T09:24:00.001-07:00

The theme for this training day was the Web 2.0 Buffet -- fun theme.

Teaching and Learning with Web 2.0: What's on Your Plate?

Increasing Learner Opportunities With Recent Technologies

2010-08-16T09:21:00.001-07:00

Increasing Learner Opportunities With Recent Technologies

View more presentations from ConstantLearning.

Second Life Publications and How to Cite SL Sources

2010-08-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Info Island Virtual Community Library has a wealth of online, print, and article bibs for books and articles about SL, as well as some links that show how to cite for SL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/84/58/36. There's an SL archiving site also.

If You Put the Tweet Button on Your Site

2010-08-13T08:44:00.001-07:00

This video explains how putting the Tweet Button on your site makes it easy for someone to tweet easily from your url: (See mine at the right.)

Getting Re-Directed and Focused

2010-08-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

I have been away from the online world for a bit. Took a month away to see my mother and relatives in Minnesota.

It marked the first time in many years that I actually had some unstructured time.The occasion? I chose to re-direct, you know, the early boomer, second career choice. That said, I'm back :).

In my next work, I look forward to the opportunities to

design learning environments for specific communities of users, ones which support learning success and incorporate appropriate 21st century tools and strategies
define and apply quality evaluation models for projects and courses
explore, communicate, and train others on new technologies that support learning
contribute to global efforts in the positive outcomes made possible through educational communities

2010-05-25T10:06:00.001-07:00

Social Learning: an explanation using Twitter

View more presentations from Jane Hart.

How to create a post in Blogger.com

2010-05-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Over the Top QR Code Project

2010-04-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

This week I attended the ELearning Colorado Consortium Conference.

One term referred to in a keynote was augmented reality. I had seen some examples earlier this year but had forgotten about them.

The Strange Librarian so nicely explains augmented reality as "placing computer-based or cloud-based information on real-world locations" (or items). QR codes are an augmented reality application. QR means Quick Reference and is a 2D image which transmits such digital information through scanning software.

These codes (like bar codes) are read by a reader in camera phones (though you can download them to desktops, at least in some cases). So you might have product info, or maps, or contact info, or a photo, or websites. You may now see them in magazines or on products or even on some buildings.

Sites are available to download the scanner software for a variety of phones, and sites also allow each of us create QR codes.

The keynoters had made mention of QR on t-shirts, and I did have some fun looking at QR codes on T-Shirts, bags, business cards, and caps. Coming across this video took it right over the top, though -- how to use a knitting machine to create a scarf with your desired QR code:

Rick Steves: Travel as a Political Act

2010-03-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

Rick Steves is known for his guidebooks, but last year he came out with a book, Travel as a Political Act.

Here's a video of a guest appearance he made and how personalizing a place can take away the fear of it, and this can be accomplished through travel:

He has a blog and you can also follow him on Twitter:

Rick Steves' Blog

MMMGood Curriculum Innovation: An Interview with Todd Rymer

2010-02-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Why is Todd Studying a Seed Catalog?

As a food professional, Todd Rymer, Director of Culinary Education at the Vail /Eagle Valley Campus has been following Chefs Collaborative, one of the first organizations to directly connect chefs with food growers, for over a dozen years. Todd helped found a Slow Food convivia (chapter) in the Vail Valley about six years ago. Slow Food is an international organization promoting food that is “good, clean, and fair.” The movement focuses on local food as well as food free of chemicals, and food that provides a fair wage for the agricultural growers.

In addition to these important issues, a sustainable foodservice operation must also consider issues of energy, water consumption, chemicals, equipment, to-go containers, recycling and marketing of “green” practice. About three years ago, CMC added a course in Sustainable Cuisine to the CCCNS. As consumers and foodservice operators have further embraced sustainability, market research provided support to move this knowledge and practice into the CMC curriculum – an academic process that requires patience in the face of curriculum development that can still be timely and competitive.

So starting next fall, CMC will offer a certificate in Sustainable Cuisine Operations. In addition to many of the culinary courses already in the curriculum, the certificate includes: Intro to Sustainable Cuisine, Sustainable Food Operations and a revised course that adds vegan and vegetarian entrees preparation to Center of the Plate courses that formerly focused on beef, pork, poultry, and seafood entrees. As the certificate is expanded, courses will be offered in agro-ecology to help students learn about the environmental impacts of food production for restaurants that not only buy food, but grow it.

As we ended our conversation last week, I noticed a seed catalog on his desk—why was it on his desk? It’s part of his ongoing professional development—he’s taking a Colorado Master Gardner’s Class to forward his own expertise and share that development back with the newest of practices.

The Future Skype: Embedded in TV

2010-01-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

What educational opportunities might this new development provide?

Textual Literacy, Technology and the Visually Impaired

2010-01-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

More synchronicity? There's an article today in the NY Times Magazine about the effects of new technology on literacy and the visually impaired. Levels of textual literacy has been distinguished in the visually-impaired community by the use of Braille and the standard conventions of written language. Though text-to- voice makes for access to information via text-to-voice, we return to the question of how the tech advances influence written textual expressions by visually impaired people.

Braille's End?

These questions seem to relate to my last post--so if we move to post-literate expressions (mediums), what happens to the perception that educated persons are able to express themselves through textual communications?

Literacy, Aliteracy and Post-Literacy

2010-01-02T20:23:00.002-08:00

I've just been visiting with my niece, an elementary teacher and reading specialist, about our recent reads. She brought up the term "aliteracy"-- having the ability to read, but choosing not to. I have a hard time with the thought that we can forsake reading of text and forsake critical thinking without making ourselves vulnerable to manipulation by people who create spin, for example.

After talking with her, I did a bit of reading about "post-literacy" as well -- the development of media-based communications, which could question whether we would need textual literacy skills and came across this blog post:

http://somanybooksblog.com/2009/03/16/are-we-headed-toward-a-post-literate-world/

I don't think that literature will go away (though it's form may change) or fully believe that post-literacy would need to fully ignore textual forms that might inform new mediums. I'd still make the case for textual literacy as an educational under-girding for wherever we are headed.

2010-01-02T20:22:00.001-08:00

Test blog post

Returning to the Questions

2009-12-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

Remembering past discussions with colleagues, reminds me of our shared goals--helping students stay in the learning, and opening our minds to the tools they might use to show us what they know:

Karen's post: Questions to Ponder

What is World Cafe Dialogue?

2009-12-14T20:14:00.001-08:00

Here you go: Nice video explanation--dialogue as collective

R Munkler's Christmas Gift to Us

2009-12-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

This video was posted as end-of-course reflection at the graduate level. Enjoy.

Having a Geekfest with our Grown Children

2009-11-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

Our grown children are home for Thanksgiving. We have been having so much Geek fun this am.GeekDaughter showed me the Files Lite app for the Iphone--you can file share between your desktop and your Iphone. SonnyGeek loaded the augmented reality app from Esquire and we played with that(after Timbuckteeth reminded me of it on Twitter). I showed him JING and he played with it some.

My one disappointment. I tried to download the AR app and my message says my graphic card isn't substantial enough. Puzzled by that when I can use Second Life.

The AR codes added video elements to the otherwise flat, text-based reading experience. How might this be used for education? Son said he could see it being really valuable for tutorials on to use particular software applications. I can see it embedded in buildings on campus. Used with a computer, it increases the connection between paper and digital media. I think it would be more powerful for connections between physical objects such as an artifact. Using it with readers in portable devices would be of added value too.

Art Site

2009-11-11T14:25:00.001-08:00

Looking for a fantastic art history resource? This one includes images, conversations, and video:

http://smarthistory.org/

Wow.

Mobile Libraries: kiwanja.net / Mobile Applications Database

2009-11-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

This very interesting resource came across from Mobile Libraries blogger Jerry McKiernan today. It is a database meant to help non-profs use mobile technologies in their work.

Mobile Libraries: kiwanja.net / Mobile Applications Database

Online Learning--Growing But Strapped

2009-11-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Chronicle Article

This article describes online learning's continued growth. That's the good news.
The bad news is related to HE state economies in distress and the need for money to support continued growth and quality. Also noted was the fact that the Sloan has ended its grants which amounted to $80 million in the past.

Faculty enthusiasm and vocalization are needed says the article. When asking why more faculty aren't exactly enthused, I want to ask, how does policy and the challenges of an LMS factor in? And how do instructional design training and instructional design support factor in?

Web2.0 Buffet

2009-11-01T15:54:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: I was invited to present at the E-Learning Consortium of Colorado Faculty Development Day. Great time--it's great to be among enthusiastic practioners to learn and share.

Web2.0 Buffet

View more presentations from ConstantLearning.

Open Source Textbook Maker Flat World Gets Funded

2009-10-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was just discussing open-text options with a reading faculty member yesterday. I want to explort this site...I know the open-source text movement is growing all the time.

Open Source Textbook Maker Flat World Gets Funded

Making a screencast in the next 30 minutes using Jing

2009-10-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

Jing is a great little screen or video capture program.

Teachers Without Borders: SAfrica and Kenya

2009-10-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here is John Schenker's video on K-12 experience with some of the edtech challenges, and with some solutions. We just need to keep working with it--glad people like him are in this world.

Photos from the Timbavati

2009-10-04T20:27:00.001-07:00

Rick Voorhees took some fabulous pictures while we were in the Timbavati in South Africa:

DL at U Stellenbosch, South Africa

2009-10-02T00:25:00.001-07:00

Thank you Dr. Tom Parks for arranging a rich and enjoyable visit to the Department of Telematics at Stellenbosch University. They have a tremendous interactive TV department there, and an interface that allow synchronous communication during sessions using phones for either text or voice. We are all asking ourselves how to best reach learners given our various geographical and technological contexts.

Increasing Learner Opportunities With Recent Technologies

View more presentations from ConstantLearning.

Shared Concerns and Intention from Nelson Mandela University

2009-09-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'm at Nelson Mandela Metro University at the South African Association for Institutional Research Conference. I get to do be here because spouse Rick gave the keynote today. The Vice Chancellor named some of our shared challenges like the economy and trying to be all things to all people.

Here is also what he so well- expressed: "We need to find ways to combine social responsibility with compassion and also with realism, ... we ultimately want to stand for social good."

The conference opened with a performance by the awesome university choir and numbers ranging from a British show tune to the Beatles to a tribal dance/song medley which won them an award at a recent competition in Vienna.

BTW, the conference theme is "closing the loop--evidence to practice," with the emphasis on practice that is truly change-making at practice level.

It only reinforces my want of the importance of instructional research and how all sides of the house need to come together to design research that will help instruction and student services --to have the design help gather data that can improve instruction.

George Subotsky (University of South Africa, UNISA) provided a top-rate retention-success presentation on Distance Learning Students.

UNISA is a mega DL university serving 280,000 learners. He is talking about the importance of gathering data about the Student Walk (the journey or path represented by all contacts a learner(has with the institution along the way, esp. in the first two years) as a way of becoming better at supporting and retaining students. Love the term Student Path. He additional spoke of the "non-cognitive and institutional factors [that] may impact retention."

Once again, so much to appreciate about what can be learned from this community of practice.

Why Use Recent Technologies in the Classroom

2009-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a presentation/
discussion for an exchange in South Africa --really excited to learn about technology-based learning there. As we've discussed topics of mutual interest, we've arrived at a title that goes something like "Increasing Student Learning Opportunities with Recent Technologies." It is an umbrella title for three topics I'd proposed--letting students use Web2.0 apps for formative and summative assessment purposes, the receptive, creative, and interactive uses of cell phones, and immersive learning through virtual worlds and serious games.

I think I've come up with a frame for why any of this matters beyond students want it or it is cool:

Cognitivists make a case for providing learning experiences which require increased engagement or active involvement, which result in more time and attention spent on the learning, and in turn increase the amount of learning.

From the institutional standpoint, though we may grumble about students as demanding customers, by paying attention to smart ways of delivering good learning we are increasing our institutional opportunity for delivery.

Your thoughts?

In the meantime, I've been exploring Virtual Africa in SL. Have my t-shirt and bought some other clothing. Visited a shop on Robben Island where I learned about native plants there as I love flowers and it will be spring when we go. Left a note with many others at the Leave an Imprint board put up for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday.

Union of Cognititve and Affective Worlds

2009-08-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

So today I had the opportunity to speak w/ a person in our office to develop curriculum for the next year. He brings together our Native American heritage and Asian experinces. He has extensive experience in digital storytelling and we were talking about the power of the added media in expressing the affective side of a cognitive experience.

In the meantime, son B who is in China was fitted for his (best-man) wedding clothes: silk robe, silk vest, hat. Can't wait to see those digital images.

Convergence...

Handheld Learning

2009-08-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

I'm working with a colleague on a presentation of the cell-phone-clickers beta we just did and am looking for sources to add to our framework.

I searched Marc Prensky, remembering his cell-phone work, and then found a whole series of presentations on handheld learning:

Marc Prensky, Keynote

View more presentations from HandheldLearning.

Mobile Content Delivery in Louisianna

2009-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to evaluate or do a case study on this new offering using Khan's Flexible E-Learning Model as at least one of the components. My understanding is that content is pushed through the phone, though interactivity with them does not occur through the phone. I'm still interested in the model though.

Wed. Instant Opportunity: 11 am Twitter as Assessment Online Session Today

2009-07-01T07:46:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

I just happened to see this notice from the Teach Paperless faculty blogger-- He's providing a "Twitter as Assessment Tool" online today at 11 our time. Here's the link to join.

http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/2009/07/twitter-as-assessment-tool-necc-20.html

Best, Alice

Just loaded TweetMic on my Iphone today

2009-06-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm all about giving options for creating content. So today I came across the TweetMic App for Iphone. It cost $.99 and I can create recordings that post directly to Twitter. When I think of the Econ faculty using Twitter because her class wanted it, for example, TweetMic could provide a verbal option for tweets to the class.

One feature I found frustrating--you can hear what you've recorded, but need to publish it clear the app for a future recording. I'm not sure what to do about a recording I'd like to delete rather than publishing it. The site says there is a "record over" option, but I am not seeing it.The only thing I could figure out was to publish a recording I wanted to delete, then go into Twitter and delete the post there. Hmmmm.

Howard Rheingold's Shoes from Twitpic

2009-06-06T20:42:00.001-07:00

This is a fun picture from Howard Rheingold, a most savvy tech educator. He posted this picture with Twitpic. The code is available for placing the image on other sites. The only requirement it the link back to the site where it first was posted:

twitpic link

Visualizing Data as it Relates to Location

2009-05-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Having just finished Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer, I have been thinking of maps quite a bit today. According to author, Peter Turchi, mapping is about sense-making, and about visualization among other things. While searching out some educational use of map making, I came across this site which contains several ways to use Google mapping tools to help students visualize data as it relates to location:

Google Maps for Learning

More about mapping later...

Second Life Expands/Creates International Learning Opportunities

2009-05-11T08:46:00.001-07:00

Opportunities for institutions to expand or even create international learning exchanges is well illustrated by this Second Life Workshop that U Oregon is offering with one of the Chinese universities:

http://casls.uoregon.edu/mychinainfo.php

Who is Publishing Your Work?

2009-05-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Some presses are becoming more aggressive about the rights of authors contributing to press-owned publications. These practices pertain to contributors/anthology editions more so than to editorial contracts--one press I have contributed to in the past requires that I rescind all rights to what I've written, with no royalties. I can then apply to use the content for specific reasons ("fair use") permissions (if I am aware that this is possible and ask for the form).

Other writers share that though they give up rights to the publisher, they simultaneously have the rights to use the content in workshops or courses. This is a more reasonable practice, but the rights are still signed over to the publisher.

In some international cases, my understanding is that there are presses where the authors do retain the copyright.

However, in the first cases mentioned here, writers contribute for academic reasons/motivations/pressures, and the presses are capitalizing on the academic need. With that in mind, I am re-considering where I contribute.

Looking at Athabasca Press gave me hope Athabasca Open Press.

Your experience and thoughts?

Educational Professional Development: Constant Learning, Community, Process

2009-05-07T05:46:00.001-07:00

Education expert Will Richardson's recent post provides a current, continuous learning model for education professionals as well as everyone else.

It is continual, but how do you work that into the already packed day? It is communal--how do you get beyond physical space? It is process not web tools alone, though, and I would say that tools do become a way of thinking.

Online communities allow professionals to benefit, learn, and have company as they build expertise in small, continuous increments.

Nicely said. The strategies expand our possibilities for development. The practices will explains expand our definition and thinking about professional development, not only about expanding our practice through technology, but how we address challenges when we plan face-to-face events too.

MIT Student Designs

2009-05-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Have been thinking about this item since viewing it a few days ago for a couple reasons--mobility and the capacity to learn from everything around us. Could also push learning toward an increased considerations of connections between a myriad of sources?

Turchi's Book, Mapping, Imagination

2009-05-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading Peter Turchi’s Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer, a birthday gift from daughter Danee. It captures two of my keen interests, maps and literature. Memorables: he distinguishes metaphorical map-making (symbolic regions) from scientific (realistic/geographic) map-making; he calls our sense-making activity “Tornado of the Mind” as opposed to “State of Mind,” reminds us maps omit as well as include, remarks that the size and emphasis of location on personal maps differ with individuals.

Not last, “Maps, like fiction and poetry, enable us to ‘see” what is literally too large for our vision” (p. 151).

This book joins other mapping artifacts in my collection, and all of this ties into thinking about just how technology is catapulting various forms of sense-making/mapping:

Transformation Scaffolds: Graphic Organizer Templates that can help students move from lower levels of knowledge to higher considerations: Transformation Scaffolds

Flickr’s Memory Maps Pool:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/memorymaps/pool/

My personal collection of maps from around the world, including some of my favorite bookstores and museums.

Wall maps to reinforce geographical references that come across in the media.

A book of maps about revolutions across the world.

Katherine Harmon’s You are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination.

And a book of essays in my workplace office called something like Geographies of the Imagination.

Potential List of Maps/web tours/mashups to make:
Work Map (What has been, is my work, where next?)
Maps of tech convergences related to teaching and learning engagement/demonstrations of learning
Life Map (Important Geographies or Periods and associated Personal Events )
Significant Conversation Maps (People, Content like learning and literature. the arts)
Subject Tour Maps for the Web and Second Life (kind of like brochures for walking tours..or is this just a list of links…)
Adventure Maps (ie Paris— Louise Borgoise sculpture of the hands (http://parisconnected.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/louise-bourgeois-welcoming-hands-for-you-in-paris-tuileries-garden/) as you depart from the Tuileries to walk up the Champs Elysees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9 )

Last, thought for this morning…and then there is the fact Google is mapping us.

Friday Film Festival: Michael Wesch Dance

2009-05-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Saw M Wesch's tweet about how he was moved by a dance performance based on one of his media videos.

Enjoy!

Field Trip to a (purchased) Paper Mill

2009-04-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

This Chronicle feature hits a sore spot, but is an interesting expose: Journey to the Center of a Paper Mill.

http://chronicle.com/media/flash/v55/i28/essaymill/

Today's Chronicle and the old SQ4R

2009-04-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

One of today's Chronicle of Higher Ed articles says recent research shows the students do well to read, then practice recall of what they just read as a retention strategy. While faculty may recommend careful reading, they were not stressing this particular step.

The studies support the old SQ4R study strategies--"Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Write, Review."

Many institutions had materials for this method listed on the web: One college's materials (I stopped counting at 30 instutions though there were many more.)So beyond the research points, another key point is that faculty also promote effective study skills for specific courses, perhaps.

NCTE Framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment

2009-04-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

NCTE Framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment

This is worth looking at. Note how it adds the use of collaborative tools, global community, and graphic as well as textual expression.

Web 3.0 explained with a stamp (pt II: techniques)

2009-04-22T18:50:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Web 3.0 explained with a stamp (pt II: techniques)

View more presentations from Freek Bijl.

Web 3.0 explained with a stamp (pt I: the basics)

2009-04-22T18:49:00.001-07:00

Is it timely to learn more about Web 3.0?

Web 3.0 explained with a stamp (pt I: the basics)

View more presentations from Freek Bijl.

Mobile Learning for Healthcare

2009-04-22T16:59:00.001-07:00

Today I attended (e-tended?) an Elluminate sponsored presentation about mobile devices and healthcare--very informative. The presenters provided examples of devices that relate to patient care, billing, and continuing ed for healthcare professionals.

Key issues?Privacy, standardization of health care records and systems.

But I will stop for a minute--one example the military is using is an ICEphone--I carry it on me, it provides critical health info if something happens to me. It also contains medical contacts and is a means of communciation for a health-care professional at treating me at the scene

Here's a recording to the session and future opportunities on various topics:

https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/event/description?instance_id=15560

2009-04-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Duke held its first film festival that included tweeting with viewing, then discussions.

Sue Waters' Keynote at TCC Conference

2009-04-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

TCC is a 14 year old conference hosted by Hawaiin, Japanese colleges and sponsors like New Media Consortium. It's a worldwide conference and just a nice group of people who provide some really good presentations.

Just attended one of the opening keynotes by an educator/edublogger from Australia, Sue Waters. Her talk was about global projects that connect students to authentic global audiences--this understanding is different when we experience it. She pointed to the Net Gen Challenge and Flat Classroom Project as examples.

She advised educators to establish their own personal learning networks to learn and experience how the tools also impact/change the way we learn to "connect,communicate, collaborate,and create."

http://suewaters.wikispaces.com

138 in attendance: Australia, Saudi Arabia,Canada, and states including AK, OH, IA, AZ, PA, HI and more.

Last, Sue Waters has a sense of humor--when the technology got fussy, she remarked she might just "burst into tears and need chocolate." It resonated with a lot of us :).

DIP's Dispatches from the Imagination Age: The Launch of a Journalistic Experiment: The Virtual Newsroom of the American University in Cairo

2009-04-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

DIP's Dispatches from the Imagination Age: The Launch of a Journalistic Experiment: The Virtual Newsroom of the American University in Cairo

New Journalism: In addition to the actual experince (Bloggers w/ James Glassman, Bush's then Under-Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs) one comment is that international conversations among avatars in virtual space adds a new dimension to the interaction.

And wait--this somehow relates to the Aspen Institute:
http://www.dancinginkproductions.com/uploads/pdfs/DIP_Aspen_2008.pdf