January 31, 2006
10 Tips for Online Teaching
Each year, WebCT recognizes courses that take online teaching to a higher level and expands the possibilities of Web-enhanced education through the WebCT Exemplary Course Project (ECP). Recently, the 2005 ECP course winners provided in-depth looks into their classes in personal interviews available now on the ECP Web site. Although the course subjects were diverse, the winning classes shared many best practices in designing and delivering high-quality online courses…
Quote of the Day
Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.
John Wilmot
46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities
There are a lot of great freeware products out there. Many are as good or even better than their commercial alternatives. This list features my personal pick of the "best of the best."
Fact-based ethics for bloggers
Coming up with a "code of ethics" for bloggers makes about as much sense as coming up with a code of ethics for people who say things. The diversity of blogs makes a code of ethics not even a pipe dream but a pipe nightmare.
Stephen Downes Missed the Point
I think language like “ridiculous” and “absurd” is unnecessarily hyperbolic when used in reference to a plan that simply articulates a language-specific implementation of fairly widely established standards for enterprise systems in general and enterprise learning frameworks in particular. It’s also not terribly collegial or respectful. And finally, it doesn’t reflect a grasp of the problems we are trying to solve.
January 30, 2006
Very cool clock
You may have seen this before:
It made me smile --
and think that maybe some people have too much time on (in) their hands.
Technology aging in schools
When Fallon Speaker, 17, walked into her distance learning classroom last semester, she was never quite sure if she would be able to see her teacher.
Speaker, a senior at Ayden-Grifton High School, was enrolled in an advanced placement statistics course taught at D.H. Conley. Distance learning classrooms are configured electronically so that students can take courses based at other schools and interact in real time with their teachers.
But on any given day, Speaker said that the viewing screen would break, the live transmission would be delayed, or the network connection would fail.
20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have
During the last 15 years, we in education have moved at light speed in the area of educational technology. Whether you are involved in higher ed, secondary ed, elementary ed, or special ed, all of us find it difficult to catch up, keep up, and put up with fast-moving computer-based technology.
Online material decreases class attendance?
If you build a web site, will they still come? Come to the lectures, that is.
I'm referring to a "complete" web site. One with all the lecture slides, videos (or at least audio recordings) of the lecture, all the lecture handouts, etc.
The conventional wisdom says that there is no effect on attendance. Cf. the Educause presentation on Duke's iPod experience, "faculty did NOT find that lecture attendance decreased significantly with recorded lectures"
Do's and Don'ts of a Content Management System
A Content Management Systems (CMS) can be a great boon for organizations who want to allow a wider audience to publish online.
It can also be a large component of an online course.
January 27, 2006
Preschool Time Online
I (Stephan Downes) have long warned about what e-learning would look like when Disney got into the picture. That day has come. "Walt Disney has launched an online subscription service aimed at preschool children, completing its plan for what a Disney executive called 'an online theme park'.
So will they be making the next big LMS?
January 26, 2006
Plagiarism
Will Richardson relates a story about school kids using blogs to post answers to tests in between periods so others who haven't yet written the test will know what's coming. While he of course doesn't approve of cheating, he uses the incident to highlight the pointlessness of much of what students are still being assessed on.
Plagiarism
Webct issues
Last semester I felt so burdened and annoyed with WebCT that I decided to abstain from using it this semester and just use this blog for weblinks. But two things happened. The first is that this blog was the first thing to get bumped when my workload got heavy, so I didn't even find the number of web resources I usually do when I'm using WebCT. WebCT somehow makes me feel compelled to include study guide materials.
Technology Predctions for 2006
Technology is usually thought of as impersonal, but something needs to be recognized; without technology the personal elements of the 2005 tragedies would not likely have been conveyed to the extent and timeliness they were. Reflecting on 2005 and looking forward to 2006, technology will undoubtedly continue play a significant role in the future both on a personal and impersonal level.
Technology Predictions for 2006 and Reflections on 2005
Quote of the Day
The computer is a moron.
Peter Drucker
American (Austrian-born) management writer (1909 - 2005)
January 25, 2006
The joys of the Blackboard 'blog journal'.
“each blog will be subject bound (and it even has less functions than Blogger back in 2001) so at the end of the subject it all vanishes…..there’s no publicly published works - all secured behind the limits of students enrolled in that subject… [and more]”
The joys of the Blackboard ‘blog journal’ at incorporated subversion
Making Your Own Educational Materials
Well-prepared educational materials can remove the need to "wing it" in the classroom, by keeping your students occupied and helping them learn. Whether you are new to teaching or have been at it a while, you will know of the huge repository of educational material on the Internet that may meet this need. But however tempting it may be to borrow from the Web, downloading educational materials may be found to be an infringement of copyright, a violation of the moral rights of the author, and even plagiarism if you are representing their work as your own.
You Have to Learn Computers
Maybe I’m a bit cynical today, but this amusing SNL skit (few and far between these days) makes me think of certain individuals and institutions that I have encountered over the years that push hard for technological literacy without much understanding of what they are promoting. This video will likely find itself in one of my presentations in the future.
January 24, 2006
Newsletter #4
The AOK12S is offering FREE hosting of educational blogs. If you are interested in sharing information with students, parents or community on a blog (web page format) we will host if for free. We use Movable Type as our blog system software.
We are also offering the possibility of creating time capsules for your class or your school. You can schedule entries to post in a week, a month or 5 years from now. There are MANY possibilities with this type of blog. Please contact us to discuss your ideas or ask any questions you might have. The sky is the limit!
Blackboard-WebCT Merger Draws Concern
Blackboard-WebCT Merger Draws Concern
By Amy Poftak
All eyes are fixed on course management system providers Blackboard and WebCT, who plan to merge early this year pending a federal antitrust inquiry. According to research firm Eduventures, the merger could give the company up to a 75 percent market share, which has generated heated conversations among CMS users.
One place to view the chatter is Blackboard and WebCT are One, a Web site that aggregates conjecture about the planned merger. Darren Cannell, assistant principal of the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School in Saskatchewan, Canada and a WebCT-certified trainer, says he set up the site to solicit opinions from WebCT, Blackboard, and open source CMS users about what the post-merger product should look like.
"There's a whole pile of fear," says Cannell, who believes customers from both companies are anxious about being stuck with a product they have no control over, from the features to the price. These concerns are driving people to seriously explore open source tools such as Moodle, he says.
"I hope that they will take the best of both products," says Cannell about Blackboard-WebCT, who says he won't be switching to an open source system. "Most people don't believe this will happen, though."
At press time, Marie Farrar, a representative for Blackboard, said the company could not comment about the merger. A press release announcing the merger states, "Over time, Blackboard will incorporate the best features and usability characteristics from the two product lines into a new, standards-based product set."
Taken from TechLearning
January 21, 2006
Keep kids off the computer at night
I need help controlling my kids' internet access. Specifically, I want to keep them off the Internet in the middle of the night. I have four computers set up on a home network. All of them connect to the Internet through one router. My router apparently cannot do this selectively. Can you tell me how I can accomplish this?
January 20, 2006
Classroom Toolkit
We provide a platform for creative teachers to share ideas and materials.
Any materials posted on this site retain the copyright of their author.
We reserve the right to post content that matches our focus of saving teacher time and decreasing teacher stress.
Building a School Website.
I'm in Edson and spent the day giving a seminar at the Grande Yellowhead School Division. It was a fun day. I have audio, but my system resolutely refuses to let me upload them - whether it's my FTP program, my web server, or the hotel connection, I don't know.
January 19, 2006
Ten Ways that Computer can Ruins your Health
There is a a Tech/Health article surfaced which talks about 10 ways that computer can hurt your body, mind and environment. It also talks about ways to defense or minimize the damage.
Churches Lag in Internet Use
Ellison Research released a new study showing that one out of every four Protestant churches in the United States has virtually no involvement with the World Wide Web. "The study, among a representative sample of 871 Protestant church ministers nationwide, explored how churches use Web technology. It shows 27% of all churches have no connectivity at all – no staff e-mail, no Web site, and no Internet connection."
Quote of the Day
Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.
Jane Wagner, (and Lily Tomlin)
January 18, 2006
The Importance of Being Pretty
In just a brief one-twentieth of a second -- less than half the time it takes to blink -- people make aesthetic judgments that influence the rest of their experience with an internet site.
Effective communication for learning
Dave Pollard has a post on what communication methods are most effective. He has created a table that compares several media as to their cost, impact, value and cost/benefit. This is a good table for instructional designers to consider before creating educational media, and as Dave says, it's open to revision.
Digital Divide becomes a Digital Dump
Exporting computers taken out of service from advanced nations to developing countries is a growth business. If the hardware still works or is worth being repaired, both sides can benefit from the transaction. Manufacturers and consumers in rich countries get rid of their old computers and even make some money. The new users in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in turn, acquire urgently needed hard and software at a low price.
Quote of the day
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.
Anatole France
French novelist (1844 - 1924)
January 17, 2006
Virtual Schooling Questions
About two months ago, Darren (over at Teaching and Developing Online) posted an entry entitled Basic Online High School Questions. This entry, I assume was based on his experiences with the The Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. Now, unlike the Charter schools supported by the folks at DAOS, Catholic education in the province of Saskatchewan (like many other Canadian provinces) is part of the publicly funded education system.
Go over and take a look at the list prepared by Darren and the crowd at the SCCS, then compare that to the list prepared by the people at DAOS and see if you can find the different themes and views about virtual schooling.
WebCT and Online Assessment
Cheating and increasing class sizes in Information Systems courses have forced us to reconsider our approach to assessment. Online assessment was introduced in our department in a pilot form in 1996 through an in-house developed package, SOAP (Student Online Assessment Program) and has evolved over subsequent years. This paper examines our explorations into WebCT and compares its Quiz tool with the facilities (potentially) offered by developing an in-house assessment package. We examine the differences between the two examples of learning and teaching technology mainly from a teacher’s perspective but include some illuminating examples of feedback from our students. We conclude with some suggestions of factors that govern the successful use of online assessment in Information Systems courses.
BlackBoard + WebCT -- follow the money
Blackboard is slated to acquire WebCT in a cash transaction for $180 million, which values the offer at approximately $154 million, net of WebCT's August 31, 2005 cash balance of $26 million. WebCT and Blackboard have stated on their site that they expect the transaction will close late this year or in early 2006. [commentary by Bruce Landon: the announcement of the acquisition resulted in about a 10% lift for BlackBoard stock in October which amounted to a gain of about $80 million for shareholders (about 7 times the profit from product sales and services)
Online resources
Moby, the whirring robot, interrupted Tim's monologue with a winsome, questioning beep. The audience -- a roomful of Moraga fifth graders -- grinned as Tim sighed heavily.
``No, no,'' the cartoon character said. ``The sun can take care of itself.''
BrainPop's engaging cartoon duo may be too educational for the Saturday morning cartoon crowd, but it's all the rage in classrooms, where humor and brisk, fact-filled patter help students review everything from tsunamis to quarks.
Too Expensive
MicroSoft Educational Licenses are too expensive and should be lowered by 50%!" says somebody at an educational institution - is a common news header these days.
Is it a fair statement, or even an informative one?
I don't think it helps at all, other than to illuminate human nature. We all would like things for lower prices, and we (at least in education) feel that our work is so important that it deserves to be given lower prices, more resources, ...
January 16, 2006
God and Voice Mail
Most of us have now learned to live with voice mail as a necessary part of our lives. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if God decided to install voice mail? Imagine praying and hearing the following:
Thank you for calling heaven.
--> For English press 1
--> For Spanish press 2
--> For French press 3
--> For all other languages, press 4
Please select one of the following options:
--> Press 1 for requests
--> Press 2 for thanks - giving
--> Press 3 for complaints
--> Press 4 for all others
I am sorry, all our Angels and Saints are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on the line.
If you would like to speak to:
--> God, press 1
--> Jesus, press 2
--> Holy spirit, press 3
To find a loved one that has been assigned to heaven press 5, then enter his social security # followed by the pound sign. If you receive a negative response, please hang up and dial area code 666.
For reservations to heaven, please enter JOHN followed by the numbers, 3:16.
For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, life and other planets, please
wait until you arrive in heaven for the specifics.
Our computers show that you have already been prayed for today, please hang up and
call again tomorrow.
The office is now closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday.
If you are calling after hours and need emergency assistance, please contact your
local pastor.
Thank you and have a heavenly day.
"Open Source: Community, Collaboration, Commitment"
"The higher education software marketplace is undergoing rapid change. Understanding the role of open source software in this volatile market is crucial. Panelists will bring the perspectives of higher education and the government sector as they discuss the pros and cons of open source licensing and collaborative, community development."
"Open Source: Community, Collaboration, Commitment" | connect.educause.edu
Computer Games
A third of teachers are using computer games in the classroom and a majority believe they improve pupils' skills and knowledge, a survey suggests.
The survey of 1,000 teachers in England and Wales suggests a quarter also personally use them in their free time.
Online Courses Not So Distant
Andy Steele lives just a few blocks from the campus of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, so commuting to class isn't the problem. But he doesn't like lectures much, isn't a morning person, and wants time during the day to restore motorcycles.
Quote of the Day
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."
Rich Cook
January 13, 2006
PLE and VLE
Although there is something quite compelling about the vision of a lifelong learning environment that is centered upon and perpetually belongs to the learner, I think we are some distance from being able to operationalize that vision
myWORLD Open Source ePortfolio: Personal Learning Environments and Virtual Learning Environments
The Myth about Online Course Development
I disagree with this statement. "A Faculty Member Can Individually Develop and Deliver an Effective Online Course." We have developed 20 + course with the teacher being the primary developer of the course. They do have supports because of the pod environment which means they are surrounded by other teachers each trying to achieve the same task. They are given a LMS and some guidelines as to which programs to use. But in the end they are the primary resource and need to learn html, graphics etc. The pay off of learning all these skills is that they can then revise, and fix aspects of their course when they run across problems without having to call together a team of people. This in the end creates courses that are more effective.
Attention: Reinventors
1. Allow events to change you. You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.
5. Go deep. The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.
10. Everyone is a leader. Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead.
16. Collaborate. The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.
29. Think with your mind. Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.
40. Avoid fields. Jump fences. Disciplinary boundaries and regulatory regimes are attempts to control the wilding of creative life. They are often understandable efforts to order what are manifold, complex, evolutionary processes. Our job is to jump the fences and cross the fields.
50 Ideas for Free Elearning
List of open source tools (and ideas for using them) in e-learning. The title is a bit misleading - you won't see a numbering from 1 to 50, but there could well be 50 ideas scattered through the pages (I didn't count them). Covers everything from blogs to wikis to podcasting to learning management. At the very least, read the '5-minute insights' at the beginning of the document: PDF.
Blackboard by the numbers.
Anyway, I’m going to make it up to you with a special treat. Jim Farmer has a fantastic analysis [PDF] of how much it costs Blackboard to make a sale, what that means to their overall business model, and how that compares to the cost-per-sale of a commercially marketed open source software product and the cost for community-building the Open Source uPortal project.
Quote of the Day.
The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
Paul Fix
January 12, 2006
Reflecting the Future
"This presentation reflects the potential future e-content development and learning paradigm in higher education, exploring some interesting e-learning tools, content repositories, and models of e-Learning." Zaid Ali Alsagoff, UNITAR
Reflecting the Future e-Content Development Evolution in Higher Education
Learning VS Education
Interesting threads running through a lot of blogs right now that I wish I had more time to dive into. Basically, they revolve around what learning is (as opposed to education) and what the future might bring in terms of "Personal Learning Environments" (PLE). And the underlying question here is what role do schools and teachers play in all of this.
Edu_RSS 2.0
It is, I believe, the future - and where, one day, the next generation of Blackboards and WebCTs and Moodles and Sakais will make their mark.
Quote of the day
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
Groucho Marx
US comedian with Marx Brothers (1890 - 1977)
January 11, 2006
The Price of Children
I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have ever seen the rewards listed this way.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle-income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down.
It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.
What do you get for your $160,140?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold- usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs,
* and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost.
That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!! Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW, what a ride!!!!"
January 10, 2006
Learning Objects: Rip
David Wiley just wrote an excellent post about the “death” of learning objects. He’s right on the mark, emphasizing the learning part of the buzzword, while us geeks who were attempting to implement some of the early LO-based software got so woefully distracted by the object and reuse angles.
Yes it is a computer.
Check this machine out...my next laptop.
I think it will fit in my pocket protecter.
Quote of the day
Years ago my mother said to me, 'In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.
Mary Chase, Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in "Harvey", 1950
US author & educator (1887 - 1973)
January 9, 2006
Microsoft CMS
From Microsoft blogger Arpan Shah comes more hints about the future of Microsoft CMS 2002 (MCMS). No big surprises, but useful details, especially for current customers concerned about what will surely be a big upgrade.
Quote of the Day
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby
US comedian & television actor (1937 - )
Parliament of Canada
To help you prepare your lessons on Parliament, we've identified useful documents on the parliamentary site and grouped them for easy access.
These resources provide accurate and detailed information about the history, structure, responsibilities and procedures pertaining to Canada's Parliament and Parliamentarians.
Use the search engine to find specific resources by entering key words
Elections Canada On-Line
As teachers, you will often be called upon to explain Canada's electoral system to your students. The links below will help you find materials to make the job a little easier.
Made in Saskatchewan
This website provides links to web-based resources which have been created by people who live in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Native Studies 20
Native Studies 20 is an examination of contemporary issues of concern to Indigenous peoples around the world.
Visual Art
Welcome to our site. Here you will find both student activities and technical suggestions for Arts Education in the Middle Years based on the Arts Education Curriculum in Saskatchewan.
MathCatchers
MathCatchers provides mathematical learning objects to reach all students through a constructivist approach. Special attention has been given to students at risk by addressing issues of equity and learner diversity. The learning objects on this site are intended for use by all students and teachers celebrating a diversity of background experiences.
Are computers male or female?
The men's group decided that ''computer'' should definitely be of the feminine gender, because:-
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine, because:-
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2 . They have a lot of data, but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
January 6, 2006
What I have been doing.
In the past two weeks I have been vactioning in the states although needed greatly , wireless cannot be found in all hotels and all time shares. When you pay over two hundred dollars for a hotel room it would not kill them to throw in wireless or set up a few machines for people to use. Charging 10+ dollars for an interest connection is like charging for hot water or TV. Maybe something that was charged for many year ago but in this day and age it should be a given. With mobile offices, elearning and the popularity of email as a method of keeping in touch, hotels need to stat to see contection like cable TV.
In short I will be online a lot more in a few days when I get home. I hope everyone has had a good and safe holiday and are recharged for the challenges of another exciting year teaching and developing online.