NZ Christmas Tree

Pohutukawa in bloom for Christmas morning with Tui's in full song

17/12/2009

UStream Live Broadcaster

Just released (10th Dec 2009) UStream Live Broadcaster works on non-jailbroken iPhone 3G & 3GS for LIVE videoo streaming to the UStream website. It supports Twitter announcements and YouTube archiving. A Great free app available from the iTunes App Store!

http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_blesses_ustream_live_streaming_video?OTC-EX2244440726

http://www.ustream.tv/

Educational Technology for scientific enquiry

Categorizing technologies by enquiry categories

Ascilite09 presentation

Presenting mlearning in a room with no 3g access :-(

Theorizing web 2.0

You don't GET web 2.0 by reading about it or attending workshops - you must personally appropriate it!

Conceptualising Web 2.0

Conceptualising web 2.0 Bower et al http://yfrog.com/4f456qj

Mapping web 2.0,Bower et al, Ascilite09, don't agree with several of the classifications - determined by underlying pedagogical use http://yfrog.com/33wqwj

Ascilite workshop

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 announced

Sony Ericsson have formally announced their first Android-based smartphone, the Xperia X10. Looks promising:

Find more info and specs at the website:

http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/overview/xperiax10?lc=en&cc=nz

Google Maps Navigation

WooHoo - the beginnings of FREE GPS based navigation via Google Maps - not yet available for NZ however :-(

Thanks Martin Boult for the heads-up on this!

Read more at http://www.voxy.co.nz/technology/google-maps-and-takes-over-world/893/28865

Mlearn2009 presentation

In Orlando

HTC Magic Demo

Context in Mobile Learning

Slideshare presentation from Mike Sharples, defines 'context' according to

1. The "Shell" concept


2. OR the "Constructive Interaction" concept

Context in Mobile Learning

View more presentations from sharplem.

Deakin mlearning presentation

Kindergarten Teacher's technology kit

Every Auckland Kindergarten Teacher is now suppied with a wireless Mac laptop and digital camera. Kindys also have WiFi access to facilitate authentic learning anywhere!

Add YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Twitter to Nokia Shareonline

There's a nice tutorial at nokiausers.com on how to configure Nokia's Shareonline service to add Youtube, Facebook, Picasa and Twitter (as well as the default Ovi, Vox and Flickr services).

First - signup online for the sites you want to add (YouTube, Picasa, Twitter etc...). If you already have logins to these you are good to go to setup Shareonline:

1. On your Nokia mobile phone web browser go to http://furtiv.mobi/beta_instructions.html, or scan the following QR Code to take you direct to download the Shareonline config files for YouTube, Picasa, etc...
   
   
   
   



2. Now click on each of the links you want to setup on Shareonline


3. After download, switch to Shareonline on your phone, select the new 'ready for activation' services, login to each and they will be activated


4. Happy Mobile sharing!

11/10/2009

World ICT Facts

Report from international telecoms union: the world is mobile, read this report http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/material/Telecom09_flyer.pdf

• Mobile cellular has been the most rapidly adopted technology in history. Today it is the most popular and widespread personal technology on the planet, with an estimated 4.6 billion subscriptions globally by the end of 2009
  
• Mobile broadband subscriptions overtook fixed broadband subscribers in 2008, highlighting the huge potential for the mobile Internet
  
• In 2009, more than a quarter of the world’s population are using the Internet
  

Coffee in St Kllda, Electra cycle my wife likes.

Deakin

TPA plabbibg day 2009

06/10/2009

01/10/2009

Flexible presentation in UCOL Hub

Portable presentation trolley in use

Flexible presentation in UCOL Hub

Flexible presentation in UCOL Hub

UNitec eteam at efest2009

Getting connected!

AVIARY - online Image and audio editor

AVIARY http://aviary.com is a set of media recording and editing tools that work inside of your web browser - a powerful 'cloud computing' tool. It's key features include:

• Photo Editor (including masks)


• Vector image editor - c.f. Freehand/Illustrator


• Screen Capture


• Multitrack Audio Editor and Recorder - e.g. Garageband, a nicer interface than Audacity!

Video Intro to Aviary:



Video Intro to the Aviary Audio recorder/editor (Myna)

1. Visual Waveform editor


2. Automation


3. Effects


4. Import/Export


5. Share sessions

Example Myna Session:

denis.egg on Aviary.

denis.egg by denistuning on Aviary

Screenshot:

Learning Space Design

Students preferred learning space ezample!

Livestream - create your own free online TV station

Free online Video streaming tools:

1. Livestream


2. uStream

Collate and stream your YouTube videos, live webcam, and even smartphone camera (ustream only), creating a virtual TV station! Great for presenting/sharing compilations of presentations, student projects, events, etc...

http://www.livestream.com

uStream

Apple releases iPod updates, iTunes9 & iPhone 3.1 OS

Today Apple released updated versions of their iPod line - the biggest update being for the iPod Nano which now sports some great media capturing tools:

iPod Nano

• Camera for video (& images?), sync to YouTube via iPhoto


• Built-in microphone and speaker for audio recording


• Pedometer - good for exercise!


• Nike+ built-in


• FM Radio

So Apple now have a great media capturing device at an affordable price point for students. Like a 'Flip' video camera built into an iPod! Camera records at close to DVD quality (640x480, 30fps, H264). Audio includes AIFF, WAV, AAC, MP3 formats. So a potential staged implementation of WMDs for students could look like:

• students buy iPod Nano in Y1,
• iPhone in Y2,
• Mac 'Tablet' or MacBook in Y3...

Pricing:
iPod nano
8GB NZ$259
16GB NZ$318

inc GST

iTunes9

New features include ability to remotely organise iPhone screens - i.e. organise apps.

Also Apple gave statistics on games for the iPhone - way ahead of PSP & Wii!!!

Intentional Communities Of Practice

Here's an overview of the development (2006 to 2009) of an intentional Communities OF Practice model for Academic Professional Development. This grew out of the Dummies2Delight group started in 2006, and has grown into a model for creating and supporting collaborative teaching and learning projects with a technology steward (CTLI/TPA) lecturers and their students.

1. Dummies2Delight Overview 2007: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchr4rgg_46dw5q29gj


2. Community Of Practice invite (2007 original): http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchr4rgg_47g7cxz2f6
   


3. First collaborative COP report 2007:
   

   From Dummies2Delight



4. Moving Mobile Mainstream (Via Communities Of Practice) 2007: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchr4rgg_9d4c5z4sw


5. CTLI Minisymposium 2007 - COP "Show & Tell". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ORtMXVW2M


6. Just What Is A Community Of Practice? (2008): http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchr4rgg_1ft6g3fhp


7. Community Of Practice Outline 2008: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchr4rgg_6dfm64xdd


8. Example COP Invite (SPASA 2008): http://docs.google.com/View?id=dchr4rgg_2qhmt3kg6


9. TPA Minisymposium 2009: Example COP feedback.
   1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9rK9VKR11Y
   2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HV7Yh3JLss
   3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6krZJJ12GCQ

Video Overview (With focus on mobile web 2.0 projects development):



For more background info on COPs, see Wenger's introduction website and one-page COP setup guide:

• Wenger, E. (2005, 14 October). Communities of Practice: a brief introduction Retrieved 17 July, 2006, from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm
  


• http://www.ewenger.com/theory/start-up_guide_PDF.pdf

Nokia 3G 'Booklet' (netbook)

Just announced - Nokia will be producing a 10" netbook, it's main differences from others will be the quality of the build (one pice machined aluminium - cf Apple MacBooks), 12 hour battery life!, built-in GPS, and integration of OVI and maps software. Unfortunately it will run Windows OS (probably Windows 7). So - now a phone manufacturer makes PCs, and a Computer manufacturer (Apple) makes smartphones!

Picasaweb Slideshows

Picasaweb: Interactive Slideshows!

1. Use your GMail addrerss to create a free picasaweb account


2. Upload Photos to an 'album' on your Picasaweb (use 'Pixelpipe', Shozu or email upload from the XM5800)


3. Annotate your uploaded photos


4. Geotagged photos will be added to Google Maps - or you can add your pphotos to Google maps manually in your Picasasweb album.
   


5. Embed your album as an interactive slideshow in VOX


6. Comment on each others picasaweb photos!

Mlearning introduction to Building technology students 11/08/2009

A quick demo of videoblogging using the Nokia N95 smartphone. Students signing up for the first mlearning project with building technology!

Architecture MLearning Rollout 2009

Second year Bachelor of Architecture students and staff receiving Dellmin9 netbooks and Nokia xpressmusic 5800 smartphones for mlearning project 2009.

Architecture students mlearning project 2009

Netbook & smartphone rollout

Product Design students recieve N97

COP @ Carringtons

Film & TV mlearning rollout

You can edit movies directly on the XM5800 smartphone - it includes a basic movie editor similar to iMovie on it - you can cut, paste clips together, add effects and soundtrack, and text/titles directly on the phone, then upload the edited movie to your chosen online site.
To access the movie editor on the XM5800, go to the gallery application, choose a movie, then choose 'options', 'edit' then choose editing options.

e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct5iBSz8ai4
"Film and TV third year students receive netbooks and smartphones for mlearning project at Unitec. Video and images recorded on an N97, video edited on N97, uploaded directly from N97 via Shareonline/Pixelpipe"

http://pixelpipe.com/item/a3b706e5-f335-4199-accf-4268b774b2a3

27/07/2009

Configuring 141 netbooks for mlearning projects

Here's a quick video (recorded and uploaded to YouTube directly from an iPhone 3GS) showing Thom, Vickel & Hung in the process of configuring 141 netbooks for mlearning projects at Unitec last week! The FIRST one was fun! - the next 140 weren't quite so fun ;-)

Video recorded entirely on iPhone 3GS

from http://mashable.com/2009/07/02/technologic-overkill/

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EDULearn Conference09 Virtual Presentation

A short video introduction to our collaborative research paper presentation at the EDULearn09 Conference in Barcelona, 6-8 July 2009.

By Thom Cochrane, Unitec, New Zealand. Paper: "Mobilising Learning: Mobile Web2.0 Scenarios in Tertiary Education." Wiki Link for more info: http://ctliwiki.unitec.ac.nz/index.php/MobilisingLearning



Cochrane, T., Bateman, R., Cliffin, P., Gardner, J., Henderson, I., & Holloway, S. (2009, 6th to 8th July). Mobilizing Learning: Mobile Web 2.0 Scenarios in Tertiary Education. Paper presented at the EDULEARN09 the International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Barcelona, Spain.

Designing SMS apps for mobile Africa

An interesting article from the Google Mobile development team!:

Designing SMS apps for mobile Africa: "As is well known, our mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. We aim to do this through technology, and in Africa, that means developing tools for the mobile phone. Africa has the world’s highest mobile growth rate. Mobile phone penetration is six times Internet penetration -- one third of the population owns a mobile phone and many more have access to one. Most of these devices only have voice and SMS capabilities, which is why we have chosen to focus our initial mobile efforts on SMS.

Today, we are releasing Google SMS in Uganda. Google SMS is a suite of mobile applications which provides access, via SMS, to information on a diverse number of topics including health and agriculture tips, news, local weather, sports, and more.

The suite also includes Google Trader, a marketplace application that helps buyers and sellers find each other. Users can find, 'sell' or 'buy' any type of product or service, from used cars and mobile phones to crops, livestock and jobs. Google Trader has been designed to help make markets more transparent. Many people in Africa lack access to information and markets beyond their immediate business and social networks. Google Trader allows sellers to post items for sale via SMS, and for buyers to search for such items.


Google SMS Tips is an SMS-based query-and-answer service. After you text a free-form query, Google algorithms restructure the query to identify keywords, search a database to identify relevant answers, and return the most relevant answer. SMS is a very limited medium: each SMS can be no longer than 160 characters, and, unlike the web, allows for one result to be returned in response to a query. Short or ambiguous queries are particularly challenging. For example: we've received queries as brief as 'hiv'. What exactly is someone asking for: symptoms? Causes? Prevention? Treatment? We not only have to discern intent in order to identify a relevant answer, but we also have to convey information back to the user within the confines of SMS. The challenge is further complicated by the fact that people must pay for each individual SMS message.

These are the sorts of technical challenges that have surfaced in developing SMS Tips, so please don't view it as a finished product. We need to greatly improve search quality and add to the content that we have in the Health and Ag focus areas. Now that Google SMS is live, we're working on improving search quality and the breadth, and depth, of content. As for Tips, we will work to add more focus areas.

Clearly, we're just beginning; there's still much to be done. If you're curious about what Google is doing in Africa, visit the Google Africa Blog. And here's a video about the broader effort initiated by the Grameen Foundation to introduce mobile applications to under-served communities.



Posted by Fiona Lee, Africa Project Manager

"

(Via Google Mobile Blog.)

PollEverywhere

Make your own poll voting question with Poll Everywhere

Make your own poll voting question with Poll Everywhere

Quick Poll for Unitec students following me: What are the key features of smartphones as learning tools?

Quick Poll for Unitec students following me: What are the key features of smartphones as learning tools?

Posted using ShareThis

2009 MLearning Projects Overview

The projects are guided and supported by weekly “technology sessions” (Communities of Practice, or COP) facilitated by a ‘technology steward’ (Wenger et al., 2005) investigating the potential of mobile web 2.0 technologies for integration within each course. The COPs are a collaborative partnership between the researcher (as the 'technology steward'), the course lecturers, and their students. The mlearning projects prior to 2009 had comprised small groups of students from select courses that volunteered to participate in the projects, while the breadth of funding secured for the 2009 projects enabled all students in each course to voluntarily participate if they chose. All participants (both lecturers and students) are provided with either (and in some cases both) an appropriate smartphone or 3G enabled netbook for the duration of their courses in 2009.


The following sections outline three illustrative mobile web 2.0 case studies:

1. A collaborative sustainable house design project between a third year Product Design course and a second year Landscape Design course. The Ning (http://www.ning.com) social network is used to facilitate collaboration between the two different courses (http://designprojects.ning.com).
   * Product Design students using Nokia N95 smartphones and folding Bluetooth keyboards to capture and share design ideas and reflections on design via the use of an online blog/eportfolio.
   * Landscape Design students using 3G enabled netbooks to facilitate the development of a collaborative design process via Ning forums, and online media sharing sites such as Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com).
   
2. Contemporary Music students using iPhones as tools to record and share environmental sounds from a variety of off-campus contexts, as well as creating online profiles on Vox (http://www.vox.com ) and MySpace (http://www.myspace.com), evaluating the use of new technologies for music generation, sharing, marketing, and distribution.

Read more and view videos etc... on our WIKI page:

http://ctliwiki.unitec.ac.nz/index.php/MobilisingLearning

Student Technology Usage

Here's a snap poll of a class of students, quickly capturing what technology they bring to class. How are we as educators harnessing the potential of this technology that our students have ion their pockets?



Video recorded on an N95 smartphone via QIK live video streaming to the Internet:

http://www.qik.com/video/1838357

QIK (and the N95) also geotags video streams as below:

View Larger Map

Tag Maps for TPA eTeam (Wordle)

Below are a couple of 'Wordle' pictures overviewing some of the areas of speciality of the Te Puno Ako 'eTeam':

How One Teacher Uses Twitter in the Classroom

Here's an example of using Twitter in education:

How One Teacher Uses Twitter in the Classroom: "

Teachers are always trying to combat student apathy and University of Texas at Dallas History Professor, Monica Rankin, has found an interesting way to do it using Twitter in the classroom.

(Via Read/WriteWeb.)

New Hub 27/05/2009

http://jhakaraia.vox.com/library/post/27052009-1.html?_c=feed-atom-full

Sent from my iPhone

Landscape Design Netbook rollout

Today we started the netbook project with the second year Diploma of Landscape Design students and staff. All students and staff were issued a Dell Mini9 netbook for use in their course for the rest of the year. the netbooks will be used as 'windows' into the online web 2.0 world - students will be blogging, uploading and sharing photos and VODCasts of their designs and learning experiences.

This project follows on from a collaborative web 2.0 project between Landscape Design and third year Product Design students on the SHac09 sustainable house competition, where NING was used as a collaborative online space.

See Penny's overview of the project:

http://pennycliffin.vox.com/library/post/minisymposium.html

Lecturer Mobile VODCasts

Our Community Of Practice with Performing Arts Tutors is focusing on the educational potential of mobile web 2.0 technologies. In particular the Tutors have appropriated VODCasting, using QIK live video streaming from a smartphone to record video reflections and notes to their students.

Here's an example:



Performing Arts COP participants:

Student Netbook Feedback

We've just started the first netbook roll-out project with the first year Product Design students, and we're getting great feedback from them already - embedding some video feedback below (recorded using their netbook webcams and uploaded to their blogs):

Post by Email

Wordpress finally brings email blogging to facilitate simple mobile blogging - a feature that every other blogging patform has had for years!
There are limitations: - image attachments will be viewable in email posts, however audio and video attachments will only work if the video and audio extensions are purchased off Wordpress :-(
Hey Wordpress - this is free on every other blog system!

Click the following linkfor more details and a video overview:

Post by Email: "Post by Email"

Ready steady cook

Sushi making competition - yum!

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Student NetBook Project

Today we started the first of several netbook implementation projects (as part of a wider mlearning project) at Unitec. The first year Product Design class all received Dell Mini9 netbooks to use for their course for the rest of the year.
A Moodle course is being used to guide the educational use of the netbooks, as we explore their use within a web2, social constructivist paradigm, to enhance their learning experience, and bridge the 'digital divide'!