7 Things You Should Know About RSS

7 Things You Should Know About RSS: "RSS is a protocol that lets users subscribe to online content using a "reader" or "aggregator." Internet users tend to settle on preferred information sources. RSS allows users to create a list of those sources in an application that automatically retrieves updates, saving users considerable time and effort.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning practices and technologies. Each brief focuses on a single practice or technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use "7 Things You Should Know About..." briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues. "

(Via EDUCAUSE RSS | Recent Recent Library Submissions Listings.)

Sydney Slideshow (Easter 2007)

Slide.com - a fun way to create interactive online slideshows and embed them into your web/blog pages.

Mouse over pictures for description!

Emerging technologies for learning: volume 2 (2007)

Emerging technologies for learning: volume 2 (2007)

This follow-up edition complements the original document published in March 2006 (which is available here)

Download the publication Emerging technologies for learning: volume 2 (2007) (3.2MB)

This publication includes the following chapters:

* Emerging trends in social software for education (Lee Bryant, Headshift)

* Learning networks in practice (Stephen Downes, NRC)

* The challenge of new digital literacies and the 'hidden curriculum' (Jo Twist, ippr)

* How to teach with technology: keeping both teachers and students comfortable in an era of exponential change (Marc Prensky)

* Games in education (Keri Facer, Futurelab; Tim Dumbleton, Becta)

* Ubiquitous computing (David Ley, Becta)


Summaries of each article with download can be accessed here.

bfree - export courses from Blackboard

bfree - export courses from Blackboard: "http://its.unc.edu/tl/tli/bFree/

Another useful pointer from Michael Roy at Wesleyan’s Academic Commons, bFree is a tool built by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It allows you to open a Blackboard course export or archive file, select the files you want and then export these as an independent website."

(Via EdTechPost.)

Sony PSP users can now connect to T-Mobile Hotspots

Sony PSP users can now connect to T-Mobile Hotspots: "Sony recently announced a new firmware upgrade, version 3.30, for the PSP PlayStation Portable system. The update now enables PSP users access to over 7,000 T-mobile hot spot locations, including starbucks, Borders, Hyatt Hotels, and many major airports across the..."

(Via MobileWhack.)

Vox.com, Meet A&R

Vox.com, Meet A&R: "

UK record companies don’t want your demo CDs anymore: they want you to use Vox.

SixApart’s blogging platform is being used by ColumbiaDemos and RCADemos, two sites owned by SonyBMG, to solicit demos from artists rather than accepting CDs. From April 2nd, aspiring artists will be able to sign up on the sites and create multimedia blogs using the Vox software.

Whether a blogging platform is the best way to solicit new music is questionable, but no doubt this is part of a multi-pronged strategy that includes talent hunting on YouTube, MySpace and other hubs.

[via]

Recommended: Hi5 Layouts at Mashcodes!

"

(Via Mashable!.)

Blogging from Sydney

I've spent the first 3.5 days in Sydney feeling very disconnected - the Hotel only has dialup (very Sloooow dialup at that), and my Vodafone 3G Data costs $10/MB on roaming!
I tried every Telco in Australia to signup for data for 2 months - but no joy - they all want you to sign up for at least 2 years! and you have to have an Australian credit rating (bank account), and Australian employment! WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!! This is so neanderthal.
Anyway, the Chilli iburst wireless broadband package finally arrived today - so I'm connected again! A nice service - very similar technology to WOOSH in NZ, but much better coverage.

Photoblog of Sydney available at http://picasaweb.google.com/thomcochrane/Sydney2007

My Office

IT Helpdesk & new technology - an age old problem ;-)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAWR6hzZek]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAWR6hzZek

Get With The Program

An article in the latest New Zealand TUANZ Topics magazine asks "Are web2 communication tools such as blogs, wikis, webcasts and podcasts now an essential part of the teacher's toolkit?" (From a secondary school perspective)

They conclude:

"You and I are the last generation that has the perogative of deciding whether or not we're going to embrace technology. But the kids we are teaching noe, the ones that are under my watch in the classroom, they aren't given that same perogative. If they don't master these skills, I'm actually dooming them to a lower level of opportunity...

The thing we need to understand about the type of learners coming to us today is that not only do they have different tools, but they actually process differently.

Most kids are walking around with one or two cellphones in their pocket, using them to text their friends, surf the Web, take photos, and post to their blogs. And yet as soon as they get to school they're told to turn the cellphones off.

If we'd just let students work to their strengths, instead of their weaknesses, we'll start to celebrate what they can do, and what they come to the classroom with - and that is a propensity toward technology."

Putt, S. (2007, March/April). Get with the program. TUANZ Topics, 17, 35-38.

Welcome to Treemo - Treemo: Media Sharing on a Mission

Welcome to Treemo - Treemo: Media Sharing on a Mission: "Treemo is an online and mobile community dedicated to sharing digital media, empowering self-expression, and transforming creativity into action."

Treemo looks rather interesting - all content is mobile friendly, and they provide multiple ways of accessing content & uploading content via mobile devices without requiring a client application:

1. Via Cell Phone Number


2. Via Mobile Web Browser


3. Via MMS


4. Via email


5. Or from PC online

Definitely worth checking out. They are also quite strict on content - copyright, etc...

TechWatch Report: What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education.

TechWatch Report: What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education.: "A new TechWatch report by Paul Anderson explores the Web 2.0 phenomenon and asks what are the implications for education?"

(Via JISC e-Learning Focus.)

The 1% 'rule'

Here's an article that discusses the 1% rule of online content creation!

"It's an emerging rule of thumb that suggests that if you get a group of 100 people online then one will create content, 10 will "interact" with it (commenting or offering improvements) and the other 89 will just view it".

Sad but true - how can we get over the 1% threshold? Ideas?

SMS Post

Wireless 3G connectivity. Its great to have connectivity via wireless technology, enabling things like mobile blogging via sms!

Via Letmeparty.com

Create a free account with http://www.letmeparty.com , register your Blog address (e.g. http://puriri.unitecnology.ac.nz/wp/xmlrpc.php ) and your cellphone number, send a text message to +13128047068 , and you're mobile blogging!

Why bother?

“New mobile and context-aware technology can enable young people to learn by exploring their world, in continual communication with and through technology” (Sharples, 2005).

“A review of current practice suggests that mobile and wireless learning is the natural next step wherever institutions and practitioners have already adopted e-learning” (JISC, 2005b).

Sotillo (2003, p5) describes the pedagogical impact of ubiquitous wireless computing:

In summary, the advantages of wireless computing in education are ubiquity, portability, and flexibility for collaborative learning projects. Computer power everywhere and all the time means the ability—and the challenge—to integrate computers into every aspect of teaching, learning, and research. This represents a Copernican revolution in instruction, with the professor as guide and mentor rather than "fount of knowledge" or ultimate classroom authority.

DipLSD Mobile Trials 2007

Got a really encouraging response to suggestions for setting up mobile web2 trials with the Diploma Landscape Design course at Unitec today!

Trial goals so far:

1. Students purchase their own Palm Treo 680, and monthly data plan


2. Regular weekly technology support/exploration sessions


3. Tentative Dates:
   
   March 12, 19, 26?
   May 14, 21, 28


4. Project culminates in eportfolio for Ellerslie Flowershow


5. Setup COP with DipLSD staff

MOLTA Conference disappointing

MOLTA Conference
I was a bit stunned at the limited understanding of web2 technologies (over half the audience had not heard of RSS!) by conference attendees! Many of the presentations were out of date - promoting 3-4 year old technologies, and badly informed on the current state of wireless data in NZ! :-(
I was also frustrated by the persistence in developing institution specific applications - instead of using the fantastic web2 mobile applications tat are already available!!!

One of the exceptions was Selena Chans workon mobile eportfolios and web2 mashups, including the use of VOX. Interesting restyling of Moodle using 'Firebug' plugin for Firefox, to make it more mobile 'friendly'.

WordPress

I've been experimenting with WordPress recently - and so far I'm quite impressed with its ease of setup and options, particularly the ability to associate 'static' pages with your main blog page. Thus you could almost use Wordpress as a basic website solution.


http://www.wordpress.com

Mobile plugin for wordpress available at http://alexking.org/projects/wordpress

Google Blogger Widget

Google have produced widgets for OSX for both Blogger & GMail! Cool.

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Scratch All Future Conference Presentations on Web 2.0

Scratch All Future Conference Presentations on Web 2.0: "Scratch All Future Conference Presentations on Web 2.0
And maybe instead, we can get it with 5 minutes, no bullet points, no lecturing in Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us, a YouTube gem:

This comes from Digital Ethnography @ Kansas State University, ‘a working group of Kansas State University students and faculty dedicated to exploring and extending the possibilities of digital ethnography.’"

(Via CogDogBlog.)