Ethics of researching and managing mobile learning Workshop at University of Bristol

I couldn't make this event but colleagues ( friends) were kind enough to share the session with the world . Really great to see discussion around ethics of researching mobile learning really well worth a look and a bit of relection !!

https://www.bris.ac.uk/education/research/networks/mobile/events/iaswshop7notes

serendipity leads to cycling article

Travelling back from work on a nightmare train journey had a great conversation with a Librarian from Cambridge University and her daughter . Web 2.00 conservation serendipity and she pointed out a great article on cycling in Copehagen no technology but great article !!

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2287337,00.html

Iphone as a tool for education

Watch the video from Abilene Christian University who are leading with IPhone development in educational institutions . if you get some time ignore the hype .



The reflections on this blog I read sort of mirror my thoughts

http://enkerli.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/visualizing-touch-devices-in-education/

Interesting blurring of social ,teaching and learning and education administration .
ignore the over production ;-))) think about the content .

It doesnt have to be an iphone a range of devices are emerging !!

FriendFeed

http://friendfeed.com

Blogged from gmail on my iPod touch. Thanks to those powerhouses at edte.ch for this. Hailed by many as the new twitter. Seems a more spotaneos less formal  version of Plato worth a look.

From Toy to Tool Cell phones in learning

Interesting site (North American) on use of cellphones in education. Thanks Bob for pointing this out !!

http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/
From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning

UMPC is a new class emerging the ULCPC

The class of Ultra Mobile PC's or low format notebooks has been quite a disruptive technology in the Mobile learning area. The smart phone types suggest they are neither a smart phone or full spec laptop capable of manipulating rich media . There are it appears two classes of machine in terms of specification.

Rich Media devices (small versions of full spec laptops )
Low media devices functions including a range of text editing media viewing.

It strikes me now we have
1)UMPC's (small version of conventional laptops at a cost !!)
2) ULCPC Ultra Low Cost PC's.( cut down version of cnventional laptops with limited functionality)

the next evolution in the chain is smartphone connectivity to conventional monitor and keyboard when in the office environment . The Iphone is it appears nearest to this capability but not quite

APT STAIRS a alternative" Stairway to heaven"

Was lucky enough to attend launch event of APT STAIRS Project (Appropriate Practical Technologies for Students,Teachers, Administrators and Researchers )

Interesting Jisc funded project invovlng looking a cloud computng in this case Google docs and other parts of Google Apps

it involves demonstrator projects in the 6 colleges in the bloomsbury group of UCL

key point to the projects are

• collaboration
  
• communication
  
• coordination

The project invovlves members of the college communties using technologies for collaboration for academic work.

Lots of small projects using google docs across 6 institutions
vet school around placements in first year.
London international development centre using google doc to manage membership
School of Pharmacy drug classification project using Google Docs
Birkbeck science collation data

A member Google staff gave an interesting presentation on what exactly is Google Apps . Remember other products are available including a powerful offer from Microsoft.http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/exchangelabshelp/bb847823.aspx

introduced idea of taking away some in house services and replace it via the "cloud".

Major advantages of cloud computing

• scalability
• collaboration that just wasnt possible before
  
• cloud continual timeline of innovation in stepped changes
  

the apps allow mere mortals to produce tools and collaboration platforms .

education the role of apis to integrate with exisitng institutinal services is common.

the google strap mantra

• communication
• collaborate
• simplify
• innovate

www.google.com/a/edu


watch the youtube video introducing google Apps

Great project interested to see what evolves. follow the project at www.bloomsbury.ac.uk/apt

I Tunes U

Apple going to have a major push in the UK using I Tunes that's the rumour. The fact there stateside I Tunes U guru is over in the UK might be one to watch. Watch the Tunes space ;-)

Piece in Secondary Education magazine

Education in the hand .

Not going to comment on this I contributed but you might be interested. I didn't choose the picture

http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/features/article.html?uid=4010

Unkind words for first projector phone

Ignore the words just thinks projection from phone has arrived and it maybe generation 1.0 but watch it improves. So interface is a bit iphone like but who cares .


http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/worlds-first-projector-cellphone-is-also-an-iphone-clone-in-ro/

Firefox Mobile Concept Video. The mobile space just got FOXY !! Well nearly

Firefox is coming to mobile. The innovation, usability, and
extensibility that has propelled Firefox to 200 million users is set to
do the same for Firefox in a mobile setting.

Ok this is only concept and few screencasts and video but design and thinking looking very cool read about it and watch it at :


http://azarask.in/blog/post/firefox-mobile-concept-video

the thinking and discussion on realted posts on the blog is well worth reading !!

Spoof Apple introduces the iPhone 3G Videoconferencing Kit, ZOMG!

This spoof reminds my of the good old VIZ joke "why bother with expensive binoculars just move closer to the object your looking at "? From gizmodo !!!



http://gizmodo.com/5015395/apple-introduces-iphone-3g-videoconferencing-kit-zomg

Serious Allotments in Dundee

Ok its not about technology but hows this for a cool visit. Derek Robertsons Allotment


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Microsoft Labs

Just picked up this through contacts at Microsoft http://labs.live.com/
The Microsoft lab group well worth a look.

Look at the photosynth stuff

http://labs.live.com/National+Geographic+Goes+Synthing.aspx

UK university lectures on iTunes

University College London, the Open University and Trinity College Dublin are putting lectures onto iTunes.

Available on iTunes U another move to M in the learning space ??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7431918.stm

Google Gadgets for Linux appears

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6240914.html

any interest to you linux bods ?

Handheld Learning Awards last date for nominations has now been extended to August 15th

Not a duplicate post but to inform you of change of entry deadline.

last date for nominations has now been extended to August 15

go on if your doing stuff with mobile and learners apply you just might win !!

The Becta supported Handheld Learning Conference runs this year from Oct 13th-15th in London.
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com

All delegates registered before July 31st receive a free Nintendo DS and game to keep and bring to the conference.

The Handheld Learning Awards are being hosted at a party in London on October 13th as part of the conference.

The purpose is to celebrate those practitioners, learners and participants who have excelled in the use of emerging technologies for the improvement of their learning and teaching practice.

We are seeking nominations in 4 categories:

1) Primary
2) Secondary
3) Further education ; Tertiary
4) SEN

Within each category we are looking for nominations for a practitioner and an innovation which could be a product, service, initiative or organisation.

We are also seeking nominations for our Special Achievement Award.

We expect nominations to be either made by the nominee themselves or by others.

Nominations are by a simple form and must be submitted by June 6th.

Judges will be announced by July 31st.

Finalists will be announced by September 19th.

Please make your nominations at:
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com/awards

Handheld Learning Awards

go on if your doing stuff with mobile and learners apply you just might win !!

The Becta supported Handheld Learning Conference runs this year from Oct 13th-15th in London.
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com

All delegates registered before July 31st receive a free Nintendo DS and game to keep and bring to the conference.

The Handheld Learning Awards are being hosted at a party in London on October 13th as part of the conference.

The purpose is to celebrate those practitioners, learners and participants who have excelled in the use of emerging technologies for the improvement of their learning and teaching practice.

We are seeking nominations in 4 categories:

1) Primary
2) Secondary
3) Further education ; Tertiary
4) SEN

Within each category we are looking for nominations for a practitioner and an innovation which could be a product, service, initiative or organisation.

We are also seeking nominations for our Special Achievement Award.

We expect nominations to be either made by the nominee themselves or by others.

Nominations are by a simple form and must be submitted by June 6th.

Judges will be announced by July 31st.

Finalists will be announced by September 19th.

Please make your nominations at:
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com/awards

Mapping the webs next utility

This title is my phrase but the article in the US Financial Times seems to bear me out

Way to go? Mapping looks to be the web's next big thing

http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto052120081442070883

my background first in IT was as a geographer 25 years ago doing some of the first computer cartgography and mapping using Apple IIe and mainframe packages symap and symvu . It was a grat but painful experience now its a dream come true its all on the web and increasingly accessed via your mobile or computer .

getting Buzzword

The answer is the browser I have often said and this addition to adobe offerring buzzword currently in beta is the most fully fuctional web base word processor I have yet come across http://blogs.adobe.com/acom/

worth a look at and maybe a contrast with google docs as always you decide !

Digizen youve got to look at this !!

Now this report part funded by a Becta research grant has just gone live and if your interested in

• e-safety
• young peoples behaviours online
• social networking

youve got to have a look http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/
for a overview or click the link to download whole report in PDF Download the complete report
The comparison area is particularly good
http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/snsComparison.aspx

Learning from digital natives: bridging formal and Informal learning .

Interesting report commissioned by the HEA by
Kathryn Trinder
Jane Guiller
Anoush Margaryan
Allison Littlejohn (Glasgow Caledonian University)
David Nicol (Strathclyde University)

Abstract
Formal and informal learning have been viewed as competing paradigms,
however, students are increasingly adopting the tools and strategies for informal
learning within formalised educational settings.
This project explored the affordances of the informal practices of students in
higher education by examining ways in which they used e-tools such as personal
digital devices, communication tools, and social networking.
Barriers and enablers as examples of such e-tool integration within international
research and practice were identified, and recommendations made on
pedagogical, socio-cultural, organisational and technological aspects of the use of
informal tools to support formal learning within higher education.

Basically well worth a read if your interested in trends in education and social media .


link here

Open day at Islay School.

Islay open day one of my regular readers (Hi Ian). Ian on the Isle of Islay is having a an ICT Open Day on Friday 13th June 08.

This is being aimed at parents, and local businesses, but anyone interested in what they are doing is more than welcome.

Ian is doing great stuff with ICT with mobile and other devices but to be honest as always the pupis are stars.

Ian has more detail on his blog at http://islayian.blogspot.com/2008/05/ict-open-day.html

He is also using google web forms to register peoples interest.

I cant go I am in Scotland 11-12 June ;-( .

Good luck Ian would love to come and loving my rugby (see Islay beach Rugby) would have made a weekend of it. If you do it next year send the dates a bit earlier but good luck.


If you can make it go it wont be a waste of your time !!!!
Being a bit clever and using bloggers recently added ability to date stamp post into the future so they appear at top f the blog for longer . So hopefully more people notice Ians efforts. BTW his blog is in my blog roll.

RSC Eastern New Build event :How new college buildings are creating the ‘wow factor’

Great to see how RSC Eastern are making the new on jisc announce after there recent highly succesful event on new build in FE . Read the great write up at


http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2008/05/rscevent.aspx

lookout for presentations on RSC Eastern website and podcast interviews with presenters participants. http://info.rsc-eastern.ac.uk/index.asp
RSC Eastern New Build event "How new college buildings are creating the ‘wow factor’"