"Veotag is a new service, in beta, that lets you display clickable text, called "veotags" within an audio or video file.
"Veotagging" is designed to let you make tables of contents, chapter headings and menus; add tags, transcripts and comments to enhance the user's experience; and even to let you tag audio and video files you find on the web."
A thoughtfrom xchange2006 from Mick Waters at QCA he says how we give learners gadget gumption to pick up and use technology. Do we have to teach them does our current teaching in some way put them off just picking up tools (gadgets).
Thanks to Geoff Stead at CTAD for this meaty morsel clever stuff. As somebody who spent years learning dark arts of AutoCad I feel vaguely depressed!! see link at :
http://sketchup.google.com/
The March of Google continues with a spreadsheet offerring, We have :
The annual state of the Union review of ICT by becta is now available.
The Becta Review is an annual publication that draws on a range of recent surveys and research studies to summarise trends in technology adoption and use, and to assess the progress and impact of technology in education. You can order or download the Becta Review 2006, which includes a section on personalised content and the use of digital resources in schools and the learning and skills sector, from Becta publications http://becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/index.cfm
Details of the categories for the BETT Awards 2007 and an online entry form are now available on the Becta website. The BETT Awards - a partnership between Becta, BESA and EMAP - will focus this time on products that demonstrate innovation and support the personalisation agenda. The twelve categories include two new ones: 'Creative and constructive tools' and 'Learning objects to support personalisation'. The closing date for entries is 19 July 2006, and you'll find full details on the BETT Awards [ http://www.bettawards.com ].
Want to know what the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) actually means by personalisation?
The DfES has published a pamphlet summarising current thinking about personalised learning with the intention of stimulating debate. You can download the pamphlet, A national conversation about personalised learning, from the DfES Standards Site [ http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/innovation-unit/personalisation/anationalconversation
thanks to Rob for pointing this out a neat interface for PDA/smartphone for gmail looks really good . The google juggernaut continues. It renders to whatever size of device you have. http://www.google.com/gmm/gmail
Orange are offerring the concept of one handset to cover
Italian site that has really interesting accessibility colour wheel that stimulates various conditions relating to vision really worth a look.
http://gmazzocato.altervista.org/index.php?lingua=en
The BBC have wriiten guidelines for staff personal blogs interestingly written as a Wikki
e-Citizen is a fun and simple way for people to use to learn how to use the internet and email.
It features simulated
websites so that people can familiarize themselves with how a website
operates, whilst also learning how to use the internet safely and
securely.
It starts with how to switch on a computer and use a mouse and then
moves onto to write and send emails, how to open files, how to shop
online and how to find information online to name just a few elements.
It is taught in centres (colleges, schools, etc) all across the
country and people can buy books or computer based training and spend
time at home learning.
It is all done at an easy-pace, so people can learn as quickly or slowly as they wish.
Many people find it great fun to meet other people that are also new
to computers and are learning how to use the internet - it's always
reassuring to find there are lots of other people out there who are
just now starting to learn internet skills.
Older people across the UK are being given the chance
to try out the internet to show how technology can be beneficial to
their lifestyle.
More than 1,500 IT taster sessions have been set up as
part of Age Concern's Silver Surfer Week, organised in conjunction with
BT and Microsoft.
Sadly I cant be there but b.Tween is running a really exciting blog so go on have a look links below
b.TWEEN 06 Interactive Media Forum will be webcast live at http://www.just-b.com/btween on Thursday and Friday this week (25-26 May)
If you can't make the forum, tune in via the web to hear presentations from Lord David Puttnam, John Sanborn (Creative Director of eBay), Robbie Stamp (Executive Producer of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and many more...
Find the full programme at http://www.just-b.com/btween
The forum blog is live and will be projected into the main arena http://www.just-b.com/btween_blog. We welcome your comments before, during or after.
A chat room will be live from Wednesday pm at http://www.just-b.com/btween (click b.CHAT) and will be projected during the presentations. Feel free to join the discussions and ask questions.
--
Come and play with the b.TWEEN commissions:
b.TWEEN 2 Cultures is a new project by Soda Creative and Chinese artist Yang Lei. Upload your own tagged images to become part of the work. Go to http://b.tween2cultures.net to find out more and get involved
Watch b.TWEEN's networks grow through b.TWEEN 2 Cities: Timelines by up and coming digital art collective Something. Go to http://www.just-b.com/btween and click galler
Good news but no mention if it is wi max or 8011g
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4993038.stm
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies allow the
transmission of a unique serial number wirelessly, using radio waves.
Attaching an RFID tag to a physical object allows the object to be
'seen' and monitored by existing computer networks and back-office
administration systems.
They are invloved in equipment security staff/pupil name badges and can be employed in a variety of ways a technology to watch. The range of possibilities are huge
Link to report site click here
This was sent to me by Mick James at Becta a really interesting idea. I believe it shows how the ease and pace of web 2.0 is challenging how we do things. Blogging in a crisis interesting
Link here
Bob Harrison fellow e-learning and m-learning evangelist has entered the blogosphere.
He is undertaking a study tour with headteachers and representatives from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) and Toshiba to China on the 14-21 May 2006 . I have worked with him to develop a blog he can use to keep those of us interested in the tour upto date and posse question to those on the tour
the main blog page can be found at http://eastmeetswest.edublogs.org
Interesting one to watch .
Find out more about the mobile computing revolution that is changing working practices and service delivery within local authorities across the UK.
http://www.egovtv.tv/programmes/Mobile%20Computing%20Service%20on%20the%20Move
Programme synopsis:
This LocalGovTV programme looks at the opportunities and benefits mobile computing can bring to the public sector, and in particular local authorities.
Through a combination of expert panel discussions and interviews, this programme considers the business case for mobile computing and the key issues to consider for successful implementation, with advice on the different technological options available.
Practical case studies demonstrate the good practice and lessons learnt from local authorities already benefiting from mobile working.
Programme content:
Panel Discussion: Mobile Computing - The Business Case Mobile computing is now expected to drive the next revolution in public sector modernisation, bringing efficiency gains, improvements in customer service and releasing more resources for front line services. This LocalGovTV programme takes a strategic view of the opportunities mobile computing presents and the key issues to consider when introducing these new ways of working.
Taking part in the discussion:
Ian Laughton, Director, NOMAD
David Loyd-Hearn, Solutions Architect, Serco Dr Bob Crichton, Associate, Solace Enterprises John Feighan, Managing Director, Intel® Solution Services, EMEA Peter Clarke, Principal Analyst Government Team, Ovum
Chair: John Thornton, e-ssential Resources
Case study: Greenwich Council - Digital Pen and Paper Greenwich Council are transforming the delivery of front-line Social Care services using a new innovative Digital Pen and Paper (DPP) solution in partnership with Serco, Nokia and Ubiquitious Systems Limited as part of the ODPM-funded National Mobile Working Project NOMAD.
The digital pens and paper are enabling social care staff to spend more time on the front-line, and are also an integral part of the Council’s user-held documents pilot which is helping to join-up social services and health.
Panel Discussion: Mobile Computing - Successful Implementation Within the public sector, we're seeing a massive increase in mobile-enabled services and correspondingly an increase in the range of mobile technology options available. This LocalGovTV panel discussion aims to provide clarity on the range of different technological tools available and guidance on selecting the right tools to fit your service area and business needs, hopefully helping to ensure that organisations are investing in a long-term solution rather than a possible technology cul-de-sac.
Taking part in the discussion:
Ian Laughton, Director, NOMAD
Peter Ryder, E-Innovations Manager, Preston City Council Nigel Dutton, Head of Tactical Marketing, O2 John Grice, Executive Head of Customer Services, London Borough of Sutton Peter Gray, Assistant Head of Building & Maintenance, Peterborough City Council
Chair: John Thornton, e-ssential Resources
Interview: Serco - Working with the Public Sector
Peter Holden, Business Development Director at Serco Solutions discusses how they are working in partnership with the public sector to deliver services ranging from construction and facilities management to education, children’s services and ICT.
Find out more at:
http://www.egovtv.tv/programmes/Mobile%20Computing%20Service%20on%20the%20Move
These and similar programmes are available to view at http://www.localgov.tv
Do please contact us with any ideas you have for future programmes.
Now this is an interesting development from Skype broadcast to up to a hundred users in real time http://www.skype.com/help/guides/skypecasts.html . Another use for voip over IP and Peer to Peer technology.
Really interesting and of note the PDF version as in the paper based review is now out of date so look at the web version
http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm06/erm0621.asp?bhcp=1
"Coming of Age: an introduction to the NEW worldwide web", it's available directly from the ICT in Education website: this applies only to subscribers to Computers in Classrooms -- everyone else has to complete a short form and have it emailed to them!
There's an article on the front page of the website, http://www.ictineducation.org describing the product in some detail.
This covers podcasting blogging rss etc etc great stuff.
Andy
Google Toolbar for Firefox
version 2 of the google toolbar for firefox out now.
DISC 2006: "merging from laboratories across the world and will seek to identify early synergies and opportunities for entrepreneurs in industrial and scientific disciplines.
Intersting range of speakers from IBM,Microsoft , Intel Labs and Professor Malcolm Atkinson, UK e-Science Envoy
Not one one can afford to go to but interesting topics and powerful range of speakershttp://www.mediacenterblog.org/events/06/wemedialondon/home
http://www.mediacenterblog.org/we_media_global_forum
interestingly http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2006/04/we_media_2006.html are inviting people to email in skype or similar VOIP user names so people can do a live phone in to the programme during the conf all very web 2
Emerging technologies in Education
Mobile technologies:
transforming the future of learning
The ambient web
Bill Sharpe
The future of human-computer interaction
Paul Anderson
Leon Cych
Introduction Web 2.0
Michael Philpott
http://www.becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/publications_detail.cfm?show=latest&orderby=title_asc&letter=ALL&pubid=321
Kevin 2.00 Blog has loads of stuff on the origami projects .Lots of manufacturers ready to launch in there. Now is XP the correct operating system I leave you to choose
http://kevintwodotoh.com/2006/03/24/hardware/toshiba-will-lead-the-umpc-pack-wait-and-see.html
BBC NEWS | Technology | Wi-fi promises internet shake-up
Web 2 Wi Fi its all going to get scary !!!
I know I have mentioned it before but worth a look.
3 g cards in laptop the microsoft oragami project and lots of other stuff
TechNews is a technology news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news.
Each issue contains news related to the following main subject areas:
1. Networking and wireless
2. Hardware
3. Multimedia
4. Software and internet
Each subject area has a news section and a more detailed analysis piece which highlights the potential impact and likely future direction of a particular technology.
got to here to download it
Blogging comes to NAACE really worth following this up if your going to NAACE in Torquay next week or if your not as well.; A sign yet again of web 2 and blogging in particular becoming masinstream . If your allowed to do it at school it cant be that subversive. Check out the links below.
Welcome to Naace Blogs!" This site has been set up as part of Peter Ford’s ‘Blogging in Schools’ session at the 2006 NAACE Strategic Conference and Exhibition in Torquay.NaaceBlogs
BBC NEWS | World | Bloggers: an army of irregulars
Interesting article on the BBC is blogging and its influence maturing as part of the emergence of web 2 when the Main Stream Media (MSM) take notice of what bloggs can and cant do.
Just about a year ago the font of all things technological wired magazine carried an article by Chris Anderson talked of the concept of the long tail of business. Suggesting internet companies especially and mixed economy companies (with physical and web presence) were able to sell the Harry potters of the book world and also obscure very niche texts. The bookseller analogy could be replaced with music seller what ever. Because they can analyse and to an increasing degree predict customer purchasing behaviour.
Parallel to this long tail development has been the social networking an interaction component of the web. The growth of blogging instant messaging in all its form voip like skype and Google talk and recently Frappr . Frappr is an interesting on an amalgam of goggle maps api that members of a Frappr community place a marker on expressing there physical location recently Frappr have gone on stage further and added an ability to create group forum linked to the mapped community www.frappr.com.
This really is a model of a tool for social interaction/communication rather than the information source the web has been till. Academic Internet Book publisher Tim O’Reilly released his Meme Map diagram http://www.flickr.com/photos/36521959321@N01/44349798 describing some of what he and other futurologists are calling Web 2.0. It seems this gives individual groups tools making your great strengths your network of those holding knowledge rather than you holding knowledge your.
Implications for society are vast larger number networks of individuals not confined by geography a phrase I first used in ALT C 2004 “Digital Nomads”. That are joined by non distinct fuzzy connections and personalised connections that go way past our current model of personalization as akin to consumer choice in the supermarket.
The internet the web whatever is becoming a social place with social interactions as the norm rather than the exception.
Pocket answer to digital divde they way |I and many others are thinking. The personalised toool of choice not one we say everybody must have the same a "PC".
This is very geeky but if you’re into metadata neat!!!
Dublin core meta data generator
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cgi-bin/dcdot.pl
Every wanted to turn a blog into a nice clean PDF
Well this site does exactly that short blog but brilliant site
http://www.rss2pdf.com
Interesting review from Techology Guardian on a MTV report on the wired genration qwith some amazing statistics .
I quote
"But the effects of technological advancement are unavoidable. Three out of four children have access to the internet via a computer at home. One in three children who use the internet makes friends online. Children in the UK aged between 10 and 19 own approximately 7.5m mobile phones, on which they send many of the 89m text messages written daily. And one pound in every 10 of disposable income was spent by teenagers on mobile products and services this year."
True digital natives !! Prensky eat your heart out.
Tackling Social Exclusion Through New Technologies
Well worth a read if you are interested in the so called digital divide
New Report from Office of Deputy Prime Minister – Social Exclusion Unit. 1st November 2005
Inclusion Through Innovation:
http://www.socialexclusion.gov.uk/downloaddoc.asp?id=768
Becta Expert Technology Seminar - Enabling flexibility
FREE seminar
Thursday, 8 December 2005
Manchester Conference Centre
Providing access to learning at a time and place that suits the learner can be achieved in many ways, through services extended by academic institutions; in the home and the library; through the learner's own personal device of choice (phone, handheld or portable computer) To deliver true 24/7 access to learning for all learners will not only impact on the traditional educational institution, but will also have considerable social implications.
How realistic is this vision when coupled with the flexibility inherent in the personalised learning and 14-19 reform agendas?
What role can current and emerging technologies play in assisting to bring about anytime anywhere learning and to what extent should we invest in technological solutions to ensure flexibility for all learners, educators and administrators.
This FREE seminar will try to address some of these questions and has the following themes
1. Access to learning at a time and place that suits the learner (VLEs/external access)
2. Services extended by academic institutions (ISPs, WMAN)
3. The learner’s own personal device of choice (Phone, handheld or portable computer)
4. Digital divide (there will be a panel discussion on this subject)
5. Personalised learning and 14-19 reform agendas
6. Current and emerging technologies
Register for this forthcoming event http://www.becta.org.uk/etseminars/et_register.cfm?id=7
Currently at hand held learning event at goldsmiths organised by www.handheldlearning.co.uk loads of stuff to Blogg but here is an interesting concept from professor Mike Sharples formerly Birmingham University now Nottingham University on mobile learning. He is now suggesting or from my interpretation an interesting thought on mobile learning that the key thing is that “learners are mobile” more than “learning is mobile”. It’s about the learner behaviour rather than the device simple but clever thought more later. Yep up blogging at 4.00am from hotel in deepest Greenwich
First it was google offerring blog search now Yahoo have given us a tool to search for podcasts.
http://podcasts.yahoo.com
Google give Gmail an RSS reader
Google have brought out an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) click here for explaination reader to work with gmail. Basically this allows to you to keep track of websites and blogg with RSS feeds without laboriously having to visit each site. Up till now I have used www.bloglines.com to keep up to date with stuff. After migrating from the excellent live bookmarks in Firefox which is fine for one or two site like BBC news to blog lines 2 months ago.
I’ve shrunk the URL using www.tinyurl.com who also a great tool bar button to shrink any URL you’re looking at
Link to google rss reader http://tinyurl.com/btudr
Interesting tool though bloglines is great too. If you use gmail at worth a look at this new tool.
Moodle Making the papers excellent piece on innovative use of the Open source learning Platform Moodle by Egglescliffe School in Teesside.
http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,1583832,00.html
Moodle a platform to follow.
Checkout it out www.moodle.org
The Personal Internet CommunicatorAffordable, Versatile Internet Connectivity for the Masses
The hardware manunfacturer have produce a computer the size of a thick paperback. Plug in your keyboard and mintor and away you go the suggested spec all an estimated cost of $299 USD.
Download PDF on the product
Hardware Configuration
The 100$ laptop is launched those concerned with the global digital divide have set out theyre stall
The MIT Media Lab has launched, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005.a research initiative to develop a $100 laptop—a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children. To achieve this goal, a new, non-profit association, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been created. The initiative was first announced by Nicholas Negroponte, Lab chairman and co-founder.
The BBC are keeping us upto date on progress http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4292854.stm the design using innovative and robust technology such as flash memory and wind up power supply and running a version of linux looks to try and bring technology to a larger part of the world population than ever before .
I know this American but an interesting georeferencing of RSS feeds.
Wondering if there are any blogs/RSS feeds in your neighborhood? You can find out with gFeedMap, which puts FeedMap'd blogs onto Google Maps. It's at http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~kkalu/gfeedmap/browse.php and is affiliated with neither Google nor FeedMap.
FeedMap, at http://www.feedmap.net/BlogMap , lets you geocode your 'blog and generate a little badge-sized map that indicates where you are. gFeedMap takes that geocode information and allows you to browse for location by searching city and state. Searching New York, NY generated a map with dozens of tags. Mousing over them gives information about that blog -- unfortunately sometimes the tags get in the way. Clicking on the tag takes you right to the 'blog.
If you're already on FeedMap you can get your own map. Just choose BlogMap from the menu on the left.
Hi all
If you are a first aider at work or interested in first aid maybe for public services courses I have come across a brilliant site using podcasting.
http://www.sja.org.uk/firstaid/info
Now I reckon that’s one of the best uses of this technology I’ve seen for a while revise for your exam or update your skills on the bus or the tube. Neat fit for purpose blah blah
Andy Black
VOIP kits for use without a pc are hitting the highstreet
Simon Turner, managing director of DSG International, which owns PC World, Currys, The Link and Dixons, said Freetalk, was a "wake-up call" for traditional telecoms companies.
"The days of old-style fixed-line phone calls are numbered," he said. DSG expects about half a million users to sign up for the new service within a year.
Its also predicted according to the International Data Group, up to 11% of UK broadband users will have a Voip service by 2007. I reckon that’s a conservative figure . See full article on the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4289488.stm
The mobile market is changing and spreading into new markets and technologies such P2T Push to talk broadcast from mobiles using a kind of voice packet is catching hold. In the developing world away from its major core use area in the states worth a look.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4290528.stm
Getting into followoing blogs and other feeds using say active book marks in Firefox and finding your browser favourites looking like a disaster area. Then try bloglines a web based blogg /feed agregator http://www.bloglines.com try the sign up its free icon create your account add your feeds and off you go.
Sure there are other services of this type I just havent heard of them yet let us know via the blog of course.
Bloggs in schools
Interesting link re blogging and use in schools
http://www.shambles.net/pages/school/blogs/(note: there is a link to a second page at the bottom of this first one)
ESRC report: 'InterActive Education: Teaching and Learning in the Information Age'
From the NAACE newsletter
The Press release from ESRC accompanying the publication of the report 'InterActive Education: Teaching and Learning in the Information Age' claims that 'despite the government's £1bn commitment to increase the use of information technology in schools, few teachers make full use of computers in the classroom.'The release proceeds:'The findings of the four-year project at the University of Bristol confirm recent reports by Ofsted and OECD, which found the use of ICT in schools was 'sporadic' and 'disappointing' in the UK and internationally. The ESRC study reveals that many teachers fear that computers would interfere with 'genuine' or book-based learning, particularly in the humanities and creative subjects, and use ICT only for administration and routine tasks.Professor Rosamund Sutherland, who led the research, says that teachers could be helped to make more effective use of computers in a wide range of subject areas. The project centred on partnerships between researchers, research students and teachers from ten institutions, which explored ways in which ICT could be used in English, history, geography, modern languages, science, music and mathematics.'Seventy per cent of the teachers who took part in the study were able to incorporate computers into their classroom,' says Professor Sutherland. 'After working with researchers they generally had a more positive view of technology and said that it enhanced their role as a teacher and had a beneficial impact on the learning environment.'If you would like a copy of the report emailed to you,(it has not yet been placed on the ESRC website) please contact Lance Cole, Lesley Lilley or Becky Gammon at ESRC on 01793 413032/413119/413122 .
Wallace and Gromit The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Topical bit of fun
Oscar Stringer writes: Film Education have released a free interactive CD called Wallace and Gromit The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, one copy will be sent to every school in the country or you can get a free copy from the website. http://www.filmeducation.org/ The CD has an excellent section on story-boarding for animation, well worth a look.
Consoles to plug digital divides?
We need more computers for the developing world - so what about old games consoles, wonders technology analyst Bill Thompson writing for the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4275448.stm
Bill points how new games platfroms leads to old ones been thrown away . The thought provoking piece talks of linux of Playstation (yes Sony do supply one legally) see article at http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/03/25/ps2_linux.html
and Xbox can also support linux but Microsoft obviously don’t allow it.
The argument is that simple games platforms can be modifyed to allow access to those in developing countries to the internet and other computer functions ..
Sounds a great idea.
Interesting piece of Intel view of African market for Mobile Computing and interesting one as this year’s mobil learn conference is in South Africa
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw1127231101752B232
Mlearn conference web sites worth a good look. http://www.mlearn.org.za
Safe blogging
A real hot issue from the BBC A handbook that offers advice to bloggers who want to protect themselves from recrimination and censors has been released by Reporters Without Borders.
Read article here
Becta Expert Technology Seminar on Sustainability Thursday 13
October 2005 British Library, London
Are current levels of investment in ICT in education sustainable?
What policies need developing to ensure that current and planned ICT
provision and training can be sustained at local and regional level?
How can institutions assess the true total cost of ownership of ICT?
What is effective re-use and recycling, and what are the financial
implications?
This seminar will look at different models which address these
questions at the national level, the LEA level and at the
institutional level. It will also assess how common standards and
specifications can help support a sustainable infrastructure
Becta Expert Technology Seminars are aimed at
* LEA ICT support staff
* National and regional organisations involved in advising,
delivering or procuring ICT services for schools, colleges and the
cultural sectors
* Central and local government representatives
* Government agencies
* Established educational ICT suppliers and companies wanting to
know more about the UK education market
Registration is now open for this event at
www.becta.org.uk/etseminars/forthcoming.cfm
Opera now free . this alternative browser to IE and Firefox etc used to come in a version that was free with banner adds or a paid for version without adds. Well basically the add free version is just that free !!! Download it from http://www.opera.com/
Paper on M learning
M learning my prediction for the next big thing coupled with bloging. The Epic group have produced a white paper on m learning which you can order for free via the following page worth a read and its free :
http://www.epic.co.uk/content/resources/white_papers/m-learning.htm
A great find yet again on educause the site that gave us the guide to e-portfolios .But this series seven things you should know about. the following
Blogs
Video Blogs
Podcasting
Wikkis
Clickers
Social book Marking
Great no nonsense stuff especially liked social book marking
I know you all know about Bectas TechNews but just in case you don’t!! The September edition of Becta’s TechNews is now available.You can subscribe and download from link below.
http://www.becta.org.uk/technews
It’s got stuff on the:
BBC backstage support for developers
Talking Online
Research on games in Education
And of course anlysis of blogging (oops I said it wasn’t about Blogs) well sort of !!!
And of course much much more !!
ResearchBuzz is designed to cover the world of Internet research. To that end this site provides almost daily updates on search engines, new data managing software, browser technology, large compendiums of information, Web directories -- whatever. If in doubt, the final question is, "Would a reference librarian find it useful?" If the answer's yes, in it goes!
ResearchBuzz is available in two flavours:
Writely a webased wordprocessor that allows you write a document and store it securely on the web and for you to choose who you allow to accessit. You can make it more public by publishing to blogger directly from it.
Writely is a web word processor that provides simple and secure document collaboration and publishing on the web using only the browser.
1. First, you create a document:
Either by typing it in, or by uploading a Word document, html, text or image file. Use our editor to format the text, add tables, images, etc.
2. Next, you share it with others:
Enter people's e-mail addresses to grant them access to the document.
Send them a message from Writely to tell them about it.
3. Then, you can edit it together online:
If another person starts editing the same document, a small notice will appear. Your changes will be automatically sync'd with theirs every few seconds.
Try it here
Google unveils blog search site
Google has just taken a huge step in the maturing of the blogginig phenomena. The site imaginatively called “Google Blog search” (catchy eh!!!)
Google will index all bogs that publish so-called feeds that automatically tell readers when they are updated. It will also gather data about blogs that tell other indexing sites about the entries they have made.
As well as searching via the dedicated blog search page, Blogger users will be able to look up other blogs via a special box on the web-journal writing site.
See how the BBC perceived view on the matter
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4244944.stm
Google blogg search site
http://blogsearch.google.com
About Google Blog search on google http://www.google.com/help/about_blogsearch.html
Mobile life gets a new tool
The projector even for those who use PDA’s or smart phones to run presentations as always been a much heavier item but not anymore. Toshiba and Epson are both producing battery powered projectors using LED bulb technology to cut down power useage.
But Toshiba will continue its proud history of launching ground breaking technology first see article at :
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7957
No news if they will support wireless connect to PDA, smartphone or PC/Laptop but heres hoping.
More exciting news from the BBC see the news story here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4225914.stm
More importanltly creative archive website here.
http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk
The 4th World Conference on Mobile Learning, mLearn 2005, will take place from 25 to 28 October 2005 in Cape Town, South Africa. This annual conference is the key research and networking event for researchers, strategists, educators, technologists and practitioners from all over the world. Previous mLearn conferences have attracted participants from more than 60 countries, and is, therefore, the world's largest conference on mLearning and emerging ambient technologies. Including Geoff Stead of Cambridge Training and Development (CTAD) and Bob Harrison of Toshiba
Check the website out
http://www.mlearn.org.za
Great mobile learning links by Jari Laru who works at The Research Unit for Educational Technology in Finland. Jari works in the Department of Educational Sciences and Teacher Education at the University of Oulu, Finland. The unit focuses its research and teaching on the issues dealing with the use of technology in learning and education. Our core functions include research and teaching in the area of educational technology. Worth a look http://www.mobilelearning.tk
Hi all
Having recently prsented a short paper the Assocaition of Learning Technologists (ALT) annual conference (ALTC). Entitled “Give em the tools and they’ll talk” .
Below you will find link to Paper absract and related prsentation will soon follow you are also directed below to past papers that will inform you as to my other work.
Link to Abstract
1) Mainstreaming and Cultural Change with a Learning Platform - how to do it, or how not to do it: the Dave Allen approach to cultural change
http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=4951
2)Collaborative Technologies: Overview of collaborative technologies
http://www.becta.org.uk/etseminars/presentations/presentation.cfm?seminar_id=30§ion=7_1&presentation_id=74&id=2608
Interesting white paper by the epic group. Worth a read.
Link here
Blogging tool for Word
Our friends at Blogger one of the widely used blogging tools have just made bloggers lives easier. The plug in for Microsoft word allows you to write your blogg posting in word and publish direct from Word. So allowing you not to use bloggers own editor. It also allows you to spell check in Word (great news for me)save a lot of cutting and pasting.
Check it out here
Thanks to Geoff Stead at CTAD for this Have you ever googled backwards?
try http://elgoog.rb-hosting.de/index.cgi
try typing in a search term, but remember to type it backwards!
DTI launches £1million 'grid computing' drive.
The Department of Trade and Industry today embarked on a £1 million drive to promote the use of grid computing by British blue-chip companies.
This phenomena spanwned by CETIS project searching space for signs of radio pulses using your desktop laptops spare computing power and more recently by cancer research UK for screening gene data .
Link to story
edublogs.org is a no-profit adventure into providing free WordPress blogs and hosting for teachers, students, researchers, librarians, writers and anyone who is interested in or working in education. http://edublogs.org
A directory of Education bloggs could be the start of the new Edu" Google" ?
QCA moving with times interesting small scale project.
A new system which allows students to learn of their exam results by text has been hailed a success.
A total of 58 teenagers received notification of their results via mobile phones on Monday - a day before the results were officially released.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) said the pilot had "worked well" adding that it could now be rolled out to schools across Scotland.
link to story on BBC
Hi all
Fascinating interview with Tim Berners Lee 14 years since the first web site. He examines the blogging phenomena and where it could lead us.
Berners-Lee on the read/write web In August 1991, Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the first website. Fourteen years on, he tells BBC Newsnight's Mark Lawson how blogging is closer to his original idea about a read/write web.
Link here
If yor interested in Open source on for all the firefox Moodle fans out there look at :
Eduforge (www.eduforge.org) has recently been upgraded with the help of the eXe Editor Project (www.exelearning.org).Eduforge is an open access environment designed for the sharing of ideas, research outcomes, open content and open source software for education.
All are welcome to use our community resources or start your own project space. Registration is free. Eduforge offers a wide range of collaborative tools as well as project spaces for the development of educational software, content or to faciltate collaborative research and
discussion.
Eduforge link
Mobile Blogs, Personal Reflections and Learning Environments
Describes how mobile blogs for personal reflection may be related to institutional learning environments, drawing on experiences from the RAMBLE ProjectAt Oxford University by Paul Trafford .
DeL eTools - RAMBLE (Remote Authoring of Mobile Blogs for Learning Environments )
Ramble listing on JISC
More informative RAMBLE Project website click here
Blogging and Mobility going to be HUGE !
Are learners today different than 15 years ago ??
Its been around a while but if you have read the work of Marc Prensky his website is at click here he did digital native stuff to download click here .
Really interesting stuff anybody got a view?
Hi all
you people promoting the mobile way andys got a favour to ask give this lot a plug seems a really good project not convinced its the solution but interesting . They are behind the Handhelds in education article mentioned a couple of days ago in the blog.
The project trying to bridge the educational and digital divide. Interesting project EduVision, a project funded by the BioVision Foundation, seeks to assist countries in improving their education systems by providing appropriate information technology tools for the classroom. To lower the overall cost of primary and secondary education, EduVision aims to replace physical textbooks, notebooks and stationary items with a single integrated system (EELS) which will follow each student throughout the course of their education.
link here
Interested in the impact of bloggs in education then read article by Paul Trafford VLE Administrator Learning Technologies Group at the University of Oxford. In the piece he describes how mobile blogs for personal reflection may be related to institutional learning environments, drawing on experiences from the RAMBLE Project.
link here to article
It'’s often said we should apply developed world models of development to the "so called developing world”. This appears to be particularly true in the growth of mobile phone networks in
Link here
The BEEB are suggesting one blog is being created every second
see the story here
good expression or mindless tripe
?? An interesting piece. Lot of work suggesting in telephony developing countries are missing the landline stage and going mobile but missing out desktops and going handheld Kenya where a trial project using handheld computers could help reduce the costs of education in poor communities
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/4727617.stm
In association with TERU (Technology Education Research Unit), Goldsmiths College, a conference on learning with handheld and mobile computing devices is to be held at Goldsmiths (in the new Will Alsop building) on Oct 14th & 15th.It is hoped that this will become an annual or biannual research gathering for educators, academics and developers to share ideas, knowledge and experience. Merlin John from the TES has been raising awareness for the event in the TES Online and PalmOne have come on board with a little sponsorship. We have managed to secure a leading group of international speakers and workshop hosts, the opening keynote address will be provided by Martin Ripley of the QCA and the closing keynote by Professor Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan with the event attracting both academics, policy makers and teachers. Indeed the reason that half of the conference falls on a Saturday is to provide more access to teachers who generally will find a Friday more difficult. The event is non-profit making and a two day pass is only £75 including lunch and refreshments. Single day passes are also available with the Saturday pass being just £30.
There is a microsite for the conference at this address:
http://www.handheldlearning.co.uk/hl2005
and some material on the TES website here:
http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2097461
and here:
http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2097459
Backstage at the BBC
Those lovely public servants have done it again with an inititative that appears to give a thumbs up to open source. Worth a real good nose around
http://backstage.bbc.co.uk
Interseting workshop I attended first workshop in 2003
The day will focus on giving lecturers, teachers, staff developers and learning technologists the necessary conceptual and practical background to make informed decisions about deploying handheld computers in their departments, classes and courses. Each delegate will receive a complimentary handheld computer.
Place: Wolverhampton Science Park
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Date: Friday 4 November 2005
Fee: £ 205 (lunch and refreshments included) Each delegate will receive a complimentary handheld computer.
Speakers to date:
Further information and online booking: http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/pdaws
Some interesting stuff here
A team of students has won the UK finals of the Imagine Cup with OneReach, a software tool which enables users to access location-aware blogs and create maps. The design, aimed at travellers, is reported on BBC News Online http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4118422.stm
There are similar location-aware developments such as the Virtual Savannah project developed by NESTA Futurelab and partners and the CAERUS system developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.
*- Virtual Savannah report http://www.nestafuturelab.org/research/projects/savannah_report_01.htm
*- CAERUS http://portal.cetadl.bham.ac.uk/caerus/default.aspx
Geographers strike again , Google have released another Beta freebie:
Google earth, the basic package is a freebie, and lets you fly around a 3D globe, with overhead satellite photos, tilted 45-degree photos, 3D rendered buildings...
http://earth.google.com/index.html
the more mundane but useful google maps a quick way to find restraunts in strange towns and other useful things is well worth a look at http://maps.google.co.uk
Another reason to use firefox livebook marks.
Any site with an atom or RSS feed for example many bloggs or websites including this one http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com can be agregatted as a livebook mark that shows recent additions of the livebook marks everytime you log on .
So choose your site http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com or www.aclearn.net Click on little red white Icon bottom right of screenscreen see icon on this blogg .
For more help google active bookmarks in firefox
The pace of technological change observers think has picked up a gear see this excellent use of VOIP peer to peer technology in the form of Skype www.skype.com and third party software to record an interview using skype then to podcast the recorded interview using an RSS feed .
From a great blog called auricle from University of Bath
read more
14 months ago we would all have said whats a podcast ?? now even auntie BBC is in there.
see podcast trial page
Following the first Moodle Conference last year attended by representives from more than a dozen countries, MoodleMoot_05 are holding the second Annual UK Conference for Moodle Users, Administrators and Developers. The Conference will be taking place in Oxford on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 August 2005.
Thanks to Rob Englebright at Becta for finding this interesting article on RSS. Techie geek but worth a read
The Importance of RSS
By Kevin Hale
Preface
This essay started out as an explanation for Google’s
foray into personal portal pages, but morphed into “a comprehensive breakdown of the state of
rss, taxonomies, advertising, and how it relates to the future of Google.” What follows is the result of several months of observation, notes and contemplation.
view whole article at http://particletree.com/features/the-importance-of-rss
The Daily Mirror is reporting that Coventry University are recording their lectures and sending them to the students with 3G phones (also providing access to them over the internet).
http://www.mirror.co.uk/printable_version.cfm?objectid=15623619&siteid=94762
Good use of technology or not?
Andy
A huge thanks to Alistair McNaught at Techdis for this
Accessibility / elearning training materials
Now that we're entering the main staff training season it is worth
pointing out that a set of ready prepared training materials around the
theme of accessibility, inclusion and e-learning is available via the
TechDis website - see
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/getstaffpacks
The packs contain everything you need from themed icebreakers to
presentations, activities and information sheets where relevant. All bar
one are aimed at a non-technical audience working directly with learners.
Packs include:
* Accessible e-Learning
These training materials explore the theme of accessibility in relation to
simple 'home grown' e-Learning, illustrating how simple techniques can
greatly add to the learning experience of many students. The inherent
contradictions of 'universal accessibility' are explored along with
suggestions for providing equivalent learning experiences.
* Benevolent Bill - What Microsoft® does for Accessibility
This pack looks at the range of built in features in Windows and Word that
are either designed to enhance accessibility or can be used creatively to
make learning more accessible to certain groups.
* Checking Accessibility of e-Resources
This pack looks at the current international guidelines for accessibility.
It also investigates the available auditing tools, how they can be used
and how the results can be correctly interpreted.
* Dyslexia and the Use of Assistive Technology
This module gives a basic overview of the common Specific Learning
Difficulties and how Assistive Technology can be implemented to assist
learners.
* e-Assessment
These training materials consider the benefits of assessing online and
draw out the accessibility issues, problems and solutions associated with
e-Assessment.
* Introduction to Assistive Technology within a Learning Environment
These training materials provide a broad introduction to the breadth and
range of assistive technologies available and the issues to consider when
trying to match a learning need to a technological solution.
* An Introduction to Web Accessibility
These training materials provide an introduction to the issues facing
disabled people when accessing materials on the web. They also give an
overview of the disability legislation in relation to website development.
Another man living on the edge pushing the boundaries of mobile learning worth a really good look at his work . Does a good line in Kite surfing as well.A fascinating interview with Geoff Stead of Cambridge Training and Development part of the Tribal group. In the article he discusses the achievements of the m-learning project that has inspired and engaged young disaffected learners.
click here for link to article
The update for windows mobile appears to have some nice features.
Technology newsletter - TechNews
TechNews is a technology news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news.
Each issue contains news related to the following main subject areas:
1. Networking and wireless
2. Hardware
3. Multimedia
4. Software and internet
Each subject area has a news section and a more detailed analysis piece which highlights the potential impact and likely future direction of a particular technology.
How to subscribe to TechNews
wwww.becta.org.uk/technews
The BBC in business have done it again a great introduction on one of the possible futures of mobile .
worth a listen or even better download the MP3 of the 5th of June In Business programme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/inbusiness/index.shtml
Look, No Wires!
In Business looks at the way computing is suddenly discovering the wirelsss world.
The aim is Internet access absolutely everywhere without thinking about the connection, and thosands of businesses are battling for a piece of the action.
Its a great introduction expanding wirless connectiviy Bluetooth and Zigby and the really exciting role of Mesh internet access.
Enjoy
Andy
