Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Low-Cost Laptop: A Redesigned Computer for the World's Children

Thanks to Bonnie Bracey for this update:

Low-Cost Laptop: A Redesigned Computer for the World's Children
<http://www.edutopia.org/one-laptop-per-child-redesign>

By Jim Moulton from Edutopia
5/20/08

If you're not aware of the One Laptop per Child <http://www.laptop.org>
effort, you should be, if only because the rest of the world clearly is. And
don't stop at reading what the One Laptop per Child Foundation has to say
about it; read this article <http://www.edutopia.org/computers-peace> about
it, and search "olpc," and you'll soon be an expert.

I attended a meeting today, May 20, 2008, at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, where Nicholas Negroponte and his OLPC team discussed their
current efforts and the next-generation device. (On one side of me sat a
colleague from Maine; on the other was a fellow from the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan's Education Ministry.) Here is some of what was announced:

- The next iteration of the OLPC XO computer will be released in 2010.
- It will work both in Sugar, the open source operating system on the
first-generation XO, and on Windows XP. (Microsoft has reduced the price of
XP to $3 per license to make it possible for OLPC to keep costs low.)
- The screen will be much improved.
- The overall format will be like an e-book -- folding, with two touch
screens (each screen will behave somewhat like the iPhone) -- and a virtual
keyboard will be available.
- The target cost is $75.
- The discontinued Give One Get One program, in which buyers donate a laptop
to a child in a developing nation when they purchase their own, will resume.


In 2000, the European Union designated global distribution of XO laptops as
a Millennium Development Goal to help reduce world poverty. How will the
world change when every student ages 6-12 in, say, Uruguay, as well as every
teacher, has a laptop? Will that make a difference to your school? What are
your thoughts about the porting of Sugar into Windows XP? Does the apparent
move from open source concern you?

When I spoke to Negroponte before the session began today, he described
responses to the OLPC as resembling an "anti-bell curve" -- no one is in the
middle. They either love it, or they hate it. Go take a look and share your
thoughts. It is the future.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Did you grow up online? Our students have!

If you have not seen PBS' Front Line's Growing Up Online, I highly recommend
it. (I just watched it - online of course). I suspect the documentary is
well known to many of you.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/


The issues, concerns, & insights raised are interesting and troubling at the
same time. One message I took away; kids are experiencing a totally
different online world than their parents and teachers. I should rephrase,
We ARE aware of their online world. But, not being part of the their online
world, NOT REALLY AWARE.

What implications do their online experiences have for using technology in
the classroom and using technology for the classroom? Their relationship
with/to technology is much different than ours. Despite our best efforts to
understand, what are the unintended learning results affected by this
relationship?

I wonder if we will ever know the unintended lessons learned in the
classroom as a result of the now ubiquitous technology available in most
kids lives? (If we looked into it, are those kids who we worry are without
online access at home just as active in today's student online world as
connected classmates?)

Larry Jeffryes
Los Alamos, NM

S.O.S -- Help for Busy Teachers (Site 39) : Diigo Social Bookmarking

Thanks to my friend Pam for this resource!
:)
~julz

Check this list out from Kathy Shrock, pages and pages of cool Web 2.0 apps!
Diigo: Web 2.0 Sites Collection, link below.

Diigo: Web 2.0 Sites Collection
http://www.diigo.com/list/Kathyschrock/web20tools

Visit this and previous Sites of the School Days by going to
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/sos.html

The XOXO! XO v2.0

“Now, with XOXO (2.0), we are challenging what a truly collaborative and creative computing experience could be ... a true departure from the traditional keyboard and screen layout, a new way to interface and play with data, information and communication”

Check out the pics and more of the story at:
http://blog.ted.com/2008/05/xo_laptop_redes.php

Thursday, May 15, 2008

CIDER session on Assessing K12 Online Content

Dear CIDER member:

We would like to invite you to the next presentation in our series of free
CIDER sessions. Our next session features a presentation and discussion with
Lara Jongedijk, University of Calgary.

Title: Assessing the quality of K-12 online content: A sample assessment
rubric

What factors create an effective online course from a "content" point of
view? This session will highlight the assessment criteria and the review
process that was used to review the content of K-12 online learning tools in
BC in 2007. Content reviewed included online courses and learning objects.
To complete the reviews, the BC Provincial Content Review team researched
and built a comprehensive assessment rubric for online content based on the
BC K-12 DL Standards Document and on current research which highlights
effective practice in online learning. This session will highlight the
assessment rubric that was created and the criteria that contribute to
effective content in an online environment.

The session is intended as a collegial discussion on the topic of assessing
online content. For maximum benefit, please review the assessment documents
available from the CIDER Session website -
http://cider.athabascau.ca/CIDERSessions/ - prior to the session so that the
discussion can focus on practical implications and applications for your
educational community.

When: Friday, May 23, 2008, 11am-12pm Mountain Daylight Time

Where: Online via Elluminate at:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.8B71B60F2931D029AC3837DC06B70D

Pre-Configuration:
Please make sure your Mac or PC is equipped with a microphone and speakers,
so that we can use the Voice over IP functionality built into the web
conferencing software. Please note that it is extremely important that you
get your system set up prior to the start of the event. Please don't wait
until the day of the session to do this. Information on installing the
necessary software and configuring your PC is available at
http://www.elluminate.com/support/ in the "First Time Users" section.

________________

CIDER is a Community Partner of Elluminate - http://www.elluminate.com/ -
who proudly sponsors our web conferencing needs. To sign up for a free, no
obligation three-user version of Elluminate, please visit
http://www.getvroom.com

________________

This message is intended for registered members of the Canadian Institute
for Distance Education Research portal. To learn more about CIDER, visit
http://cider.athabascau.ca/

To request no further CIDER Notices, please
contact the CIDER site manager at cider-webmaster@athabascau.ca

Have a Green Tech Day with these sites

Thanks to Bethany for sharing these sites that can help us be green tech
users...
http://www.secondrotation.com/ buys your old gadgets
http://earth911.org is for battery recycle
http://buymytronics.com is for even broken electronics
http://greensight.com is a trade in for credit place
http://collectivegood.com/ purchases pda, cell phone, pager and will donate
them to a place of your choosing

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Examples of Disruptive Technologies/Innovations in the Classroom

Thanks Larry for this resource and the laugh!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guess this topic has disrupted my thinking.....interesting topic that I
should have know about. Why didn't anybody tell me?

Rip-Van Jeffryes


Examples of Disruptive Technologies/Innovations in the Classroom

http://k12wiki.wikispaces.com/Disruptive+Technology+in+the+Classroom

Discovery Earth Live

Thanks Bethany for this fabulous resource! Check it out folks, it’s really cool...

http://dsc.discovery.com/guides/discovery-earth-live/discovery-earth-live.html

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Google Teacher Academy Applications

Google Announcement...

Since today is National Teacher Day, we thought it would be the perfect day to announce that Google's FREE training program for K-12 educators is back at the Google headquarters! Outstanding educators from across the country (and beyond!) are encouraged to apply for the Google Teacher Academy taking place on Wed, June 25, 2008.

The GTA is an intensive, one-day event (8:30am-7:30pm) where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, collaborate with exceptional educators, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, GTA participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region.

50 outstanding educators from across the country will be selected to attend the GTA based on their passion for teaching, their experience as leaders, and their use of technology in K-12 settings. Each applicant is REQUIRED to produce and submit an original one-minute video, and applications for the event in Mountain View are due on May 28, 2008. Please use Google Video or YouTube to post these original videos. Participants must provide their own travel, and if necessary, their own lodging.  Though we will give preference to K-12 educators within a 90-minute local commute of an Academy event, anyone may apply.

Learn more about the program and the application at: http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

The GTAs have been a wonderful experience for everyone involved, with 97% of all attendees rating the GTA as "outstanding."

Here are a few quotes from GTA participants:
----------------------------------------
"The academy was everything I hoped for and more! I can't wait to plan out ways to use the tools we learned about, to share my experiences with my colleagues and to re-connect with the other academy participants!"
----------------------------------------
"The focus on innovation in education, and not just about the tools, was right on target."
----------------------------------------  
"I appreciate the opportunity to be connected to a group of educators that are passionate about preparing students for the 21st century. I feel inspired and able to meet the challenges that lie ahead!"
----------------------------------------
"Until now, I had never attended a conference where I was so engaged and loving every minute of it."
----------------------------------------
"This was easily the most important professional development experience I have ever had as an educator. World-class tools demonstrated by world-class people at a world-class facility. THANK YOU!"
----------------------------------------
"I love [the Google Certified Teacher community] for the ideas and inspiration that comes flowing to and from it...folks share professional development strategies (technology or otherwise) that have worked. It's nice to have a variety of ways to assist others and having that variety also provides spice for those of us responsible for doing the providing."
----------------------------------------

Feel free to send any questions to "gteachers@gmail.com", and please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in joining us.

We're looking forward to another great event!

- The GTA Team

--------------------------------------------------------
Google Teacher Academy
June 25, 2008
Mountain View, CA

Applications Due: May 28, 2008
http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html
--------------------------------------------------------

PodCast: NBC News Launches New Learning Platform

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - May 8, 2008.
#519 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,211 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning '08 - Oct. 26-28 - Orlando.

Podcast: NBC News Launches Learning/Networking/Engagement Platform

Special Note! I just finished interviewing Adam Jones, NBC News - Senior
Vice President of Network Development and CFO for a special Learning TRENDS
Podcast.

We talked about a revolutionary learning platform that NBC News has just
released: iCUE. They have even opened up a new group called NBC Learn.
There is a combination of journalists, media specialists and learning
professionals working in this group. And, NBC has partnered with MIT on
developing the design of this next generational learning model. I was
impressed with the ability of the learner being able to manipulate and
contextualize video content with thie platform.

iCue takes "e-learning" a huge step forward, with the introduction of small
video chunks (from the NBC News archives), social networking and gaming.
They blend these learning and engagement components in new ways, which will
form the basis of new pedagogical approaches.

iCue is a free service and is starting with content/courses aimed at
Advanced Placement classes for high school students. In the future, the
platform could be ideal for learning design for a wider range of learners
and content.

Go to http://www.masieweb.com/nbcicue for the Podcast and links to the
service.

I'd love to get your thoughts and questions via email to emasie@masie.com

Thanks to NBC News for the podcast and their work in learning.

Elliott Masie
Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* 0ver 4,100 Learning Colleagues on LearningTown. Join us
today:http://www.learningtown.com
* Learning Design Seminar & LAB: June 23-26 - Saratoga Springs
* Performance Support Seminar & LAB: July 9-11 - Saratoga Springs
* Learning 2008: Oct 26-29 - Orlando
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com
Contact Elliott Masie: emasie@masie.com

You have received this message as part of your subscription to Learning
TRENDS by Elliott Masie.
- To Unsubscribe: http://masieweb.com/trends/subscribe-to-trends
- To Subscribe: http://www.masie.com

The MASIE Center, PO Box 397, Saratoga Springs, NY

FW: Invitation to Introduction to Moodle II

You have been invited to the following event:
Event: Introduction to Moodle II
Description: In this demonstration, Holly will show you how a basic Moodle
course shell can be designed into a learning module. This will give you an
overview of the Moodle design process. Participants will discuss ideas for
integrating Moodle in the classroom and other learning situations.
When: Tuesday 13 May 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

TO JOIN THIS EVENT
Our webinars are one hour and will begin promptly at 4:30 pm MT (5:30 CST;
6:30 EST; 3:30 PST).

*Please register for this event at least 24 hours prior to the event.
*To register, please go to the following link:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/intromoodle2/event/registration.html
*The email and password you use to register will be your login and password
to attend the event.
*You will receive a reminder email with the link to attend 24 hours prior to
the event.
*You can also attend the event by going to
http://webinars.nmsu.edu/schedule.html and selecting the "attend" link (you
still need to register prior to the event)

To participate speakers are required. A simple computer microphone and/or
headset is ideal for complete interaction. A webcam is optional. If you
have never used Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your connection
at: http://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm


TECH ASSISTANCE
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Cissy Lujan-Pincomb
or Miley Grandjean at webinars@nmsu.edu or call us at 575.646.6143.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit us at http://webinars.nmsu.edu

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us!

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

Introducing JASON's New FREE Ecology Curriculum

The preview site for The JASON Project's new ecology curriculum unit is
live!

Get an early look at Operation: Resilient Planet
http://www.jason.org/public/curriculum/orp.aspx?pos=1
and its multimedia components, standards alignments and more.

Download a full-color, 32-page curriculum sampler and follow Dr. Sylvia
Earle, the renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Society
Explorer-in-Residence, as she leads JASON Argonauts on a mission to help
restore Chesapeake Bay!

Operation: Resilient Planet will be available in summer 2008, both in print
and online.

Go to http://jason.org, log in, and register &lsqauo; it's FREE!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

FW: ASCD SmartBrief

Blogging may help students understand value of writing
Teens who blog write more -- not only online but offline -- and may be
gleaning more practical writing tips than they are via the SAT-style
exercises used in many classrooms, according to a recent Pew Internet and
American Life Project survey. "Blogging and other forms of virtual debate
actually foster the very types of intellectual exchange, analysis and
argumentative writing that universities value," said Bradley A. Hammer, an
instructor in Duke University's writing program. eSchool News
<http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/kzegcsuhirSDFF> (4/30)


<http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/> Designed specifically for professionals
in K-12 education, ASCD SmartBrief is a FREE daily e-mail newsletter. It
provides the latest education news and information you need to stay on top
of issues that are important to you.

Sign up <http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/> for your very own free
subscription to ASCD SmartBrief.

Can the web exist without clicking?

Find out at
http://www.dontclick.it/

Thanks to Holly for this intriguing project link.

NMSU CMI Montage

Check out this cool montage of student work at NMSU's creative media
institute!

http://cmi.nmsu.edu/cmi-montage/

:)
~julia