Edu_Rss

Many Going to College Aren't Ready, Report Finds
Only about half of this year's high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college. From New York Times: Education on August 16, 2005 at 9:45 p.m..

Learning Technology
This special issue of Learning Technology, focusing on immersive learning, is well worth the read. Though most of the examples relate to engineering and robotic technology, the general approach is one that could be emulated in other disciplines. Tommaso Leo's opening editorial is a natural starting point, but worth a look as well are Busetti, Forcheri and Ierardi on learning object design for immersive technology and Falsetti, et.al., on learning evaluation in immersive environments. By Various Authors, Learning Technology, August 16, 2005 [OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

Croquet
Tom Abeles sent me this week last week or so and I didn't have a chance to follow it up until today (sorry Tom). And I might add, to follow it up in detail would require much more than a week. Open Croquet is a multi-user software environment that allows users to rewrite the environment while working in the environment. It is similar in this way to a MOO gone mad. The documentation is daunting, the download - at 115 megabytes for Windows - even more so. But I think there's something very interesting going on here. It's all open source, under about the most liberal license I&apos From OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

TruthMapping
This is a pretty interesting application. The idea is that members add or amend arguments, creating chains of reasoning. It reminds me of ReasonAble, except a wikified web version, without the nice graphics. Via argumap. By Various Authors, August, 2005 [Refer][Research][OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

ARG vs Wikipedia vs Blogosphere
Bryan Alexander offers a good analysis of the Jamie Kane controversity, an incident in which the BBC, in the course of staging a distributed alternate-reality game (ARG), appeared to use Wikipedia to promote its product, creating controversy and accusations all round. Alexander correctly identifies this as a Web 2.0 controversity, and while noting that the criticisms raised questions of trust and reliability, points to how quickly the user-authored media quickly self-corrected. The big question is whether user-authored media can respond not to isolated media events such as Jamie Kane but to th From OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

Things I Used to Teach That I No Longer Believe
I have roots in journalism and to this day think of myself as partially a journalist. And it is in that role I note my agreement with Jay Rosen when he asserts, "If you teach journalism ethics too near the surface of the practice, you end up with superficial journalists." I don'tg see myself as a non-political truth-teller; far from it, for I know that those who write from such a stance leave themselves open to manipulations of 'the truth'. The truth will be for me always the truth 'as I see it', but this does not mean it is valueless. Quite the contrary; there remains From OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

Blogger for Word builds on Radio Userland
Nifty. "Now you can use Blogger right within Microsoft Word. Just download and install the Blogger for Word add-in and a Blogger toolbar will be added to Word allowing you to: Publish to your blog, Save drafts, Edit Posts." By Roland Tanglao, Roland Tanglao's Weblog, August 16, 2005 [Refer][Research][OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

Feedster Top 500
Feedster has joined the blog ranking game in a big way with its list of the top 500 released today. Sad to say, downes.ca has once again been overlooked in the quest for web fame, despite, according to Feedster itself, racking up 7,988 links (see Feedster, or if you need speed, the screen shot), a number that would put me in 18th place. The 1045 links that Technorati gives me would put me in 348th, which to me seems lo From OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

YotoPhoto
Another step forward in the distribution of free content. Yoto photo allows users to search for free photos you can use (licenses vary, most are Creative Commons, with some other open licenses thrown in). The search needs improvement; it should tell the difference between elm and Elm Street, for example. Via ace:uk. By Various Authors, August, 2005 [OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

Lloyd's Taking on Open Source IP Risk
When I spoke at the Moncton Cybsersocial last fall about open source, one businessperson took me aside after and asked, "what about liability?" I didn't have a good answer at the time, but in the days that followed, it occured to me: open source liability isn't risk, it's opportunity. Now, Lloyds of London has found that opportunity. "Lloyd's of London is now offering to insure companies that use open source software against copyright and patent infringement lawsuits." Via Slashdot. By Gavin Cla From OLDaily on August 16, 2005 at 7:45 p.m..

Revisiting Kirkpatrick's Level One
Es ist schon interessant: Alle Welt weiß um die fehlende Aussagekraft von "Happy Sheets", aber es wird sie noch in 10 Jahren geben. Mindestens. Dann natürlich durchgehend automatisiert, web-basiert und integriert in Learning Management Systeme. Deshalb die folgenden Zeilen ganz... From www.weiterbildungsblog.de on August 16, 2005 at 6:51 p.m..

Go, Tablets! Go!
Today was one of those days that made me yearn for the classroom again. It was the second of two Tablet PC Pilot trainings for about 20 teachers where we really started getting into the pedagogy of how we're going to use these things in the classroom. It was part just exploring the potential of all the cool apps that are coming out for tablets, part evangelizing the changing nature of digital content, and part amazement at watching technology actually work. I love those days when you know people are walking out drained but psyched about the prospects. For me, the coolest thing was not From weblogged News on August 16, 2005 at 6:47 p.m..

Five Years of Classroom Blogging
I know that I have said this before, but very few edubloggers out there have more practical experience than Barbara Ganley at Middlebury College. She's back from an extended break with a post that talks about getting ready for her fifth year of using blogs in the classroom. And so, here I am, back again, delighted to be a part of this evolution of blogs in our classrooms, convinced that we should take the time to help our students develop a grammar of and a practice of academic blogging, From weblogged News on August 16, 2005 at 6:47 p.m..

Fifty-One Competencies For Online Instruction
"Teaching in an online environment requires specific sets of skills (competencies)." Auf 51 Kompetenzen kommt der Autor, indem er schaut, was ein Online Instructor vor, während und nach einem Kurs leisten muss. Eine kurze Vorwarnung: Was der Autor hier als... From www.weiterbildungsblog.de on August 16, 2005 at 5:48 p.m..

294 Out of 12,642,696
From the Shameless Self-Promotion Dept. comes news that this blog ranks 294 on the Feedster list of top 500 blogs. Amazing and humbling and scary and motivating and a bunch of other things all at the same time. If you'd a told me four years ago... Go, Blogs! Go! From weblogged News on August 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

I am 344, hear me roar (Ross Mayfield)
Feedster launched the Feedster Top 500 setting a new standard for length, the first salvo in the size matters war of microcontent. Go here and bitch about M2M isn't on the list, but my crappy blog is, or if... From Corante: Social Software on August 16, 2005 at 3:47 p.m..

Bretton Woods II
German e-Zine Telepolis writes about the Bretton Woods II theory that tries to explain the current world economy. Complex stuff if you're not into worl economocs. The theory is around for quite some time now. Read about the Bretton Woods System. From owrede_log on August 16, 2005 at 2:47 p.m..

Amazon Maps
We have Google Maps, MSN Virtual Earth - now we get Amazon Maps. The fancy feature of the day at Amazon are Block View Images: you can walk the streets of a number of major US cities...Related: """&ampmiddot; "Virtual Earth" ""&ampmiddot; "Google Maps" "" " From owrede_log on August 16, 2005 at 1:46 p.m..

Consumers Want Personalization -- and Privacy
Users want the benefits of personalization, but are unwilling to trade their privacy to get it. From ClickZ Stats on August 16, 2005 at 1:45 p.m..

NPR defining new Podcast strategy?
NPR defining new Podcast strategy: According to Tristan Louis, it looks like NPR has let its contract with Audible expire and is exploring providing more content via Podcasting... I already listen to On The Media and some clips from The World. From Education/Technology - Tim Lauer on August 16, 2005 at 11:45 a.m..

Creepy Cams Abound in NYC
The New York Civil Liberties Union finds that surveillance cameras in Manhattan are multiplying like gangbusters. The group says the cameras should be regulated to preserve privacy and guard against abuses like racial profiling and voyeurism. From Wired News on August 16, 2005 at 6:45 a.m..

Forecast Cloudy for Windows Vista
The next generation of Microsoft's operating system is attractive enough, but in the first beta release new functionality is hard to find. By Bruce Gain. From Wired News on August 16, 2005 at 6:45 a.m..

Whew! Your DNA Isn't Your Destiny
If you're not thrilled about your gene pool, don't worry: DNA may not seal your fate. The epigenome could come to the rescue. By Brandon Keim. From Wired News on August 16, 2005 at 6:45 a.m..

RFID: The Future Is in the Chips
The market for tiny electronic data markers has been developing for years but has yet to hit on a clear commercial formula. Still, opportunities abound for the cautious investor. Commentary by Joanna Glasner. From Wired News on August 16, 2005 at 6:45 a.m..

Lego Lovers Unite in Arlington
What happens when the world's biggest Lego fans gather to display their sculptures? Airport security dismantles one model and reassembles it at random. Michael Grebb hears some stories at Brickfest. From Wired News on August 16, 2005 at 6:45 a.m..

Anotando la ciudad
Cada rincón de una ciudad guarda en secreto las historias personales de sus habitantes. El proyecto Històries de Barcelona de Marta Torres y Laura Rahola propone una plataforma online para compartirlas. Un magnífico trabajo de dos estudiantes de la UPC.... From eCuaderno v.2.0 on August 16, 2005 at 4:52 a.m..

Panel Votes to Hold Back 7th Graders Who Fail English Test
The Bloomberg administration won approval of a new seventh-grade promotion policy that would hold back seventh graders who fail citywide English tests. From New York Times: Education on August 16, 2005 at 4:45 a.m..

Motorola to Combine Powerline, Wireless - Eric Griffith, Internet News
For many, Motorola is synonymous with wireless, but the company is moving into a new area for broadband"power lines. Yesterday it was announced that Motorola will be using chipsets (model INT5200) from Intellon of Ocala, Fla., to provide HomePlug 1.0-bas From Techno-News Blog on August 16, 2005 at 3:45 a.m..

Home PC face security onslaught - Mark Ward, BBC News website
If your house was burgled only 12 minutes after you moved in, you would probably think about selling up and moving on pretty quickly. While this may not happen to your home, it will happen to the PC you use to browse the web if you do not have anti-virus From Techno-News Blog on August 16, 2005 at 3:45 a.m..

Exploits Circulate for Windows 2000 Worm Hole - Ryan Naraine, eWeek
That's the blunt warning from Microsoft Corp.'s security response center after "detailed exploit code" for a wormable flaw started circulating on underground security Web sites. The software maker rushed out an advisory late Thursday night to warn that un From Techno-News Blog on August 16, 2005 at 3:45 a.m..