Edu_Rss

Journal of Usability Studies
It's been out for a little while now, but it's still worth mentioning the launch of the Journal of Usability Studies. To quote: Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Usability Studies. This journal was born in response... From Column Two on December 5, 2005 at 9:45 p.m..

Bubbleshare
Jeneane's got a job consulting with Bubbleshare, so I took a look. It's a photo sharing site with a couple of twists: It's about creating albums to share with friends v. family. (Yes, I know the "v." means "versus, but it just sort of looked good.) And there's no registration: They send you an URL for your album after you create one. The site is free but a premium service is on the way; the free service stores low-res images and requires you to renew (for free) your albums every year if you want to maintain them. I can't tell... From Joho the Blog on December 5, 2005 at 6:47 p.m..

Finding users in enterprise environments
Lou Rosenfeld has written a blog entry on finding users in enterprise environments. To quote: Anyone familiar with enterprise environments knows how difficult it is to come up with a sample that's even remotely representative of the 14,127 audience segments... From Column Two on December 5, 2005 at 6:46 p.m..

Various authors - The TrustDR Project
From an email from Jackie Proven: "The main aims of this project are to explore the cultural, legal and technical issues that must be attended to in order to create legal agreements that can then be incorporated into a DRM system (please note that in the context of our project a system is not just about technical issues, but includes policies, protocols and perhaps most importantly cultural attitudes)." Not much on the site yet, just some news (no RSS) and some background documents. Still, this JISC-backed initiative may have sway in the future, so it bears watching (or would, if it had RSS). From OLDaily on December 5, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Jon Hoem with Ture Schwebs - Personal Publishing and Media Literacy
"The importance of mastering basic digital skills is often emphasized, but it does not seem clear what these skills should include," write the authors. Often, we seen an emphasis on the tools. But "the information society favors those who are able to develop strategies to process large amounts of information and its relevance in different contexts." In addition, "An important skill will be the ability to reformulate information in order to meet personal needs." Short report, in PDF, but well worth a read, especially for the discussion of the relation between common knowledge and individual kno From OLDaily on December 5, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Supreme Court Declines to Take School-Desegregation Case
A lower court ruling that overturned the Lynn, Mass., school district's voluntary-transfer program was left intact. From New York Times: Education on December 5, 2005 at 3:45 p.m..

Mass. Software Council issues RFB: Request For Bloggers
Paul Gillin is putting together a panel for the Massachusetts Software Council. The topic is "corporate blogging" and he's looking for "prominent business people in the Boston area who maintain blogs." If you are one or know one, leave him a comment or send email to paulgillin.com... From Joho the Blog on December 5, 2005 at 2:48 p.m..

A Day in Helsinki
Two men from far apart sit near each other in the hotel breakfast room, leaning forward to snatch the food from their spoons so that they are not under the drip. Both bend in homage to gravity's superior food handling skills. They move together precisely,as if programmed, a tableau in which the absurdity of life asserts itself, absurdly, as if it were as real as gravity. * * * A root floats in the flat sea banging against the land's clean stone interface. Its presence says nothing of where it came from, a struggle we lose on the margins but... From Joho the Blog on December 5, 2005 at 2:48 p.m..

Paper - "Personal Publishing and Media Literacy"
http://infodesign.no/artikler/personal_%20publishing_media_literacy.pdf Are the Norse known for being terse? The only reason I ask is that my one complaint about this paper from Jon Hoem and Ture Schwebs is that it is too short! (which to be honest, is usually not the problem with academic papers!) Even if you feel you've had your fill of papers on "why to use blogs and wikis in education" please do yourself a favour and read this one. In seven short, packed pages they From EdTechPost on December 5, 2005 at 1:53 p.m..

Assessment Software
Online assessment tools for teachers can be used to create and mark quizzes, track student grades, and more.... From Adult/Continuing Education on December 5, 2005 at 1:51 p.m..

Jeff Lebow, Jeff Flynn, et.al. - EdTech Mega-Brainstorm #14b - Ed Tech Talk
I am sitting here listening to EdTech Mega-Brainstorm #14b which, after a brief discussion of PowerPoint ("PowerPoint is not a gateway drug, it just leads to more PowerPoint"), launched into a lengthy discussion of whether blogging ought to be required in class. The show's hosts, surprisingly (and in my view, wrongly), aregued that it should. "Our classrooms are standardization agents." Articulately arguing the other point of view was From OLDaily on December 5, 2005 at 1:45 p.m..

Terry Webster - Schools in Quandary over Bloggers - Dallas Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The debates over student blogging continue to rage. This news article highlights the sensational: "A Birdville High School cheerleader was kicked off the freshman squad last month for having vulgar language in a Web log, or blog, she maintains on her home computer." But does the school's authority extend that far? "Unless students' free speech is disruptive to the classroom, they can't be punished for it," said Frank Colosi, an attorney for the Fort Worth ACLU. Miguel Guhlin From OLDaily on December 5, 2005 at 1:45 p.m..

Unattributed - The MySpace Generation - Businessweek
As this article notes, "Being online, being a Buzzer, is a way of life for Adams and 3,000-odd Dallas-area youth, just as it is for millions of young Americans across the country. And increasingly, social networks are their medium." More commentary from From OLDaily on December 5, 2005 at 1:45 p.m..

Wikipedia Woes
News is not good on the Wikipedia front. (Please, someone stop me if I start using battle metaphors to often around here...) Adam Curry has been doing some self-aggrandizing in terms of his Podfathership, and now there has been some character assisination going on that has really accentuated the Wikipedia problem. Because, you see, there are now a couple of seemingly reputable reference sites From weblogged News on December 5, 2005 at 11:45 a.m..

Living the Transparent Life
From the Weird Moment Dept: Even though I havent been writing about it of late, Ive been following with interest the ongoing discussion regarding blog safety and blog murders and other disruptions, making mental notes, mind maps, tagging, bookmarking etc. I think Im finally getting down a process for all of this, one that works for me. But heres the weird moment. In the midst of saving a recent snippet of information to del.icio.us, I found myself thinking long and hard about wha From weblogged News on December 5, 2005 at 9:48 a.m..

Overheard in the neighborhood
Eating at a typical New York City diner the other night, I hear one of the women at a three top behind me call the waiter over to her table. "We've decided we'd like some wine," she says to him. "Could we please see the wine list?" He says nothing for a few moments, then replies, "We have two wines: red and white." From megnut on December 5, 2005 at 9:45 a.m..

The Internet's value: Sez who?
The Internet will reach its full potential as a medium and facilitator for global economic expansion and development in an environment free from burdensome intergovernmental oversight and control. The success of the Internet lies in its inherently decentralized nature, with the most significant growth taking place at the outer edges of the network through innovative new applications and services. Burdensome, bureaucratic oversight is out of place in an Internet structure that has worked so well for many around the globe. We regret the recent positions on Internet governance (i.e., the "new coo From Joho the Blog on December 5, 2005 at 8:48 a.m..

Taiwan Skyscraper Causing Quakes?
The weight of the world's tallest building, designed to withstand Taiwan's frequent temblors, may be increasing the number of tremors beneath it, according to one expert. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:46 a.m..

Cozy Blanket for Disaster Victims
A lightweight, soft, non-woven blanket that sheds water, dries quickly and keeps a person warm or cool as needed is shipping from a South Carolina company to disaster areas around the world. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:46 a.m..

Tell a Doc: 24-Hour Phone Doctors
Ever want to just call a doctor in the middle of the night and get some answers, maybe even a prescription? The medical industry is scrutinizing companies that provide such a service. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:46 a.m..

Europe Has the Hot Hand
A prosthetic hand intended to restore feeling for amputees when they touch something is in development by a consortium of European scientists. The Cyberhand advances the EU position in the robotics field. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:45 a.m..

Bird Flu Hype Infects Biotech
Leading scientists now say a new flu pandemic is not so likely. But it pays to develop a vaccine stockpile -- the Feds are granting big bucks and biotech stock prices are soaring -- even though the SARS vaccine they rushed through will sit on the shelf. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:45 a.m..

Old Movies Spawn New Games
Video games like 007: From Russia With Love and The Matrix: Path of Neo mine classic films for their content, with mixed results. By Chris Kohler. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:45 a.m..

Printing Organs on Demand
New techniques could eventually allow scientists to create skin grafts, livers for transplants and other organs on special printers with bio-ink and bio-paper. By Rachel Metz. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:45 a.m..

Monsters of Photorealism
The Xbox 360 has the most advanced, high-resolution graphics ever. Is that a good thing? Commentary by Clive Thompson. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:45 a.m..

Sony Draws Ire With PSP Graffiti
The electronics maker tags urban buildings with black spray-painted images of child consumers absorbed in the handheld. Advertising firms call it genius, but the word on the street is less flattering. By Ryan Singel. From Wired News on December 5, 2005 at 8:45 a.m..

10 pronósticos para 2006
Diez claves y tendencias, a modo de predicciones, de lo que nos puede deparar el 2006 en relación a los asuntos que suelen tratarse en este sitio: 1. Google Seguirá el proceso de googleización de la Red en una línea más temible que la anticipada por EPIC 2014. Google lanzará un navegador, ... From eCuaderno v.2.0 on December 5, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

It started
Loic opened the Les Blogs (t d f) - the conference. Some 300 are here from 25 nations. An enormous effort on the technical side. 20 hotspots and supposedly (hopefully) a fat internet connection. Back then at thomas n. burg | randgänge on December 5, 2005 at 5:45 a.m..

Lifelong-Learning Support by M-learning: Example Scenarios
Nun, der Artikel hält nicht ganz, was der Titel verspricht. Immerhin machen die Autoren zu Recht darauf aufmerksam, dass die weite Verbreitung von mobile phones geradezu auffordert, verstärkt über ihre Verwendung in pädagogischen Kontexten nachzudenken. In diesem Artikel wird... From www.weiterbildungsblog.de on December 5, 2005 at 3:48 a.m..

13 million Americans made donations online after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - Pew Charitable Trust Internet and American Life Project
In the aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, 13 million Americans made donations to relief efforts online and 7 million set up their own hurricane relief efforts using the internet. In addition to using the internet to respond directly to the crisis, 50 From Techno-News Blog on December 5, 2005 at 3:46 a.m..

About 25 million people have used the internet to sell something - Pew Charitable Trust Internet and American Life Project
Some 17% of online American adults have used the internet to sell things. That amounts to approximately 25 million Americans. In addition, internet traffic data show that visits to classified ad web sites has grown 80% in the past year. Almost everything From Techno-News Blog on December 5, 2005 at 3:46 a.m..

Consumers snap up computers on Black Friday - Michael Kanellos, CNET News
Computer makers can breathe a sigh of relief--people did scoop up a lot of laptops during the holiday shopping extravaganza last week. Sales of personal computers in U.S. retail outlets during Thanksgiving week increased 35 percent over the same week the From Techno-News Blog on December 5, 2005 at 3:46 a.m..

Failure to File Timely Insurance Claim May Cost Plundered School System Millions
Three of the four affected insurance companies have declined to pay claims and the district is negotiating with the fourth, which has reserved the right to deny the claims. From New York Times: Education on December 5, 2005 at 2:45 a.m..

Greatest hits collection
Tim Porter went on holiday and left behind a list of what he considers to be his best pieces. This is a list of maybe four dozen posts, with a link and a brief synopsis for each one. That's an act of self-scrutiny that many bloggers should undertake, if we dare. Bloggers need to do what they can to give some staying power to their best writing. From Weblogs in Higher Education on December 4, 2005 at 11:47 p.m..