Edu_Rss

What about site maps and site indexes?
Jared Spool has written a short article on the value of site maps. To quote: Our research shows that users will rarely turn to these things if the scent on the page is good. Investing resources in building an effective... From Column Two on December 16, 2005 at 6:45 p.m..

Tim Berners-Lee - So I Have a Blog - timbl's blog
Tim Berners-Lee has a blog. And the blogosphere rejoiced, and rushed to welcome its founder. [ From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Dahah Boyd - Wikipedia, Academia and Seigenthaler - Apophenia
Another defense of Wikipedia, this one looking at the backlash from academics against the online encyclopedia. "The academic community pointed to this case and went 'See! See! Wikipedia is terrible! We must protest it and stop it! It's ruining our schools!'" I have already responded to this post that such opinions do not reflect the entire academic community, and that many support wikipedia and distributed media in general (many of who are reading this post). But I will say here as well that the sentiments identified in this article are real (just look at the slanted From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Marco Fioretti - Linux in Italian Schools, Part 7: Teaching Free SW to Adults in Bari - Linux Journal
Marco Fioretti wraps up a seven-part services on the use of Linux in Italian schools (parts From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Unattributed - Canada's High School Dropout Rates Are Falling - Canadian Council on Learning
The Canadian Council on Learning today released statics arguing that Canadian drop-out rates are falling - only 10 percent of people aged 20-24 did not have a high school diploma and were not in school (that still seems pretty high, but I digress). I read this after just having read yesterday From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Suzanne Robert - Millennial Learning: On Demand Strategies for Generation X and Beyond - LTi Newsline
The proposition in a nutshell: "The good news is the technology and strategies are already in place to effectively train Generation X and Millennial workers; the secret to success lies in tailoring and blending these approaches to convince your workers that you understand their needs and are committed to their growth and success." Of course, it helps if you actually From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Deepa A - A Few Chapters Short - India Together
Discussion of India's new proposed National Curriculum Framework, which while it lauds the fact that it "has put the child firmly at the centre of its proposals," points to problems in providing infrastructure and support to back such a program. "Historian Irfan Habib points out that "almost every proposal it (the NCF 2005) makes is only practical - if at all! - for elite schools." Good read, and some of the observations apply beyond India's borders. Via education-india. [ From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

James Farmer - Structured Blogging - Magic or Just Another Wizard? - Blogsavvy
james Farmer raises some good questions about structured blogging (aka microformats): "I'm not sure if it's that simple and something bugs me about form filling and the impact that might have on content & creativity. Naturally this is going to help all of you SEO [Search Engine Optimization] folks no end but does it work for your everyday blogger? I'm tempted to say 'no'." What he says next is more interesting: "where we ought to be heading... towards 'styled blogging' where we can semantically create our documents on the fly..." In other words, just writ From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Jeremy Price - Moving Forward with Open Eyes and an Open Mind - Smelly Knowledge
Good discussion of some of the questions associated with social software and learning. Questions like, "What new challenges and barriers does the use of social software create?" And, "Does the use of social software the encourage the development of depth of thinking?" The best take-away is this citation from Ulises Mejias: "Ensuring that the benefits of social software reach all circles of society will require that we focus not on the virtuality of social interactions, but on their reality... the desire for connection and understanding, the nomad's learning as becoming." Chris Lott meanwh From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Marjorie Heins and Tricia Beckles - Will Fair Use Survive? - Brennan Center for Justice
Detailed report on the future of fail use under recent copyright law. The authors are explicit in their recognition that reliance on the 'four factors' commonly used to measure whether something is fair use is a "fairy tale" - fair use claims are much more complex than usually depicted. Moreover, they not that many 'take-down' orders are based on superficial and dubious claims (I've received a few of those), and yet, many people take the content down rather than get involved in a court battle. So does that mean fair use is dead? Not necessarily. But help is needed - pe From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Luigi Canali De Rossi - New Media Predictions 2006: What Will The Web Future Bring? - Robin Good
Robin Good makes some predictions on media for 2006, most of which seem to be on the mark to me. The most interesting is his speculation (probably accurate) that 2006 will be the year of video. I also like his suggestion that presentation - long the domain of PowerPoint - is due for a shake-up (think about what would happen if someone From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Kevin Spreekmeester - Photos
It has been a busy week, an exciting week, with much more to come, I'm sure. It's hard to keep your balance with so much going on. So I'll lead today's newsletter with this site, via From OLDaily on December 16, 2005 at 5:45 p.m..

Unbearably great illusion
Go here, and don't forget to bring your eyeballs. (Link via Tim Bray.) [Tags: illusion OpticalIllusion]... From Joho the Blog on December 16, 2005 at 4:48 p.m..

Animated gifs not working ... check Zone Alarm
Just in case someone else has the same problem: Firefox 1.5 and Internet Explorer both stopped displaying animated gifs for me recently. It turns out that it's because of Zone Alarm, a program that is turning into a high maintenance pain in the ass. Anyway, to get the animations back, go to ZA's Privacy pane's Main tab and turn Ad Blocking to off. [Tags: zoneAlarm firefox InternetExplorer]... From Joho the Blog on December 16, 2005 at 4:48 p.m..

Syriana
We saw Syriana last night. I liked it more when I left the theater than I do now. I thought the acting was good. I found the narrative less bewildering than the reviews prepared me for. It came together better at the end than I expected. But it was surprisingly didactic given that it's based on true incidents. The screenwriter seems to have invented characters in order to fill particular roles: Conscientious Arab Prince, Dissolute Arab Prince, Young Moslem ready to be molded into a terrorist, Hardened CIA Operative who speaks the truth, Slimy Corporate CEO, etc. Too bad the... From Joho the Blog on December 16, 2005 at 3:48 p.m..

Funciones de la blogosfera
En Libro de Blogs: Las funciones de la blogosfera en el nuevo escenario comunicativo From eCuaderno v.2.0 on December 16, 2005 at 2:48 p.m..

So now Amazon sells “my” research articles
Well, maybe I’m naiive, or too busy to take notice of such things, but it seems that one can buy some of my published writings on Amazon.com. $5.95 per article. All the proceeds go to Amazon and to the copyright holder—the journal publisher. I’m sure when I as the writer signed off on the publisher’s [...] From Martindale Matrix on December 16, 2005 at 2:46 p.m..

OurPedia and distributed authority
Last night at the Berkman Holiday Party — pretty much what you expect: dry sherry, fair trade cigars, male and female strippers with Ph.D.s — I apparently had SJ Klein's idea. SJ is a dedicated Wikipedian (who, according to his Wikipedia entry, won 3rd place in the Cambridge area vegan cake stable height contest in 2002), and we were talking about the bruited idea that Wikipedia might brand particular revisions of an article as stable and reasonably reliable so that people could more easily link to a Wikipedia entry without having to worry that it will be different when reader From Joho the Blog on December 16, 2005 at 12:48 p.m..

Boston media on blogging
The Boston Globe reports on local citizen journalism, including Lisa Williams' H20Town. Says Lisa: "I have two small kids — you have to put off youthful fantasies of taking off for India. H2otown let me travel deeper rather than farther." The Boston Phoenix reports on video blogging. Steve Garfield says: "There are stories to be told. And there are a lot of stories out there." [Tags: blogging media LisaWilliams SteveGarfield]... From Joho the Blog on December 16, 2005 at 11:48 a.m..

Swarm-1-1
David Stephenson blogs about the Wired article "Reinventing 911," saying its discussion of Portland's distributed emergency system validates his "Smart Mobs for Homeland Security" concept. We should be definitely suspicious of the telcos' insistence to Congress that their way of fetching emergency help is the best and only way. It's so clearly an attempt by the telcos to trade on terrorism to maintain the telco's unnatural hold on their market. [Tags: 911 terrorism security DavidStephenson]... From Joho the Blog on December 16, 2005 at 11:48 a.m..

Saying no to a wind farm off Cape Cod
An op-ed in today's New York Times by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., An Ill Wind Off Cape Cod, argues against the creation of a windfarm in Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Massachusetts. AS an environmentalist, I support wind power, including wind power on the high seas. I am also involved in siting wind farms in appropriate landscapes, of which there are many. But I do belie From megnut on December 16, 2005 at 11:45 a.m..

Wikipedia, Britannica: A Toss-Up
When it comes to accuracy in the sciences, the 'citizens' encyclopedia' stacks up well, even against the venerable Encyclopedia Britannica, a study claims. From Wired News on December 16, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

Stem Cells Faked, Doctor Claims
The co-author of a research paper hailed as a breakthrough in stem cell research now says the data was faked. Meanwhile, Hwang Woo-suk, the project's controversial leader, remains hospitalized for treatment of stress. From Wired News on December 16, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

The Web Will Read You a Story
Ever wish someone would read you a story, but you couldn't scare up any volunteers? LibriVox may have the answer. By Cyrus Farivar. From Wired News on December 16, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

Penises Just Can't Commit
Does introducing an artificial aid into lovemaking threaten a committed, loving partnership? No more than a real penis can bolster one. Commentary by Regina Lynn. From Wired News on December 16, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

Berlin May Get Its Own Domain
Two German entrepreneurs revive the drive to make Berlin the most special city on the internet. By Mark Baard. From Wired News on December 16, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

Cops Dig Anti-Game Crusader
An outspoken critic of violent video games spreads his controversial views and feels the love when he speaks at police departments and academies. By John Lasker. From Wired News on December 16, 2005 at 7:46 a.m..

Wikipedia Defense
One more quick wiki post before moving on to something else. Danah Boyd has what I think is the most articulate defense of Wikipedia yet. Here's a snip: I will be truly sad if academics don't support the project, don't contribute knowledge. I will be outraged if academics continue to talk about having Wikipedia eliminated as a tool for information dispersal. Sure, students shouldn't be citing from Wikipedia instead of the primary texts From weblogged News on December 16, 2005 at 6:47 a.m..

The Trouble with Self-Help
Ronald Gross uncovers the shortcomings of self-help books and offers tips for harnessing their benefits.... From Adult/Continuing Education on December 16, 2005 at 3:50 a.m..

Yahoo offers Movable Type for bloggers - Eric Auchard, Reuters
Yahoo Inc. and Six Apart Ltd., creator of Movable Type -- the most popular software used to create professional blogs -- said on Sunday Yahoo will be the preferred supplier of Movable Type for small businesses. The partnership is the latest in a string of From Techno-News Blog on December 16, 2005 at 3:49 a.m..

The Firefox Hacks You Must Have - Quinn Norton, Wired
With the release of the new version 1.5 of Firefox, there's never been a better time to download the open-source browser, take it for a drive, kick the tires and see what it can do. In the case of a browser, mainly what it can do is show you web pages, ho From Techno-News Blog on December 16, 2005 at 3:49 a.m..

New Brain Trust to Work Like the Brain - M.L. Baker, Ziff Davis
Internet Researchers poring over brain scans may soon have an easier time integrating that data with information about the genes and proteins that make brain cells tick. A software vendor and a nonprofit group are teaming up to create NeuroCommons.org, a From Techno-News Blog on December 16, 2005 at 3:49 a.m..

Live your Best Life
Learn how a coach can help you to live your life of choice; how to find a coach; how to work with a coach and what a coach costs.... From Adult/Continuing Education on December 16, 2005 at 2:50 a.m..

SAT, at 3 Hours 45 Minutes, Draws Criticism Over Its Length
A group wants the College Board to give students the option of taking the three parts of the SAT separately, instead in one sitting. From New York Times: Education on December 16, 2005 at 2:45 a.m..

Literacy Falls for Graduates From College, Testing Finds
The average American college graduate's literacy in English declined significantly over the past decade, the test showed. From New York Times: Education on December 16, 2005 at 2:45 a.m..

Adult Literacy Results
Average quantitative literacy increased among American adults between 1992 and 2003 while prose and document literacy stayed about the same, according to the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The survey found that literacy scores increased among Blacks and... From Adult/Continuing Education on December 15, 2005 at 11:50 p.m..

Christmas Carol to be podcast
Via Rob Wall. Very nice. Especially since I am coming to the end of Sherlock Holmes. How long until I can get podcasts of all those journal articles piling up in my office marked “to read”? Christmas Carol to be podcast: I just read this on BBC: Christmas Carol gets free podcast. What a perfect format for [...] From Martindale Matrix on December 15, 2005 at 11:49 p.m..