Another nifty tool for translating different languages into your preferred language. Simply copy and paste the URL over and the content will be translated say from Chinese to English. Or key into specific phrases and see what it means in English.
http://translate.google.com/#auto|en|
Monday, August 30, 2010
Easy Peasy Podcasting
Podcasts are useful for reflection purposes and also for interviewing others, and and then getting people to subscribe to regular updates or for downloading. Podcasts can be done easily using free software from Audacity, at http://www.audacity.sourceforge.net/
The audio file needs to be exported in the .wav format. Next we can post the podcast to http://www.posterous.com. This can be easily done by merely sending an email to post@posterous.com and voila! you have created your very own podcast. Note: there will be a return email with your own URL for the podcast :) Cool stuff !
Good for project teams to send their podcasts using to a common space using one email address.
Here are the samples created:
http://doris-cpya2.posterous.com/podcasting-lesson-episode-2
The audio file needs to be exported in the .wav format. Next we can post the podcast to http://www.posterous.com. This can be easily done by merely sending an email to post@posterous.com and voila! you have created your very own podcast. Note: there will be a return email with your own URL for the podcast :) Cool stuff !
Good for project teams to send their podcasts using to a common space using one email address.
Here are the samples created:
http://doris-cpya2.posterous.com/podcasting-lesson-episode-2
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Free photos
To get pics to enhance Powerpoint slides, we can go to
Flickr for those pics (Attribution licence with creative commons)
We just need to attribute using creator's name and cite source (URL). For example, for this pic ...
Trufas From Ana-Fuji
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ana_fuji/4075678147/
Real time Classroom interaction tool
For better classroom interaction, there is this new web-based tool that enables a group of people to share thoughts, ideas, brainstorm, share answers simulataneously. The best thing is that all can edit at the same time. But the downside is that only text is allowed. Each person's response is colour coded for ease of identification.
If pics/ videos are to be included, the way to get around this is to create a link to pic or video..
Go to
http://sync.in and create a new public note, and when the link's created, the group can be given the link. Best part is it is free and it is hassle-free as well. There is no need to create an account to access this service.
For reference, go to
http://sync.in/ep/pad/view/303jqrakiu/latest
If pics/ videos are to be included, the way to get around this is to create a link to pic or video..
Go to
http://sync.in and create a new public note, and when the link's created, the group can be given the link. Best part is it is free and it is hassle-free as well. There is no need to create an account to access this service.
For reference, go to
http://sync.in/ep/pad/view/303jqrakiu/latest
Sunday, August 22, 2010
My journey continues...... Alpha Wolfram
Just learnt that there is this super smart search / computational engine which can make your searches more efficient.
You can get instant information on the GDP of US vs GDP of China, or stock price of Microsoft vs Apple with just ONE search, and not two separate searches on Google. Sources of information used are also provided in the information presented. However, information may not be the most updated available and information may not be available for all countries.
You can get instant information on the GDP of US vs GDP of China, or stock price of Microsoft vs Apple with just ONE search, and not two separate searches on Google. Sources of information used are also provided in the information presented. However, information may not be the most updated available and information may not be available for all countries.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Exploring Blip TV
This is similar to Youtube. You can upload videos and post links to the video on a blog, or embedd the video directly into the blog.
Here's one uploaded for a trial -
http://blip.tv/file/3387305
Here's one uploaded for a trial -
http://blip.tv/file/3387305
Monday, March 22, 2010
Podbean player embedded
To do this, go to http://lleng.podbean.com, click on embeddable player and cut and paste code to this blog.
A podcast on my learning environment in the 21st century
This podcast is hosted by podbean and the URL created for the MP3 file has been put in as a link to the title of this post.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
How to load a podcast hosted elsewhere on blogger
Watch this video to find out how blogger can host a podcast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2zTRRXry4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2zTRRXry4
Sunday, March 14, 2010
First podcast made with Audacity and hosted on Podbean
Was an eventful day today. Downloaded Audacity and tried to make a podcast. Unfortunately, blogger could not upload audio files saved using Audacity, and I had to download yet something else... Lame encoder which enabled one to export the audio file to MP3 format.....
Next, I had to upload my podcast onto a free podcasting hosting site - podbean in order for it to be played on the web...
Well,here's my podbean web address ....
Quite a few steps even after the initial recording, but it works well now...
Next, I had to upload my podcast onto a free podcasting hosting site - podbean in order for it to be played on the web...
Well,here's my podbean web address ....
Quite a few steps even after the initial recording, but it works well now...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
test run on voicethread
Here's a short video clip created - something on hamsters.. voice comments and text comments added..
http://voicethread.com/share/987165/
http://voicethread.com/share/987165/
Voice thread
Another new Web 2.0 tool discovered .... Voicethread..
Here's a video showing how easy it is to make a short video with voice incorporated. The ability to incorporate voice into the slides or videos makes it a much richer medium for communication.
http://voicethread.com/share/8381/
I like the feature of having the option to decide if I want my comment to the video clip captured using voice, text, or even as a video response. These options encourage user interaction with the content. But then again.... users may prefer to be lurkers, if they are concerned about privacy issues.
People can have their comments recorded using the phone too... but this is available only in the US.
Here's a video showing how easy it is to make a short video with voice incorporated. The ability to incorporate voice into the slides or videos makes it a much richer medium for communication.
http://voicethread.com/share/8381/
I like the feature of having the option to decide if I want my comment to the video clip captured using voice, text, or even as a video response. These options encourage user interaction with the content. But then again.... users may prefer to be lurkers, if they are concerned about privacy issues.
People can have their comments recorded using the phone too... but this is available only in the US.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Blogs for teaching and sharing.....reasons to do so
Here's what a friend shared about what she thinks for the potential of blogs and how she intends to use blogs....
http://www.slideshare.net/TBryson1/mid-course-assignment-for-iets2010
Here's another presentation on blogs... done on Voicethread..
http://voicethread.com/share/954363/
http://www.slideshare.net/TBryson1/mid-course-assignment-for-iets2010
Here's another presentation on blogs... done on Voicethread..
http://voicethread.com/share/954363/
ONE password....
OpenID allows one to sign in to websites with just ONE click. Makes remembering passwords and usernames a thing of the past, and it allows for registration forms to be pre-populated :) OpenID allows one to use a personal identity across the web..
Here's the URL:
http://openid.net/get-an-openid/individuals/
Here's the URL:
http://openid.net/get-an-openid/individuals/
Something on Podcasts
Here's a podcast created and embedded in a blog ..... extolling the virtues of podcasts and possible uses...
http://wilthenarwhal.podbean.com/
Podbean is free and user-friendly.
Here's some stuff that a friend's students did. Fantastic stuff..
Discover Pulp Fiction
http://sgnewwave.com/main/2009/10/discover-pulp-fiction/
Let's talk about Fight Club
http://sgnewwave.com/main/2009/05/lets-talk-about-fight-club/
http://wilthenarwhal.podbean.com/
Podbean is free and user-friendly.
Here's some stuff that a friend's students did. Fantastic stuff..
Discover Pulp Fiction
http://sgnewwave.com/main/2009/10/discover-pulp-fiction/
Let's talk about Fight Club
http://sgnewwave.com/main/2009/05/lets-talk-about-fight-club/
Voting on Second Life
This is what a colleague shared about what he found interesting on Second Life....
at the MIT SL website..
http://slurl.com/secondlife/MIT/51/35/23/?title=Massachusetts%20Institute%20of%20Technology
"Saw this interest outdoor classroom.
It's about a new concept of trying to design information space within the VW. Interesting because it's about relating the virtual world to the real world, such that making decisions, voting, etc can take place within the VW.
I like the idea of having this football court whereby one side stands for AGREE and the other DISAGREE. Say you have to vote, you have to decide where to stand. The further you stand, the more extreme you are. The nearer to the middle line, the more likely you'll waver. Also, there is trail following your movement, which can be used to analyse you thoughts through your movement. There's a even "dwelling" object that tracks how long you stand stationary at one place, probably to analyse the time you spend pondering. Amazing! "
See url: http://web.media.mit.edu/~dharry/infospaces/
at the MIT SL website..
http://slurl.com/secondlife/MIT/51/35/23/?title=Massachusetts%20Institute%20of%20Technology
"Saw this interest outdoor classroom.
It's about a new concept of trying to design information space within the VW. Interesting because it's about relating the virtual world to the real world, such that making decisions, voting, etc can take place within the VW.
I like the idea of having this football court whereby one side stands for AGREE and the other DISAGREE. Say you have to vote, you have to decide where to stand. The further you stand, the more extreme you are. The nearer to the middle line, the more likely you'll waver. Also, there is trail following your movement, which can be used to analyse you thoughts through your movement. There's a even "dwelling" object that tracks how long you stand stationary at one place, probably to analyse the time you spend pondering. Amazing! "
See url: http://web.media.mit.edu/~dharry/infospaces/
Why Diigo?
Some people like Delicious because it's quite easy to use, and it does not have too many features which might trip up new users... people who are new to the idea of social bookmarking.
But, many who have tried Delicious first, have moved on to Diigo for its added functionalities.... So why do some people find Diigo better ?
Here's Diigo's pitch:
http://www.diigo.com/help/why_diigo
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-reasons-diigo-tastes-better-than-delicious
But, many who have tried Delicious first, have moved on to Diigo for its added functionalities.... So why do some people find Diigo better ?
Here's Diigo's pitch:
http://www.diigo.com/help/why_diigo
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-reasons-diigo-tastes-better-than-delicious
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Week 6 - visits to 3 locations on SL
Locations Visited:
Example 1 - Self-Paced Tutorial
Ivory Tower of Primitives
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Natoma/210/165/28
Example 2 - Role play scenario
Forensic Pathology - Autopsy Laboratory
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Whispering%20Angel%20Island/161/51/22
Example 3 - Student Built Projects
Ohio Learning Network
http://slurl.com/secondlife/OLN%20Island/226/198/29
Need to explore these :) soon.
Example 1 - Self-Paced Tutorial
Ivory Tower of Primitives
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Natoma/210/165/28
Example 2 - Role play scenario
Forensic Pathology - Autopsy Laboratory
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Whispering%20Angel%20Island/161/51/22
Example 3 - Student Built Projects
Ohio Learning Network
http://slurl.com/secondlife/OLN%20Island/226/198/29
Need to explore these :) soon.
SL Pletarium Drome
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Serena%20Carmel/148/113/413
This is what SC shared:
The SL Planetarium Dome allows visitors to learn about planets and other stars and galaxies. It has a keyboard console and monitor where you can select to view a clip about a topic. Listed on the menu of clips were Nebulas, Hubble ...Once selected, the clips will play on both the monitor in front of you, as well as a giant monitor at the back. The probably allows more people to watch the same thing at the same time. In this way, one can take a group of students on a field trip to learn about the planets and some of the exploratory journeys available. The source of these clips are from NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs.
Besides merely watching videos (which are not all that clear compared to ones that one can play on local PCs and projectors), you can also board a space ship that will take you on a journey to different destinations, such as to the planet Jupiter. The sequence of going onboard the spaceship, the countdown to flight, the separation of the capsule from the booster rocket once the orbit is reached, and the sight and sounds of the destination are fascinating. The space capsule can sit more than one person, so again, this can be a class excursion.
It may be difficult to replicate this animated experience plicated on many traditional conventional elearning platforms, so therein lies the value of virtual worlds for learning.
It is possible to ride in the capsule with one or more of these strangers to explore the universe together. Again, this free-flowing, unscripted scenarios are not not possible in elearning environments such as Elluminate.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Serena%20Carmel/148/113/413
This is what SC shared:
The SL Planetarium Dome allows visitors to learn about planets and other stars and galaxies. It has a keyboard console and monitor where you can select to view a clip about a topic. Listed on the menu of clips were Nebulas, Hubble ...Once selected, the clips will play on both the monitor in front of you, as well as a giant monitor at the back. The probably allows more people to watch the same thing at the same time. In this way, one can take a group of students on a field trip to learn about the planets and some of the exploratory journeys available. The source of these clips are from NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs.
Besides merely watching videos (which are not all that clear compared to ones that one can play on local PCs and projectors), you can also board a space ship that will take you on a journey to different destinations, such as to the planet Jupiter. The sequence of going onboard the spaceship, the countdown to flight, the separation of the capsule from the booster rocket once the orbit is reached, and the sight and sounds of the destination are fascinating. The space capsule can sit more than one person, so again, this can be a class excursion.
It may be difficult to replicate this animated experience plicated on many traditional conventional elearning platforms, so therein lies the value of virtual worlds for learning.
It is possible to ride in the capsule with one or more of these strangers to explore the universe together. Again, this free-flowing, unscripted scenarios are not not possible in elearning environments such as Elluminate.
Other second life sites to explore...
Here's a SL site that a colleague, P visited and shared about..
Harvard Law School Beckham, at Austin Hallhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Berkman/69/54/24/
The main artifacts of learning are:1. A question tool box which when you click on it, you are redirected to a set of questions on some kind of notes platform
2. WebPages as posters, similar to what we have in this module
3. Distibuting assignments when you click on some of the posters
4. There is a place that you can listen to some mp3 recordings. The quality of the recording is decent but i could not get it to play all the time. May be its buggy or may be i am missing something on how to operate that artifact
5. There is a huge projector screen in the Austin Hall but nothing was being projected. May be because no classess were on going
Traditional or untraditional classroom spaces?There is one big hall that can seat around 100 students. I presume this is the Austin Hall
There are also teleport spaces, 8 of them. When you click those, you are teleported in to a classroom of about the size of 10 students. There are chairs to sit, laid out in a circle.
There is also a greek philosopher's corner which is the most untraditional learning space over there. The place is decorated and built as to resemble socrate's time where people can discuss with each other. Its hard to describe.
Spaces for socializing or professional networking?Yes there is a space for networking. Its out in the open with chairs laid out in a circle surrounded by a green landscape to give a causal feeling to the networking session
Harvard Law School Beckham, at Austin Hallhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Berkman/69/54/24/
The main artifacts of learning are:1. A question tool box which when you click on it, you are redirected to a set of questions on some kind of notes platform
2. WebPages as posters, similar to what we have in this module
3. Distibuting assignments when you click on some of the posters
4. There is a place that you can listen to some mp3 recordings. The quality of the recording is decent but i could not get it to play all the time. May be its buggy or may be i am missing something on how to operate that artifact
5. There is a huge projector screen in the Austin Hall but nothing was being projected. May be because no classess were on going
Traditional or untraditional classroom spaces?There is one big hall that can seat around 100 students. I presume this is the Austin Hall
There are also teleport spaces, 8 of them. When you click those, you are teleported in to a classroom of about the size of 10 students. There are chairs to sit, laid out in a circle.
There is also a greek philosopher's corner which is the most untraditional learning space over there. The place is decorated and built as to resemble socrate's time where people can discuss with each other. Its hard to describe.
Spaces for socializing or professional networking?Yes there is a space for networking. Its out in the open with chairs laid out in a circle surrounded by a green landscape to give a causal feeling to the networking session
Saturday, February 20, 2010
21st century skills for the workforce
Centre for the Study of New Media: Thinking about Literacy, Learning and New Technologies
http://csnlsheffield.ning.com/video/the-new-media-literacies
This video talks about the social skills and cultural competencies students need to develop to fully engage with today's participatory culture - to become creative artists and citizens who can connect with other citizens, and deal with a new culture, the information explosion and a new pace of life.
These skills include:
1.Judgement
2.Negotiation
3.Appropriation
4.Play
5.Transmedia navigation
6.Simulation
7.Distributive cognition
8.Collective intelligence
9. Multi-tasking
People are no longer just passive consumers of media, who think critically what they are reading or watching. These days, people are both consumders and producers of media. New knowledge is created all the time by people.
http://csnlsheffield.ning.com/video/the-new-media-literacies
This video talks about the social skills and cultural competencies students need to develop to fully engage with today's participatory culture - to become creative artists and citizens who can connect with other citizens, and deal with a new culture, the information explosion and a new pace of life.
These skills include:
1.Judgement
2.Negotiation
3.Appropriation
4.Play
5.Transmedia navigation
6.Simulation
7.Distributive cognition
8.Collective intelligence
9. Multi-tasking
People are no longer just passive consumers of media, who think critically what they are reading or watching. These days, people are both consumders and producers of media. New knowledge is created all the time by people.
A peek at Diigo for social bookmarking
This is one helpful video for a quick tutorial on the key features of diigo....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcecBgRd3ig
This is what I found it could do..
So what are some features of Diigo that Delicious doesn’t seem to have ? My observations are just based on some tinkering with Delicious and the video tutorial on Diigo
1. Diigo allows users to highlight text on webpages
2. Diigo provides post-it-note pads which we can use to type in comments as we read the web material, and want to write notes on what we read
3. Websites which are bookmarked will appear on both the Favourites list on the browser, as well as in the user’s Diigo account online
4. Diigo allows bookmarks to be shared via email
5. Diigo allows web sites to be presented like a powerpoint presentation
6. Diigo allows lists to be created – these lists capture websites which may have multiple tags or tags which are not so specific. The list may be helpful for organising material around certain topics.
Features which both Diigo and Delicious have :
1. Websites can be tagged and comments added.
2. These bookmarks can be shared with your group
3. Groups/networks can be created
4. You can browse through other people’s tags – by tags or usernames
I am not sure if either site allows webpages to be rated by users (much like how Youtube videos are rated). I think I noticed only a number showing how many users have tagged a particular site, i.e. how popular the site is. Hmmm.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcecBgRd3ig
This is what I found it could do..
So what are some features of Diigo that Delicious doesn’t seem to have ? My observations are just based on some tinkering with Delicious and the video tutorial on Diigo
1. Diigo allows users to highlight text on webpages
2. Diigo provides post-it-note pads which we can use to type in comments as we read the web material, and want to write notes on what we read
3. Websites which are bookmarked will appear on both the Favourites list on the browser, as well as in the user’s Diigo account online
4. Diigo allows bookmarks to be shared via email
5. Diigo allows web sites to be presented like a powerpoint presentation
6. Diigo allows lists to be created – these lists capture websites which may have multiple tags or tags which are not so specific. The list may be helpful for organising material around certain topics.
Features which both Diigo and Delicious have :
1. Websites can be tagged and comments added.
2. These bookmarks can be shared with your group
3. Groups/networks can be created
4. You can browse through other people’s tags – by tags or usernames
I am not sure if either site allows webpages to be rated by users (much like how Youtube videos are rated). I think I noticed only a number showing how many users have tagged a particular site, i.e. how popular the site is. Hmmm.....
Privacy concerns...technology in and out of school
This article is scary... how privacy of school kids can get invaded when over-zealous teachers "spy" on their charges even out of school..
What kinds of values do these teachers have? Can the same thing happen to teachers? The students seem smart enough to figure out low-tech ways to deal with this hi-tech intrusion.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35461838/ns/technology_and_science-security/?GT1=43001
What kinds of values do these teachers have? Can the same thing happen to teachers? The students seem smart enough to figure out low-tech ways to deal with this hi-tech intrusion.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35461838/ns/technology_and_science-security/?GT1=43001
Monday, February 15, 2010
Second Life - sites visited...
Explored some of these.....
University of Cincinnati
http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Cincinnati2/148/183/21
International Space Flight Museum
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Spaceport%20Alpha/128/128/23
OSU Medicine
http://slurl.com/secondlife/OSU%20Medicine/128/128/26
Department of Energy
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Energy/128/128/46
To obtain Second Life URL, simply open up the map while at the site, and then do a "copy SLURL to clipboard" and paste to a word doc.
University of Cincinnati
http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Cincinnati2/148/183/21
International Space Flight Museum
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Spaceport%20Alpha/128/128/23
OSU Medicine
http://slurl.com/secondlife/OSU%20Medicine/128/128/26
Department of Energy
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Energy/128/128/46
To obtain Second Life URL, simply open up the map while at the site, and then do a "copy SLURL to clipboard" and paste to a word doc.
Shift happens - did you know that?
A insightful video on how our learning environment is morphing and how quickly we might become obsolete if we don't try to catch up...
Attention - the power of your mind
Something which made me sit up and smile... Such an appropriate quote in this digital age..
Attention is the most powerful tool of the human spirit. We can enhance or augment our attention with practices like meditation and exercise, diffuse it with technologies like email and Blackberries, or alter it with pharmaceuticals. In the end, though, we are fully responsible for how we choose to use this extraordinary tool.
See http://www.lindastone.net
Attention is the most powerful tool of the human spirit. We can enhance or augment our attention with practices like meditation and exercise, diffuse it with technologies like email and Blackberries, or alter it with pharmaceuticals. In the end, though, we are fully responsible for how we choose to use this extraordinary tool.
See http://www.lindastone.net
Social media - some interesting tools..
What exactly is social media?
ICT technology
Web 2.0 tools
Allows anyone, anywhere connection with others to form networks and communities
Create, collaborate, share content, share action, share software
Some useful material on how people have used social media can be found at http://c4lpt.co.uk/handbook/examples.html and
http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wikis/etl/index.php/tools
With the use of social media, the boundary between formal and informal learning is blurring. See http://bdld.blogspot.com/2010/02/driving-informal-with-formal.html
Some tools to explore:
1. Voicethread for collaborative presentations
2. Stumbleupon / Diigo for social bookmarking; includes tagging, rating and comments on specific webpages
3. Screentoaster for screen recording
4. Teacher tube videos
5. Technoratti for blog searches
6. Quiz makers – Podquiz maker pr iQuiz maker (quizzes for mobile devices)
7. Audacity for podcasts
8. Elluminate flash presentations
ICT technology
Web 2.0 tools
Allows anyone, anywhere connection with others to form networks and communities
Create, collaborate, share content, share action, share software
Some useful material on how people have used social media can be found at http://c4lpt.co.uk/handbook/examples.html and
http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wikis/etl/index.php/tools
With the use of social media, the boundary between formal and informal learning is blurring. See http://bdld.blogspot.com/2010/02/driving-informal-with-formal.html
Some tools to explore:
1. Voicethread for collaborative presentations
2. Stumbleupon / Diigo for social bookmarking; includes tagging, rating and comments on specific webpages
3. Screentoaster for screen recording
4. Teacher tube videos
5. Technoratti for blog searches
6. Quiz makers – Podquiz maker pr iQuiz maker (quizzes for mobile devices)
7. Audacity for podcasts
8. Elluminate flash presentations
Monday, February 8, 2010
Suicide Machine
For those of us who want out of a virtual life and want our real life back, we can get rid of our Twitter, Facebook account using the SUICIDE MACHINE.
http://suicidemachine.org/
There is a catch though... you have to give your password to the suicide machine..
http://suicidemachine.org/
There is a catch though... you have to give your password to the suicide machine..
Changing the look of one's avatar
This video provides assistance to those who need some help to change the look of their avatars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqbuMi5N97c&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqbuMi5N97c&feature=channel
Puzzled by differences between Gen Y youths and how we used to be? Do parents know that their parenting styles may have had a hand in shaping their kids into what they have become?
www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2010/hyperparents/
www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2010/hyperparents/
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Digital Nation
This is one great video on how digital technology has transformed our lives... for better or for worse... Segment on the use of virtual reality at the workplace is an eye-opener. Are we headed in that direction with the advent of globalisation?
http://video.pbs.org/video/1402987791/
http://video.pbs.org/video/1402987791/
Some free stuff on the web -free online resources for teaching of Economics..
textbooks, videos, podcasts,etc.
http://www.wikieducator.org/Economics_textbooks_free_and_online
textbooks, videos, podcasts,etc.
http://www.wikieducator.org/Economics_textbooks_free_and_online
The phone of the future?
Two funny videos on what the phone of the future might look like....... Anyone would want one (or more) of these .. hey but would people remember that it's basic function is a phone????
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My Personal Learning Environment
This is my first PLE diagram. It combines the tools that I have been using so far plus traditional media as well as what I learn from interacting with people on a face-to-face basis. This diagram will likely evolve as I pick up new tools and new skills!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wk 3 chat on Immersive Worlds
Some interesting sites in Second Life include these:
http://slrul.com/secondlife/Cisco%20systems%202/121/144/24(Cisco)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NBC@201/145/123/43(NBC headquarters)
I didn't know that many companies are already using Second Life - for selling virtual equivalents of real life products, selling real world products through virtual stores, using the platform for prototyping,R&D and other kinds of collaboration, to holding meetings, and conferences virtually.
In addition, you can do a private chat if necessary with someone on SL, but you can't do that in a video conference. Managers can meet in certain rooms to discuss sensitive stuff too, and access could be restricted to some people.. In a video conference, you cannot "travel" to websites together, or work on prototypes together but SL allows one to do that. Hm.... apparently, only of the affordances of VW is the level of immersion that participants experience. You can also do streaming audio and video in SL, show Powerpoint slides and use collaborative document editing tools.
Some others things I learnt :
Griefing - that's an activity that causes someone else grief. Avatars cannot get killed but thre are other kinds of griefing including harassment, throwing obsence pictures,etc. Even financial scams.. Perpetuators can be punished by temporary or permanent bans. The abuser can be reported to Linden Lab by going to the Help > Report Abuse menu
Rez - second life term which means "come into being" or "come into focus". Quite often if the words on signboards in Second Life appear blurry because chances are the sign texture has not finished downloading into the computer yet. So, a little patience does it!
Local chat vs IM window:
The IM window allows everyone to communicate with each other in the group no matter where our avatars are in SL. The local chat is only visible to avatars who are standing nearby (20 virtual meters)
Some technical bits:
1. To teleport to home location, World > teleport home menu
2. To do a private chat, right click on another avatar, and select "Send IM" from the pie menu.
3. World > Create Landmark menu (find landmark in inventory)
4. To find a friend and teleport him/her right next to you, click on the Communication tab at the bottom of screen, highlight the required name and choose teleport.
5. To offer someone the gift of friendship, just click on their avatars.
6. To find your friends online in SL, click on the Edit tab right on top, Search, people, Find XXXX and then ofer teleport.
I am looking forward to learning more about how virtual worlds are used in business. It would be nice to attend a virtual seminar on SL too.
http://slrul.com/secondlife/Cisco%20systems%202/121/144/24(Cisco)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NBC@201/145/123/43(NBC headquarters)
I didn't know that many companies are already using Second Life - for selling virtual equivalents of real life products, selling real world products through virtual stores, using the platform for prototyping,R&D and other kinds of collaboration, to holding meetings, and conferences virtually.
In addition, you can do a private chat if necessary with someone on SL, but you can't do that in a video conference. Managers can meet in certain rooms to discuss sensitive stuff too, and access could be restricted to some people.. In a video conference, you cannot "travel" to websites together, or work on prototypes together but SL allows one to do that. Hm.... apparently, only of the affordances of VW is the level of immersion that participants experience. You can also do streaming audio and video in SL, show Powerpoint slides and use collaborative document editing tools.
Some others things I learnt :
Griefing - that's an activity that causes someone else grief. Avatars cannot get killed but thre are other kinds of griefing including harassment, throwing obsence pictures,etc. Even financial scams.. Perpetuators can be punished by temporary or permanent bans. The abuser can be reported to Linden Lab by going to the Help > Report Abuse menu
Rez - second life term which means "come into being" or "come into focus". Quite often if the words on signboards in Second Life appear blurry because chances are the sign texture has not finished downloading into the computer yet. So, a little patience does it!
Local chat vs IM window:
The IM window allows everyone to communicate with each other in the group no matter where our avatars are in SL. The local chat is only visible to avatars who are standing nearby (20 virtual meters)
Some technical bits:
1. To teleport to home location, World > teleport home menu
2. To do a private chat, right click on another avatar, and select "Send IM" from the pie menu.
3. World > Create Landmark menu (find landmark in inventory)
4. To find a friend and teleport him/her right next to you, click on the Communication tab at the bottom of screen, highlight the required name and choose teleport.
5. To offer someone the gift of friendship, just click on their avatars.
6. To find your friends online in SL, click on the Edit tab right on top, Search, people, Find XXXX and then ofer teleport.
I am looking forward to learning more about how virtual worlds are used in business. It would be nice to attend a virtual seminar on SL too.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Info Literacy in Singsapore
Some things institutions in Singapore are doing to increase IL skills :
http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20050725163022.aspx?getPagetype=20
http://www.nlba.sg/courses.asp
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/research/infolit_new.html
http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20050725163022.aspx?getPagetype=20
http://www.nlba.sg/courses.asp
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/research/infolit_new.html
Some info on blogs, wikis and RSS feeds
Readings:
Duffy, Peter and Bruns, Axel (2006) The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of Possibilities.
And something on personal learning enivornments..
http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams.
Duffy, Peter and Bruns, Axel (2006) The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of Possibilities.
And something on personal learning enivornments..
http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams.
Use of Twitter for journalists..
http://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/twitter-tips-for-journalists/
Journalists can use Twitter for a variety of uses: Some things include:
You can monitor the activities and discussions of people in your community or on your beat.
You can connect with people who will provide you helpful tips and information.
You can connect with colleagues and share ideas with them or get ideas from them.
You can “crowdsource” stories by asking your followers for story ideas or information.
You can quickly find people who witnessed or experienced an event.
You can drive traffic to your content.
You can improve your writing as you learn to make points directly in just 140 characters.
Journalists can use Twitter for a variety of uses: Some things include:
You can monitor the activities and discussions of people in your community or on your beat.
You can connect with people who will provide you helpful tips and information.
You can connect with colleagues and share ideas with them or get ideas from them.
You can “crowdsource” stories by asking your followers for story ideas or information.
You can quickly find people who witnessed or experienced an event.
You can drive traffic to your content.
You can improve your writing as you learn to make points directly in just 140 characters.
Some interesting articles on Second Life
Here' some stuff I read regarding SL which I must say, I enjoyed :)
Readings:
Virtual Worlds? "Outlook Good" by AJ Kelton EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 43, no. 5 (September/October 2008).
Ducheneaut, N.; Wen, M.; Yee, N.; Wadley, G. Body and mind: a study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds. 27th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2009); 2009 April 4-9; Boston, MA.
Kozlov, Slava and Reinhold N., (2008) To Play or Not to Play: Can Companies Learn to be n00bs, LFG, and Level Up?
Readings:
Virtual Worlds? "Outlook Good" by AJ Kelton EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 43, no. 5 (September/October 2008).
Ducheneaut, N.; Wen, M.; Yee, N.; Wadley, G. Body and mind: a study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds. 27th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2009); 2009 April 4-9; Boston, MA.
Kozlov, Slava and Reinhold N., (2008) To Play or Not to Play: Can Companies Learn to be n00bs, LFG, and Level Up?
Second Life - some things I learnt from the chat( wk1 & wk2)
This is my first foray into a virtual world. Second Life seems to be quite intriguing... One gets to represent ourselves in different ways. Students can do role-play, including dressing in the right gear of a certain profession. I am wondering what is considered appropriate etiquette in Second Life. Hmmm.. the kinds of avatars that people choose to come in can be so distracting too.. monsters and all..
Some technical stuff I learnt include :
1. Hold the ALT key+ LEFT click to centre view on a different place on the screen.
2. Click local chat button to review the text if it is flying past too quickly
3. To enable voice chat - edit menu > preferences > voice chat tab > enable voice chat
4. To get another avatar, right click, choose Buy and then choose KEEP when it offers you the folder.
5. To wear an avatar, find the foler in your inventory, and drag the avatar folder that you receive on to yourself.
6.To get back original avatar, find the folder with it and then just drag it back onto yourself. Original avatar is in the Library folder.
7, To wear individual components in inventory, right click > wear
Some technical stuff I learnt include :
1. Hold the ALT key+ LEFT click to centre view on a different place on the screen.
2. Click local chat button to review the text if it is flying past too quickly
3. To enable voice chat - edit menu > preferences > voice chat tab > enable voice chat
4. To get another avatar, right click, choose Buy and then choose KEEP when it offers you the folder.
5. To wear an avatar, find the foler in your inventory, and drag the avatar folder that you receive on to yourself.
6.To get back original avatar, find the folder with it and then just drag it back onto yourself. Original avatar is in the Library folder.
7, To wear individual components in inventory, right click > wear
E-portfolios
The use of e-portfolios is a tool that we can explore for all students at the institution. I think all students should start doing an e-portfolio from year 1 of their course of studies, to document the various milestones in their learning journey.
This would showcase their personal beliefs, goals, plans, academic results, competencies, achievements, key learning experiences (projects, work attachments) and testimonials, so that when they graduate from the institution, they will have something to “sell” themselves with, be it for further education or for employment. An e-portfolio with its multisensory mode of presentation will indeed be more appealing than paper copies of one’s certificates.
Some free tools for creating e-portfolios include the following:
http://www.angellearning.com/
http://www.rcampus.com/help/about/eportfolios.cfm?
http://www.eportfolios.ac.uk/
http://mahara.org/
http://www.wordpress/
http://www.weebly.com/
Perhaps all educators should be encouraged to build their own e-portfolio too, to showcase their teaching - what they have done or used in their teaching plans and strategies, what competencies they have, what their teaching plans for the future are. If these e-portfolios could be shared, this would indeed be very helpful for colleagues to learn from one another in related modules. Across academic sections, such sharing could be a platform for cross-fertilisation of new ideas in teaching.
This would showcase their personal beliefs, goals, plans, academic results, competencies, achievements, key learning experiences (projects, work attachments) and testimonials, so that when they graduate from the institution, they will have something to “sell” themselves with, be it for further education or for employment. An e-portfolio with its multisensory mode of presentation will indeed be more appealing than paper copies of one’s certificates.
Some free tools for creating e-portfolios include the following:
http://www.angellearning.com/
http://www.rcampus.com/help/about/eportfolios.cfm?
http://www.eportfolios.ac.uk/
http://mahara.org/
http://www.wordpress/
http://www.weebly.com/
Perhaps all educators should be encouraged to build their own e-portfolio too, to showcase their teaching - what they have done or used in their teaching plans and strategies, what competencies they have, what their teaching plans for the future are. If these e-portfolios could be shared, this would indeed be very helpful for colleagues to learn from one another in related modules. Across academic sections, such sharing could be a platform for cross-fertilisation of new ideas in teaching.
Archiving the web
I am also surprised to learn that web pages can be archived. These URLs could well come in useful when there is a need to look for information that is not so current but was on the web before. A couple of useful sites are http://www.archive.org/index.php, http://www.mementoweb.org and http://chronicle.com/blogPost/New-Web-Site-Makes-Internet/8887/ .
I guess resources such as these could also be shared with students to broaden their research efforts. I am not sure if there are Singapore-based websites which archive local content.
I guess resources such as these could also be shared with students to broaden their research efforts. I am not sure if there are Singapore-based websites which archive local content.
Wikipedia or not?
Perhaps too, it is opportune for the institution to consider a common policy across all schools regarding the use of the Wikipedia as a reference for research. Like it or not, Wikipedia is widely used by students and probably by staff as well. A possible stance is to allow the use of Wikipedia as a starting point for research, and require that its sources of information should be cross-checked for authenticity. In addition, students could be instructed specifically that they need to go beyond Wikipedia, say, make it mandatory that three other sources of information should be cited and from a variety of sources, for example, a book, a website and a journal. This could be worked into the marking rubrics so students know what our expectations are.
Providing students with some guidance on research methods (a start-of-academic year-session on how to use library resources like how to find relevant books, news archives, journals, e-databases, e-books, etc, as well as a helpdesk or hotline to provide guidance on a just-in-time need basis, or online quizzes / games / video tutorials on IL to raise awareness like http://library.uncg.edu/game/ or http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/instruct/tutorials/voyager/index.html) would go a long way towards ensuring that students do not just rely on Wikipedia as a quick source of information, but go beyond it. However, a one-off session is unlikely to be helpful, as students may not take these library sessions seriously until they see a need to do research. As such, to hone information literacy skills, librarians and teaching staff need to work together, by infusing it within the curriculum throughout all three years of their education at the institution, starting from year 1.
Providing students with some guidance on research methods (a start-of-academic year-session on how to use library resources like how to find relevant books, news archives, journals, e-databases, e-books, etc, as well as a helpdesk or hotline to provide guidance on a just-in-time need basis, or online quizzes / games / video tutorials on IL to raise awareness like http://library.uncg.edu/game/ or http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/instruct/tutorials/voyager/index.html) would go a long way towards ensuring that students do not just rely on Wikipedia as a quick source of information, but go beyond it. However, a one-off session is unlikely to be helpful, as students may not take these library sessions seriously until they see a need to do research. As such, to hone information literacy skills, librarians and teaching staff need to work together, by infusing it within the curriculum throughout all three years of their education at the institution, starting from year 1.
Academic Integrity
Another challenge would be to reinforce the importance of academic integrity, from a young age, perhaps even starting from upper primary school levels, so that the practice of attributing information created by others is ingrained. Being able to do so would help in character-building and inculcate the values of honesty and respect for others. Students need to understand what constitutes plagiarism, how it can be detected with software like Turnitin or SafeAssign, why citations are necessary, how citations should be done and the consequences of plagiarism.
Schools, library staff, and staff from Student Services Office could work together to communicate such expectations to students and reinforce this regularly. Having an Integrity Week on a regular basis, for example, in the third or fourth week of each academic year, when students start working on their projects, is an interesting idea. No doubt some students may think this is just another campus activity, I feel that it will nevertheless highlight to students the importance of academic honesty, be it concerning projects, tests or exams.
One interesting example would be the Integrity Week at the University of Manitoba which includes a quiz on academic honesty ( http://umanitoba.ca/student/resource/student_advocacy/integrity12.html). For example, a question like – “Your professor can often tell that an essay has been plagiarised, even though they may not know where the plagiarised information comes from”, and the answer, “Professors study the topics they teach. They will likely have read many of the sources you will use to write papers”, tells students that it’s hard to beat their professors who are likely to know more than them, so any attempt to cheat is futile. This may seem quite obvious to the professors, but to students, maybe we need to tell them this in the face, to be sure they know it.
In the same light, maybe students could be quizzed on the exam regulations too. I am not sure how many students are actually aware that if they turn up X minutes late at an exam venue at the institution they are enrolled in, they are not allowed to sit for an exam and would be deemed to have failed. Although all these are important rules posted on an institution’s Web, many students may not have bothered to read them carefully.
During Integrity Week, there could be workshops to teach students about formal writing – academic writing, maybe organised on a school basis – different workshops for students from different disciplines, for example - Engineering and Business. These days, students are so used to SMS and MSN language, that writing a formal report (e.g. learning how to do paraphrasing) could be a real struggle for them. Students could also learn how to use open-source citation machines (e.g. via instant demos at booths). These citation machines include:
BibMe http://www.bibme.org/
Ottobib (books only) http://ottobib.com/
Zotero (for Firefox only) http://www.zotero.org/
EasyBib http://www.easybib.com/
Schools, library staff, and staff from Student Services Office could work together to communicate such expectations to students and reinforce this regularly. Having an Integrity Week on a regular basis, for example, in the third or fourth week of each academic year, when students start working on their projects, is an interesting idea. No doubt some students may think this is just another campus activity, I feel that it will nevertheless highlight to students the importance of academic honesty, be it concerning projects, tests or exams.
One interesting example would be the Integrity Week at the University of Manitoba which includes a quiz on academic honesty ( http://umanitoba.ca/student/resource/student_advocacy/integrity12.html). For example, a question like – “Your professor can often tell that an essay has been plagiarised, even though they may not know where the plagiarised information comes from”, and the answer, “Professors study the topics they teach. They will likely have read many of the sources you will use to write papers”, tells students that it’s hard to beat their professors who are likely to know more than them, so any attempt to cheat is futile. This may seem quite obvious to the professors, but to students, maybe we need to tell them this in the face, to be sure they know it.
In the same light, maybe students could be quizzed on the exam regulations too. I am not sure how many students are actually aware that if they turn up X minutes late at an exam venue at the institution they are enrolled in, they are not allowed to sit for an exam and would be deemed to have failed. Although all these are important rules posted on an institution’s Web, many students may not have bothered to read them carefully.
During Integrity Week, there could be workshops to teach students about formal writing – academic writing, maybe organised on a school basis – different workshops for students from different disciplines, for example - Engineering and Business. These days, students are so used to SMS and MSN language, that writing a formal report (e.g. learning how to do paraphrasing) could be a real struggle for them. Students could also learn how to use open-source citation machines (e.g. via instant demos at booths). These citation machines include:
BibMe http://www.bibme.org/
Ottobib (books only) http://ottobib.com/
Zotero (for Firefox only) http://www.zotero.org/
EasyBib http://www.easybib.com/
Online Privacy
We need to teach students and staff how to protect themselves online, so that their privacy is not intruded on. All too often, people take these new technologies for granted, and use them for immediate gratification - quick answers or instantaneous information, without giving too much thought about what the secondary effects down the road might well be (See http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/11/19/quebec-facebook-sick-leave-benefits.html ).
Some things I have learnt about how to protect one’s online privacy are detailed below. Some are "common sensical", but mostly these are things I am not familiar with :
• Set up my web browser using a pseudonym instead of real name, and to leave out any personally identifiable information that need not be shared
• Check the internet default program – Windows Internet Control Panel to ensure that all personal information is anonymised
• Turn off cookies that can track my motions through a web site. Cookies can be managed or blocked using cookie management software and services, for example, Internet Junkbuster at http://www.junkbusters.com/ht/en/ijb.html, InterMute at http://www.intermute.com/, Adsubtract at http://www.adsubtract.com/ ,CookiePal at http://www.kburra.com/cpal.html/ or http://www.websashger.com/
• Cookies can be deleted after surfing
• Use Cookie cleaner at http://www.ccleaner.com/ to delete traces of online activities such as Internet history
• Keep a clean email address, like a side account using some pseudonymous or alternate address (e.g. free yahoo mail or hotmail account)
• Use someuser@example.com if needed to furnish an email account to use a website ; this is fine so long as there is no need to actually go to this email account to access information (like passwords) sent to this address
• Keep a tight fist on personal information online and be wary of online acquaintances
• Avoid sending/discussing sensitive information using office email
• Avoid Web usage at the office unless it is for work-related purposes; employers can monitor all web usage
• Be aware of sites which offer rewards for contact information
• Do not reply to spam mail, as doing so confirms that the email is read by a real person
• Use anti-spam services such as Spam hater at http://www.cix.co/uk/~net-services/spam/spam_hater.htm to block spam mail
• Check for web security when transacting online – look out for https:// instead of http://
• Disable spyware (spies on online habits and other personal details) from your computer by using http://www/lavasoft.de/• Active X should be turned off when surfing, and should be turned on only when it’s a trusted website
• Turn off home computer when not using it to prevent malicious attacks or stealing of confidential information. Sites like http://wwwshareware.com or http://www.download.com can also offer protection
• Check offline contact information before engaging in online transactions and check if seal programs such as TRUSTe at http://www.truste.org are in place to protect one’s privacy
• Use encryption software for email and files such as Pretty Good Privacy at http://www.pgpi.org/
• Use proxies across the internet to wrap your IP address while browsing the web - http://www.torproject.org/
To be honest, I have not had time to really go into these websites to do much exploration as yet, but certainly intend to find out more soon. Indeed, I think it is needful for both teaching staff and students to know what they might be getting into on the web. Perhaps it is good to have everyone go through a course to learn some of these tips and tricks to protect their online privacy. All students should be taught early on, especially so they are even more vulnerable than adults on the web. I think we have to remind ourselves often, that we can and should control what information we choose to reveal, when, why and to whom.
Some things I have learnt about how to protect one’s online privacy are detailed below. Some are "common sensical", but mostly these are things I am not familiar with :
• Set up my web browser using a pseudonym instead of real name, and to leave out any personally identifiable information that need not be shared
• Check the internet default program – Windows Internet Control Panel to ensure that all personal information is anonymised
• Turn off cookies that can track my motions through a web site. Cookies can be managed or blocked using cookie management software and services, for example, Internet Junkbuster at http://www.junkbusters.com/ht/en/ijb.html, InterMute at http://www.intermute.com/, Adsubtract at http://www.adsubtract.com/ ,CookiePal at http://www.kburra.com/cpal.html/ or http://www.websashger.com/
• Cookies can be deleted after surfing
• Use Cookie cleaner at http://www.ccleaner.com/ to delete traces of online activities such as Internet history
• Keep a clean email address, like a side account using some pseudonymous or alternate address (e.g. free yahoo mail or hotmail account)
• Use someuser@example.com if needed to furnish an email account to use a website ; this is fine so long as there is no need to actually go to this email account to access information (like passwords) sent to this address
• Keep a tight fist on personal information online and be wary of online acquaintances
• Avoid sending/discussing sensitive information using office email
• Avoid Web usage at the office unless it is for work-related purposes; employers can monitor all web usage
• Be aware of sites which offer rewards for contact information
• Do not reply to spam mail, as doing so confirms that the email is read by a real person
• Use anti-spam services such as Spam hater at http://www.cix.co/uk/~net-services/spam/spam_hater.htm to block spam mail
• Check for web security when transacting online – look out for https:// instead of http://
• Disable spyware (spies on online habits and other personal details) from your computer by using http://www/lavasoft.de/• Active X should be turned off when surfing, and should be turned on only when it’s a trusted website
• Turn off home computer when not using it to prevent malicious attacks or stealing of confidential information. Sites like http://wwwshareware.com or http://www.download.com can also offer protection
• Check offline contact information before engaging in online transactions and check if seal programs such as TRUSTe at http://www.truste.org are in place to protect one’s privacy
• Use encryption software for email and files such as Pretty Good Privacy at http://www.pgpi.org/
• Use proxies across the internet to wrap your IP address while browsing the web - http://www.torproject.org/
To be honest, I have not had time to really go into these websites to do much exploration as yet, but certainly intend to find out more soon. Indeed, I think it is needful for both teaching staff and students to know what they might be getting into on the web. Perhaps it is good to have everyone go through a course to learn some of these tips and tricks to protect their online privacy. All students should be taught early on, especially so they are even more vulnerable than adults on the web. I think we have to remind ourselves often, that we can and should control what information we choose to reveal, when, why and to whom.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Then and now..changes in the education landscape .
In the past, students who had to do research for their projects would simply do so by poring through books and journals at the library. The scope of their research was a lot narrower then. These days, we are not talking about just being information literate but this literacy has evolved and is now made up of pieces of a bigger multi-literacy puzzle. Students need to be able to do the very basic - read and write, students need to possess skills to search for information, students need to be digital literate to navigate the mountain of information in the online world and to do this, and there is a need to be IT literate. This is indeed quite a tall order, compared to the old days!
The students of today are digital natives, having grown up in a world where not having a laptop, internet access, mobile phone, iPod would be unimaginable. Students live in a digital world and make use of Web 2.0 technologies primarily for social networking.
The challenge for educators is to level up their knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies, embrace and harness the power of these Web 2.0 technologies as a new resource for teaching and learning. We have to adapt our teaching pedagogy to be attuned to the rapidly-evolving learning styles of students. Ignoring these changes would inevitably create a digital divide between educators and students – the battle is lost even before we begin. We have to learn new ways to engage our students and help them learn in environments and ways that they are already comfortable and familiar with. The challenge is to help students use Web 2.0 as naturally in their studies, as in their social lives.
In fact, many schools have already started doing this early on in the education system. Many secondary schools in Singapore begun using Web 2.0 technologies in their teaching (See http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/parliamentary-replies/2009/09/information-and-communications.php); to force students to go one step back to a print literacy dominant environment would lead to a disconnect with the students. We need to capitalise on Web 2.0 technologies to develop a learning skill set which is expected of the 21st century workforce – communication, collaboration, networking, creativity, leadership and technology proficiency. At the same time, we will also need to address the downside of such technologies, for example, the cut-and-paste mentality and failure to attribute information or, the lack of ability to critically evaluate information and form their own opinions about an issue.
Educators need to be convinced that the students’ profile (their disposition - a strong sense of belonging to online communities and learning preferences for sharing and participation) and the environment has changed irrevocably. Even the government has started using social networking to engage the youth (see http://www.ssc.gov.sg/publish/Corporate/en/news/media_releases/2009/1st_asian_youth_games0.html and to garner feedback from citizens (http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/default.aspx). Charitable organisations have also jumped on the bandwagon. See http://www.clicktoaid.com, where organisations like the Community Development Council are using Web2.0 to raise funds for charity, or http://www.give.sg.
Indeed, there is an urgent need to respond to these waves of change accordingly. It requires lecturers to learn to “let go” and come to terms with the fact that there are many ways in which students learn these days… not just from the pearls of wisdom from the lecturer’s mouth anymore.
Content is no longer king – students are capable of learning beyond what lecturers tell them and what books write about. Open-source materials and online universities have diminished the attractiveness of higher education and made content from credible sources readily accessible (for example, http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm ). Lecturers need to be digital literate to guide students to the relevant sources; the tutor takes on a facilitator role more now, than ever before. Of course, it would be erroneous to assume that technology has to be used for technology’s sake - merely adopted wholesale for window-dressing purposes and an end in itself. Technology must be seen as a possible tool for providing a more relevant, enriching and challenging learning experience for students, whilst recognising the fact that face-to-face contact with students is still vital for adding a personal element to learning.
The students of today are digital natives, having grown up in a world where not having a laptop, internet access, mobile phone, iPod would be unimaginable. Students live in a digital world and make use of Web 2.0 technologies primarily for social networking.
The challenge for educators is to level up their knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies, embrace and harness the power of these Web 2.0 technologies as a new resource for teaching and learning. We have to adapt our teaching pedagogy to be attuned to the rapidly-evolving learning styles of students. Ignoring these changes would inevitably create a digital divide between educators and students – the battle is lost even before we begin. We have to learn new ways to engage our students and help them learn in environments and ways that they are already comfortable and familiar with. The challenge is to help students use Web 2.0 as naturally in their studies, as in their social lives.
In fact, many schools have already started doing this early on in the education system. Many secondary schools in Singapore begun using Web 2.0 technologies in their teaching (See http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/parliamentary-replies/2009/09/information-and-communications.php); to force students to go one step back to a print literacy dominant environment would lead to a disconnect with the students. We need to capitalise on Web 2.0 technologies to develop a learning skill set which is expected of the 21st century workforce – communication, collaboration, networking, creativity, leadership and technology proficiency. At the same time, we will also need to address the downside of such technologies, for example, the cut-and-paste mentality and failure to attribute information or, the lack of ability to critically evaluate information and form their own opinions about an issue.
Educators need to be convinced that the students’ profile (their disposition - a strong sense of belonging to online communities and learning preferences for sharing and participation) and the environment has changed irrevocably. Even the government has started using social networking to engage the youth (see http://www.ssc.gov.sg/publish/Corporate/en/news/media_releases/2009/1st_asian_youth_games0.html and to garner feedback from citizens (http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/default.aspx). Charitable organisations have also jumped on the bandwagon. See http://www.clicktoaid.com, where organisations like the Community Development Council are using Web2.0 to raise funds for charity, or http://www.give.sg.
Indeed, there is an urgent need to respond to these waves of change accordingly. It requires lecturers to learn to “let go” and come to terms with the fact that there are many ways in which students learn these days… not just from the pearls of wisdom from the lecturer’s mouth anymore.
Content is no longer king – students are capable of learning beyond what lecturers tell them and what books write about. Open-source materials and online universities have diminished the attractiveness of higher education and made content from credible sources readily accessible (for example, http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm ). Lecturers need to be digital literate to guide students to the relevant sources; the tutor takes on a facilitator role more now, than ever before. Of course, it would be erroneous to assume that technology has to be used for technology’s sake - merely adopted wholesale for window-dressing purposes and an end in itself. Technology must be seen as a possible tool for providing a more relevant, enriching and challenging learning experience for students, whilst recognising the fact that face-to-face contact with students is still vital for adding a personal element to learning.
Applying IL to assignments...
In the Information Literacy assignment for week 2, I have already relooked and reworked the newspaper article assignment instructions for the module Microeconomics, to hone IL skills in students, albeit with some hand-holding, since these are first-year students at the polytechnic.
I intend to discuss this with colleagues and use this set of assignment instructions (perhaps with some modifcation if needed) for the new academic year in April 2010. I think the most important bit in reworking the assignment is realising that I need to let students know explicitly why they are doing an assignment! As such, the project objectives must be clearly articulated to students. In addition, they also need to know how the project objectives dovetail into course objectives.
As for the marking rubrics for this assignment, it might look something like this:
Breath of analysis (20%)
- Article selected incorporates at least three economic concepts
- Concepts are interrelated across different topics in both semester 1 and 2
Depth of analysis (60%)
- Ability to read text and select main ideas
- Restate textual concepts in own words
- Identify verbatim ideas that can be appropriately quoted
- Select information that provides evidence for the concept
- Recognise interrelationships among concepts and combines them into useful statements
- Draw conclusions based on information gathered
- Diagrams are used appropriately in explanation
Sources of information (10%)
- information sources are acknowledged using APA citation style
- provide a variety of formats as sources of information
Timeliness of submission (10%)
- project is submitted on time as scheduled
I intend to discuss this with colleagues and use this set of assignment instructions (perhaps with some modifcation if needed) for the new academic year in April 2010. I think the most important bit in reworking the assignment is realising that I need to let students know explicitly why they are doing an assignment! As such, the project objectives must be clearly articulated to students. In addition, they also need to know how the project objectives dovetail into course objectives.
As for the marking rubrics for this assignment, it might look something like this:
Breath of analysis (20%)
- Article selected incorporates at least three economic concepts
- Concepts are interrelated across different topics in both semester 1 and 2
Depth of analysis (60%)
- Ability to read text and select main ideas
- Restate textual concepts in own words
- Identify verbatim ideas that can be appropriately quoted
- Select information that provides evidence for the concept
- Recognise interrelationships among concepts and combines them into useful statements
- Draw conclusions based on information gathered
- Diagrams are used appropriately in explanation
Sources of information (10%)
- information sources are acknowledged using APA citation style
- provide a variety of formats as sources of information
Timeliness of submission (10%)
- project is submitted on time as scheduled
My reflections on Digital Literacy
We started off the course on Digital Literacy by learning about what Information Literacy. I think all of us do know what IL is about, but mostly we don’t spend much time thinking about what the exact standards are.
Information literacy is a set of abilities encompassing the ability to do the following:
• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
(Association of College and Research Libraries – ACRL Information Literacy competency standards for Higher Education)
How can we develop students who are information literate and grow them into self-directed life-long learners? Firstly, educators need to build learning environments where students take greater responsibility for their own learning. Students should be given ample opportunities to find things out for themselves – to solve problems, to find evidence from multiple sources, to make inquiries. To do so, they will need skills in information literacy. We need to frame our research projects and how we assess those projects, such that we build in outcomes which help students to attain information literacy skills. For example, if we want students to be able to gather information from a variety of formats (e.g. books, electronic database, websites, videos, podcasts, etc), or if we want students to be able to evaluate information and its sources critically, or learn how to acknowledge the use of information sources, then all these should be clearly articulated in the project requirements. The marking rubrics for projects may need to be tweaked to include assessment components which grade students not just on the quality of their research and analysis, but also on attaining IL outcomes.
Information literacy is a set of abilities encompassing the ability to do the following:
• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
(Association of College and Research Libraries – ACRL Information Literacy competency standards for Higher Education)
How can we develop students who are information literate and grow them into self-directed life-long learners? Firstly, educators need to build learning environments where students take greater responsibility for their own learning. Students should be given ample opportunities to find things out for themselves – to solve problems, to find evidence from multiple sources, to make inquiries. To do so, they will need skills in information literacy. We need to frame our research projects and how we assess those projects, such that we build in outcomes which help students to attain information literacy skills. For example, if we want students to be able to gather information from a variety of formats (e.g. books, electronic database, websites, videos, podcasts, etc), or if we want students to be able to evaluate information and its sources critically, or learn how to acknowledge the use of information sources, then all these should be clearly articulated in the project requirements. The marking rubrics for projects may need to be tweaked to include assessment components which grade students not just on the quality of their research and analysis, but also on attaining IL outcomes.
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