Wannabe shiny Web 2.0?

Posted on August 10, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Checkout 15 photoshop tutorials that will have you churning out quality in no time!

Combine them to give your design work new shine.

What is Cloud Computing?

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Cloud computing – the latest handle attached to the idea of hosted Web services used by people and businesses – is beginning to get considerable traction now that there are more companies offering services online. Elizabeth covers some good ideas in her post What is Cloud computing. This is a topic I am exploring for a PD session I’m presenting for the Computing Studies Teachers group.

But meanwhile, remember when we talked about ‘Web 2.0 as platform’?

Now its more and more what we are about, in schools, in libraries, in companies, in fact anywhere. Now we live on line, work online, store personal files online, and more. It’s not about locking to a single IT platform – its about releasing us from platform dependence.

With platforms getting a hold on the marketplace (and hopefully in education eventually) like the iTouch, iPhone, eeePC and more, cloud computing makes a lot of sense for schools – kids can access anything anywhere, and IT doesn’t have to be all centrally run from the school.

Is it really happening? eBay has a full time position open in San Jose for a Director, Cloud Computing Engineering.That’s a bit telling don’t you think? Cloud computing is what Google Apps are all about – and a good example of a major company making a play in this emerging field.

Is Cloud Computing Actually for Real?

The Editor of Grid Today reporting on Gartner’s Symposium ITXpo says that Gartner’s answer to this question is “Yes.” Among the myriad statistics thrown out at the conference was Gartner’s prediction that by 2012, 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies will pay for some cloud computing service, and 30 percent of them will pay for cloud computing infrastructure. Pretty impressive if it comes true.

I really like where this is all going 🙂 The guys in this video clip are not all sure yet, but listen to their ideas, get the big picture and move with the times!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “What is Cloud Computing“, posted with vodpod

‘Buy in’ is low!

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

We often talk about the challenge of developing our 21st century learning capacity amongst our teachers. But I, like so many, have to start at the beginning. Personally I love that challenge, because it makes me reflect deeply on my own core beliefs about learning and teaching as we find it today.

So here’s our latest challenge – introducing all of Year 7 to the Resources Centre (library).

Shudder – well at least that is what the older boys do when they remember their time in Year 7 undertaking their 7 week project. I have the blue printed book on my desk. I opened it once. I rejected it immediately. We now have the Science Research wiki instead!

So we are developing a new approach – the is of course delivered online, that builds in to the program key points of information fluency. Let me tell you, this is just the beginning! This is very new for my teachers, and is being welcomed with open arms so far. So that’s the trick isn’t it. Start small, turn around the tide.

This is what I wrote about it at school:

Staff in the Resources Centre are always keen to find ways to promote reading and literacy as well as thinking in all areas across the curriculum.
We believe that thinking should be treated as a fundamental literacy skill, whether the ‘language’ in question is Maths, Science, Art or English! There is no question that reading, writing, speaking, and listening are interconnected skills that develop synergistically and are key to teaching thinking. The more fluent students become as readers, writers, speakers, and listeners, the clearer, more coherent, and more flexible their thinking will become.
So we look constantly look for new opportunities – and a few have come our way this term.
We have launched a new Year 7 Science Research program in collaboration with teachers, to introduce students to what the Resources Centre can offer, coupled with research techniques, learning strategies, note-taking ideas, web evaluation, using a bibliography, and more. This new programme has been launched as a web-based wiki that provides the pathway for learning, without being didactic about the approach. Each class is different so though key areas are covered for all, the learning experience is modified to suit the needs of each student. You can find the Research Wiki at http://scienceresearch.wetpaint.com/

Photo: Solar System

Cuil could be the cool new way to search

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

CNN reports that an ex-Google team is attempting to take on the Giant with the release of their new search tool named Cuil (pronounced cool, after a character named Finn McCuill in Celtic folklore). Reports to date are not bursting with enthusiasm – but I think that this just might be worth keeping an eye on for now.

Rather than trying to mimic Google’s method of ranking the quantity and quality of links to Web sites, Cuil’s technology drills into the actual content of a page. And Cuil’s results will be presented in a more magazine-like format instead of just a vertical stack of Web links. Cuil’s results are displayed with more photos spread horizontally across the page and include sidebars that can be clicked on to learn more about topics related to the original search request.

While criticism is easy, it is also important to remember what Google looked like in the beginning – which after all wasn’t all that long ago. I remember when AltaVista was king! and when this new search tool called Google arrived.

So what will become of Cuil? For now, I like the fact that as soon as you enter a search term, some suggestions come up immediately to refine the term.

Just because Google has become synonymous with search, I like that an exGoogle team is building this tool, because I do think that what Google teams do is creative, imaginative and robust. If they got disenchanted, then they may be just be the developers of the next generation of search tools – or they may not 🙂 time will tell.

I am not sure how good the data being retrieved is. My usual test of ‘pedagogy’ and ‘information literacy’ produced results that I was happy with, thought very different from Google’s results on the same topic.

I love the Explore by Category option – not a new idea, but it sits beautifully on the page to help prompt thinking and therefore searching! This is guiding my students rather than sitting them in front of a screen full of millions of links.

Cuil claims not to rely on superficial popularity metrics, but searches for and ranks pages based on their content and relevance.

When we find a page with your keywords, we stay on that page and analyze the rest of its content, its concepts, their inter-relationships and the page’s coherency.

Oh, and it has a ‘safe search’ button – good for making kids take responsibility for their search options.

Plus I can add Cuil to my Firefox search box!

This is new. I’m going to watch this one. PS. Phil Bradely didn’t give Cuil a wrap up – but I’m thinking we need to see how this develops before making our final judgement.

How well do we know our students?

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Quick read of Student Blogging from Michael Rees who is working Web 2.0 into his Web Applications course, a new subject introducing the students to the creation and scripting of interactive web sites and the basic technology behind Web 2.0, was very illuminating.

For their last blogging task he asked the class to nominate three Web 2.0 sites they find useful., I was fascinated (as he was) in the results of his survey. We should perhaps consider checking with our students a little more often too?

Google images – or bust!

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

I’m constantly amazed at the lack of direction provided to students about the use, value, purpose and function images into their work – including the notion of authentic creativity (i.e. ripping off other people’s work and presenting it as your own is not mashup – its trampling on someone’s work).

Well I won’t preach – no point. I see teachers constantly falling for presentation as if it somehow has translated into quality higher order thinking in the heads of students. Doing a google search for images, and dropping it into a powerpoint, and essay, an animoto, a machinima or anything, without some purpose behind it all teaches very little…AND it doesn’t even address visual literacy or creativity either.

So yes, there are places to find images..if that’s all you need. See Find Free Images Online!

Doing a Google image search is also valid if the image found is demonstrating cognitive understanding in a visual way, and is also referenced back to the source. For example, a good image from NASA, credited as such, adds value to a student’s compilation of knowledge and understanding of the topic being considered.

Unfortunately, what I see too often is a pretty picture found, dropped into a title page or text, to ‘make it look good, miss’, not chosen to enhance and support the content being discussed and explored, and certainly not referenced back to the source.

So I suggest some of the following uses for Google image search – ways that support the cognitive engagement with topic and text:

If you want to know if a person is a man or a woman and the name doesn’t help, do a search for the name.
If you don’t know the meaning of a word, the pictures may help you.
Find what’s interesting about a site, by looking at the pictures included. For example: wired.com.
Type the name of a painter and turn your search into a randomized art class!
Discuss how images have been used in sites for key historical characters, and the message that they portray. e.g. try ‘Hitler’
Have some ‘keyword’ fun with Google Image Labeler. See how you go in two minutes, and what keywords you come up with to name your image!
Play with Montage-a-Google and focus on visual literacy!

Truth is nothing will stop teachers and students using Google Image Search. It’s easy.It’s here to stay.

Comes back to pedagogy doesn’t it. Do you want pretty pictures? or do you want to help teach kids creativity, discernment, visual literacy – oh and ethics around the creative arts 🙂

Haiku – in the clouds!

Posted on August 9, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Like all good things, the finest are not always found where you would expect them. The behemouth trade display at NECC mainly gave me a headache rather than inspiration – except for a couple of quiet finds that were buried amongst the usual widgets, gizmos and latest emperor’s new clothes of IT.

So after some delay I am looking back over some of those quiet discoveries.

Today I created my test account for Haiku Learning Management System. Now I am not an advocate of the usual wall-garden variety of LMS being a denizen of Web 2.0 cloud computing 🙂 I understand the reason why schools go down that path. I have yet to see one that equates with the approach that LAMS (Learning Activity Management System) takes – i.e. supporting the pedagogical side of learning, rather than just the organisation and presentation of a learning materials. LAMS provides teachers with a highly intuitive visual authoring environment for creating sequences of learning activities that make you THINK about your pedagogy. But that’s another story!

However, if you must have something, then chose wisely and don’t look for 20th century solutions – focus on the current and future learning platform that IS the web.

This is why the Haiku LMS has instant appeal. It is as easy to use as any blog, wiki, ning etc tool you are currently playing with. It does what a good LMS needs to do – allows you to create classes, drop boxes, add attachements – whatever. Choose your own templates for a fun look too!

BUT here’s the BEST part – it already has over 80 Web 2.0 tools ready to embedd – just drag and drop to rearrange your layout!

Absolutely everything that you might want is there. If is isn’t – use the embedd code box to add the latest. I remember them saying at the NECC stand that as soon as a good tool becomes available they will grab the API and add it to their Web 2.0 kit. Looking at the full set I found all the popular Web 2.0 tools, and some I wasn’t so familiar with and am now off to explore

This is the BEST of cloud computing I have seen for a school-based LMS yet. The power of this is amazing and wonderful – and just what we should all be doing.

I would love for this to be used at my school.

Photo: Cloud Kicker

Nunc Dimittis

Posted on August 1, 2008 by Judy O'Connell

Nunc Dimittis – “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy Servant depart in Peace”.

For my father-in-law, who we bury on Tuesday morning. We will have a sung version at his Requiem Mass, to acknowledge the passing of an influential yet humble and generous man, and to commend him to The Lord.