Using blogs in large classes

In a post in “blogs for learning”, Alex Halavais, from Quinnipiac University, considers the use of blogs in large classes. The entry relates several experiences with blogging in large classes and considers the issue of evaluation of student writing in the class blog, its time consuming nature and wether it is necessary for te teacher to evaluate all posts.

clipped from blogsforlearning.msu.edu Abstract In this short article, I hope to provide some examples of failures and successes in managing blogging in large classes, and some indication of where this might go in the future. Like many people, I started blogging in small senior-level seminars. This was in 1999, and at the time there were not really blogging systems available, and like many other people, I had to write my own. What I saw as a very simple way to replace email lists and bulletin board (forum) systems turned out to be an extraordinarily effective way to encourage conversation among students, and I have used blogs in most of my classes in the years since. Today, blogging in a small class is a fairly easy way to get started for both students and teachers.

Practical guide to elearning for industry

There are increasing efforts to establish facilitation and support services for elearning, not only in educational institutions, but also in industry. The Australian Flexible Learning Framework offers a practical guide to elearning for industry.

“The production of the ‘Practical guide’ is part of the Industry Engagement Project of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework. Collaboratively funded by the Australian Government and all States and Territories, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework aims to promote the uptake of elearning and to support industry and business with the application of elearning practices.”

The relevant concepts have been incorporated into a visually stimulating conceptual map. Check out the Practical guide to elearning for industry

Ebook on emerging perspectives

Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology is the title of a comprehensive, yet succinct wiki- eBook compiled by academics and post grads at the University of Georgia. Michael Orey, the editor, is an Associate Professor at the University and as an educational technologist he also provides an international lecture series through Wimba, the virtual classroom. The wiki covers a good deal of information and is frequently updated with additional material.

A free learning tool for every problem?

The author of this blog is the e-Learning Manager for INCEIF in Malaysia.    In his blog, he “explores the idea that there is at least one excellent free learning tool (or site) for every learning problem, need or issue”.

Click here to view the 139 tools.

eLearning Library books

The eLearning Library holds approximately 30 books.  These books can be found in the cabinet opposite Charles’ office.

Should you wish to borrow any of these items, please fill in your details on the card included in each book, and put it in the wooden box in the cabinet.

Educational Technology Standards for Teachers – 2008

Image by pingnews.com via Flickr

The NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) for Teachers (NETS•T) were originally released in the US in 2000, following the NETS for Students (NETS•S) in 1998, which set the bar for integration of technology in education. The NETS•T 2000 defined the fundamental concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes for applying technology in educational settings.

NETS have served as a roadmap for improved teaching and learning by educators throughout the United States. The standards, used in every U.S. state and many countries, are credited with significantly influencing expectations for students and creating a target of excellence relating to technology.

Rapid advances in technology are putting new demands on educators and students. ISTE launched a refresh of the NETS•T in 2007 and unveiled the new NETS•T in 2008. The refreshed ISTE NETS will provide a framework for educators to use as they transition schools from Industrial Age to Digital Age places of learning.

Facebook: an educational tool?

Image via Wikipedia

A new report, from Childnet International and funded by Becta, the government body for technology in learning, says while teachers and lecturers may be using social networking services they may not recognise the educational potential for their students.
“Schools could help students develop “e-portfolios” where learners can record their achievements and collect examples of their work, the guide suggests. Or teachers could use social networking services to set up groups that “semi-formalise” students’ online communications and “document discussions and milestones as they go”.
“Teachers and lecturers are getting the lowdown on how to use social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo in an educational way. Most schools and colleges in the UK block access to the websites but they are missing out on their potential for education”, a government-funded guide says.

Read the article from EducationGuardian.co.uk

• Facebook is a valid educational tool, teachers told

eBook: Web-based Education and Pedagogical Technologies: Solutions for Learning Applications

By Liliane Esnault, E. M. Lyon

“This book presents cutting-edge research on such topics as network learning, e-learning, managing Web-based learning and teaching technologies, and building Web-based learning communities. It provides researchers, practitioners, and decision makers in the field of education with essential, up-to-date research in designing more effective learning systems and scenarios using Web-based technologies”

Published 2007 | 339 pages| ISBN:1599045257 | View  eBook here!

Book review: Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools

Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools
by Lynne Schrum & Gwen Solomon (2007)

(Note: This item is available for loan from Fisher library. Click here to reserve this item)

Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools provides a comprehensive overview of the emerging Web 2.0 technologies and their use in the classroom and in professional development. Topics include blogging as a natural tool for writing instruction, wikis and their role in project collaboration, podcasting as a useful means of presenting information and ideas, and how to use Web 2.0 tools for professional development.

Also included are a discussion of Web 2.0 safety and security issues and a look toward the future of the Web 2.0 movement. Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools is essential reading for teachers, administrators, technology coordinators, and teacher educators.

Schrum and Solomon explain and detail the state of modern education, the wide variety of new technologies that impact teaching and learning, and introduces some of the coming challenges.

Click here to read Chapter 1 in full.

Book review: Pro Web 2.0 Mashups

Pro Web 2.0 Mashups: Remixing Data and Web Services by Raymond Yee

(Note: This title is available from Fisher library. Click here to reserve the title.)

Summary

The modern Web is awash with data and services just waiting to be used, but how do you make effective use of all this information? The answer lies in APIs (such as Google Maps, Flickr, and Amazon Web Services) and remixing, or mashups. Pro Web 2.0 Mashups: Remixing Data and Web Services teaches you everything you need to create useful, dynamic real–world applications using APIs, web services, Ajax, web standards, and server–side languages. All you need to make full use of this book is basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and at least one server–side language (such as PHP or ASP.NET).

Highlights include the following:

• Looks at the overall shape of todays Web from a developers point of view—what are its main features, and what is available for us to use to develop applications?
• Contains real–world examples of creating mashups using all the major APIs.
• Contains examples written in multiple server–side languages.

What you’ll learn

• Understand how the constituent parts of the modern Web fit together—web standards, Ajax, APIs, libraries, tagging, blogs, wikis, and more.
• Create different types of mashup, for example mapping mashups, search functionality, calendars, RSS/Atom feeds, social bookmarking, online storage systems, open document formats, and more.
• Build Web 2.0 applications using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax, server–side languages, APIs, and libraries

Who is this book for?

This book is for any web developer who is already comfortable with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and at least one server–side language and wants to learn how to create Web 2.0 applications.

About the Author

Raymond Yee is a data architect, consultant, and trainer. He is currently a lecturer at the School of Information, UC Berkeley, where he teaches the course “Mixing and Remixing Information.” While earning a PhD in biophysics, he taught computer science, philosophy, and personal development to K–11 students in the Academic Talent Development Program on the Berkeley campus. He is the primary architect of the Scholar’s Box, software that enables users to gather digital content from multiple sources to create personal collections that can be shared with others. As a software architect and developer, he focuses on developing software to support learning, teaching, scholarship, and research.