The Celestia Motherlode

http://celestiamotherlode.net/I wrote about this program a year or more ago. It's a free, 3-d astonomy program. This site says that it's, "The Celestia Motherlode is a repository for various addons like textures, models or celestial objects for Celestia."Haven't tried it yet? I encourage you to do so.BTW - I discovered this site form one mf my classmates, Jared K.Still learning after all these years. :-)powered by performancing fire...

Read more »

An update on Bloglines' Image Wall

I must have been one among the many who wrote to Bloglines to ask that they remove the Image Wall as it served no purpose but it DID give cause for some schools to being to consider blocking bloglines because of the potential for inappropriate images.Well, good news. Check out this news article from Bloglines detailing the changes they've made to it to make it more palatable to educational institutions.http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#133powered by performancing fire...

Read more »

Cheetah spot by spot: sysdbopen/sysdbclose

Continuing the Cheeta's new features articles, it's time to talk about sysdbopen and sysdbclose.These are DBA controlled procedures that are run by the users when the try to connect/disconnect to/from a database.These procedures are regular SPL procedures but with a few particularities:Only DBAs can create or drop themThe owner has more meaning than usual. If you create a procedure called myuser.sysdbopen, only "myuser" will run it when he connects to the database.If you create a procedure called public.sysdbopen, then all users that don't have a matching user.sysdbopen procedure, will run public.sysdbopenSo, why is this useful? Well... I can only point out several uses for it... But it will really depend on your environment:Can be used to do some kind of logging for connects and disconnectsCan...

Read more »

[TIPS] Couros Blog - Net Neutrality Open Source Documentary

http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/610 Blogs as professional development. You learn about all sorts of things. Consider the movie of Amanda's story that I sent the other day. Or the one of the 4th grade class using Skype to bring in a homebound child to their classroom. Now this.   I mentioned Network Neutrality back in July, but it's getting to be a serious issue. Watch the video that the Couros blog points to. Note in particular how the movie encourages people to use tagging to help to spread the word. Do YOU know what advantage tagging has to the system?   Watch the video. Contact your representative. Think about what's at stake here. Act N...

Read more »

Remote-Controlled Pigeons

Chinese scientists have reportedly been able to control a pigeon's flight remotely through electrodes that stimulated different parts of the bird's brain. Scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University were able to send the pigeon commands to fly left, right, up and down. It is reportedly the first such successful experiment in the world, and could have important implications for neurology and even remote mind control.Source: MS...

Read more »

Sutures from Bacteria

Sounds icky, but it's true -- the FDA has approved a polymer suture made from modified bacteria using recombinant DNA technology.The material in Tepha Medical Devices' TephaFLEX Absorbable Suture breaks down in the body as a deep wound or surgical incision heals, improving the healing process and preventing infection. Recombinant DNA allows the manufacture of materials from organisms that would be difficult if not impossible to produce otherwi...

Read more »

Lights out for incandescent lights?

The incandescent electric light was one of the paradigm-shifting inventions of the last 125 years, transforming the way people live, work and play. But the era of the incandescent light bulb may be drawing to a close.Though more expensive up front, compact flourescent light bulbs are far more efficient -- and environmentally friendly -- than incandescent bulbs, using less electricity and lasting longer while providing the same amount of light. For that reason, local and state governments have been encouraging the adoption of compact flourescent bulbs, largely through subsidizing their cost. However, Australia is moving toward banning incandescent bulbs altogether by 2010. By enforcing minimum energy performance standards, selling incandescent bulbs would effectively be illegal. In the...

Read more »

What Matters

How do you like this assignment for some 9th graders at Arapahoe? http://pages.citebite.com/a1m1w7v6f1jxk (Notice that's a CiteBite link?)Here's how the teacher describes the assignment:"All semester long, my students have been examining the big question of “What Matters?” What matters to them in their own lives, what matters to them from each piece of literature we studied, and most importantly, how does that all relate to the world around us. At the beginning of the semester, I told my ninth graders I wanted them to create a Photo Story showing the connections of what matters. "This link (top) takes you to the blog post that contains the links to the assignments. Give them a listen. And if you can, comment. It means SO MUCH to the students to hear that someone is reading/watching/hearing...

Read more »

Cheetah spot by spot: LAST COMMITTED READ

This is the first of a series of articles about the announced features of IDS v11.10, code named Cheetah and currently available as Beta release. I'll try to show the features in random order. Being the first doesn't mean it's more or less important than other features.LAST COMMITTED READ is a new isolation level that is available in Cheetah. As you probably know, the isolation levels define how "isolated" one session's transactions are from other sessions. If you're not familiar with the subject I suggest you search online. Wikipedia has a nice article on this.If you ever did any programming in Informix databases you surely understand the subject and you know that the two most used isolation levels are COMMITTED READ (the default for logging databases) and DIRTY READ. In short terms their...

Read more »

[TIPS] Amanda's Story

Thanks to Chris C for sharing this.   Incredible story of Adaptive Tech for Autismhttp://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/2007/02/amandas_story.htmlThis is .... to say powerful is to understate it, I think. A "low functioning" autistic woman is videoed interacting with her environment, and then she types her explanations (at 120 words per minute)  and ... well... it will surely change the way you perceive Autism.   Read the story and watch this tod...

Read more »

Teacher in Hospital after taking away an iPod

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/25/teacher.attacked.ap/Kim Komando's daily News pointed this one out today...The teacher had taken an iPod from a student who, along with another student, demanded it back and the attack happened.Do you use an ipod or similar device? I suppose you listen to your music on it. And I know that many of you download podcasts and get some personal enjoyment or professional development from them. Now, we don't know the details of this incident so we have to be careful judging the situation. Did the student refuse to put it away when asked? Did the teacher threaten to keep it? We don't know. But what we DO know is that schools are going to HAVE to find a better way of dealing with the issue of ipods. Telling the students not to bring them to school can't be the...

Read more »

[TIPS] Several Tips

Those of you who receive these tips via the mailing list are at a disadvantage from those who get them via RSS. Why? Because I've been very busy posting lots of cool sites and tips using a Firefox add-on called "Performancing." It allows you to write up a description of the web page you're viewing and post it to you blog all in one step. But, I can't send it to this mailing list that way. As a result, lots of tips have made it to the blog site that haven't made it here.   So, today's tip is to visit my blog site and check out what you've been missing: http://tipline.blogspot.com   Here are some of them: Some great links about student blogging, a post about a student who wrote his assigned speech on being bored in class and had it censured, a pointer to another EXCELLENT video at...

Read more »

An Outline of IT Audits: The Three Main Parts, Features and Benefits

There are three parts to IT audits: actual features; a written and detailed report; a set of vendor-neutral recommendations. You need to explain the three parts of IT audits carefully by focusing on benefits in order to sell them to clients. IT Audits: Features of Your AuditYou need to complete the following steps as features of your IT audits:1. Review the current network2. Look at the configurations of PCs;3. Look at the telco circuts;4. Analyze and critique IT policies of the client;5. Examine data security and data protection measures that are currently used;6. Explain data loss risks to clients.Change these features of IT audits into benefits such as the ability to understand what is already owned, awareness of the limitations of the items owned, a knowledge of weaknesses...

Read more »

A wiki about student blogging

Vicki Davis, the CoolCatTeacher, pointed me to this wiki: http://techenhancedlearning.wikispaces.com/Anne+Davis which has some excellent links about student blogging. But it also has her Elluminate session which is excellent! If you're having your student blogging or considering it, give this a listen.While you're there, check out Vicki's page: http://techenhancedlearning.wikispaces.com/Vicki+Davis Watch her video about her Flat World Project wiki, and check out her Slideshare presentation. THIS is how rich your web page can be!!powered by performancing fire...

Read more »

What if a student said he was bored?

Again, this is why I read blogs. I learn so much from them, and I LOVE being involved - even if only as a lurker - in the conversation about education.In this post by Vicki Davis, http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/02/when-did-being-bored-in-class-deserve.html, she tells of reading another person's blog and hearing about the story of a 6th grade student at St. Sebastian Elementary School who was censured by his school Principal for writing a speech in which he said,"”My message is to you,” he (the student) writes in his speech, “let nobody steal your joy by keeping you bored. Find a way out. To be happy is your purpose in life.”She points out that this student wrote the speech as an assignment - which he did. He, in fact, WON last year's speech contest, but this year the principal felt...

Read more »

Selling and Maintaining Computer Service Contracts

Computer service contracts are incredibly intricate and important parts of a business and need to be carefully maintained. Each computer service contract has to be sold with a good and consistent system, and each client needs follow up.Go to each client with a prepared computer service contract. Base the amount of details you provide on the individual client; if the client likes computer service contracts that are detailed, provide as many details as you can, but if he/she prefers shorter versions, have that ready.Computer Service Contracts: Time Block ContractsThis type of computer service contract involves a purchase of your time with the hope the client will renew the computer service agreement once the time expires. The basic information required in this type of computer service agreement...

Read more »

Another excellent video at Ted

Set aside 23 minutes to watch this video. It's no wonder this conference now costs $6000!! What a great video this is. Here's what the site says about this performance:"Actor Anna Deavere-Smith brings the TED audience to their feet as she brings to life a series of quintessential Americans. The chameleon-like Deveare-Smith transforms herself in and out of character, as she embodies legendary author Studs Terkel, followed by convict Paulette Jenkins, a Korean merchant in Los Angeles after the '92 Riots, and finally a rodeo bull rider. The monologues - adapted verbatim from tape recordings - are drawn from interviews she conducted for "On the Road: A Search for American Character." Each is a response to a probing question, such as, "What is a defining moment in history?" (Recorded February 2005...

Read more »

Jimmy Wales discusses Wikipedia in schools

The Savvy Technologist (by Tim Wilson) is a blog I read daily. He always something that I find interesting in there. Take this article, for example. He points to another site: net@nite (which I hadn't heard of until now) where you can hear an audio of an interview with Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. I think it's very interesting how the man himself responds to questions regarding the trustworthiness of Wikipedia articles. This quote, for example: "I think it basically should be fine in schools, it should beacceptable, to add a footnote saying I did a lot of my preliminaryresearch in Wikipedia just to acknowledge where you got a lot ofknowledge."Give it a listenpowered by performancing fire...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Good news about Wikipedia

After hearing about someone suing that law firm about a wikipedia article I felt sure that schools would be locking kids out of there left and right. But this article, http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/research-on-wikipediatrusting-the-source-of-the-source/, points to some better news. I like the discussion about our learning networks, too.Check out this article. Does it change your thoughts on Wikipedia? And, who is in YOUR learning network?powered by performancing fire...

Read more »

Mindmapping Meets Web 2.0

I have always been a big fan of graphic organizers and mind mapping for brainstorming and presenting information. I find it a lot easier to get my ideas down using these tools as compared to straight outlining or creating lists. This past week I was invited to be part of a Private beta test for Mindmeister, a new online mind mapping application. Mindmeister lets you upload your Mindjet MindManager Mindmaps or you can create your own from scratch right within the browser. The program feels fast even though it is coming off the server. There are limitations in terms of the number of icons that are available to use and the fonts. Other than that...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Citizendium to launch

Thanks to Michael P for alerting me to this one. Here's what it says about itself:"The Citizendium (sit-ih-ZEN-dee-um), (http://www.citizendium.org) a "citizens' compendium of everything," is an experimental new wiki project. The project, started by a founder of Wikipedia, aims to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding "gentle expert oversight" and requiring contributors to use their real names. It has taken on a life of its own and will, perhaps, become the flagship of a new set of responsibly-managed free knowledge projects. We will avoid calling it an "encyclopedia" until the project's editors feel comfortable putting their reputations behind this description."This should be interesting to watch as it evolves over the next year or two or three. This article in eschool News...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Barefoot College

http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/archives/2007/02/rb_07_feb_22.htmlI watch Rocketboom daily. Many times it's just interesting. Other times it's fun and creative. Other times, like today, it's informative. Today's report is about the Barefoot College in India where they teach middle aged women in six months, how to solar-electrify their homes. That may not sound like much, but when you see the short video and then visit their website (http://www.barefootcollege.org/enroll1.htm) you will understand how HUGE this really is. Villages that were once dark are now lit up after dark.At first it may be just a luxury for them. But soon... can you imagine? They too can be watching reality shows and ... no, of course I'm not thinking that. I'm thinking that very soon they, too, will enter the race.Show...

Read more »

[TIPS] stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site

http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml Here's a great website for obtaining images for your powerpoints, wallpaper, etc. Images are uploaded my members of the site and most licenses are the Standard License which says:   You may use the Image In digital format on websites, multimedia presentations, broadcast film and video, cell phones. In printed promotional materials, magazines, newspapers, books, brochures, flyers, CD/DVD covers, etc. Along with your corporate identity on business cards, letterhead, etc. To decorate your home, your office or any public place. Join for free. Upload your own images that you want to share with othe...

Read more »

Law firm sued for wikipedia article

This is hard to imagine. Someone in a law firm wrote an article about golfer Fuzzy Zoeller. Fuzzy didn't like the article. He can't sue Wikipedia, so he's going to sue the law firm that owned the computer where the posting originated. Here's the news article: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/16752834.htm I won't link to the wikipedia article because ... oh my... how absurd can this get?But we'd better take note of how this ends up. You KNOW that if Fuzzy wins then schools across this nation will be blocking wikipedia - exactly the opposite of what SHOULD happen.Thanks to Steve V for sharing this with me.powered by performancing fire...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Fighting the Front

SecondLife is an amazing place. Now with almost 4 MILLION residents and over $1 MILLION of real US currency spent per DAY it's a force to be reckoned with. But, when you get 4 million people together in one place there will be folks there whom you wish were NOT there. Such is the case with Front National - a far right political party from France. What a shame that they would take their marches to Secondlife. But what a greater shame that it would cause all the violence in there that it did.Read the article below to learn about the violence that erupted in SecondLife over a demonstration there by Front National.http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2007/01/stronger_than_h.htmlReminds me of the saying, "NO matter whose side you're on there will people on your side whom you wish weren't." :-)But good things...

Read more »

Now THIS is cool!

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/02/and-child-shall-lead-them.htmlYou would almost have to be living in a cave not to have seen Karl Fisch's "Did You Know" powerpoint - or some version thereof, right? Well, check out this post from Karl in which he says that one of his own teachers sent it to him, not knowing that he had made it. But the best part is, it was sent to that teacher by the teacher's 6th grade daughter!!"Now, I'm probably reading too much into this, but to me it's somehow apropos that a sixth grader is informing the adults around her about this presentation."Indeed it is.Now ask yourself how her daughter found it? Perhaps another 6th grade girl saw it and sent it to her. Maybe she saw a link to it in another blog somewhere. No matter how she was made aware of it, she had the...

Read more »

[TIPS] - photo mashups

http://www.programmableweb.com/api/Flickr/mashups I love mashups - especially those that mash with Flickr. This page mentions two, a Sudoku puzzle with numbers coming from flickr, and "Spell with Flickr", a mashup I've used a couple of times already. But the article also points to this list: http://www.programmableweb.com/tag/photo of 200 photo mashups, some of which I've already mentioned in other tips, and othes (most) that are new.What's cool about this stuff? Well, check THIS one out: http://splashr.com/ Use the tag: cabin and user jgates513, if you don't know of others to try. Once you choose the type of presentation you can send someone the url, or even get the html code to use that project on your own site. What fun this Internet has become, eh? Wanna see it in action? Come to my blog...

Read more »

The virtual photographer

Another site from Kim Komando's mailing list. This one is another good one!http://www.optikvervelabs.com/ Here's what it says about itself:" Download the free Photoshop plug-in that's getting rave reviews from digital photographers. virtualPhotographer lets you instantly apply high quality, professional photographic styles to your digital images, with just one click.virtualPhotographer includes over 50 presets that automatically apply combinations of film grain, color modification, B/W, soft focus, high contrast and many artistic effects to achieve the same professional-looking images that used to take hours of photo editing. Get results in seconds!Compatible with Photoshop®, Photoshop® Elements, Paint Shop™ Pro®, Photo-Paint and other popular imaging applications."Note: I'll bet it'll work...

Read more »

Posted in: photography,web 2.0

High Profile Report Calls for New NCLB

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6871Holy mackerel! Check this out. A proposed change to the NCLB law would make this change from just, "Highly qualified" teachers, to "highly qualified and effective" teachers! And, I just read recently where Governor Rendell would like to put the jobs of Superintendents and Principals at risk if their schools don't meet the NCLB standards. The reporter asked the question, "Who is going to want to take on the tough jobs as education leaders in our poorest districts?" Indeed! Now add to that, "What TEACHER would want to take on the challenging job of teaching in our poorest districts?"Yikes!!The NEA is opposing this change, and it has come under a lot of bipartisan heat. So, it's not a done deal. Still...Thanks to John B for sharing this...

Read more »

[TIPS] - A fun video

I don't know why I can no longer send these posts via my listserv, but it's very frustrating. I'm having to post these things twice. Anyway, here's the one that didn't make it to the blog.-------------------Thanks to Kristen H again for sharing this. You probably won't be able to see this from school, but if you have high speed internet at home you REALLY should check out this short video that reminds us that even books were a new technology at one point. I LOVE the ending to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRjVeRbhtRU&eurl= Kristen has also set up a wiki called the ConnectClassroom wiki that she used when she gave her presentation at PETE&C last week. Check it out, t...

Read more »

[TIPS] Yugma - free webconferencing

https://www.yugma.com/index.php Does anyone know anything about this site? It looks great! Free web-conferencing for windoze or Mac. It says: "A free and easy to use web conferencing service: Share your information, present your ideas Invite up to 10 people (or more if you need) Collaborate with your community Works with both Windows and Mac Highly secure and reliable No Spyware, Adware, Malware " The ONLY thing that has me questioning it is that I heard about it from a comment left on my post about Vyew.com. But, according to the privacy statement here it looks legit.   Check out the demo video to see how easy it is to use. I know *I* will try it with some folks from my Grad cla...

Read more »

[TIPS] census data mashup

http://www.cynergysystems.com/blogs/blogs/andrew.trice/strikeiron/Dashboard.html A mashup occurs when someone writes a website that uses data from another website. Google maps and Flickr are the top two sites most often used in mashups. This one uses Yahoo! maps.   The above link is to a mashup that will plot census data based on a zipcode. It displays population and Housing demographics under the tabs found above the graph on the left. (You'll see. It's easy.) Now, combine that site with this one: http://65.39.85.13/google/default.htm. (You'll have to bookmark it because you'll never remember the IP address.) This site not only shows the census data for your zipcode, but also the data from areas within a 1, 3, and 5 mile radius.   Together, those two sites may be just...

Read more »

[TIPS] The NSTA Learning Center

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/default.aspx   This is a free site for teachers. It's designed to help teachers, especially the elementary teachers, to become more learned in the area of science. Here is what it says about itself: Welcome to The NSTA Learning Center Beta Release You want to grow your understanding of the content and pedagogy of the subjects you teach. NSTA is proud to make available the Beta release of this electronic professional development (PD) website. Within this site you'll be able to gain access to over 1,200 different types of PD resources and opportunities, such as: Over 980 NSTA Journal Articles (with over 270 articles FREE of charge), many containing high quality lesson plans Over 30 FREE Science Objects (1-2 hour interactive simulation-based learning experiences)...

Read more »

The Benefits of Computer Service Contracts from a Client’s Perspective

Computer service contracts have real benefits for you and the long-term success of your business, but they are equally beneficial to each client. You need to make sure clients are aware of the benefits of computer service contracts if you are going to get them to sign on the dotted line. If you clearly outline the benefits of computer service contracts to clients during sales calls, you can help get more clients signed on and add to the longevity and success of your business. The Benefits of Computer Service Contracts for Clients1. Dependability: Clients know with computer service contracts that you will be there for them in good times and bad. Computer service contracts are insurance policies offered at a premium. 2. Ownership of a part of you and your business: Clients on computer...

Read more »

The Computer Consulting Kit Put into Practice: Ivan Judd and Photocom NZ, Ltd.

Computer consultants throughout the world are using the practical advice and templates offered by the Computer Consulting Kit. The Computer Consulting Kit outlines tangible strategies for marketing and sales along with templates to help establish rates, handle administrative functions and develop critical service contracts that will attract and keep long-term, steady and high-paying clients.The Computer Consulting Kit in Wakatane, New ZealandIvan Judd, owner of Photocom NZ, Ltd. in Wakatane New Zealand, like many other computer consultants has found himself sometimes in a rut while trying to juggle the many tasks of operating his business and deliver the best services to clients. With suggestions provided by the Computer Consulting Kit about marketing and how to build a trustworthy reputation...

Read more »

Professional Development & Training

One of my colleagues at the College of St. Elizabeth was kind enough to send me a link to You Tube that was not only humorous but really hit home. For any one who does technology support and training we must remember the importance of professional development and training. In the video one monk is transitioning from using a scroll to using a book and asks for assistance to use this "new technology" by calling the Help desk. As teachers, we must remember that when we introduce new technologies that we must build in support and training opportunities and the application of the technology. Likewise, we must also be cognizant of the learner's learning style as we present the new information. The video really hit home for me and I wanted to share it with you. Let me know what you thi...

Read more »

Posted in: training,video,You Tube

Get the Pricing Strategy Right from the Beginning

You have to think about your pricing strategy from the beginning of your business. Once you set a pricing strategy for your services, you won’t be able to change it very easily.Clients depend upon a reliable pricing structure and will resist if and when you decide to change it. You can’t change your pricing strategy dramatically or you may lose clients completely.What Increases Should You Use?If you increase more than five to fifteen percent, you will probably get really negative responses from clients. If you intend to make a significant change in your pricing strategy, you will probably have to think about replacing clients entirely.If you really need to make a change in your pricing strategy in order to stay afloat, you will have to find new clients that are willing to be brought on...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Watch this great little video - web 2.0 explained

http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/597I've had this one ready to send out for a while, but just never did. This excellent video does a great job explaining how the web has changed. Also in why you need to know about ...

Read more »

Vyew v.2

Some time ago I sent out a tip about vyew.com. But that was the old version. At PETE&C, Kristin H showed Vyew to her audience and - wow! Has it ever changed!What is it? A FREE, virtual meeting room, a collaborative meeting room, with some great whiteboard tools and no downloads required. But now, it has voice capabilites, too. Check out this demo video: http://vyew.com/content/VyewVideos or just go to http://vyew.com to register for a free account. Doing some graduate coursework with a group of students from around the area/ Use it to meet and discuss.Very nice, indeed. There is a free version and paid versions with more options.Here's what the site says about itself:"Vyew provides a virtual space to share information and work together. Get your point across visually. Host live conferences...

Read more »

The Computer Consulting Kit in Practice: Worldian Technology, LLC in Ohio

The Computer Consulting Kit offers practical advice for those in the IT services industry hoping to grow their businesses and revenue. Many professionals have used the Computer Consulting Kit as a road map to guide them through IT marketing and sales strategies, how to manage relationships with clients and how to juggle administrative tasks with billable work to best use their time.The Computer Consulting Kit: Randy Hall of Worldian Technology, LLC Randy Hall is the owner of Worldian Technology, LLC, a computer consulting business based in Medina Ohio. Before discovering the Computer Consulting Kit, like so many others in the IT field he found himself inundated with occasional customers and struggling to make ends meet.“I was able to move 92% of my clients from being reactive ‘Break/Fix’...

Read more »

Kodak Patents Edible RFID Tag

A tasty treat it's not, but Kodak has developed and patented an ingestible RFID tag that could be used by healthcare professionals to explore a patient's digestive system, or monitor food and medicine intake.The tags are designed to disintegrate in the body, allowing them to be used in other parts of the body for diagnostic purposes. For patients with artificial joints, an RFID tag could degenerate with the joint, providing an early warning system for a joint that might be failing. Source: NewScientist....

Read more »

[TIPS] Google Mail is now open

Until today you used to need an invitation to open a Gmail account. Well, in today's Komando news newsletter she reports that it's now open for anyone to create an account.So why would you want another email account? Well, for one thing you can use it when you need to supply an email address to a website and you don't want to give them your work address or your primary home address. For another thing, you can access it from the web. FOr another thing ifyou use it for everything you will never have to change it should you ever change providers.Get 'em while they're hot. http://www.gmail....

Read more »

a PETE&C resources wiki

Thanks to Kristin for pointing this out. Kristin is the one who pulled off that skype connection with CoolCatTeacher at PETE&C.Bridget Belardi (2005 KEYSTONE) created a wiki for PETE & C --Go to her wiki http://petec2007.wikispaces.com/It's intended for presenters who didn't get to present on Tuesday to list their resources, or for those who saw a session to comment on it. A good idea, y...

Read more »

Cheetah in the wild!

No chat talk:The Open Beta of Cheetah was officially announced. You can get in on:http://www.ibm.com/software/data/informix/ids/newIBM create a public web support forum at: Cheetah open Beta supportand there is a new infocenter at: Cheetah InfoCenterAs promised, IBM delivered a public open Beta product. This will give the chance to everyone of us to test it, view and work with the new incredible features that R&D have put in this release.The feature specification is really impressive. Some of them are by far the deepest changes in IDS I've seen since I started working with it in 1998. It doesn't matter what is your role (DBA, Developer...). You'll find some features specifically directed to some of your major pain points.A quick list of the features:Backup and Restore to Directories with...

Read more »

[TIPS] nitschenotes PETE&C

http://nitschenotes.wikispaces.com/PETE&C Here's another wiki from one of the presenters at PETE&C. This one is about Virtual Field trips. Lots of good links.   These conferences.. such good stu...

Read more »

[TIPS] theconnectedclassroom » home

http://theconnectedclassroom.wikispaces.com/ I'm sitting here in a presentation by Kristin Hokansen that she called "The Connected Classroom." She started off by showing the video on this page. Check it out. Got You Tube? It's called, "the Connected Classroom."   What fun it is to watch a teacher who is actively using these cool tools. Check out her wiki - and contribute! Join her network.&nb...

Read more »

[TIPS] Greetings from PETE&C

The connectivity at the hotel has been spotty but the connections among the people have been great. Lots of excellent presentations from some very excited and talented people.   I want to share one story that I think sums up the conference (as people are currently fleeing ahead of the expected  weather). Some background, first. I taught a full day session on Sunday about Web 2.0 tools to a group of 15 people. Those are fun to  do. When folks haven't seen those kinds of tools before then anything they see is exciting. *I* might know how much I couldn't show them, but they didn't mind. THen I did two presentations on Monday, both well attended. One on  web 2.0 and another on Moodle as a student centered tool.   But last night when I arrived late for the dinner I was...

Read more »

Customer Expectations: Dealing with Issues of Cost and Time

Customer expectations can change quickly if you don’t pay attention to specific issues that can help you stay in control.You Have to Avoid Cost OverrunsIncreased costs are a great way to lower customer expectations. You should never surprise a client with increased costs; limit cost-related surprises to projects that come in under budget.Don’t UnderestimateCustomer expectations are founded on the sum of clients’ experiences with you. If you underestimate costs for each project, your clients will get used to paying less every time, and this will decrease your value with them and falsely raise customer expectations.Be On Time to Manage Customer ExpectationsLateness makes a bad impression on customers. If you will be late or need to reschedule completely, make sure you call as much in advance...

Read more »

The Computer Consulting Kit in Practice: Robert Lewis and Plato Consulting

The Computer Consulting Kit provides important information, including business templates and strategies, for computer consultants worldwide looking to expand their IT services companies. Whether you are just starting your IT consulting business or have been developing it for years, the Computer Consulting Kit can help you with important issues such as time management, fee structures and how to sign up more clients on long-term service agreements to build more stable relationships, stay competitive and increase the longevity of the business.The Computer Consulting Kit: How Robert Lewis Generates Leads and Builds RevenueRobert Lewis is the owner of Plato Consulting, a business based in Cialfin, Kansas, USA. He is currently running his business part-time, and picked up the Computer Consulting...

Read more »

[TIPS] New NETS for TEACHERS

This post discussed a new proposed NETS item for students. Wow! What a dramatic departure from the previous number one standard of just being familiar with technology.   But, What should the NETS for TEACHERS look like? I'm proposing that we collaborate and write it out on this wiki: http://nets4teachers.wikispaces.com/   Add a brief summary of your proposed standard on the front page and then detail it on the resulting pages.   Can't wait to see what this ends up looking li...

Read more »

Include Business Case Studies as Part of a Comprehensive Marketing Package

Business case studies are critical to offering prospects a thorough set of marketing materials.When Should You Use a Business Case Study with Prospects?If you are selling your solutions to an IT manager, you may want to show him/her a business case study. Make sure your business case study displays benefits other companies have received when they worked with you. Business case studies should be relevant and on-point to have maximum effectiveness.What’s in a Good Business Case Study?1. A couple sentences providing background information on what the company does.2. The length of time the company has been in business, its location, etc.3. The name of the main decision maker for the company.4. The problem you helped solve for the company.5. A description of the solution you used...

Read more »

[TIPS] You heard the story, now see the video

I'm sure many teachers have read this inspirational story before. But,as Vicki Davis points out in this blog post, this is one that everyteacher should see.http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/02/inspiring-teacher-movie-that-you-need.htmlGeez... I wish had SO many things to do over aga...

Read more »

[TIPS] The new NETS standards?

Again, THIS is why I read blogs. It's my personal professional development. Anne Davis is one of the most respected bloggers out there, and her blog, "EduBlog Insights" is on my blogroll. This post of hers today points to two articles that talk about the NEW NETS standards for Technology for new teachers. Her blog post is here:http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/02/08/new-tech-guidelines-for-teachers/Think about it, the first NETS standards came out in 1998. Not so long ago in terms of years, but a light year away from current technology and today's Flat World. Right? Do yourself a favor and read the two articles she points to. Pass them along to every wanna-be teacher you know, t...

Read more »

[TIPS] sloodle gets deeper hooks into SecondLife

http://www.sloodle.com/I know I've mentioned this before, but you should check out the video that's there on the front page, now. It describes how you can write a blog entry for your moodle/sloodle class right from within SecondLife. A few things to notice. 1) He says that this is just one of the many upcoming modules linking SL and moodle. 2) These links pass the user both ways, from SL to Moodle and from Moodle to SL – and to the exact location in SL where the user was when the blog was posted. 3) The guy is using Firefox- NOT IE. :-)Oh to be young again and able to see some of this stuff reach its maturity – instead of watching ME reach my maturity. ...

Read more »

[TIPS] What's the story?

I neglected to mention that the guy who draws the daily monster always ends with, "What's the Story?" He's inviting people to write in with a story about the monster he just drew. How clever is th...

Read more »

[TIPS] Stefan G. Bucher's DAILY MONSTER

http://344design.typepad.com/344_loves_you/ This one is for your favorite art teacher who teaches cartooning. I was pointed here by Joanne over at rocketboom. She heard about it from one of her viewers.   The guy draws a monster each day. At the end it turns into an animation. Amazing to watch. Very clever stuff. Share this with your favorite art teacher(s). Barb? Clay? Here y' ...

Read more »

[TIPS] Barbican - Can I Have A Word?

http://www.barbican.org.uk/canihaveaword/ This one came to my attention via the Education World Reviews Newsletter (newsletter-reviews@educationworld.com) that I receive periodically. Sign up at their site.   But this "Can I Have A Word" site is difficult to explain. It's for elementary student's I'd say, although they say middle and high school. I guess I'm a sucker for these unique sites that take poems or unique animations to inspire students to write, gather and share definitions and thoughts.   I can't describe it. I can only say that it's worth a look for those language arts teachers looking for another way to inspire your students to wri...

Read more »

[TIPS] How complex is your password

Kim Komando's Daily News newsletter pointed to this article that says that weak passwords help hackers. These hackers use dictionary scripts that run through words in the dictionary to hack into your computer.   Does YOUR password have at least one number in it? How about a special character like an exclamation point? If it doesn't, it's time to change it so that it DOES! Listen to this quote from the article:        "Left online for 24 days to see how hackers would attack them, four Linux computers with weak passwords were hit by some 270,000 intrusion attempts -- about one attempt every 39 seconds,"   Hmmm... how long before it would correctly guess "buster" as your password and take it over? :-) Change your password. Git 'er done!   Oh... and uh......

Read more »

How fast IS it?

OK... I'll play along THIS time, but I just can't pass it forward. Sorry, Kurt.Kurt read about this very cool tool that tests your Internet speed. He read about it in Chris Craft's blog here. I read that one, too, but I hadda read Kurt's first, y' know. NOW look what I got myself into.But, it's interesting. I'm at home on a wireless cable connection. It's 4:00PM. Here is my result. Not bad. Er... can you see it? Sure.. just click on it for the enlarged version. Not bad speeds, at all. Check your speed here: http://www.internetfrog.com/mypc/speedte...

Read more »

[TIPS] School 2.0 - Join the Conversation

http://www.school2-0.org/map.htm Thanks to Chris C for sharing this with me via the for:jgates513 tag in del.icio.us.   Get this 8.5x11" pdf map- sorta- of web 2.0 schools. Hard to explain, but if you're a geek or trainer in the schools, check it o...

Read more »

The Computer Consulting Kit: Harold L. Bates and Robotics 1

Computer consultants that want to get the most out of their businesses are quickly realizing the benefits of the Computer Consulting Kit.During start-up, those looking to create a community presence and get new clients through targeted marketing techniques and lead generation might find the process overwhelming while juggling the many administrative duties, billable hours and the sales process. The Computer Consulting Kit provides clearly laid-out tips and templates for computer consultants to help make the time spent on activities involved with their businesses as efficient as possible.The Computer Consulting Kit in Vestal, New YorkLike so many other computer consultants, Harold L. Bates faced challenges when starting his computer consulting business, Robotics 1. He came from a full-time...

Read more »

[TIPS] A must-see video about Skype in the classroom

Among my favorite blogs is this one, Couros Blog. I've even pointed to a post there before, remember? But this is one that you MUST see. It's about a 4th grade class using Skype to allow a young homebound girl with leukemia to attend school, too. Watch this video produced by the students. It'll warm the soft spots of your heart at the very least. http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/602 Oh, and take note of the comments form the last little girl in the vid...

Read more »

Orbiting Junkyard Poses Danger to Space Flight

Fifty years ago, not a single man-made object orbited the earth. Now, approximately 10,000 pieces of "space junk" remain in orbit -- everything from spent rockets to dead satellites to a camera. With more nations getting into space for business and military purposes, the orbiting junk pile will grow exponentially -- especially as nations test antisatellite weapons and explode satellites the way that China did recently.Scientists worry that the number of junk objects could grow into the billions, threatening active satellites and spacecraft and making space flight increasingly dangerous. They also worry that collisions could create even more space "shrapnel" that simply adds to the risk. The ultimate fear is that, to remain safe, spacecraft will need so much protective shielding as to make...

Read more »

[TIPS] Opera fans should love this

I had sent this out before but I noticed that it never made my blog. Here it is :   http://www.splashcastmedia.com/ I just sent a tip re: splashcast. After I sent it I was checking out some of the sample casts created by users of the system and I was fortunate enough to see the one by Ken Beare entitled On The Opera. If you enjoy opera, watch his entire splashcast. But, for a real treat, skip ahead to #13, and hear Mario Delmonico sing "Vesti la Giubba" from the Verdi opera. When he finished I wanted to leap to my feat and applaud - just as his audience HAD to have done. See and listen for yourself. Does it bring a tear to YOUR eye, too?   Then, listen to track 15 as Victoria de los Angeles sing the famous aria from Madame Butterfly - tu tu piccolo. Another moment that is sure to...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Computer Teach Thyself video

http://mscronk.edublogs.org/2007/02/04/web-20-in-under-5-minutes/ (http://mscronk.edublogs.org/ )Check out this VERY cool video that does an excellent job in walking you through the importance of the Read/Write web. VERY well done. Some of the students in my grad classes have said that they don't read blogs. They don't feel that they are anything more than just one person's opinion on something, and therefore not worth the trouble. I argue that it's from blogs that I am staying/becoming educated. It's from the links that others provide and from their ideas that keep me fresh. The above link is a perfect example. This was mentioned in a postby Will Richardson here (http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/th e-machine-is-using-us/ ). That took me to the link at the top of this post. From her blogroll...

Read more »

[TIPS] - When technology isn't the answer

I had the opportunity today to sit in on a statistics class at a local high school. This was a class of about 22 juniors and seniors. The class was focused and attentive and engaged as the teacher reviewed for the upcoming test. He was diagraming on the board quickly and jotting down bits and pieces of information that the students supplied as they tried to solve various problems. He would listen patiently as the students would talk their way through solutions and he asked probing questions to get their responses to harder questions. "I don't understand. You tell ME.", he'd say. It was an excellent lesson from bell to bell, and I got the sense that the students would have stayed another 43 minutes had they had that option. They had calculators in one hand and pencils in the other - and EVERY...

Read more »

[TIPS] - Wow! Check out Zoho's notebook

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/01/30/sneak-peek-zoho-notebook/ Want to see some exciting developments in the area of online productivity (aka "office") software? Check this out. Zoho is doing some amazing things. Make sure you watch the video. VERY cool stuff. P.S.This isn't new, but it is a different way of thinking about it. "The half life for technology today is just two years." We saw that before in Karl Fisch's "Did you Know (http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html )" slideshow, right? But it warrants the repeat. That makes technology a touch sell for some people, doesn't it? Why should they invest all this time to learn something that may be obsolete in two years anyway?  "What's the alternative?", I wo uld argue. Hang your upper limit of your tech skills...

Read more »

Business Partnerships and How to Avoid Complications

Business partnerships can enhance your business, but you have to be careful when you form them. The following are some tips for managing the pitfalls of business partnerships.A List of Things to Think About with Business PartnershipsForm business partnerships with only non-competing companies. Carefully peruse business cards, marketing materials, websites and other items to make sure the company is truly non-competing.Have a non-disclosure agreement and a non-compete document ready before you start any business partnerships. These items need to be reviewed by your attorney.Get a real project commitment from your clients before you enter into business partnerships. You can’t risk forming business partnerships to manage a project and then finding out that the client wasn’t really serious...

Read more »

The Computer Consulting Kit and Oxford Computers

Professionals within the IT industry are implementing the concepts of the Computer Consulting Kit to improve their businesses and become true technology partners to clients. Thanks to the Computer Consulting Kit, consultants at all levels are becoming acquainted with their strengths and weaknesses and learning how to focus their energy to best serve the needs of small businesses and build partnerships with both clients and other specialists.The Computer Consulting Kit: Stratos Parisiou and Oxford ComputersStratos Parisiou is an IT consultant based in Broomall, Pennsylvania that has learned how to capitalize on the relationship between the client and the consultant. By viewing all his relationships with customers and clients as true partnerships, he has been able to build a positive reputation...

Read more »