7:31 PM
ari sari
Upon further investigation I see that it IS computer animation. OK. Fine. But, it's still very ingenious, don't you think?
:-/
:-/
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Monday, July 30, 2007
FantasticMachine - AWESOME!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xprak_fantasticmachine
This one won't raise test scores, either, but it WILL amaze you. I kept watching to see if I could tell if it was computer animation but I couldn't be sure. My GUT says it is, but then... people are very ingenious, so it COULD be for real.
Send this to your friends who like music - or machines.
This one won't raise test scores, either, but it WILL amaze you. I kept watching to see if I could tell if it was computer animation but I couldn't be sure. My GUT says it is, but then... people are very ingenious, so it COULD be for real.
Send this to your friends who like music - or machines.
Powered by ScribeFire.
An Inside Look at MindManager 7 Mac
I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker for this webinar, An Inside Look at MindManager 7 Mac, and to share how I am using Mindjet MindManager in the classes that I teach at the graduate level in assistive technology. If you are not familiar with MindManager you can preview the recorded webinar and find out about all of its new features on the Macintosh which I really enjoy. You will be able to view some of the mind maps that I have created and find out how I use it when I teach. You can also download the mind maps that were used on the webinar and if you don't own Mindjet MindManager you can download a trial version form the Mindjet website. You should also know that there is a version of MindManager for Windows as well and there file compatibility. Enjoy the webinar!
MindMeister Adds New Features
The MindMeister Team shared this update with me which I thought you would find interesting. MindMeister is an online application that allows you to do mindmapping right within your browser With each update the program adds more and more functionality. One of the really powerful features is the ability to share your mind maps and collaborate with other people over the web. Check it out and tell me what you think.
What's New in MindMeister
* Links on ideasSupport for internal (between maps, or also to individual nodes) and external (websites, email addresses) links on ideas
* Automatic layouter
No more overlapping ideas and branches with the new auto layouter - can also be triggered manually on "messed up" maps by pressing F8
* Note and link previews
Notes and links on ideas can now be previewed by hovering over the respective icon, including site previews
* Reworked, more organic lines
We've changed the line drawing mechanism so that mind maps now hopefully look more organic. The poll in the last newsletter went in favor of the slightly rounded lines (with about 40%)
* Automatic canvas resizing
The map canvas will automatically resize to the size of the map, e.g. on import of large maps or when adding lots of ideas
* Changes view date slider
In changes mode the footer will display a date slider that you can use to constrain the time period for which changes are shown. Clicking on links in notification mails will only highlight changes since your last visit.
* Start new map from idea
You can quickly create new maps from ideas through the right-click menu, and the new map can automatically be linked to the current one
* Export as PDF
The map canvas will automatically resize to the size of the map, e.g. on import or when adding many ideas
* Enhanced printing
Choose whether you want to print in full size or fit to page, and with open or closed branches
* Browse public maps
You can now browse, search and view all public maps on MindMeister - let us know which ones you like through the good old star rating system!
* and much more...
IT Consulting and an Introduction to the Sweet Spot
If you are going to work in the sweet spot of IT consulting, you need to have more skills than if you decide to work with micro businesses. Sweet spot IT consulting clients will have between 10 and 50 computers and are the ideal spot to focus your efforts and attention.
Sweet spot businesses typically will use Microsoft Windows-based systems and have between 10 and 100 employees. In U.S. Dollars, the annual revenue for these businesses will be from $1 million to $10 million. All sweet spot businesses have at least one dedicated server (instead of P2P networks).
The Sweet Spot and Your Hardware Skills
To work with sweet spot clients, you will need IT consulting skills required for the micro small business world, but also 8-10 other skills. You need to know server hardware such as multi-processor servers. You have to know about RAID, Zero One Five and how multiport communications applications adapters are used to set up remote access servers and serial port sharing. You should also know attached storage systems, network attached storage and some complex back-up solutions.
Additional Sweet Spot Skills
You also need to know about battery back-up solutions, routers, CSU/DSUs that connect you to telecommunications lines and some more sophisticated Y-5 hardware.
IT Consulting Networking Skills
With networking software, you have to know basic desktop software; but you also have to know how to do networking skills required for micro small business. For the sweet spot of IT consulting, you also have to know some popular server operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Small Business Server, Novell NetWare, Novell Small Business Suite and Linux.
The Bottom Line about the Sweet Spot
Keep your skills in check when you are starting to venture into the world of sweet spot IT consulting and make sure you have what it takes to fulfill these small business needs.
Added By: Computer Consulting Kit
Sweet spot businesses typically will use Microsoft Windows-based systems and have between 10 and 100 employees. In U.S. Dollars, the annual revenue for these businesses will be from $1 million to $10 million. All sweet spot businesses have at least one dedicated server (instead of P2P networks).
The Sweet Spot and Your Hardware Skills
To work with sweet spot clients, you will need IT consulting skills required for the micro small business world, but also 8-10 other skills. You need to know server hardware such as multi-processor servers. You have to know about RAID, Zero One Five and how multiport communications applications adapters are used to set up remote access servers and serial port sharing. You should also know attached storage systems, network attached storage and some complex back-up solutions.
Additional Sweet Spot Skills
You also need to know about battery back-up solutions, routers, CSU/DSUs that connect you to telecommunications lines and some more sophisticated Y-5 hardware.
IT Consulting Networking Skills
With networking software, you have to know basic desktop software; but you also have to know how to do networking skills required for micro small business. For the sweet spot of IT consulting, you also have to know some popular server operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Small Business Server, Novell NetWare, Novell Small Business Suite and Linux.
The Bottom Line about the Sweet Spot
Keep your skills in check when you are starting to venture into the world of sweet spot IT consulting and make sure you have what it takes to fulfill these small business needs.
Added By: Computer Consulting Kit
Posted in: IT consulting
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Mindjet’s Project Management Jetpack
If you are using Mindjet MindManager for project management then you will want to take a look at their current release of the Project Management Jetpack. The Project Management Jetpack consists of a White Paper on how to use MindManager Pro to get the most out of jumpstarting your projects with MindManager. Additionally, Mindjet’s Project Management Jetpack includes 19 templates that will help you:
* Prepare a business case
* Gather project requirements
* Collaborate on scope
* Identify project risks and issues
* Present project status
* Develop project checklists
Project Management Jetpack is available directly from Mindjet, Inc.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
[TIPS] free podcasting unconference at Drexel
MANY thanks to Leann Cox for sharing this one with me in email today.
This free unconference will be held at Drexel University on September 7, 8 and 9. Why should YOU attend? Check out their top ten reasons: http://podcampphilly.pbwiki.com/Top-Ten-Reasons-to-Attend-PodCamp-Philly Here are the sessions so far: http://podcampphilly.pbwiki.com/Sessions
Who is planning to attend? Check out this list: http://podcampphilly.pbwiki.com/Registration Wow! Now add YOUR name and GET THERE!
[TIPS] world clock
Thanks to Barry Sullivan for sharing this one with me.
We've seen world population clocks before that tick away (presumably) as the population of the planet increases. This one goes a step - several steps - further. It also counts things such as the earth's temperature, the number of species that have gone extinct, the number of deaths (broken down by causes), and many more items - even how many bicycles have been produced. You can view the clock by the yearly stats, monthly, weekly, daily, or even one that will reset the counter to NOW.
Have this running up on the screen when the students enter the classroom and let them decide for themselves which statistic is the most.. interesting?.. alarming?.. to them. A writing prompt? A topic for further research? A class wiki?
Friday, July 27, 2007
Do You Have an IT Consultant Personality?
You certainly need technical skills to be an IT consultant. But you will also have to have a variety of specific personality traits – such as the ability to really work with people regularly – in order to be good at your job.
Be Assertive
In order to succeed as an IT consultant, you need to be assertive without being too pushy. You have to make sure people don’t take advantage of you and you need to be able to really stand up for yourself without being overbearing. Being too assertive, as an IT consultant, can repel prospects and clients.
Do You Focus on Business?
You have to have clear business goals and put them before the idea of everyone thinking of you as a “nice” guy/gal. You need to do what is right for your business as an IT consultant. This means you have to be able to put your business’ financial needs above your desire to work with really cutting-edge technologies and on high-profile projects. You may have to think about what your clients need and want and deliver it before you focus on using new technologies.
Why? As an IT consultant, your clients pay your bills, and paying your bills is a good reason to focus on business.
Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
Be Assertive
In order to succeed as an IT consultant, you need to be assertive without being too pushy. You have to make sure people don’t take advantage of you and you need to be able to really stand up for yourself without being overbearing. Being too assertive, as an IT consultant, can repel prospects and clients.
Do You Focus on Business?
You have to have clear business goals and put them before the idea of everyone thinking of you as a “nice” guy/gal. You need to do what is right for your business as an IT consultant. This means you have to be able to put your business’ financial needs above your desire to work with really cutting-edge technologies and on high-profile projects. You may have to think about what your clients need and want and deliver it before you focus on using new technologies.
Why? As an IT consultant, your clients pay your bills, and paying your bills is a good reason to focus on business.
Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
Posted in: IT consultant
TouchGraph Visual Search Engine
Being able to visually see the links between ideas and information is a very powerful tool as we search the Internet. Using a very familiar mind mapping metaphor, TouchGraph has developed a visual search engine that can display the network of connectivity between websites as reported by Google's database. I tried it out by typing "web 2.0" into the search field and what resulted was a set of web sites that were interconnected and laid out very much like mind maps. Clicking on any one of the website brings up additional information in the left pane. You can use TouchGraph with Facebook, Google, and Amazon to do a search. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Browser 3D
Microsoft call this browser as the simple browser. Most of 3D browser, like was launched by ActiveWorlds and Blaxxun Interactive, become number one for avatar program to chat.
SpaceTime didn't interest with this field. They use 3D just to make more beautiful their visual navigation.
Open YouTube with SpaceTime more impress than direct from YouTube. So try this innovation.
Posted in: Technology
Reactor Never Dark watches glow for ten years
Watches with tritium illumination elements have been around for a while, and while they glow for a long time, they're much dimmer than traditional phosphorescence solutions, which are extremely bright but tend to fade quickly. Reactor's new Never Dark line goes for the best of both worlds, with an extremely bright phosphorescent compound called Superluminova backed up by tritium illumination. According to Reactor, the Superluminova can recharge instantly with even the smallest exposure to light and the tritium remains illuminated for up to ten years. You probably have bigger problems than punctuality if you've been in the dark for ten years, but people expecting the unexpected can expect to fork over $300-$450 for the Reactor Trident, the first Never Dark watch. Posted in: Wearables
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Mindsystems ThemeReader Business is Released
I just received this email from Mindsystems that I thought you would be interested in. I did post a review of Mindsystems ThemeReader earlier this month which you can find on my blog. Mindsystems ThemeReader used in conjuction with MindManager is a very exciting piece of technology that can scan your documents and then output them as a MindManager map.
As you have already evaluated some of Cirilab's technology, we thought you may like to know that the latest version of the popular MindManager® / KnowledgeLink® addon, Mindsystems ThemeReader Business has just been released!
This breakthrough new technology will take your planning capabilities
to a whole new level. Mindsystems ThemeReader is the latest advancement in information management. Based on years of high level international research, this new technology is actually able to scan information, determine common themes and convert it into a visual MindManager Map or KnowledgeLink Tree. You can summarize and convert 100 page documents in seconds. Information that used to take days to understand can now take minutes, all at the click of your mouse!
Great for quickly understanding complex documents or 'unlocking'
information that is buried inside traditional Word® files. Up to 20 different
formats supported including Word® integration, PDF, HTML Web pages and WordPerfect®.
[TIPS] schoolcomputing - Wikis from Wikia
http://www.wikia.com/wiki/Wikia
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/School_Computing_Home_Page - sample
Once again I don’t recall who sent this to me or where I found it so I apologize to whoever it was who first pointed this out to me to share.
Wikia.com is a wiki site where you can create a free wiki. That’s not the real news here. I just wanted to point out that second link – the school computing wiki. There are three tons of links on here to some excellent sites and information. And you may contribute to it, if you wish. That’s what a wiki is all about.
But there are a couple of things I want to point out here. First, this is written, it appears to me, on mediawiki, the one that Wikipedia was built on. But, it’s skinable, as that second link shows. Up in the top right corner is a link to the Monobook skin. Try it – mediawiki, no? Second, when I’m in places like this and I see a link called, “Cool Web Sites” I click it. It’s fun to see what others call cool. Here’s one they posted: http://216.70.117.172/me_english.htm You may have seen this before in an email, but this is an excellent ‘movie’ version of the world as expressed in terms of a population of 100. Another is the ashesandsnow site that I had pointed to some time back. Or, this page of links (http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Games_for_Middle_School_Social_Studies) for social studies games.
You could end up spending HOURS on this wiki.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Teacher's Guide to Mind Mapping
Gideon King, the developer of NovaMind Mind Mapping application has released a wonderful resource for educators who are using mind mapping in the classroom. The book is visually very appealing and the content will certainly help teachers to think about how they can use mind mapping effectively in the classroom across the curriculum. A Teacher's Guide to Mind Mapping is generously packed with beautifully printed mind maps in full color and clearly shows the power of this tool for students. As someone who is a specialist in working with students with disabilities, I have been a real advocate of the power of these tools with students with a range of learning disabilities. Mr. King in his book talks about the advantages of mind mapping and how it can facilitate memory, comprehension, and learning in the classroom. Mr. King illustrates the many ways that mind mapping can be used across the curriculum and the power of using visuals to address the needs of students with varying learning styles. If you are new to mind mapping or need some new ideas of how to use mind mapping technique and strategies then you will want to pick up a copy of Teacher's Guide to Mind Mapping.
Don't Panic!
Everywhere you look nowadays the leading conference presenters and the education bloggers (myself Included) and various companies have been warning us that we have to change the way we teach or we rob the kids of their future. Why? Because we're not teaching them by using the tools that they use at home (presumably). There are some EXCELLENT videos that do an excellent job of putting today's students into perspective with the global economy and the flat world in which they find themselves. (Sorry, I had to say it. Everyone can fill in that block on their buzzword Bingo cards, now.)
The argument goes something like this: Kids are different. Kids THINK differently. Kids are digital natives. (Oops. Everyone can fill in that block, too.) Kid's BRAINS are different. They're going to be entering a world in which they will be asked to solve problems that we don't even know will exist in 20 years or so. They're going to change jobs frequently. They're going to be competing with people from all over the world, unlike at ANY time in our history. And, by golly, we MUST change the way we teach them (and use all the technology we can in the process) or they're doomed. The U.S. is doomed. We are failing our kids by our failure to teach them using all this technology. My GOSH the changes that they will experience in their lifetimes! How WILL they survive?
I'm old. No, I'm in the youth of my old age - my 50's. I was born in 1949 - a baby boomer. I recall the excitement over our first TV set, a 9" rounded black and white screen on which I watched Howdy Doody. I was paddled three times with a leather strap on my FIRST DAY of school in FIRST GRADE - for drawing a star on my new tablet after the teacher told us not to make any marks on them. I cried every morning and every afternoon that year, and even hid out in the doghouse in an effort to hide the fact that I wasn't going to school. I survived.
In the 50's when I was in elementary school we were forced to learn poetry (I think that I shall never see a poem more lovely than a tree...), and we stood to recite our times tables, and our projects involved cutting up magazines to make posters, and we sat in rows, and we worked independently, and we - or at least *I* - had much cooler things to play with at home than I did at school. I didn't have my own tablet at home, though – or a tablet or my very own (I didn’t have to share it!) pencil. While I was doing that, the U.S. was rebuilding after a war I knew nothing about. There were lots of jobs, and the local coal mines were hiring. The future for the students of the time looked bright and full of promise. There was no mention ANYWHERE about something called a ‘computer.’ Meanwhile the world was inventing the bar code, and the hydrogen bomb, and oral contraceptives, and the MODEM!! And those things were being invented by folks who went to school in the ‘30’s, probably.
Around the time I turned twelve or so, the transistor radio hit the market (or at least it hit my school) and I was one who would walk around with it stuck to my ear, and turn it on at night with the volume low under my pillow to listen to Cousin Brucey in Chicago. My junior high years were marked with the Kennedy assassination, the Lee Harvey Oswald killing, the Martin Luther King, Jr assassination, and the Bobby Kennedy assassination. The world was coming apart at the seams, so my mother said. Yes, we landed a man on the moon using a computer that was smaller than the ones in your watch, today, but that changed nothing at school where we were forced to learn poetry (I think that I shall never see a poem more lovely than a tree...), and we stood to recite our times tables, and our projects involved cutting up magazines to make posters, and we sat in rows, and we worked independently… but at least I had a transistor radio at home which I couldn’t use at school. Didn’t the school realize that we were going to be called upon within the next 10-20-30 years or more to solve problems that we didn’t even know WERE problems? Didn’t the school know that we were going to be changing jobs and careers two or three times in our lifetimes? (I’ve been a music teacher, a quality assurance monitor for Ralston Purina, a realtor, a security monitor, a computer teacher, and now I’m... doing this.) Meanwhile, the world was inventing the video cassette, contact lenses, and permanent press fabric – by people who went to school in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s, no doubt.
In high school it was the same. I graduated from high school in 1967 (the year that the handheld calculator was invented probably by someone who went to school in the ‘30’s or ‘40’s) when the biggest problem that the teachers could envision for us was whether to go to college, to the coal mines, or into a trade. Do you think that even ONE of those teachers back then had ANY idea the kinds of jobs that we graduates would have in our lifetimes? Or the kinds of problems we would be asked to solve? And I would bet my CABIN on the fact that NOT ONE of my teachers would have given me even odds of becoming even remotely successful. I am too ashamed to tell you what my junior and senior year report cards were like, but suffice it to say that they were…awful! AWFUL!
Think of all the amazing inventions of the past 50 years, from Teflon to Velcro to space flight to microwave ovens to the micro chip to the world wide web. Which one of the inventors of those items went to a school where they KNEW the kinds of problems that would need to be solved? Not one, I’m sure. Yet, they all managed to solve those problems, perhaps in SPITE of their education.
What’s my point? I don’t think that today’s students will see any more of a dramatic change in their world than I experienced in mine. I went from a 9” black and white TV to seeing a lunar landing and space flights and the world wide web and the global economy. The change they will experience may be different. It will take them into space and into an unimaginable network of information, and it will link them to the world unlike ANYTHING we can imagine now. But, they will be fine, just as WE were fine in the face of OUR changing world. Sure the kids are digital natives, but it was the digital IMMIGRANTS who invented this digital world, don’t forget.
That said… we DO face an appalling dropout rate – as high as 75% in some schools. The expanding global economy cannot be understated. So, we MUST find a way to re-engage our students to keep them in school. But, we DON’T have to teach them, as Sir Ken Robinson said in his Ted Talks video, “ as though they’re all going to be college professors.” We need to do our jobs. We need to excite them about learning, true. And, as we do that there will be many instances where the proper tool to bring about that excitement and the desired level of understanding will be a computer. And the web. Likewise, there will be times when it’s NOT the right tool. And, for those teachers who are unwilling to learn the technology to use for those times when it IS the best tool, we must charge them with malpractice and bring in others who DO know the tools. But, I have to believe that the kids will survive and flourish, perhaps in SPITE of their education – just like we did.
So, let’s take a deep breath and relax a bit. Yes, we DO have to change some things, but I don’t think we need to panic.
What say you? SURELY I said something in there that struck a nerve, eh?
The argument goes something like this: Kids are different. Kids THINK differently. Kids are digital natives. (Oops. Everyone can fill in that block, too.) Kid's BRAINS are different. They're going to be entering a world in which they will be asked to solve problems that we don't even know will exist in 20 years or so. They're going to change jobs frequently. They're going to be competing with people from all over the world, unlike at ANY time in our history. And, by golly, we MUST change the way we teach them (and use all the technology we can in the process) or they're doomed. The U.S. is doomed. We are failing our kids by our failure to teach them using all this technology. My GOSH the changes that they will experience in their lifetimes! How WILL they survive?
I'm old. No, I'm in the youth of my old age - my 50's. I was born in 1949 - a baby boomer. I recall the excitement over our first TV set, a 9" rounded black and white screen on which I watched Howdy Doody. I was paddled three times with a leather strap on my FIRST DAY of school in FIRST GRADE - for drawing a star on my new tablet after the teacher told us not to make any marks on them. I cried every morning and every afternoon that year, and even hid out in the doghouse in an effort to hide the fact that I wasn't going to school. I survived.
In the 50's when I was in elementary school we were forced to learn poetry (I think that I shall never see a poem more lovely than a tree...), and we stood to recite our times tables, and our projects involved cutting up magazines to make posters, and we sat in rows, and we worked independently, and we - or at least *I* - had much cooler things to play with at home than I did at school. I didn't have my own tablet at home, though – or a tablet or my very own (I didn’t have to share it!) pencil. While I was doing that, the U.S. was rebuilding after a war I knew nothing about. There were lots of jobs, and the local coal mines were hiring. The future for the students of the time looked bright and full of promise. There was no mention ANYWHERE about something called a ‘computer.’ Meanwhile the world was inventing the bar code, and the hydrogen bomb, and oral contraceptives, and the MODEM!! And those things were being invented by folks who went to school in the ‘30’s, probably.
Around the time I turned twelve or so, the transistor radio hit the market (or at least it hit my school) and I was one who would walk around with it stuck to my ear, and turn it on at night with the volume low under my pillow to listen to Cousin Brucey in Chicago. My junior high years were marked with the Kennedy assassination, the Lee Harvey Oswald killing, the Martin Luther King, Jr assassination, and the Bobby Kennedy assassination. The world was coming apart at the seams, so my mother said. Yes, we landed a man on the moon using a computer that was smaller than the ones in your watch, today, but that changed nothing at school where we were forced to learn poetry (I think that I shall never see a poem more lovely than a tree...), and we stood to recite our times tables, and our projects involved cutting up magazines to make posters, and we sat in rows, and we worked independently… but at least I had a transistor radio at home which I couldn’t use at school. Didn’t the school realize that we were going to be called upon within the next 10-20-30 years or more to solve problems that we didn’t even know WERE problems? Didn’t the school know that we were going to be changing jobs and careers two or three times in our lifetimes? (I’ve been a music teacher, a quality assurance monitor for Ralston Purina, a realtor, a security monitor, a computer teacher, and now I’m... doing this.) Meanwhile, the world was inventing the video cassette, contact lenses, and permanent press fabric – by people who went to school in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s, no doubt.
In high school it was the same. I graduated from high school in 1967 (the year that the handheld calculator was invented probably by someone who went to school in the ‘30’s or ‘40’s) when the biggest problem that the teachers could envision for us was whether to go to college, to the coal mines, or into a trade. Do you think that even ONE of those teachers back then had ANY idea the kinds of jobs that we graduates would have in our lifetimes? Or the kinds of problems we would be asked to solve? And I would bet my CABIN on the fact that NOT ONE of my teachers would have given me even odds of becoming even remotely successful. I am too ashamed to tell you what my junior and senior year report cards were like, but suffice it to say that they were…awful! AWFUL!
Think of all the amazing inventions of the past 50 years, from Teflon to Velcro to space flight to microwave ovens to the micro chip to the world wide web. Which one of the inventors of those items went to a school where they KNEW the kinds of problems that would need to be solved? Not one, I’m sure. Yet, they all managed to solve those problems, perhaps in SPITE of their education.
What’s my point? I don’t think that today’s students will see any more of a dramatic change in their world than I experienced in mine. I went from a 9” black and white TV to seeing a lunar landing and space flights and the world wide web and the global economy. The change they will experience may be different. It will take them into space and into an unimaginable network of information, and it will link them to the world unlike ANYTHING we can imagine now. But, they will be fine, just as WE were fine in the face of OUR changing world. Sure the kids are digital natives, but it was the digital IMMIGRANTS who invented this digital world, don’t forget.
That said… we DO face an appalling dropout rate – as high as 75% in some schools. The expanding global economy cannot be understated. So, we MUST find a way to re-engage our students to keep them in school. But, we DON’T have to teach them, as Sir Ken Robinson said in his Ted Talks video, “ as though they’re all going to be college professors.” We need to do our jobs. We need to excite them about learning, true. And, as we do that there will be many instances where the proper tool to bring about that excitement and the desired level of understanding will be a computer. And the web. Likewise, there will be times when it’s NOT the right tool. And, for those teachers who are unwilling to learn the technology to use for those times when it IS the best tool, we must charge them with malpractice and bring in others who DO know the tools. But, I have to believe that the kids will survive and flourish, perhaps in SPITE of their education – just like we did.
So, let’s take a deep breath and relax a bit. Yes, we DO have to change some things, but I don’t think we need to panic.
What say you? SURELY I said something in there that struck a nerve, eh?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Podcast People
Thanks to Kevin Conner who shared this with me via the for:jgates513 tag at del.icio.us. He says he read about it in Wes Fryer's blog.
http://podcastpeople.com/
"Publish text, audio, and video to a customized show."
Looks very interesting, but I didn't try it. I do have one question however. If it is so great, why didn't they use it to make the tour/demo of the site?
http://podcastpeople.com/
"Publish text, audio, and video to a customized show."
Looks very interesting, but I didn't try it. I do have one question however. If it is so great, why didn't they use it to make the tour/demo of the site?
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Slideshare - now with audio!!
http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/07/24/slideshare-adds-audio-files-calls-it-slidecasting/
I can't WAIT to get over there and try it. Slideshare has LONG been very cool from the start, but this makes it a killer app. Go here for an audio demo: http://www.slideshare.net/faqs/slidecast
Let the fun begin!!!
I can't WAIT to get over there and try it. Slideshare has LONG been very cool from the start, but this makes it a killer app. Go here for an audio demo: http://www.slideshare.net/faqs/slidecast
Let the fun begin!!!
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The Fantastic Voyage - Ted video
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/147
Not quite, but these animations show life inside the cell. Send this to your favorite Biology teacher(s).
"Medical animator David Bolinsky presents 3 minutes of stunning
animation that show the bustling life inside a cell. Built by his
company, XVIVO, to teach Harvard medical students, the clip features
sweeping cinematic values and even a little drama. It communicates not
only the facts of life, but life's truth and beauty."
Are you SURE that none of you can send me to Ted?
Not quite, but these animations show life inside the cell. Send this to your favorite Biology teacher(s).
"Medical animator David Bolinsky presents 3 minutes of stunning
animation that show the bustling life inside a cell. Built by his
company, XVIVO, to teach Harvard medical students, the clip features
sweeping cinematic values and even a little drama. It communicates not
only the facts of life, but life's truth and beauty."
Are you SURE that none of you can send me to Ted?
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Mindmanager 7 for Macintosh Webinar
Today I was a participant in a Mindjet webinar "Get the Inside Look at MindManager 7 Mac and Walk Away with your Own Copy." looking at how I use Mindjet MindManager in the courses that I teach at the College of St. Elizabeth. I had the opportunity to share my ideas about how I use MindManager 7 for the Mac as well as MindManager Pro 7 for Windows in the work that I do. Mindjet, Inc. has recorded the session and once it is available you can download it and listen to it. I find that having the ability to visually manipulate my ideas works really well when designing my courses. Having the ability to move ideas around the mind map makes it easy for me to get the a flow for the course. Likewise, I use MindManager 7 to design each of the class lectures which gives the students a great overview of what is going to be covered that evening. After each class, I export the mind map as a PDF file and upload it to Blackboard so that my students can refer to it. Using MindMananger Pro 7 as a presentation tool has been another effective use of the application. Having the ability to design my mind maps on myMacintosh at home and then being able to open them on my PC in my office has been a very important feature.
To get a comprehensive overview of the the webinar you can go to Michael Sampson's Blog. Michael did a great job of reporting on the event and I am sure you find his blog very informative and one that you will want to put into your RSS Reader.
To get a comprehensive overview of the the webinar you can go to Michael Sampson's Blog. Michael did a great job of reporting on the event and I am sure you find his blog very informative and one that you will want to put into your RSS Reader.
Anti-bullying video worth seeing
I've been waiting for this one to appear on TeacherTube but I don't see it there yet. It's from The Spirit Desk, and it's one I think you're going to like.
Click the "View Anti-Bullying Video" link under the picture here: http://www.thespiritdesk.com/heroaward.aspx
Click the "View Anti-Bullying Video" link under the picture here: http://www.thespiritdesk.com/heroaward.aspx
Or... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtFtbaKIYyg
Anyone here ever been bullied? I was beaten up once because the report card I was carrying home had all A's and B's. ???
Anyone here ever been bullied? I was beaten up once because the report card I was carrying home had all A's and B's. ???
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Monday, July 23, 2007
How's this for MAJOR reform?
Thanks to Kevin Sandridge for pointing me to this page. Kevin is about to start his own blog and I'm anxious to become a reader. He's got the fire! He started here: http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blog/show?id=649749%3ABlogPost%3A35004 but he's going to be moving to a new home soon. :-)
This post: http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2007/05/rebuilding_a_sc.html talks about how one school in Norway went from being one that people fled to one that is turning people away because the school is full. What made the difference? Uh-uh. I won't tell. You have to read it for yourself. But, I'll tell you some things to look for. First, look at how they restructured TIME. Second, look at what they did with the physical space.
"Teaching had to now focus on the individual, on the pupil, using
computer technology as a prominent element of teaching and learning." And, "Active problem solving should be the preferred method of teaching and learning (much in the way that an element of extreme learning tackles learning)."
I'd LOVE to hear what parts of this reform resonate with you the most. Comment, anyone?
This post: http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2007/05/rebuilding_a_sc.html talks about how one school in Norway went from being one that people fled to one that is turning people away because the school is full. What made the difference? Uh-uh. I won't tell. You have to read it for yourself. But, I'll tell you some things to look for. First, look at how they restructured TIME. Second, look at what they did with the physical space.
"Teaching had to now focus on the individual, on the pupil, using
computer technology as a prominent element of teaching and learning." And, "Active problem solving should be the preferred method of teaching and learning (much in the way that an element of extreme learning tackles learning)."
I'd LOVE to hear what parts of this reform resonate with you the most. Comment, anyone?
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[TIPS] Calling the Network
Ken Pruitt is doing something I like over here: http://kpruitt.edublogs.org/2007/07/21/call-for-data/ He’s calling his network for help. His network are those people with whom he communicates via his blog or their blog or skype or in Classroom20.ning.com, etc. He has learned the power of a network of friends and fellow educators to aid in his learning, and he’s asking those kind folks to share some ideas with him regarding how he might takle a project at his school. He’s being charged with helping to provide professional development to the teachers in his elementary and middle schools, and he’s looking for input on the most effective ways that it can be done.
I like it for a couple of reasons. First, the appeal shows that he’s feeling truly connected to his online community of friends and fellow educators, and so he’s actively networking with them to get ideas. Second – you get to see the really cute pictures of his new son on Flickr. J
In any case, if you’ve got a minute, maybe you could drop on over there and provide a helpful hint or two. Not that we’re trying to start a mass campaign of open helpdesk requests. This is a teacher who “gets it” asking for opinions from others who “get it” and who may have something they wish to share.
I like it.
[TIPS] Digg - A two minute history of Middle East Oil
http://digg.com/videos/educational/A_two_minute_history_of_Middle_East_Oil
Perhaps THIS one is a better fit for a writing prompt. A two minue video that details the pursuit of oil. It’s not pretty. Can anyone refute anything in this video?
[TIPS] Digg - A 45-minute history of Middle East Oil
http://digg.com/videos/educational/A_45_minute_history_of_Middle_East_Oil
Look what I just dugg – this entertaining and informative video about the history of Middle East oil. Robert Newman is the brains behind this very clever performance. While I do get a bit lost in the accent at times, overall I follow him perfectly well.
Maybe THIS is another writing prompt for your seniors, eh?
[TIPS] Google Earth for educators
http://drapestakes.blogspot.com/2007/06/hall-davidson-pro-at-google-earth-pro.html
Darren Draper, author of Drapes Takes, has this post about two things. First, the article mentions how great the presentation by Hal Davidson was at NECC when he presented on Google Earth Pro. Second, he points to how educators can get a free copy of Google Earth Pro.
Check it out!
(P.S. I sent this before with the word free in the subject line and our spam filter wouldn’t let it out. @#$% spammers!!)
IT Sales: Stress Benefits to Build Relationships
IT sales take time and effort. You need to show your clients clear benefits attached to working with you and start developing a relationship in order to get more IT sales.
What’s Your Benefit?
If you come across an IT problem you can’t solve during an IT sales call, you should focus on problems you can solve to get their attention and get them thinking about what benefits you can offer.
The IT Sales Pitch
You should be able to talk about projects you’ve done with other customers and the benefits these customers have enjoyed as a result of your solutions if you want to get your IT sales pitch to ring true.
The Relationship Will Take Time
It may take a few weeks or even months to get a solid commitment from a prospect. Patience and persistence, along with e-mails, faxes, postcards and phone calls can lead to IT sales. Just don’t be obnoxious. Call once or twice a month to gauge progress.
Answer Their Questions and Ask Your Own
See if your prospects have any issues or questions you didn’t address in order to keep the conversation going and lines of communication open. If they say, “Not today,” it doesn’t mean, “No.” Ask basic questions to gauge their progress:
1. How important is your project?
2. When do you want to start?
3. Is it urgent?
4. Where are you in the process of deciding?
5. How much research have you done?
6. Is this a good time of year for this project?
7. Do you have the budget for this project?
The Bottom Line about IT Sales
You can ask questions of prospects in many different ways to determine how close you are to IT sales. Just don’t let “later” become “no.”
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
What’s Your Benefit?
If you come across an IT problem you can’t solve during an IT sales call, you should focus on problems you can solve to get their attention and get them thinking about what benefits you can offer.
The IT Sales Pitch
You should be able to talk about projects you’ve done with other customers and the benefits these customers have enjoyed as a result of your solutions if you want to get your IT sales pitch to ring true.
The Relationship Will Take Time
It may take a few weeks or even months to get a solid commitment from a prospect. Patience and persistence, along with e-mails, faxes, postcards and phone calls can lead to IT sales. Just don’t be obnoxious. Call once or twice a month to gauge progress.
Answer Their Questions and Ask Your Own
See if your prospects have any issues or questions you didn’t address in order to keep the conversation going and lines of communication open. If they say, “Not today,” it doesn’t mean, “No.” Ask basic questions to gauge their progress:
1. How important is your project?
2. When do you want to start?
3. Is it urgent?
4. Where are you in the process of deciding?
5. How much research have you done?
6. Is this a good time of year for this project?
7. Do you have the budget for this project?
The Bottom Line about IT Sales
You can ask questions of prospects in many different ways to determine how close you are to IT sales. Just don’t let “later” become “no.”
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
Posted in: IT sales
Saturday, July 21, 2007
How Does Partnering Help Your Computer Consulting Business?
Partnering is a way to help small business computer consulting firms do their best with virtual IT services. Three benefits give partnering a real edge.
Posted in: partnering
Friday, July 20, 2007
FastTrack Schedule 9.2
As I use MindManager Pro 7 from Mindjet Inc., more and more, in the work that I do, I have found it to be an excellent tool to help me organize and keep information that I use in one spot. The power in the tool from
my perspective is that it allows me to quickly see my ideas and to organize them the way I see fit. Having the freedom to move my ideas around frees me up to allow my ideas to flow without the need to know exactly where the idea fits in. After looking at one of my mind maps I can always go back and change things without being concerned about the structure. As I use use MindManager Pro 7, I am always looking for new ways to extend this powerful tool for the projects that I am working on. Having said that, I have begun to use MindManager Pro 7 with project management software to help me get a different perspective on the tasks and timelines.
Mindjet Inc., has done a wonderful job of creating a product that is extensible so that other companies can develop applications that take advantage of the ideas that have been captured in MindManager Pro 7. I recently had the opportunity to preview from AEC Software, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 which is a comprehensive standalone project management software application that is cross-platform and runs on the Windows and Macintosh platform. Having just begun to use FastTrack Schedule 9.2 myself, I found it an ideal tool for someone who is just getting their feet wet in project management. The program is very visual and intuitive and provides users a quick way to jump start their project by using on of the many templates and example files that are available.
Since I am a MindManager Pro 7 user, I was really interested to see how FastTrack Schedule 9.2 could be integrated into my workflow. As MindManager Pro 7 becomes entrenched in the business and educational marketplace other publishers are looking for ways to marry the programs together. In this respect, AEC Software has really done an excellent job of being able to take data from MindManager Pro 7, and bring it into FastTrack Schedule 9.2 to do the project management. While MIndManager Pro 7 is an excellent tool for brainstorming and communicating ideas it does not have all of the tools to do project management and this is where a program like FastTrack Schedule 9.2 comes in. MindManager Pro 7 is an ideal tool for doing your brainstorming, putting your task lists together and assigning resources, however when you want to look at your project over time then you need a true project management software application. One of the really nice things about using these two applications together is that the work that you initially had done on the project can be exported from MindManager Pro 7 and brought effortlessly into FastTrack Schedule 9.2. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 can import any MindManager document and bring in all of the data that was stored within the MindManager map. If you used the Task Information pane to assign a Start Date, Due Date, Duration, Resource, and Percent Completion to a task all of this data comes over when you import your MindManager mind map into FastTrack Schedule 9.2. When I was working with my MindManager Pro 7 project file I also had included relationships among different tasks and I was glad to find out that these relationships were also carried over into FastTrack Schedule 9.2. For individuals who are just getting started with project management having the on ramp of a program like MindManager Pro 7 really can kick start your projects which can be polished off with FastTrack Schedule 9.2. Click here to view video.
One of the real strengths of FastTrack Schedule 9.2 is it ease of use and the interface. I particularly enjoyed the Gantt Chart view which allows you to see a list of your tasks and the duration in days, weeks, or hours that tasks will take. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 allows you to directly access the data and so if a you need to
change a task duration you simply take your mouse place it on task bar and drag the task bars right border to the right to extend the task duration. You can also decide to draw task bars using the Draw bars tool, thus eliminating the need to enter Start and Duration information into a dialog box. However, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 allows you to enter task information as you see fit, so if you more comfortable using a dialog box to enter the information you can do so. The Gantt View is gives you a great overview of the project and makes for a great way to present and communicate the information. The Gantt View also allows you to look at the project to see if there are any obstacles and whether things need to be adjusted in order for the project to be delivered on time. The Gantt View also can show you milestones as well as a way to track the percent completed of each task along with the assigned resource. The Gantt View also allows you to quickly look at how your activity bars are linked and their dependencies. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 quickly lets you see the impact of making a change on one activity and watching how that ripples through your project. Linking activities is accomplished very quickly with the Draw Link tool. You simply click on the Draw Link tool and then click on the activities. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 supports four different dependency types: Finish to Start, Start to Start, Finish to Finish, and Start to Finish. You will find the FastTrack Schedule 9.2, Gantt view a great tool for communicating your projects, and if you would like you can add graphics, text and legends to the Gantt View to spruce up the document.
While having a timetable for your project is the first step in the project management cycle you will also need to get a handle on how resources are being allocated. Using the Resources view gives you a great overview of how your resources are being used and if you will need to make adjustments in the scheduling in order to accomplish your desired outcomes. The Resources View can quickly tell you if you have over allocated a resource which in that case you will need to make some decisions about hiring more people or delaying the project. All of this
information is at your finger tips and a great guide as you move through the project. For those users who are new to project management FastTrack Schedule 9.2 also has a Calendar view which displays the information in a monthly calendar view which makes sharing the project information easier for those who are not accustomed to reading a Gantt chart.
When all is said and done, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 is a very easy on ramp for individuals who are just beginning to use project management software but one that can grow with them as they develop their expertise. The program is very fluid and one that allows you to jump into. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 uses standard Windows and Macintosh conventions which enables you to be up and running very quickly. When it is time to share your project there are lots of ways to do so. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 now supports the data exchange format known as iCalendar (.ics) enabling you to view project data in a calendar form. If you are using a Macintosh and have a .Mac account you can publish your Calendar view with a click of the mouse and view it on the web or if you like you can export your views in a picture format (ie. jpeg, pdf, png,) for use with PowerPoint or Keynote. You can even export the data from Fastrack Schedule 9.2 back into MindManager if you would like.
From my standpoint, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 really extends the usefulness of MindManager Pro 7 and allows me to delve into project management at level that I am comfortable with. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 is a very approachable cross platform project management software that shines in its ease of use, its presentation capabilities, and it is price point. If you are using MindManager Pro 7 and want to take the stab into project management software then take a look at FastTrack Schedule 9.2-it has a lot going for it.
my perspective is that it allows me to quickly see my ideas and to organize them the way I see fit. Having the freedom to move my ideas around frees me up to allow my ideas to flow without the need to know exactly where the idea fits in. After looking at one of my mind maps I can always go back and change things without being concerned about the structure. As I use use MindManager Pro 7, I am always looking for new ways to extend this powerful tool for the projects that I am working on. Having said that, I have begun to use MindManager Pro 7 with project management software to help me get a different perspective on the tasks and timelines.Mindjet Inc., has done a wonderful job of creating a product that is extensible so that other companies can develop applications that take advantage of the ideas that have been captured in MindManager Pro 7. I recently had the opportunity to preview from AEC Software, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 which is a comprehensive standalone project management software application that is cross-platform and runs on the Windows and Macintosh platform. Having just begun to use FastTrack Schedule 9.2 myself, I found it an ideal tool for someone who is just getting their feet wet in project management. The program is very visual and intuitive and provides users a quick way to jump start their project by using on of the many templates and example files that are available.
Since I am a MindManager Pro 7 user, I was really interested to see how FastTrack Schedule 9.2 could be integrated into my workflow. As MindManager Pro 7 becomes entrenched in the business and educational marketplace other publishers are looking for ways to marry the programs together. In this respect, AEC Software has really done an excellent job of being able to take data from MindManager Pro 7, and bring it into FastTrack Schedule 9.2 to do the project management. While MIndManager Pro 7 is an excellent tool for brainstorming and communicating ideas it does not have all of the tools to do project management and this is where a program like FastTrack Schedule 9.2 comes in. MindManager Pro 7 is an ideal tool for doing your brainstorming, putting your task lists together and assigning resources, however when you want to look at your project over time then you need a true project management software application. One of the really nice things about using these two applications together is that the work that you initially had done on the project can be exported from MindManager Pro 7 and brought effortlessly into FastTrack Schedule 9.2. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 can import any MindManager document and bring in all of the data that was stored within the MindManager map. If you used the Task Information pane to assign a Start Date, Due Date, Duration, Resource, and Percent Completion to a task all of this data comes over when you import your MindManager mind map into FastTrack Schedule 9.2. When I was working with my MindManager Pro 7 project file I also had included relationships among different tasks and I was glad to find out that these relationships were also carried over into FastTrack Schedule 9.2. For individuals who are just getting started with project management having the on ramp of a program like MindManager Pro 7 really can kick start your projects which can be polished off with FastTrack Schedule 9.2. Click here to view video.
One of the real strengths of FastTrack Schedule 9.2 is it ease of use and the interface. I particularly enjoyed the Gantt Chart view which allows you to see a list of your tasks and the duration in days, weeks, or hours that tasks will take. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 allows you to directly access the data and so if a you need to
change a task duration you simply take your mouse place it on task bar and drag the task bars right border to the right to extend the task duration. You can also decide to draw task bars using the Draw bars tool, thus eliminating the need to enter Start and Duration information into a dialog box. However, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 allows you to enter task information as you see fit, so if you more comfortable using a dialog box to enter the information you can do so. The Gantt View is gives you a great overview of the project and makes for a great way to present and communicate the information. The Gantt View also allows you to look at the project to see if there are any obstacles and whether things need to be adjusted in order for the project to be delivered on time. The Gantt View also can show you milestones as well as a way to track the percent completed of each task along with the assigned resource. The Gantt View also allows you to quickly look at how your activity bars are linked and their dependencies. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 quickly lets you see the impact of making a change on one activity and watching how that ripples through your project. Linking activities is accomplished very quickly with the Draw Link tool. You simply click on the Draw Link tool and then click on the activities. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 supports four different dependency types: Finish to Start, Start to Start, Finish to Finish, and Start to Finish. You will find the FastTrack Schedule 9.2, Gantt view a great tool for communicating your projects, and if you would like you can add graphics, text and legends to the Gantt View to spruce up the document.While having a timetable for your project is the first step in the project management cycle you will also need to get a handle on how resources are being allocated. Using the Resources view gives you a great overview of how your resources are being used and if you will need to make adjustments in the scheduling in order to accomplish your desired outcomes. The Resources View can quickly tell you if you have over allocated a resource which in that case you will need to make some decisions about hiring more people or delaying the project. All of this
information is at your finger tips and a great guide as you move through the project. For those users who are new to project management FastTrack Schedule 9.2 also has a Calendar view which displays the information in a monthly calendar view which makes sharing the project information easier for those who are not accustomed to reading a Gantt chart.When all is said and done, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 is a very easy on ramp for individuals who are just beginning to use project management software but one that can grow with them as they develop their expertise. The program is very fluid and one that allows you to jump into. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 uses standard Windows and Macintosh conventions which enables you to be up and running very quickly. When it is time to share your project there are lots of ways to do so. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 now supports the data exchange format known as iCalendar (.ics) enabling you to view project data in a calendar form. If you are using a Macintosh and have a .Mac account you can publish your Calendar view with a click of the mouse and view it on the web or if you like you can export your views in a picture format (ie. jpeg, pdf, png,) for use with PowerPoint or Keynote. You can even export the data from Fastrack Schedule 9.2 back into MindManager if you would like.
From my standpoint, FastTrack Schedule 9.2 really extends the usefulness of MindManager Pro 7 and allows me to delve into project management at level that I am comfortable with. FastTrack Schedule 9.2 is a very approachable cross platform project management software that shines in its ease of use, its presentation capabilities, and it is price point. If you are using MindManager Pro 7 and want to take the stab into project management software then take a look at FastTrack Schedule 9.2-it has a lot going for it.
PersonalBrain 4 for Macintosh
I have had a chance to use the PersonalBrain 4 on the Macintosh and have really enjoyed playing around with it. The PersonalBrain 4 is a wonderful visual repository for ideas, attachments, web links, spreadsheets, and calendar events. Its forte is really the ability to link or associate the various "thoughts" that you have into one single repository. Additionally, the PersonalBrain 4 has unique indexing capability that allows you to find information almost instantaneously. The PersonalBrain 4 indexes all of your information in addition to your attachments (ie. Word, PDF, Excel) , which makes it easy to go to one place to find what you are looking for. Making associations between ideas is very easy and intuitive in the PersonalBrain 4. I have put online a small video to give you an idea of how the PersonalBrain 4 works on the Macintosh. As I use it I will put up some other short videos. The PersonalBrain 4 is an ideal personal information manager for those of you who like to be able to visually organize your information. To view the video click here or on the screenshot.
[TIPS] What are the Differences Between Message Boards and Weblogs?
http://www.commoncraft.com/archives/000768.html
The question, “What’s the difference between a blog and a Discussion forum?” gets asked a lot of times by lots of different people. The answer is not easily explained when you’ not right in front of a computer. NOW it IS! Just point them to this page that does an excellent job of explaining the difference. There’s even a nice table there that compares blogs and forums side by side in a number of categories.
So, if you’re not sure what the difference is, THIS page just may clear it up for you. From the maker (Lee Lefever) of RSS in Plain English, and Wikis in Plain English.
[TIPS] chime.tv - a video aggregator
I found this one from the programmableweb.com blog. You’ll not get this one at school, but I do suggest you try it out at home.
In the search field under the initial (lame) video, type the word education, or math, or science and hit enter. That will search MANY different sites for videos tagged with that keyword and put the search results in a list underneath the video. You can cycle through the found videos by clicking the right arrow that appears when you hover over the video, or you can scroll through the list at the bottom. Or… well… you’re smart enough to figure it out.
Don’t forget that there are several firefox plugins that allow you to save the movie you’re watching so that you can take it to school for your classes.
Check it out. Remember, as with any public site, there are folks using it whom you wish weren’t. J
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Life is a Picnik!
Last week I attended the DigitalLife Press Preview and had a chance to watch and speak to the representatives from Picnik.com. By using your browser and going to Picnik.com you are provided with a full set of editing tools that are very easy to use. With so many people using digital cameras the developers of Picnik realized that they need and easy way to edit them. Once you upload your photograph you will find it easy to crop, remove red eye, sharpen, rotate, or auto-fix your photo. You can upload your photographs from your computer or from the following services: Flickr, Picassa, FaceBook. Take a look at Picknik I'm sure you will find it to be a valuable tool in your software kit.
[TIPS] OH NO!!! This just in... The Internet Crashed!
http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/640
Am I too geeky, or is this really funny? I mean, I GET all the little references – like the hardest hit nation is Nigeria since “…94% of its gross national product comes from ‘Internet ventures’.” ROFL!! Get it? “Coming up.. one man’s effort to rebuild his Flickr albums.” TOO FUNNY!!!
OK… so maybe I should shut this down and go outside and play for a while.
Japan gets the PSP lite in three additional colors
Filed under: Gaming
PS. You know Sony should've given the new model an official name when even PSP Fanboy is calling it the "PSP lite."
[Via PSP Fanboy]
Posted in: Technology
Fujitsu LifeBook U1010: The smallest UMPC
Fujitsu LifeBook U1010 was claim by Fujitsu as the smallest Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) in the world. This gadget use Intel Core 2 Duo T7500. This gadget has size 71mm (long) x 133mm (width) x 26,5 - 32,0 (high) and weight just 0,61 kg.Specification of Fujitsu LifeBook U1010 are memory 1GB, hard disk 40 GB, bluetooth, wireless, slot card CF dan SD, fingerprint sensor, screen 5,6 inchi 1024x600 pixel and operating system by Windows Vista Home Premium.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
[TIPS] Missed the NECC closing Keynote?
It's 45 minutes long, but (IMHO) well worth the time invested to watch it. You'll see examples of student-produced videos on some heavy duty subjects - made by MIDDLE SCHOOL students. A couple things to think about. First, could you get YOUR teachers to accept this kind of project instead of a final exam? Second, given the quality of these videos, are we underestimating our high school students and accepting material that truly is beneath their ability?
Oh, and when he interviews the kids, make sure you watch the first girl. I LOVED the expression on her face at one point. You'll know it. :-)
Don't have 45 minutes to watch this? Turn it on and let it run in the background then switch over to it when he shows the movies. You'll be glad you did.
His school's website is here: http://mabryonline.org . Check out the link to their Film Festival.
MIT Demonstrates "Wireless Electricity"
The ability to direct and transmit electrical power through the air, without wires, took a further step from the theoretical to the practical in June when a group of MIT researchers demonstrated their "WiTricity" concept.
The technology works by transmitting electricity as a magnetic field oscillating at a specific frequency. Through "magnetically coupled resonance," the "receiver" can capture the electricity, making for an efficient and safe method of over-the-air transfer.
Wireless transmission of electricity has been understood in theory since the work of Nikolai Tesla in the 19th Century. Safe, efficient and cost-effective wireless electricity could hold countless beenfits, from eliminating the need to install costly copper wiring to lowered reliance on batteries for small devices. However, despite the success of WiTricity, the technology has a long way to go before it is deployed commercially... not to mention the need to better understand side effects such as interference and possible effects on health and the environment.
Source: Self Service World
The technology works by transmitting electricity as a magnetic field oscillating at a specific frequency. Through "magnetically coupled resonance," the "receiver" can capture the electricity, making for an efficient and safe method of over-the-air transfer.
Wireless transmission of electricity has been understood in theory since the work of Nikolai Tesla in the 19th Century. Safe, efficient and cost-effective wireless electricity could hold countless beenfits, from eliminating the need to install costly copper wiring to lowered reliance on batteries for small devices. However, despite the success of WiTricity, the technology has a long way to go before it is deployed commercially... not to mention the need to better understand side effects such as interference and possible effects on health and the environment.
Source: Self Service World
NovaMind 4 for Mac Released
Gideon King recently emailed me about the release of NovaMind 4 for the Macintosh, one of the premier mind mapping applications on the Macintosh platform . Sporting a whole new interface users should find it easier to format and work with NovaMind 4. There are two new versions that were released NovaMind 4 Pro and NovaMind Express. Here is a screen shot of a mind map. A new Windows version is in the works as well.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
How to Stop -- Or Live With -- Global Warming
According to research at Princeton, current technologies are capable of stopping (or at least slowing) the rate of global warming by 2050 if properly applied. Using a mix-and-match approach, students who participated in a game-like experiment found that the current portfolio of energy-saving policies and technologies (flourescent bulbs, nuclear power, wind turbines, reducing deforestation, etc.) could indeed keep global greenhouse gases constant over the next 50 years. The trick is to apply these solutions to developing countries, where rapid industrial growth will put them on track to overtake the developed world in greenhouse gas output within the next several decades.
Meanwhile, Live Science has a top-10 list of side effects of global warming, such as more severe allergies, more sinkholes from permafrost melting, a less dense upper atmosphere that will affect how satellites orbit the earth, more forest fires and rapid deterioration of ancient ruins. Perhaps the strangest prediction of all: mountains that lose their glaciers and permanent snow caps will actually "grow" as the weight on them decreases.
Meanwhile, Live Science has a top-10 list of side effects of global warming, such as more severe allergies, more sinkholes from permafrost melting, a less dense upper atmosphere that will affect how satellites orbit the earth, more forest fires and rapid deterioration of ancient ruins. Perhaps the strangest prediction of all: mountains that lose their glaciers and permanent snow caps will actually "grow" as the weight on them decreases.
Got Jing?
I had the opportunity to get a preview of new application called Jing, from the makers of Camtasia Studio and it is really awesome. Think about all of the times that you want to grab a picture of something on your screen and send it to someone that you may be IMing. Or say you want to quickly show someone how to use a feature in a software application and want to do a quick screencast. If you have ever been in this situation then you need to take a look at Jing. Jing is a software and sharing tool that is available for Mac and Windows which lets you share pictures and videos very quickly. The Jing application is always available and with a user defined hot key you can get it started. Once you have grabbed a screen image or recorded a video you are immediately given a URL that is copied to the clipboard to use. The images and videos are stored on your Screencast account that you will be prompted to create the first time you use Jing. This is a very handy utility and one that I know I will be using often in the work that I do. It is a great tool for Just in Time training. Here is an example of what you can do with Jing.
Monday, July 16, 2007
The PersonalBrain 4 Released
TheBrain Technologies LP, released The PersonalBrain 4.0 for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux today. The PersonalBrain 4.0 is a visual management software application that allows you to relate information precisely as you want to. It works by allowing you to capture your thoughts and then associating them in a web structure. The program uses the construct "thoughts" which are ideas that you type into the PersonalBrain. Once you type your "thought" you can add a "parent," "child," "sibling" or jump thought to your idea. This in effect lets you categorize your ideas and move about your map.
The major difference between this application and mind mapping tools is that underneath the hood is a relational database that is keeping your thoughts, links, and associated files organized and arranged according to the way you desire. Imagine clicking on a category and watch as the program bring up all of the thoughts and links. The program lets you really drill down and capture and store an incredible amount of information. You can attach files, images, web links, notes to your web and have The PersonalBrain index and keep the information at your finger tips. I found the program to be very responsive on both the Macintosh and Windows platform and will be trying it out some more over the next couple of weeks to see how I can use it to construct some knowledge databases. The PersonalBrain 4 has extensive Search feature that lets you quickly locate information in your knowledge database. Once you create your visual management system you can click on a "thought" and jump to the information. You can export your PersonalBrain files as a SiteBrain website or as simple HTML. You can also print your PersonalBrain (Pro version) over multiple pages. Some of the features may vary depending on the version of the PersonallBrain that you are using.
The major difference between this application and mind mapping tools is that underneath the hood is a relational database that is keeping your thoughts, links, and associated files organized and arranged according to the way you desire. Imagine clicking on a category and watch as the program bring up all of the thoughts and links. The program lets you really drill down and capture and store an incredible amount of information. You can attach files, images, web links, notes to your web and have The PersonalBrain index and keep the information at your finger tips. I found the program to be very responsive on both the Macintosh and Windows platform and will be trying it out some more over the next couple of weeks to see how I can use it to construct some knowledge databases. The PersonalBrain 4 has extensive Search feature that lets you quickly locate information in your knowledge database. Once you create your visual management system you can click on a "thought" and jump to the information. You can export your PersonalBrain files as a SiteBrain website or as simple HTML. You can also print your PersonalBrain (Pro version) over multiple pages. Some of the features may vary depending on the version of the PersonallBrain that you are using.
[TIPS] Thinking system and method invention
http://www.freshpatents.com/Thinking-system-and-method-dt20070705ptan20070156623.php
This one was on Rocketboom today. Someone has filed a patent application for…. Drum roll… a THINKING MACHINE! (cymbal crash!)
Here’s what the site says about this machine:
“A thinking system and method is provided by the present invention. In the present invention, the “thinking” system is capable of accepting information from outside environment, analyzing the information, requesting additional information, and then resulting the problem. More particularly, the system can make new rules according to the information within the system and the new information received and requested. The rule making process is not controlled by outside command, but by an internal controlling mechanism that can be modified by the outside commands. Further, the system comprises a knowledge structure that can be used by the system for analyzing the inputted information, making request for additional information, making new rules, and solving problems, wherein the knowledge structure comprises element files include direct link information of the elements with other elements of the element files in the knowledge structure.”
No word on how much it will cost or how soon we can expect to equip our students with one so they won’t have to think at all! In theory, then, ALL of our students will be able to get perfect scores on their SAT’s. Of course, like the calculators before them, it may take a couple of years before students will be able to use one when taking the test. J
[TIPS] What do YOU know about Aids? -another Ted video
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/143
Ask your high school students to write about what they know about the Aids virus in Africa. What do they know about the spread in Africa? What do they think is the cause? How do they think it might be prevented?
NOW, show them this video and ask, “How do you think and feel about this problem NOW?” This is a WONDERFUL perspective of the epidemic framed in economic issues and sociological issues. You know, this is one of the world’s problems that they will have to solve.
[TIPS] A Moment On Earth Mosaic - see it NOW!
http://www.momentonearth.com/mosaic/
How’s THIS for a VERY cool idea? On a given day at a given time(s) you get photographers from around the world to document what was going on where they were. Then, you collect all this data and put it into an amazing mosaic. Trace your mouse over the mosaic to see popups of the photos below. Click a photo to read the story associated with it. Make sure you watch the trailers, too. Breathtaking! (The link to the second one is a tiny link under the first trailer.) The world at work, at play, at war, at rest. Outstanding. And to think that the film’s producers had to sell shave ice to raise money to make the film. I especially liked the one man’s comment about there being so many creative people in the world. Indeed there are.
This site is chuck FULL of writing prompts, isn’t it?
