A Sandbox in the LRS?

Absolutely! We like to have fun with learning and technology here on the 4th floor, and we’ve decided to share that fun with rest of the college.

Our new Technology Sandbox features two beautiful new Dell multimedia laptops equipped with wireless networking, a great selection of software tools, support and coaching from LRS staff, and the freedom to explore and create.

We are just making final arrangements for the location of the sandbox, but should be up and running by the end of November. All faculty and staff are welcome to sign the laptops out and use them in the designated sandbox space to develop curriculum, complete work-related projects, or to simply explore some of the exciting possibilities for technology in teaching. One-on-one coaching is available by appointment. Contact Russ for details.

The ‘twins’ showing off multimedia tricks in their new LRS home. Their arrival has brought our family great joy and we invite you to come play with them in their new sandbox.

Web 2.0 and Deinstitutionalization

Editor’s Note: We’ve talked about Web 2.0—the move toward more interactive, collaborative Web services—here before. You can get a really nice overview of the phenomenon at Wikipedia if you need some background information.

As I’ve considered how the web is changing, I’ve wondered how it will affect the future of education. The word I’ve been using to describe what I see happening is “deinstitutionalization,” meaning a lessening of the importance of individual colleges and universities as the content and tools for learning become distributed across the Internet. One of the most interesting writers on this topic is Stephen Downes of the National Research Council of Canada. He has published many enlightening articles on the subject, including E-learning 2.0 (eLearn Magazine), a very worthwhile read.

While I believe institutions of higher learning will be relevant in our society for a long time yet, I also believe we will experience a shift toward more open, collaborative, and adaptable systems. This shift will be necessary to keep up with the pace of a society and economy driven by the rapid creation and sharing of information through technology.

Agree? Disagree? Send comments to technotes@bowvalleycollege.ca.

The Useful Web—Bonus Edition!

The past six weeks has seen an absolute blizzard of new and innovative tools released on the Web. I’ve been collecting links and trying to decide which ones to share with you, but there are just so many and they are all so good—I couldn’t handle the pressure of these weighty decisions anymore! So, dear readers, I present here a special, giant-sized bonus issue of “The Useful Web.”

A quick note: Web tools are great, but remember that some people use them to create content that can be objectionable to other users. Be sure to think critically when you evaluate any Web tool or resource for use in your practice.

Tools for Collaborating and Sharing

The best part of Web 2.0 for educators is the emphasis on sharing and collaborating. Everything from documents, spreadsheet, presentation slides, music, video, and lecture notes can be created, edited, and shared by online groups. The sites presented below are some of my favorites, but there are many more available.

Zoho Show - The site’s home page says it all, “Create presentations from anywhere, present it remotely. Export it offline - it's simple & free.” This tool works well and lets you import existing PowerPoint presentations. Also check out Zoho Writer and Zoho Sheet for more document collaboration fun.

Google Documents and Spreadsheets - Office-style documents right on the Web and integrated with your existing Google account. Hard not to like this one.

Thumbstacks - A lot like Zoho Show, this tool lets you create and present PowerPoint-style shows right on the Web without any additional software. Check out the demo presentation.

Slideshare - OK, this is another Web presentation tool, much like Zoho and Thumbstacks. But it has a great interface and really deserves a look before you choose the service you want to start a relationship with.

NoteMesh - This site is designed to allow students to share their class notes. From the site:

“NoteMesh is a free service that allows college students in the same classes to share notes with each other. It works by creating a wiki for individual classes that users can edit. Users are free to post their own lecture notes or contribute to existing lecture notes. The idea is that users in the same class can collaboratively create a definitive source for lecture notes.”

I know this might make some people cringe as it seems to make it easier to skip classes. But I see it as a great tool for our busy learners to help each other succeed by working together, despite the many other responsibilities that fill their lives.

NoteCentric - Similar to NoteMesh, but with a bit more emphasis on storing personal class notes rather than sharing. It includes great WYSIWYG test editing tools and I suspect this could be a nice tool for instructor’s and students alike.

Tools for Creating Media

Splice - Need to record some audio or even mix music and commentary for a presentation? This tool allows you to make custom mixes right on the Web using either live or pre-recorded audio. The emphasis is definitely on creating and sharing music, but the tools will work for any audio project.

Jumpcut - Hey, if we’re going to edit our audio online, why not do video as well? This service—now part of the Yahoo! family—allows you to upload and modify video clips, then mix them with audio to make movies. Amazingly easy to use.

MapLib - This is a bit primitive looking but could be quite useful. It allows you to upload any picture and then use the tools from Google Maps to explore by moving around and zooming in and out. This would be a great way to present a large or highly detailed diagram that can’t be properly viewed when reduced to fit on the screen.

The editor in his natural environment—basking in the Web’s gentle glow

Questions, comments, contributions? Just let me know at technotes@bowvalleycollege.ca. You can subscribe or unsubscribe from the mailing list at the same address.

Russ Wilde, Editor
403.410.1642 or rnwilde@bowvalleycollege.ca