Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Dell Sells Open Source Computers. Lo5 writes with the excellent news that Dell is selling desktop computers without Windows preinstalled. They are called "n Series"; you can choose from Dimension E520, E521, or C521 desktops. The hard drive comes unformatted.[Slashdot] 10:32:19 PM      Google It!.

Effects of Information Distributions Strategies on Student Performance in a CMS. http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v1n1/ lohman/IJ_%20Lohman.pdf This is one of those papers where I find myself thinking "freakin' amazing, I can't believe it" (yes, I really think like that) but by the end I've been reduced to, "ok, but a sample of 50 students? And all of them graduate students of education from 3 courses?" I'm not saying that invalidates the results, and the paper itself actually seems well written. But if you do buy into its arguments, then this SHOULD be sending shockwaves (at least shivers) through ed tech departments (and the people who fund them) across the world. Why? Because it throws into serious doubt the value of course management systems when used (predominantly, as other studies, like Morgan's, have shown) as really expensive web filing or content management systems in support of face to face courses. This doesn't necessarily sound the death knell for CMS; as the study concludes, instead one could draw the conclusion that if you want to see positive effects on pedagogy by using a CMS then use them, well, pedagogically, not as a glorified filing cabinet. But still, it does start to put to the test the conventional wisdom that simply giving people access to reading materials ahead of time will inevitably increase their learning. (First seen in Distance Educator.) - SWL[EdTechPost] 7:14:08 PM      Google It!.

Are "they" really repressing the cure for cancer?. Orac has an insightful post addressing concerns that Big Pharma won't develop non-patentable drugs. Future worry: Big AI won't develop better robot nurses? Current worry: Will Nintendo put Weight Watchers out of business? Steven Pinker tackles consciousness. Does the brain actually have a "resting mode"? Is mental illness still a stigma? One answer. Possible mechanism for the problem discussed this morning: Inability to drive well while talking. Finally: Want to know what Greta and I were up to this weekend? More links than you'll ever manage to follow. Tip: start at the bottom. Feel free to ignore the following link; it's just a way to get our podcast listed on Podcast Alley. My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-1a8069fadde4d74ca9199b370711b8e3} Read the comments on this post... [Cognitive Daily's Weekly Podcast] 7:07:46 PM      Google It!.

Neural "Extension Cord" Developed. moon_monkey writes "Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a 'neural extension cord' by growing neurons attached to a microchip. The cord is made by gradually moving two batches of neurons apart, as they naturally grow towards one another. This biological 'data cable' could then interface with the brain once implanted, the researchers say." From the article: "...in the long run, it may not be necessary to interface directly with nerves at all. 'In Europe most researchers in this field are using non-invasive EEG,' [an outside researcher] explains... 'The signals are weaker so more complex processing is needed, but not having to perform surgery on the nervous system has many advantages,' [he] says."[Slashdot] 7:05:31 PM      Google It!.

Linspire's CNR Goes Multi-Distro. S3Indiana writes with news that Linspire is opening its Click 'N Run installation software to other Linux distributions. After 5 years of development on CNR, the new site cnr.com will be a single source repository for Linux users. Distributions to be supported initially during 2007 are (alphabetically): Debian, Fedora, Freespire, Linspire, OpenSUSE, and Ubuntu; other distributions will follow. See the FAQ and the screenshots for more details. [Slashdot] 7:03:26 PM      Google It!.

Running Your Electric Meter Backwards. kog777 writes to note a story in International Business Times about "net metering," or generating your own power without disconnecting from the grid. Forty states have laws allowing individuals to do this, and many of them offer subsidies and tax breaks for people who do. From the article: "When the sun shines bright on their home in New York's Hudson Valley, John and Anna Bagnall live out a homeowner's fantasy. Their electricity meter runs backward. Solar panels on their barn roof can often provide enough for all their electricity needs. Sometimes [~] and this is the best part [~] their solar setup actually pushes power back into the system."[Slashdot] 10:03:26 AM      Google It!.

Microsoft's "Immortal Computing" Project. SeenOnSlash writes "Microsoft is working on a project they call 'immortal computing' which would let people store digital information in durable physical artifacts and other forms to be preserved and revealed to future generations, and maybe even to future civilizations. The artifacts would be designed to make the process of accessing the information clear with instructions in multiple languages or hieroglyphics. In one possible use, messages for descendants or interactive holograms might be stored on tombstones. The project was revealed when their patent application recently became public."[Slashdot] 10:02:17 AM      Google It!.

Using AI to Monitor Kids Online. eldavojohn writes "An Australian startup believes that the best way to protect your children online is through an artificially intelligent software program. The inventors of this idea are banking on children's attachment to pets. The creature's 'cuteness' and helpfulness will ingratiate the software with the child, so that he or she will respect it and listen to it, or even find it as a likable companion. Agent-based internet applications are nothing new but for concerned parents, this might be an admirable solution to what is perceived by many to be a growing problem. From one of the inventors: 'Of course, we're also planning to release a version of the Moji IM for teenagers and adults, but we're focusing on children at the moment.'" [Slashdot] 9:59:16 AM      Google It!.

No more new speak, back to old speak. I reckon you have 4 seconds to make the right impression on someone when trying to explain/convince/sell them something. This is not quite the same as attention span, it has more to do with countering prejudice, getting a foot in the door, initiating interest. Get that far and you can start to rely on measures of attention span. 4 seconds, that[base ']s about enough time to get 8 or 10 words out - so make them count. For that reason you have to choose your words carefully, and never use words that require further explanation. With this in mind I[base ']m going to very conscious of my pitch to technophobic teachers and try to use words they should more readily identify with. Web2.0 and Socially networked software social constructivism Online presence and identity as well as network and online community the top 3 levels in Maslow[base ']s hierarchy of needs eLearning, mLearning, flexible learning and blended learning etc learning Blogging Vygotsky-ism¬[sgl dagger] any more suggestions? [Learn Online] 9:56:52 AM      Google It!.

'Altruistic' brain region found. Using brain scans, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that altruism appears to be linked to an area of the brain called the posterior superior temporal sulcus.... [KurzweilAI.net Accelerating Intelligence News] 9:54:57 AM      Google It!.

Five Ways YOU Could Use Video in EDUCATION. Lifehack.org posted an article today in which they declared this year the year of the Internet Presidency (in light of all of the recent announcements from US candidates for president). They then went on to list five ways we could all take advantage of the internet video. Great article... highly recommend for promoting your thinking caps. Joining in the spirit of the year I have put together a quick list of Five ways to use Video in EDUCATION this year! Record Class Presentations - Record classroom presentations. Your lectures will be a great resource for your students to look back on what was said in class. Make your lectures available to the students, but for heaven's sake, don't charge them for it. If you record student presentations keep those around (with the student's permission of course) and show the best one's to your students in coming years of what a presentation or project should be. Video Projects - Nothing motivates a student like using exciting technology to create something amazing! Let the students have the option of using that excitement in their projects for the class. You'll be amazed how some of the students grab onto something like this. If they post them online they will also be able to share their work with family and friends. Instructional Video's - Do you have a special topic you are teaching that would be useful to take a little field trip. Go out a day or two in advance and record an on site explanation of the topic. This will work great with science, history, archeology, and many other subjects. Video Blogs - Create a class blog and have your students record their reactions to literary or other assignments and post them on the blog. Give them specific assignments and have them post those on the blog. Use Online Video Already Available - There are massive amounts of video already available online in all sorts of topic areas. Utilize that video in your curriculum. It will increase the student's retention of the subject and encourage them to seek out educational video's as well. As more and more teachers get into making video's there will also be more resources available. These are just a couple of ideas, but there are surely dozens of other ways to use online video in the classroom. What other ideas do you have? Specifically, how can we, as educators, utilize the budding social ramifications of internet video in the classroom? Original Article: (http://www.edutechie.com/2007/01/five-ways-you-could-use-video-in-education/) [EDUCAUSE CONNECT blogs] 9:52:43 AM      Google It!.