- First, we want to engage all your learning senses in a SIDLIT session that does not have a set time and meeting place. You can explore between sessions, in the evenings or whenever you have access.
- Second, we want to help you explore and interact with several desktop and web-based apps that may be useful to you. If you’re involved in education, we think you may discover some new tools to use in your classroom, whether that classroom is online or face-to-face or a hybrid of both. You’ll also have a chance to suggest apps you think other educators will find useful!
- Finally, we want you to use SQ12 as an online forum to summarize and report key points or important ideas learned from the concurrent sessions at SIDLIT 2012. On behalf of the planning committee, we hope that you’ll learn something new from every session you attend. SQ12 gives you a place to synthesize and report on that key concept, new idea, or nugget of information you obtained…and share it with others at the conference. In fact, the closing session called “Sprint to the Finish” on Friday, August third will feature an opportunity to share your “take-aways” from each session as well as hear from others.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Synesthesia Start
Monday, November 8, 2010
Web-based Annotation Tools
http://reframeit.com/ adds a panel to the right side of the web page (in your browser) to display annotations and comments.
http://www.diigo.com incudes an educator’s version that features bookmarks, annotations, highlights, sticky notes and more.
http://www.mystickies.com adds sticky notes (that is, “bookmarks on steroids”) to annotate web sites. Sticky notes enable you to do more than just link to a page; rather you can add notes and annotate to highlight the important paragraphs and features.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Since When Is Twitter an Educational Tool?
Other reenactments are listed at http://twhistory.org/reenactments/ if you wish to see further examples.
By the way, if you’re still skeptical of using Twitter because of your initial experiences with the tool, check out the Twitter Life Cycle at http://cogdoghouse.wikispaces.com/TwitterCycle and Alan Levine’s blog at http://cogdogblog.com/2007/04/26/splj-20/. It might change your mind.
If you’re still not convinced, you might want to try a collaborative 3D timeline for a classroom project (rather than the Twhistory approach). If so, check out http://www.beedocs.com. If you have an educational need, there’s an online tool.
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Good Question Leads People on a Quest: What’s the Future of Education
Michael Wesch is another voice asking educators to examine their roles in this digital age and he comes from as far away as KSU. Wesch has been dubbed "the explainer" by Wired magazine and is “a cultural anthropologist exploring the effects of new media on society and culture. After two years studying the effects of writing on a remote indigenous culture in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, he has turned his attention to the effects of social media and digital technology on global society. His videos on culture, technology, education and information have been viewed by millions, translated in more than 15 languages and are frequently featured at international film festivals and major academic conferences worldwide” (for more information check out http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/weschbio.html).
Some JCCC faculty members, like Terry Helmick, have used Wesch’s materials in the classroom. Terry used a TED (http://www.ted.com/) presentation given by Wesch in August 2010 (see http://tinyurl.com/2f2yc89) and then asked her Interpersonal Communications students to respond to these questions:
- If a good question is one that “leads people on a quest” what kinds of questions could you ask yourself right now?
- “When media changes our relationships change.” What is the most common media you use to communicate with those close to you and how has that changed your communication with those individuals?
- “Students are meaning seekers; they are looking for who they are.” What meaning are you seeking to find in your life?
- If student’s “learn what they do”, what do you wish to be doing to help you improve your interpersonal communication with those close to you?
Spend 19 minutes and explore the power of media, critical thinking, global connections, and the world we as educators already occupy (along with our students).
By the way, if you’d like to see a less blurry version of the Dove/Unilever ads and the Green Peace response (mentioned by Wesch), check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_wIXAP8iAg and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odI7pQFyjso. The video created by Wesch’s students (partially shown in his TED talk) is available in its entirety at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o.
Also the Eric Whitacre virtual choir can be seen and heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs. Whitacre describes the project at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyLX2cke-Lw&feature=channel.
SoftChalk Connect: A Learning Object Repository for SoftChalk Users
- Create interactive web pages for your e-learning course. It's easy, quick, and your lessons will look like a professional designer created them.
- Engage your students with lessons that include pop-up text annotations, self-assessment quizzes, and interactive learning games.
- Package your lessons for delivery via CD-ROM, Intranet, Internet, or integrate with your LMS (Learning Management System).
CONNECT enables you to organize your personal collections by creating and managing folders. Another significant enhancement is the ability to create CONNECT "groups," and then require authentication by group members for access to your CONNECT content. For example, if you want to share a SoftChalk lesson with a group of colleagues or a group of students, you can publish the lesson to CONNECT, and using the new Group feature, limit access to only those in your group.
Go to CONNECT and search for your discipline. Maybe you’ll find a learning object you can use. You can learn more about SoftChalk using an online self-paced course developed by the Ed Tech Center (see http://tinyurl.com/37tedey) and to access the software with the installation key see http://tinyurl.com/32k7dy3.
If you’re interested in attending a webinar on SoftChalk CONNECT, you can register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/146840904 (3 PM, October 20) or https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/679476160 (11 AM, November 8).
Friday, September 17, 2010
More about QR Codes
The code to the left is a message to all JCCC QR code readers. Below and to the left you’ll find a QR code that includes a URL with more information on QR Codes.
Why would you want to create QR Codes? QR Codes are readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera with a QR reader and SmartPhones. QR readers include apps like beetagg, i-nigma, Kaywa, and ZXing (most are free). The QR codes could be used to:
- Deliver text messages to students at specific points in their readings or course work,
- Identify and open web sites with supplemental readings,
- Include contact information (phone number),
- Send a prescribed SMS text message to a SMS service (such a subscribing to a SMS news update), or
- Share GEO (geographic) coordinates.
This is one case where innovation could be free! For more details, check out http://opus.bath.ac.uk/11408/1/getting_started_with_QR_Codes.pdf.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Use of Motion Picture and Video Clips in Education
This summer saw a change in the interpretation of a portion of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The change specifically affects instructors using a small portion of video in the classroom and how they may acquire those video clips. If this issue interests you, please read on.
Background: Over the summer, there was a lot of excitement over a “change” in the copyright law specifically regarding the use of video in instruction. The event was not so much a change in the law as a change in interpretation…from someone who has the authority to reinterpret. The Librarian of Congress has the authority to designate “classes of works that will be subject to exemptions from the [copyright] statute’s prohibition against circumvention of technology that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work.”
The Librarian may “determine whether the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works is causing or is likely to cause adverse effects on the ability of users of any particular classes of copyrighted works to make noninfringing uses of those works” (italics added throughout for emphasis).
In July 2010 the Librarian “designated six classes of works” that “Persons who circumvent access controls [e.g., copyright protection] in order to engage in noninfringing uses of works…will not be subject to the statutory prohibition against circumvention.”
The very first class of work listed was “Motion pictures on DVDs that are lawfully made and acquired and that are protected by the Content Scrambling System when circumvention is accomplished solely in order to accomplish the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment, and where the person engaging in circumvention believes and has reasonable grounds for believing that circumvention is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the use in the following instances:
(i) Educational uses by college and university professors and by college and university film and media studies students;
(ii) Documentary filmmaking;
(iii) Noncommercial videos”
In a closing comment, the Librarian stated that “All of these classes of works find their origins in classes that [were] designated [earlier], but some of the classes have changed due to differences in the facts and arguments presented in the current proceeding. For example, in the previous proceeding [the Librarian] designated a class that enable film and media studies professors to engage in the noninfringing activity of making compilations of film clips for classroom instruction. In the current proceeding, the record supported an expansion of that class to enable the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into documentary films and noncommercial videos for the purpose of criticism or comment, when the person engaging in circumvention reasonably believes that it is necessary to fulfill that purpose. I agree with the Register [of Copyrights] that the record demonstrates that it is sometimes necessary to circumvent access controls on DVDs in order to make these kinds of fair uses of short portions of motion pictures.” (italics and underline added for emphasis)
What does this mean? Faculty at not-for-profit educational institutions may use small portions of video for instructional purposes even if they must use DVD rippers (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_ripper) to break the encryption. The ruling does not address what constitutes “fair use,” it only allows circumvention of copy protection to obtain clips, when the use is legal. So combining this ruling with provisions of the fair use provision, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the T.E.A.C.H. act would suggest these guidelines for faculty and technical support staff:
- The video/DVD must be legally obtained (not an illegal or bootleg copy).
- The video must not be available and marketed specifically for on-campus or online classroom use.
- The video clips used must be for educational purposes only; that is, used to meet specific course objectives.
- The video clips, if delivered via digital (electronic) technology, must only be accessible to and restricted to currently enrolled students through password protection (such as provided by a learning management system) or similar technological methods.
- When DVDs or other media formats are protected by anticopying technology (such as CSS, a content scrambling system frequently used for DVDs), that protection may be circumvented if the resulting use of “short portions of motion pictures” is for lawful educational purposes. The instructor will not be in violation of the anticircumvention provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, 1998) based on the recent rulemaking by the Librarian of Congress.
- The rulemaking exemption also permits instructors to use ripped content in non-classroom settings that are protected under “fair use” such as presentations at academic conferences.
- In summary: copying and performing film clips in the classroom is not an infringement of copyright and appropriate methods may be employed to circumvent the copy protection, if the use complies with the fair use provisions of the copyright act.
- Phrased another way: “The question, essentially, was: did the breaking of encryption on a DVD for a fair use of the content violate copyright law? The answer is now ‘no.’ And that answer is a very good thing for higher education. With the uncertainty lifted, film studies professors -- or any instructors or students who wish to use encrypted digital materials -- may now do so without fear of litigation, so long as fair use covers the content.” (see Milano, Inside Higher Education, below)
- Finally, these new exclusions to copyright are in effect for 3 years and then the Librarian of Congress must review and renew or change the ruling.
Final note: Nothing in this rulemaking establishes that instructors or institutions may freely convert an entire VHS (analog) tape or video to a digital format either for archival purposes or for classroom use. However, it’s clear that small portions of legally obtained analog video may be digitized for classroom use.
Sources for this article include:
- “The Best of Copyright and VideoLib” by Carrie Russell from Library Trends, Vol. 58, No. 3, Winter 2010 (“Current Trends in Academic Media Collections and Services,” edited by Ciara Healy), pp. 349–357, © 2010 The Board of Trustees, University of Illinois)
- the July 26, 2010 Librarian of Congress news item “Announces DMCA Section 1201 Rules for Exemptions Regarding Circumvention of Access-Control Technologies” (see http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2010/10-169.html)
- “Movie Clips and Copyright” from the July 28, 2010 issue of Inside Higher Education (see http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/07/28/copyright) and
- “What the Copyright Ruling Means” by Tracy Milano from the July 27, 2010 issue of Inside Higher Education (see http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/law_policy_and_it/what_the_copyright_ruling_means).
JCCC Anatomy & Biology Project Featured by Producers of Articulate
The article states, “Tracy helps faculty and staff with their computing & instructional technology needs. Earlier this year, she used Articulate software for the first time to rapidly create a series of study tools for the college’s anatomy class. Now several other instructors want to leverage the same approach for their own courses.”
Industry Gears Up to Compete with iPad
Among those companies getting ready to release their own product is Samsung. The Galaxy Tab is described at http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/. Some of the basic features designed to set it apart from the iPad include: based on the Android 2.2 operating system, “users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimized user interface,” it touts the ability to video conference, give access to the Android Marketplace of apps, supports the Adobe Flash player 10.1 and features a slim 7” TFT-LCD screen. No word on pricing, availability and whether or not it will be sold without a telecommunications (phone) contract.
Another option that is currently available is the slightly smaller (5” screen) Dell Streak (see http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/us/segments/bsd/mobile-streak?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd). It also runs the Google Android OS, can communicate with Google Mail or Outlook, runs Android apps and is designed for mobile web access, business applications and video conferencing. Dell lists the Streak for $549.99 but it may be available for as low as $299 with a two-year AT&T contract activation.
2D Codes or QR Codes
An example of the educational use of QR Codes can be viewed by examining Ubimark’s publication of Around the World in 80 Days with QR Codes (see http://2d-code.co.uk/around-the-world-with-qr-codes/). Ubimark has republished the Jules Verne classic but this time with QR Codes (two per page) that enable the reader to access supplemental materials or participate in online SMS chats. The site demonstrates an interesting use of QR Code that might enhance learner engagement.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Random Name Generator for Classroom Use?
Here’s the answer: There’s a random name generator that could be used to accomplish what you wish at http://www.superteachertools.com/classroom-tools/random-name.php
Be sure to click the "Click here" link above the Random Name Generator button to create a class list. You can then bookmark the page (with the list) and/or download it and use each time you need to generate names for that class randomly. You could create a roster once for each class and then never have to type those names again.
Green Tip
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/green-your-library/you-press-print-button-consider
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
NASA Footage Showing Gulf Oil Spill from Space
Thanks to http://treehugger.com for alerting me to these links.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Beware Amazon Phishing Messages
Here I was checking email, minding my own business, and a confirmation came across for an Amazon.com order I didn’t make! I can tell it’s a fake (and they’re fishing for personal information) because:
- I have no outstanding order with Amazon for $73.99 (or any other amount).
- I moused over (but didn’t click) the links and my status bar shows an actual link that is NOT to any Amazon.com page.
- I went to Amazon.com (by typing the actual address, not using a link within the document), logged in, checked for any Open Orders and found none (I order a lot from Amazon and thought all orders had been received but wanted to double-check).
- I noticed that the “Thanks for the Order” didn’t include any mention of what I ordered (and Amazon’s invoice/confirmation always does).
So be forewarned. Even if you get email from a company with whom you do business, if ANYTHING seems fishy, don’t use links in the email but go direct to the site to verify the order, the communication or whatever it is. Be cautious. It pays.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Have You Registered for 2 Days of Free Workshops?
If you are not a current C2C member becoming a member is as easy. Simply go to www.sidlit.org and click the Create New Account link in the bottom left corner. Once you’ve completed the member registration form, locate the SIDLIT SIGNUP link and click it.
Join Colleague to Colleague (C2C) and join us for a cost efficient (free) conference at Johnson County Community College on the first Thursday and Friday (5 & 6) in August 2010. And pass on this message to your colleagues so they can attend and learn at SIDLIT 2010.
“What Bugs You About Email?” Captured
You might find it informative to view the discussion and hear some tips on how you can eliminate email frustration for yourself and your correspondents. The video archive of the session is available at http://video.jccc.edu/academicvid/BrownBags/Brownbag05-12-10.asx.
Video archive links for all of the Spring Semester JCCC Technology Brown Bag sessions are available at http://web.jccc.edu/edtech/brownbag/.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
AcademiX: Learning in an Open Access World
Remember, you can also register online and watch from your home or office computer.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tip: Buying a Car with Data
What if one site existed that could help you calculate the “True Cost” (what a dealer paid for the car including discounts and holdbacks…an amount typically less than factory invoice) and the “True Average” (that is, the average cost of a car in your zip code, your region and the country as a whole)?
If such a site sounds helpful, check out http://www.truecar.com, print the page, take it to the dealer and you’ve got your “buyer’s ammunition” in your hands.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Comparison of eBook Readers
Resources that you might find helpful on the topic include a short article from The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/article/6-Lessons-One-Campus-Learne/44440/) and a second article (with much more detail) from the EDUCAUSE Quarterly (http://bit.ly/ICl7L).
Pecha Kucha, Ignite and Flash Sessions
Ignite Law is a weekly Pecha Kucha event held in Chicago for lawyers and is free (with a ticket). It’s just one example of regularly scheduled Pecha Kucha sessions around the country. Many educational conferences are beginning to incorporate this type of event within their conference schedule. An example is the upcoming Summer Institute on Distance Learning and Instructional Technology (SIDLIT) sponsored by Colleague to Colleague and JCCC (supported by Staff and Organizational Development and the Ed Tech Center). Check out http://www.c2conline.org/ or http://www.sidlit.org/ for more information.
If you’d like to see video from the Ignite Law sessions, check out http://www.ignitelaw.com/video/. Additionally, you can see a Pecha Kucha training video about Pecha Kucha presentations at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGaCLWaZLI4.
Could this concept be valuable in the classroom? Or maybe there’s an application for PowerPoint Karaoke (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSsj0wmeS00&NR=1).
My Blog List
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Copyright: Off Air Recording - Johnson County Community College is phasing out VCRs on campus in favor of DVD players. Many faculty members have off-air recordings on video tape and have...16 years ago
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Just for the Record... - I've discontinued posting to this blog because we (JCCC, the college where I work) is within 3 months of ceasing to use Blackboard CE. We're almost finishe...16 years ago
