Two free eBooks about teaching with new Web 2.0 tools

I ran across two very good ebooks about teaching with some of the newest Web 2.0 tools. These tools are actually Cloud Computing based tools that are free to use, as are the ebooks.  Michael Zimmer is the author of both books. The ebooks are short and only take a few minutes to flip through. They are hosted on a site called issue.com, another cloud app that allows you to publish ebooks like these.

iPad Review

The Apple iPad has been available in Canada for a week now but I have had one to try out for about three weeks.  I have had a lot of people ask me if I would buy one and No, I would not. For the following reasons:

• Too expensive - for the low end price of $550, you could get a real pretty computer real computer. Or get an iPod Touch for less than half of that. 

Cloud Computing for Your Classroom

There are many useful cloud computing applications that are emergingthat you can easily use in your classroom to engage your students and supportcollaborative learning. Cloud computing applications are tools that reside totallyon the Web and you can access through any computer with a Web browser andInternet connection. Many of these tools can be used with very little investmentof time to learn and set up -- and, most of them are free. In this session, we willreview several of these resources and how you can employ them to enhance your teaching.

Resources:

• Prezi including links to my three top ten lists.
• Shared Typewith.me document.
• Go2Web20.net- Cloud Computing Applications Index
• Growing list of Free Cloud Computing Teaching Tools that I and others are compiling.
• Click here to sign up for a free Dropbox.com account and get a 250MB Bonus.

If you are using a free cloud computing app in your teaching, share it with us. Post a comment.

Rod Corbett

Blackboard's new Grade Center

Check out this short Flash movie that high lights the cool new features of Blackboard's new Grade Center. This is an overhauled grade book that is coming out in Blackboard 8.0. Click here to play the clip.

ASUS Eee PC Sub Notebook

I now have one of the new ASUS Eee PC units to try out and I really like it. They can purchased from Memory Express or from The Source by Circuit City starting as low as $299. I now have the 8GB model for $499. A student pointed out that I can double the RAM from 512 MB on the 4GB model to 1GB by replacing the RAM chip for a $25 1GB chip.

I have also found a couple of interesting sites that help you to learn more about this unit:

• Asus's own learn about the EeePC site.
  
• Here is a easy guide from the site above
• Here is a EEEPC User Community site. complete with forums where to ask questions about the machine.
  
• An online simulation of the software interface, menus and apps on the unit.
  

This is the machine I have been waiting for, because:

• It is small, light weight and inexpensive.
  
• It is Linux based and liberates me from MS.
• It comes with Open Office installed which I am getting to like much better than MS Office.
  
• It is designed to be a portable Web browser. I now use more Web-based apps than installed and this would work great for me.
  
• It is flexible, you can change the software on it, add SD Memory and it comes with 3 USB 2 ports.
• This also would be a great computer for my daughter, who is in grade one. It is easy to use, durable and comes loaded with lots of software.
  

I find this unit is a lot easier to pack around then my laptop and so I tend to take it to more meetings for note taking and access the Net. I have also hooked it up to my 17" LCD monitor and it works great set at 1280x1024 with an external mouse and keyboard.

Earlier in March, Asus announced that they are coming out with a 9" screen version in June (the current version has a 7" screen) that will come with 1GB or RAM and 8 GB or 12 GB of SST Hard Drives. Not only is the screen better but the resolution on it will be 1024x600, while the current one is 800x480. As best that I can tell, the size the unit is only slightly larger.

If you have one, let us know by posting a comment.

The Next Generation of e-Learning Software

I recently read this white paper from Educause about the current status of e-learning systems and what the next generation systems should be and it is very thought provoking. You can find it at http://www.educause.edu/er/erm06/erm0643.asp

I was very impressed about how the model of the next generation system, described at the end, reflected the concept of a personal learning network that centres on the learner. This is a concept that I have been reading about for a few years and I feel that I personally have constructed my own personal learning network to meet my professional development needs. So, here is a model of how this could be extended to our students, as life long learners. And I had a chat with one of the authors of this paper, Ali Jafari, and he is building the system and offering it to us. It is call epsilen and you can look at it at http://www.epsilen.com/

It is worth the read. After reading it, consider how we can start to change our thinking about our e-learning systems to meet the needs of 21st century students. And if we don't will the students be attracted to the institutions that do? I wonder if this is just like 10 years ago when we were considering getting on the e-learning bandwagon or being left behind. I suspect it is.

I am putting a group of people together who would like to collaborate on discussing these issues and helping to move us ahead. Email me if you would like to join us at RodCorbett@gmail.com

Please place comments here.

A Wiki Replaces the Textbook in a Boston Colllege Classroom

Here is an interesting article about how an instructor is using a Wiki and other Web 2. 0 tools to enhance learning in his classroom, but he has gone so far as to replace the textbook. The students have to love that.

Check out the article at http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9030802 and let us know what you think out it.

Rod

Second Life International Education Conference! May 25, 2007

Planning is currently underway for the first Second Life International Education Conference! The focus will be on best practices in teaching, learning and research. Click here for more information.

The conference will be held on May 25, 2007 in venues all over the Second Life world, with exciting presentations, vendors and exhibitors, and everything an educator needs to know to get started exploring the possibilities for teaching, learning, and research in Second Life!

There is no cost to participate in this conference but you do need to sign up for a Second Life identity or account, which is free. Go to http://www.secondlife.com for that.

Rod

All Things Web 2.0

Here is a very useful directory site of many Web 2.0 applications. These apps are typically free and designed for collaborating with others. The apps are organized in to categories including one for Elearning 2.0 where several very interesting learning apps are listed.

I also found the wide range of very innovation apps in the lists that I have never thought of before. There are sites to help you improve your health and network with others doing the same. Apps for networking with others is all kinds of ways.

According to lists, the most popular app is blurf a trivia question game.

What is also nice of this site is the you can read reviews and ratings on the Web 2.0 apps/sites so it can help you make sense of the new Web 2.0.

mLearning 2006 Conference

Back in October, I attended a very interesting conference in Banff all about mLearning. This was the 5th annual world conference about mLearning. If you are not familiar with mLearning this is Mobile Learning, so like eLearning but with the focus on using Cell Phones, PDA, Tablet PCS and other wireless devices for learning.

There were many very interesting presentations at the conference and the organizers have just posted most of the presentation PowerPoint slides up onto their website at http://www.mlearn2006.org/program/

I observed that the number of Canadians at the conference was low compared to the delegates from other countries. This may be due to that apparent lead that countries other than the USA and Canada seem to be ahead of North America when it comes to mLearning.

The $100 Laptop

There is a great initiative taking place in the world that plans to create millions of specially design laptop computers for the children of the world. The computer is designed to cost $100 each. The mandate is to put one of these laptops into the hands of each child to enable them to get an enhanced education.

For all of the details about these units go to www.laptop.org.

Unfortunately, these units will not be available to purchase in our favourite computer stores but I believe the break-through design strategies will put more pressure on all laptop vendors to design more cost-effective units.