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Encyclopedia of Life

February 29, 2008 Edu Tech Comments Off

Worldwide Telescope - Google Maps for the universe

February 28, 2008 Edu Tech No Comments

Right now the TED 2008 (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference is on. TED is the technology conference the highest profile in the world.

Yesterday at this conference, Microsoft Research previewed a project called the Worldwide Telescope and it’s getting quite a reaction around the world. Read a post with a good overview from a popular blogger, Robert Scoble and check out the WWTelescope promotion sight. There is not much available now but the project is due to be opened up to the public in Spring 2008.

I’m very excited to watch this develop!

Here is the video clip from TED:

Programming as a new “literacy”

February 22, 2008 Edu Tech No Comments

A colleague of mine recently forwarded me this article, Programming: A New Literacy, by Mark Prensky.

My goal as an IT Director for so long has been to “shield” the details and complexity of technology from the average user. “It just needs to work and they shouldn’t need to understand how”, was my mantra. When I entered into the field of IT 10 years, I felt this to be a good strategy and arguably it was. I found success and a decent degree of customer satisfaction in the solutions and services that myself and my IT department have provided. However, I believe times are changing and this article highlights it well. Applications, devices, websites… all technology is becoming increasing configurable. Office applications can really be bent and molded to do all kinds of tasks they weren’t originally intended for. Even newer programming languages are becoming more and more accessible to “non-programmers”. Having the necessary skills to make technology do what you want, should no longer lie in the hands of a few geeks like me. Those who are able to bend technology, whether it be your productivity software, your iPod or the applications you require at work, will ultimately be able to add more value and be more effective in their organizations and communities.

The strange thing is that, simultaneous to this increasing requirement to “programming” the tools around you, there is little emphasis on computer science in K-12 education (particularly as a requirement for post-secondary education) and an “enrollment crisis” in computer science at the post-secondary level. I do not suggest and, neither does the author of this article, that everyone in the world become professional programmers. However, the core skills of programming (such functions, logic, input/output, understanding the basic principles of computers etc.) are part of the necessary “literacy” one needs to remain effective and competitive in the world.

I’m becoming an advocate for mandatory early computer science education in K-12. Kids should be exposed to programming concepts at least at the grade 9 or 10 level if not much sooner. This will increase the digital literacy of our kids. It will also serve to encourage more kids into computer related studies and ultimately aid in solving the decreased enrollment in post secondary computer science.

The Power of Fullscreen - F11

February 3, 2008 Technology, Tips No Comments

Widgets, task bars, e-mail pop-up notifications, instant message alerts… Could there be any more things to distract you from what you’re currently doing on your computer? Recently I discovered a simple but powerful way of staying focused: Fullscreen windows! Try it right now while reading this post… press F11 (on windows anyways) and poof! All those annoying, distracting things along the sides and bottom of your computer screen disappear until you’re ready to use them again. Functionally, it really does nothing. However, out of sight, out of mind… You may think you can filter those things out but chances are you can’t. Full screen windows don’t suppress every possible distraction but it is one step closer to clarity.

Note: Although there are exceptions, F11 is a fairly standard hotkey for fullscreen in most applications. Not sure what the Mac equivalent is… anyone?

Bubbl.us - web-based concept mapping tool

February 1, 2008 Tools, Webtools, Edu Tech No Comments

I’ve tried Smart Ideas (for which we have a site license), CmapTools (open source) and reviewed Inspiration. While all are good brainstorming / concept mapping tools in their own right, none match the simplicity, effectiveness and pure visual beauty of Bubbl.us. It’s completely web-based, cross-browser and has a very slick interface. It’s great as a teaching tool when you do not want the hassle of installing a fat brainstorming tool (or worse getting your students to install it) in order to do the occasional brainstorming session. All this value and I haven’t even touched on its sharing and collaborative features. Give it a try for yourself…

Encyclopedia of Life

Worldwide Telescope - Google Maps for the universe

Programming as a new “literacy”

The Power of Fullscreen - F11

Bubbl.us - web-based concept mapping tool

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