elearningWatch August 2009

G’day
did I mention it rains a lot in Auckland, especially at this time of year ? But not during conference time which brings me to
ascilite2009
I hope you have the dates in your diary, your tickets booked and have submitted a proposal!
While we are on about conferences,
ALT-C 2009
looms large on the horizon and I am looking forward to catching up with a few people in September; looks as if it’s going to be a great event again.
Now down to the other business of expanding one’s educational horizons. In this posting there is a interesting article from Flex-e news, a very different search engine, a couple of useful blogs, critical education theory and practice, mobile technologies, mini projector, history of the Internet, iPod in education, free lectures from the world’s best, some learning objects, conferences, including information on the next JISC online conference and the the odd one out.
That’s it until September finds me in the UK enjoying the sunshine.
1. Flex -e News: Seven deadly Sins of e-learning.
This is a short article with some pointers about elearning in the workplace. Must be something to do with the devil in the detail. Wander around the rest of the site to get even more useful material.

http://flexenews.flexiblelearning.net.au/

2. Collecta: Searching the real time Web
‘Collecta is not like other search engines. Instead of finding old stuff, we look for mentions of your search term happening right now’.
This is a very interesting and somewhat absorbing search engine with a difference. Pulls out some good stuff as well. Give it a go.

http://www.collecta.com/

3. THE WEBLOG OF (A) DAVID JONES: Another voice in the blogosphere
This is a very comprehensive Blog and worth perusing, especially as David provides a lot of material on elearning which is part of his PhD thesis. Much of the material will be useful to others.
The link below takes you to his evaluation and comments and review of institutional elearning strategies.
As an aside, I note he is well into positive thinking, it’s likely he will be at ascilite 2009!

http://davidtjones.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/institutional-e-learning-strategies/

4. Tony Ward : Critical education theory and practice.
Tony lives in New Zealand and maintains an excellent site on Critical education theory and practice. It includes an impressive range of FREE resources for
Critical Theory & Critical Pedagogy.
Well worth a visit.

http://www.tonywardedu.com/

5. Keeping up to date with mobile and related technologies. This Website has some useful and quite well written insights into latest developments and issues with mobile devices. There’s a few ads on the page, but not intrusive.

http://jkontherun.com/

6.Optoma Pico Pocket Projector: First Look Review.
This neat little device could solve all your presentation problems. Available in November . Bound to be many more on the way. In fact Samsung recently released ‘The Snow’ a mobile phone with built in projector, only for use in Korea as we speak. Who will follow??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=5-R0COWqhKA

http://www.optoma.co.uk/optomapico/PicoIntro.aspx

7. 20 ways to use an iPod for education. A video about some easy ways to produce material and resources for education using an iPod. Some good ideas and sites are identified in this presentation.

http://newlearning.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/20-ways-to-use-an-ipod-for-education/

8. Academic earth: Video lectures from the world’s top scholars
Extract from the Mission:
‘Academic Earth is an organization founded with the goal of giving everyone on earth access to a world-class education’
Decide for yourself and listen to some of the world’s best? Try The Human Brain and Muscular System for starters. Interesting and worth staying a while.

http://www.academicearth.org/

9. The Internet. Have you ever wanted to know all about how the Internet started? It’s history and all the various elements that contribute to its operation?
This will occupy you for a long time. I like the map of the Internet in 1985. No Google in site (sic)!

http://www.livinginternet.com/i/i.htm

10. WIsconsin Online Resource Centre
Extract
‘The Wisconsin Online Resource Center is a digital library of Web-based learning resources called “learning objects. The Wisc-Online digital library contains 2545 objects that are accessible to all WTCS faculty at no cost and with copyright clearance for use in any WTCS classroom or online application.
Other colleges, universities, and consortia from throughout the United States and around the world use the library with permission.’
Have a look at the International award winning ‘Construction of Cell Membrane’. Surely an excellent and valuable resource for anyone teaching biology and/or physiology? A neat , useful and engaging resource for the learner.

http://www.wisc-online.com/

11. Conferences
11.1
ALT-C 2009: ‘In dreams begins responsibility’, choice, evidence, and change.
8-10 September 2009, Manchester, UK.

http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2009/

The ‘Number 1’ conference to be at in the UK!
Registration system is OPEN
Bookings close: 14 August 2009
Taken from the ALT Digest, a fortnightly publication from the Association for
Learning Technology (ALT).

http://www.alt.ac.uk/

11.2 ASCILITE 2009: “Same Places, Different Spaces” AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: DECEMBER 6- 9th.
Jointly hosted by The University of Auckland and AUT University in Auckland.
This has to be the preeminent conference on computers and technology in learning in tertiary education in the asia pacific region, and one that’s not to be missed!
My Review proposal submission system is now OPEN for business.

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/review/index.php?authorsInstructions=1

Registrations open: 24th August 2009
[Note change of date. This is to accommodate details of workshops being offered]
Early Bird Registration deadline: 31st October 2009
Bookings close: November 16th 2009
Cost of Registration: see

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/?m=Programme&s=Registration-costs

Conference Website

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/

11.3 The fourth JISC international online conference: Thriving, not just surviving!
24-27 November 2009
Themes for Innovating e-Learning 2009 reflect the challenges facing further and higher education in the 21st century and explore the increased options offered by technology for meeting those challenges.
Theme 1: Finding the way focuses on exploring guiding principles for technology-enhanced learning and teaching.
Theme 2: Meeting the challenge looks at the integration of technology-mediated practice under specific agendas: meeting the needs of employers, delivering learning on a global scale, developing sustainable and external-facing strategies for curriculum development.

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/elpconference09

12. The Odd one out
Something different altogether: Apocalyptic theories. The author says:
‘The intention is to develop a general introduction to the influence of apocalyptic ideas on Anglo-Saxon literature and culture and – at a later point – a centre for the discussion and further study of this field’.
Go to the time line (link at top of page) and click on 800- 900 AD and then Viking Raids 842 (left hand side of screen) for starters. Fascinating to spend a few hours navigating the resources.

http://www.apocalyptic-theories.com/timeline/zmainframe.htm

Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand

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