Online Learning and Teaching

Managing Remote Workers

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Literacy Exchange - World Resources on Literacy

If you are interested in the global scene on literacy, here's a quick reference site. You can get information on statistics, policy, processes and resources by country (courtesy of UNESCO and the University of Hamburg):
http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/UNESCO-UIE/literacyexchange/index.html

Hidden in the bowels of this resource site is a goldmine of literacy resources (compiled by category and country):

World Statistics on Literacy
Journals on Literacy and Adult Education
Literacy Libraries, Archives, Bibliographies and Forums
Literacy Books, Documents and Glossaries
Classic Books in Education

URL: http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/UNESCO-UIE/literacyexchange/lixlinks.htm

Literacy, Learning and ICT - Research, resources and software

This section of the site looks at literacy with a focus on the interaction between literacy, learning and ICT;
http://www.simonmidgley.co.uk/talklearn/

These resources are primarily aimed at schools but there some that can be applied to broader literacy issues.

Here you can find:

research on the interaction between literacy, learning and ICT
links to other resources
educational software
resources and ideas to support the teaching of literacy (written by literacy specialists)
project reports and case studies
ICT and the Home-Schools Link Project - report on the research and case study reports

URL: http://www.simonmidgley.co.uk/talklearn/

There is a link in the the left-hand column to a pdf file by Claire North that provides a wide range of online activities to support literacy in schools. If the link below does not work, try the link on the Literacy, Learning and ICT site:
http://www.equip.ac.uk/Clare/index.html

Literacy Activities and Resources - Schools

This is the Literacy Activities and Resources section of the Lancashire Grid for Learning web site. Here you will find activities for pupils of all ages, resources and links for teachers, and contributions from Lancashire schools.

http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacyresources/index.php

Literacy Site - Fiction and Narrative - Online Picture Books

This site is provided by the Lanchasire Grid for Learning.

There are a wide range of links to free and pay picture books with many links to further resources.
URL: http://tinyurl.com/o6945

The focus here seems to be toddlers and primary children.

In the process of viewing this site you will be exposed to different software and strategies for creating online picture books.

You can check out the site here:
http://tinyurl.com/o6945

Literacy Live - Edna Group

Literacy Live is a joint venture between the Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre and the Australian Council for Adult Literacy. The aim is to connect and support adult literacy practitioners Australia-wide through the use of a range of eTools which will enable access to relevant, up-to-date news and professional development regardless of location or circumstance.

URL: http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/course/view.php?id=221

Resources include:

Literacy Live eNewsletter
Literacy Live Discussion Forum (topics include: "cool tools to enrich adult literacy practice")
Literacy Live Meeting Room
Literacy Live online events
Digital stories
Links to resources

The Literacy Live Meeting room is available free of charge, by any adult literacy team Australia-wide for your own private meetings and events.;
http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/course/view.php?id=221

There is also an excellent, user friendly, 7 page eBook on how to use the Literacy Live e-Tools (forum and meeting room):
http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=9999

Self-Directed Learning and Adult Literacy Resources

This is an extensive list of links to free tutorials and courses for elearners covering a wide range of areas, e.g. business elearning resources, online learning for web skills, interactive site for adult literacy resources, consumer awareness, and government workers.

The webmaster's advice is:
Spend just three minutes at each site to appreciate the volume and quality of what's available, and then return to your favorite sites later for more in-depth exploration.

Worth checking out if you are into adult literacy:
http://lone-eagles.com/webtour7.htm

Directory of Online Resources About Information Literacy

This directory was founded by Drew Smith, Instructor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, Tampa.

It is edited by Mark Dibble, Instruction and Public Service Librarian, Blumberg Memorial Library, Texas Lutheran University.

It appears that areas of the Directory were last updated in late 2004. However there are some valuable and extensive resources here, including interactive tutorials.

This online directory covers resources from Australia and overseas and includes links to aspects such as:

Assessment
Assignments
Bibliographies and Webographies
Conferences
Definitions
Electronic Mailing Lists
Information Literacy Plans
The Information Literacy Process
Information Literacy Standards
Organizations and Projects
Papers and Presentations
Programs in Higher Education
Programs in K-12 Education
Tutorials

The link is as follows:
http://bulldogs.tlu.edu/mdibble/doril/

E-learning and literacy: Woodland Grange Primary School

Woodland Grange Primary School have gathered here super games, tools and programs that can be used fully and free of charge to support learning.

The e-learning toolbox covers reading, writing and spelling.

The link is:

http://www.woodlandwideweb.the-office.org.uk/elearningliteracy.htm

mLearning: Doing the unthinkable and reaching the unreachable

Tom Brown, University of Pretoria

This is a highly entertaining and enlightening presentation covering:

mLearning in rural Africa
approaches to mLearning
examples of mLearning and lessons learned
future learning paradigms
envisioning 2010
the future role of mobile learning

Tom Brown's comments about mLearning in rural Africa are instructive:

mLearning has already started to play a very important role in Africa
m Learning has brought eLearning to the rural communities of Africa - to learners that we never imagind as eLearning learners just a few years ago
mLearning is the gateway to eLearning for most learners in Africa as the rapidly growing wireless infrastructure increasingly fulfills their access needs
Africa is leapfrogging from an unwired, non-existent eLearning infrastructure to a wirless eLearning infrastructure. Numerous statistics in this regard are already significant proof of this process.

http://tinyurl.com/7okbt

( Keynote address: mLearning - The Future of Mobile?, Ericsson Education Conference, September 9th 2005, Dublin)

M-learning and the new students' thinking

Cecilie Murray

This article provides readers, especially those teaching and researching in the school sector, with much to think about in terms of educating future generations, starting with the highly topical Generation Y or Millennials. What do we really know about our students? How can we better respond to, and meet, their needs? The author invites some further and much needed discussion about issues regarding teaching the future student in a world of ever-increasing technology.

http://tinyurl.com/7m3k7

Enabling Mobile Learning

Enabling Mobile Learning

Ellen D. Wagner

This paper discusses the use of mobile learning in education, the current mobile learning landscape, lessons "e-learned", trends and the future mobile learning landscape.

http://tinyurl.com/8j6j7

(EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 40, no. 3 (May/June 2005): 40–53. )

The Handheld Classroom: Educational Implications of Mobile Technology

The Handheld Classroom: Educational Implications of Mobile Technology

Mark Finn and Natalie Vandenham

This paper explores the use of handheld computers in a variety of educational settings. It includes:

an overview of recent research
several key projects
educational issues raised
brief discussion of potential future uses of handhelds in the classroom (focusing particularly on the possibilities created by new wireless standards)

http://tinyurl.com/bo4rp

(Australian Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society, Vol 2, No 1, 2004)

Hand-Held Devices in the Classroom

A great resource database covering many aspects of the use of hand-held devices in education. The sites description follows:

"Hand-held devices are rapidly becoming a common technology at work, school, and play. There are many different handheld devices. Explore the following links on this page:
Personal Digital Assistants
GPS and GIS in the Classroom
Portable Electronic Keyboards
Digital Cameras
Other Devices

PDAs - Personal Digital Assistant by companies such as Palm share the same operating system called the Palm OS. You can download free and inexpensive software for your Palm OS from the Internet. You can "hot sync" your PDA with your computer and they work together as a great team.

An increasing number of applications are being developed for educational administrators, teachers, and students. Because they are inexpensive when compared to laptop computers, many schools are finding that a mixture of desktop, laptop, and handheld devices can be used to meet a variety of educational needs."

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic78.htm

Txt Me: supporting disengaged youth using mobile technologies

There are two resources here. The first describes the actual project involving mobile technologies for disengaged youth; the second proposes recommendations for the use of m-learning strategies.

Projects: New Practices in Flexible Learning 2004: Txt Me: supporting disengaged youth using mobile technologies

Jill Jamieson

The project recognises that mobile phone use has become a pervasive communication tool among youth culture, and has aimed to develop recommendations and guidelines for VET providers on using this communication technology to support a sustainable learning culture with disengaged youth. Specifically, the project sought to find new ways to engage, motivate and sustain lifelong learning skills for these learners.

The project tested the hypothesis that m-learning strategies and mobile phone technology motivates and supports the retention of disengaged youth in learning programs and facilitates the development of lifelong learning skills through supporting collaborative, networked learning environments.

The overall goal of the project was to integrate readily accessible mobile technology into a vocational learning environment for the benefit of disengaged learners.

http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/projects/txtme.htm

TxT Me: Supporting disengaged youth using mobile technologies.

Anne Ison, Alex Hayes, Sandra Robinson and Jill Jamieson

Recommendations for the use of m-learning strategies to support disengaged youth in vocational education and training.

http://tinyurl.com/amyce

Steve McCarty: Spoken Internet To Go: Popularization through Podcasting, September 24, 2005

Comments by Stephen Downes:
The author summarizes, "Specific examples are presented: the BlogMatrix podcast hosting site, the podcasting blog 'Japancasting,' and the 'Spoken Libraries' project of the World Association for Online Education. There is also the little-known story that the first school in the world to give iPods to all students was not Duke University but rather Osaka Jogakuin College in Japan, where podcasting is therefore particularly made to order." Good article, informative, and useful to those looking more closely at the use of audio in learning. [Tags: Web Logs, Podcasting, Online Learning, Schools, Project Based Learning]

Article source: http://www.waoe.org/president/podcasting_article.html

The Origins of Blogging and Podcasting

EdTechTalk #28 - An interview with Bob Sprankle and Bud The Teacher

Stephen Downes describes Bob Sprangle as an "edupodcasting pioneer". This one hour interview with Bob and Bud gives some insight into the evolution of podcasting and blogging for education.

The interview can be listened to online or downloaded as an mp3 file:
http://edtechtalk.com/node/176

Wesley A. Fryer: Classroom Audio Podcasting, Tools for the TEKS December 29, 2005

Stephen Downes comments:

Nice article, not too long, that introduces the idea of classroom podcasting, outlines some of the uses and some of the benefits, and offers a few examples. Good overview at an introductory level. Via Miguel Guhlin, who adds some urgency to the debate: "We either use computer labs to support information literacy or do online state assessments/test prep. We either train teachers on how to help students learn information-problem-solving strategies or how to help their students maximize scores on tests. We can no longer do both." [Tags: Assessment, Podcasting]

Article source: http://tinyurl.com/8fdrc

Educational Podcasting for Teaching and Learning

A UK directory of podcasts for educational use with over 2,000 podcasts that can be used for children and young people at schools, colleges and elsewhere:
http://www.recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/index.php

Includes educators tips for using podcasts and RSS feeds.

Great teaching resource with good examples of educational podcasting!

Tony Vincent: Podcasting News, Learning in Hand January 11, 2006

Stephen Downes comments:

Good overview of recent developments in podcasting, which (as we see from the article) has been discovered by the mainstream educational press. Some recommendations and some software updates (especially for Apple fans). [Tags: Apple, Podcasting]

Article source: http://learninginhand.com/blog/2006/01/podcasting-news.html

RETC's 'Podcast for Teachers' Receives National Award - Fordham

Ray Schroeder reports on 8 January 2006:

The Regional Educational Technology Center's (RETC) weekly podcast, Techpod, Podcast for Teachers, was honored with the 2005 Innovation Award for educational leadership in the field of professional development on Oct. 28 at the Professional Organizational Development (POD) Network's annual conference in Milwaukee, Wis. The weekly podcast, which is broadcast over the Web and can be accessed on a computer or MP3 player, was developed by co-hosts Kathy King, Ed.D., director of the RETC, and Mark Gura, a professional developer and outreach coordinator for the RETC. Since its launch in August 2005, more than 7,000 listeners have tuned into an edition of Techpod, Podcast for Teachers, which focuses on professional development for educators on the topic of educational technology, curriculum and innovations.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/9cmez

UC podcasting trial merges education with technology - Lori Kurtzman, Cincinnati Enquirer

Ray Schroeder reports on 11 January 2006:

Something strange is strapped to Nancy Jennings' arm. Standing at the front of a classroom, Jennings is reviewing the syllabus of her Introduction to Mass Communication course, which started Tuesday at the University of Cincinnati. She gives the students her e-mail and phone contacts and tells them they need to score 462 points to get an A in her class. And then she says this: "I am strapped in. We are recording. This is very new. This is experimental. This is the first time it's been done on UC's campus." That thing on her arm? It's recording everything she says.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/7dvyn

Podcasting: Transforming Middle Schoolers Into ‘Middle Scholars’ - Larry S. Anderson, THE Journal

Ray Schroeder reports on 11 January 2006:

An innovative seventh-grade teacher has turned her students into expert podcasters by integrating the new Apple technology into her daily curriculum. It’s a recipe for success, when the teacher is Jeanne Halderson, the young people are her students at Longfellow Middle School in La Crosse, WI, and the technologies are iPods and Macintosh iBooks with GarageBand and iPhoto software.

Article Source: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/17607

Podcast My Class! Tegrity and Blackboard Bring Enhanced Podcasting to Colleges and Universities Nationwide

Ray Schroeder reports on 11 January 2006:

Tegrity, a worldwide leader in student achievement systems, and Blackboard Inc., a leading provider of technology to educational institutions, are making it possible for college students to watch and listen to class lectures on their iPods at any time and from any location. Through Tegrity® Campus enterprise software and the Blackboard Learning System™, recorded instruction from every class can now be automatically converted to enhanced podcasts for students to review later. The Tegrity Campus enterprise software seamlessly integrates with Blackboard, and includes a Blackboard Building Block™, described and available for download at http://www.blackboard.com/extend/b2/. Blackboard Building Blocks are third party applications which enable academic institutions to extend and customize their Blackboard® application. The Tegrity Campus Blackboard Building Block enables institutions to automatically capture, store and index every class on campus for later replay by every student. The on-demand content is accessible through Blackboard on any computer, and is now available on iPods as well. Each podcast is automatically indexed and enhanced with instructor audio, slides and annotations from class, making it much more engaging than audio-only podcasts.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/8v6p5

7 Things You Should Know About Podcasting - EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (Formerly NLII)

Ray Schroeder comments on 3 January 2006:

"Podcasting" refers to any software and hardware combination that permits automatic downloading of audio files to an MP3 player for listening at the user's convenience. Part of the appeal of podcasting is the ease with which audio content can be created, distributed, and downloaded from the Web. Barriers to adoption and costs are minimal, and the tools to implement podcasts are simple and affordable. Podcasting allows education to become more portable than ever before, giving educators another way to meet today's students where they live and learn—on the Internet and on audio players.

These comments are provided in the context of Educause article, "7 Things You Should Know About Podcasting".

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/d225l

Touch User Interface Links Podcasts To Printed Text - Laurie Sullivan, Information Week

Ray Schroeder reports on 19 December 2005:

The technology allows a reader to press a picture or word in a printed book and retrieve related digital content from a computer or PDA. Somatic Digital LLC said Friday it has developed technology that lets publishers integrate podcasts into their paper and ink content. The tool is offered through the BookDesigner software suite. The software tool allows publishers tie a podcast to a paper-based text, supplement or magazine, the company said. The reader touches the page in a printed book and a podcast is directed to the reader’s computer or download to an MP3 player through Bluetooth technology. The podcast can serve as a supplement to the paper-based product bringing new revenue opportunities to publishers and authors, the company said.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/7djpb

Is the 'Pod Ripe? - Jon Reidel, The University of Vermont View

Ray Schroeder reports on 12 December:

Like any professor who has been around for 35 years, Charles Rathbone, associate professor of education, is always looking for ways to keep his lectures fresh. He’s a prime example of a “more mature” teacher, as he lightheartedly refers to himself on his Web site, who uses new teaching methods and technology to engage his students as much today as he did when he arrived on campus in 1970. This semester, Rathbone put together a seven-minute Podcast of the highlights of a 40-minute lecture from his “Learning and the Learner” course, hoping it would stimulate some discussion and help bring to life what he viewed as pretty thick content. The response to the use of Apple’s palm-size digital music player far exceeded expectations.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/8brbz

Purdue podcasting - Rich Van Wyk, WTHR

Ray Schroeder reports on 4 December 2005:

Pop, rock, rap, what else would you expect ringing the ears of college students? How about Biology 438 or Econ 251 or Chemistry 123? Welcome to the new cyber realm of podcasting, or as Purdue prefers, "We like to call it Boilercast," says Boilercast creator Michael Gay. Classroom lectures are remotely recorded and pasted to the Internet. Then, Abra Ca Dabra, broadcast to students' desktops, laptops and handheld music players. Michael Hicks thinks, "It seems pretty magical to me." More than magical.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/7ljyr

Lectures in the palm of your hand - Laura Heinauer, American Statesman

Ray Schroeder reports this story on 1 December 2005:

Think those college kids jogging around with white iPod wires hanging out of their ears are listening to music? Think again. In this age of podcasting, there's just as good a chance that the kid you assumed was jamming to Coldplay is actually catching up on a lecture. UT communications professor Gary Wilcox records lectures on his iPod, then posts them online. "I usually do it around test time, to make sure I have everything in my notes," said Jennifer Hallabough, a University of Texas sophomore advertising major who is enrolled in a class that offers recorded lectures. "I'll listen to it anywhere I normally study," she said, laughing at the thought of listening to it while jogging yet admitting it could work for some. Hallabough's course, Introduction to Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion, is one of several at UT in which lectures are recorded for podcasting.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/ck7s8

Drexel University Launches Third Podcast of Four-Part Series - How to Compare and Select an Online College Degree Program

Ray Schroeder reports on 9 November 2005 about Drexel's marketing strategy using podcasts:

Drexel University, Philadelphia’s technological university, recently launched the third issue of their “Drexel e-Learning Minute” podcast series, which was created in August to address the unique issues and circumstances that new online students encounter and to provide prospective online learners with the tools needed for success.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/88vvt

University Channel begins 'vodcasting': Videos available for download through iTunes - Jill Feffer, Princetonian

Ray Schroeder reported this item on 31 December 2005:

The [Princeton] University Channel expanded the Apple technology services it provides to subscribers Thursday by adding vodcasts — shared videos to be watched using iTunes — to the podcasts, or downloadable sound files, it already offers. Apple recently introduced vodcasting technology in conjunction with the video-enabled iPod as a way of sharing video files over iTunes. Subscribers are notified when podcasts and vodcasts are available directly on the website or for downloading onto a computer. Both options are free of charge.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/b43px

Teaching Music Appreciation With Podcasting - Alex Williams, Corante

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 1 November 2005:

Do you remember music appreciation class? I yawn just thinking about those days in high school sitting through those lectures. Man, I wish I had podcasting and teachers like Chris Paschen and Bruce Bodelson. The Minneapolis high school teachers found the text book just didn't hold the student's interest. So they decided to start podcasting.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/9acsg

Stanford Embraced Podcasting - Shel Holtz, WebPro News

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 2 November 2005:

Stanford University has embraced podcasting in a big way. The University where Google's founders hammered out their code has loaded more than 400 audio files into a special portal in the iTunes Music Store, accessible through a page on the University's own website. http://itunes.stanford.edu/

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/amqnq

Students who miss class can catch up with `podcasting' - JODI S. COHEN, Chicago Tribune

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 4 November 2005:

When Purdue University senior Marcos Kohler skipped a physics class to attend a concert in Chicago, he didn't have to borrow a classmate's notes to catch up. Instead, he connected his silver iPod to a computer, downloaded the lecture, and from the comfort of a campus coffee shop, listened to the two-hour discussion on particle physics. "It recreates the entire class experience," said Kohler, 22, who missed another lecture at the West Lafayette, Ind., campus when he overslept for the 1:30 p.m. class. A video conference class would be even better, he said, but "to go from paper printouts to audio, this is a step in the right direction."

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/b3yxs

CTC using handheld computers for classes - WENDY GRAGG, Associated Press

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 5 November 2005:

Central Texas College is about to take college education where it has never gone before — your pocket. CTC is piloting a program that will allow a small number of students to take an entire college course on a personal digital assistant, or PDA for short. "There's nothing that we can put online, we can't put on PDA," CTC Chancellor James Anderson said.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/7kc6u

Blog Revolution: Expanding classroom horizons with Web logs. - Will Richardson, techLearning

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 31 October 2005:

Think blogs are a passing fad? Then consider this: A new blog is created every second. There are more than 900,000 blog posts a day. Some two million blogs are updated every week. At this point, I think it's safe to say that blogs are here to stay. As any journalist, politician, or business executive will tell you, a world inhabited by content-producing ordinary people—also known as bloggers—means big changes. That's soon to be true for educators, as well.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/al2ph

Telecollaboration training fosters e-learning in schools in the ASEAN Region

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 26 October 2005:

As part of the UNESCO “Strengthening ICT in Schools and SchoolNet in ASEAN Setting” project, a training session was recently provided for teachers which aimed to assist them in learning to facilitate telecollaboration (sharing knowledge through the internet) with their students, and how this enhances teaching and learning. The telecollaboration activities that are undertaken as part of the above-mentioned project are referred to under the broad title of “ASEAN Bridges of Learning”. During their training, teachers learned to use “Learning Circles”, an e-learning activity which brings together teachers and students over the internet to collaborate on investigative activities, involving the sharing of information and experiences. The “Learning Circles” concept was developed by Margaret Riel (http://gsep.pepperdine.edu/~mriel/office).

Article source: http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/121026/1/1138

A new approach: Teachers using iPods as learning tools - Fern Shen, Washington Post

Blog posting by Ray Schroeder on 23 October 2005:

At some schools, the rules are clear: Kids can chill out to downloaded music on portable players, but once they're inside, iPods and other learning distractions must be stowed in backpacks or lockers and kept there. Camilla Gagliolo took another approach. Rather than fighting the fad, she's capitalizing on it by giving students iPods and re-imagining them as a learning tool. "It just makes so much sense. They are so drawn to this technology. They are so excited by it. They're comfortable with it," said Gagliolo, the school's technology coordinator.

Article source: http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/news/ci_3134006