EdTechTalk#51

  EdTechTalk#51
EdTechNews, Moodle 1.6 , Mindspace, & more
June 25, 2006

Download mp3 (22.6MB 49:34)

An 'old fashioned' roundup of EdTech news & resources, followed by our first impressions of the newly released Moodle 1.6 (with blogging and Elgg integration), and chatting with folks in the skypecast.


News & Resources

  • Thumbstacks.com - web-based presentations

  • Nativetext.com - free translation of RSS feeds into foreign languages

  • Gliffy.com - very easy to use, online diagram site
    Check out the EdTechTalk51 diagram here
     
  • Imbee.com - Social Networking for kids

    Imbee is the first secure social networking and blogging destination specifically designed for kids from ages 8 to 14. imbee was created to provide a secure, dynamic environment where children can safely explore online social networking The Internet is a powerful and essential part of our society. While it contains potential dangers, it is also a valuable and indispensable tool. imbee kids will learn real world skills, such as reading, writing, problem solving, and social interaction through an interactive and challenging environment. But, most importantly, imbee is fun! Kids will meet their classmates and neighborhood kids online, to do what the big kids do, but at their own pace and in a safe and forgiving environment.

  • Megalist 2.0 - In case you're having trouble finding links to 2.0 tools

  • Popular Screen Resolutions
    http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox43-screen-resolutions.html

The most popular screen resolutions on the web in the world are: 

 

1. 1024 x 768 56.15%
2. 1280 x 1024 15.79%
3. 800 x 600 12.04%
4. 1280 x 800 4.09%
5. 1152 x 864 3.90%



TaaDaa! - Moodle1.6 is released!

We share our first impressions and Dave describes his adventure integrating Elgg with Moodle.  Hopefully, we also  get reports from the trenches as members of the Moodle development community join in.

 


Other Sites Mentioned


Chat Transcript



18:38:54 JL: Hola
18:51:19 JasonR: Nature of Things with David Suzuki?
18:51:30 JasonR: I can hear you in SL.
18:53:04 dave-on-air: lalala
18:57:39 JasonR: How much does Camtasia retail for?
18:57:47 dave-on-air: 150 educational
18:57:52 dave-on-air: 300 full
19:01:38 Paul_Ellerman: Hello All
19:01:41 dave-on-air: hello chat room
19:04:05 JL: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32550
19:07:56 JL: https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/detailed.html?id_talk=...
19:08:26 JL: http://thumbstacks.com/
19:08:28 dave-on-air: Thumbstacks.com
19:09:23 DougSymington: hi all
19:10:07 DougSymington: SMART Ideas
19:10:14 Eric: freemind?
19:10:18 Eric: ah
19:10:23 DougSymington: concept mapping they call it
19:10:39 DougSymington: we were experimenting with a beta server they'd set up
19:10:49 DougSymington: for "real time" collab
19:11:19 DougSymington: writely.com
19:11:43 DougSymington: for group word processing
19:12:37 JL: what about powerpoint or excel type of files
19:13:16 Eric: any idea why I can't click on the skypecast links above? I'm using FireFox. I'd be happy to copy and paste the link, but I can't select and copy the link... (yes I am a newbie)
19:13:39 JL: fifth icon from the left will allow copying and pasting
19:13:44 DougSymington: 5th icon from the right
19:13:55 DougSymington: will let you select and copy/paste text from chat
19:13:57 JL: you can also go to skypecasts.skype.com and check for skypecasts 'on air'
19:14:19 DougSymington: sorry left
19:15:18 DougSymington: https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/detailed.html?id_talk=...
19:15:39 JL: http://nativetext.com/
19:16:54 JL: http://imbee.com/
19:18:06 Eric: cool, thanks
19:18:18 cwe: IMbee does not work with Internet Explorer
19:19:13 Paul_Ellerman: Did he pass the test?
19:19:32 dave-on-air: http://msn-cnet.com.com/Cheaters+score+high+marks+for+ingenuity/2100-104...
19:19:35 DougSymington: The guy with the hole in his belly didn't get off easy either
19:19:51 DougSymington: from the cheater article
19:20:14 JasonR: How to cheat good...http://alex.halavais.net/?p=1427 :)
19:21:19 JL: http://web2.0dot.org/
19:22:21 DougSymington: nope
19:22:32 DougSymington: long gone re metacrawler
19:22:51 dave-on-air: http://metacrawler.com/
19:23:23 JasonR: "Internet generation students think plagiarism is OK" http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2006/06/internet_generation_student...
19:23:25 JL: http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox43-screen-resolutions.html
19:23:58 JasonR: 1680x1050
19:24:25 DougSymington: dave, I meant this iteration of mCrawler
19:24:29 DougSymington: http://www.cs.washington.edu/research/projects/WebWare1/www/metacrawler/
19:25:23 Paul_Ellerman: 1280 x 1024
19:25:41 Paul_Ellerman: lol
19:25:46 JasonR: But it ain't on there.
19:25:58 DougSymington: I try to remember to use 800X600 for screen captures
19:28:33 JasonR: Here's the BBC link on copying ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/5093286.stm
19:33:55 dave-on-air: http://edactive.com/moodle
19:34:21 dave-on-air: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=48012&parent=220385
19:38:37 DougSymington: no modules
19:39:02 dave-on-air: http://edactive.com/moodle
19:40:00 DougSymington: there's gotta be a way around that
19:40:00 JasonR: Shucks, ELGG limits me to 3-12 characters for username, so I can't use the same one for your moodle and your ELGG
19:40:35 DougSymington: the click guest angle--it needs the public/private setting ala elgg, and have to expect they know that too...
19:43:23 DougSymington: speakin' o' Drupal...
19:43:24 DougSymington: http://groups.drupal.org/node/660#comment-2115
19:45:33 DougSymington: I saw that
19:45:40 SusanEttenheim: hi jl and dave - sorry to get in late tonight - could you repost how to come in and learn
19:45:41 SusanEttenheim: where
19:46:06 DougSymington: http://edactive.com/moodle
19:46:13 DougSymington: to sign up Susan
19:46:28 SusanEttenheim: thanks
19:46:34 Lee_: I would like to join the Drupal club
19:46:40 Lee_: or try out session
19:47:07 dave-on-air: http://cmsacademy.net/drupal
19:47:33 Brad_Hicks: is there anything good for live screencasting?
19:47:56 DougSymington: festoon works with Skype for Windows
19:48:07 SusanEttenheim: sorry guys you caught me with no mic!
19:48:10 Brad_Hicks: what about mac?
19:48:14 SusanEttenheim: welcome to join us everyone!
19:48:20 DougSymington: nothing good for cross-platform sharing, far as I know
19:48:33 SusanEttenheim: for what brad?
19:48:48 Brad_Hicks: screen sharing during live webcast
19:48:59 DougSymington: altho something in Flickr with Screen caps, or video might work Brad
19:49:08 Brad_Hicks: I have tried vyew.com
19:49:14 SusanEttenheim: open source you mean brad?
19:49:25 SusanEttenheim: snapz pro?
19:49:27 Brad_Hicks: preferably open source
19:49:38 SusanEttenheim: for mac?
19:50:00 Brad_Hicks: want to be able to use screen demos live with webcast - cross platform
19:50:40 SusanEttenheim: hey what's happening? can I do it?
19:50:42 SusanEttenheim: have a mic now
19:51:02 SusanEttenheim: wow it is brutal to do any school work on sunday nights now!
19:56:26 Lee_: Sorry, where is the vote link?
19:56:40 dave-on-air: edtechtalk
19:57:43 Eric: www.mindspacesolutions.com
19:59:28 JasonR: Apollo Beyond, ... http://mmgrad.csuhayward.edu/apollobeyond/
20:05:35 Eric: www.mindspacesolutions.com/imaginality
20:08:37 JasonR: Stephen Barker and Song Speckels did the work on Apollo Beyond... " Apollo Beyond will utilize Augmented Reality and a tabletop tangible user interface to explore and teach about our solar system, the spatial relationships of celestial bodies, and the history of the space program."
20:09:15 Eric: wow, that sounds eerily similar :)
20:10:02 cheryloakes: Hi Susan, we put together the SEEDLINGS show tonight. Should be posted tomorrow.
20:10:50 cwe: So- do tell- what browser should I be using in an elementary school?
20:11:32 cheryloakes: I use Firefox at my elementary school, it is pretty good about web 2.1 online tools for my kiddos.
20:11:50 cheryloakes: I use emacs in my lab with the firefox.
20:12:11 cwe: I have all PC- but I use Firefox at home
20:12:18 Paul_Ellerman: Here is something similar to what we are talking about http://www.myvu.com/
20:12:28 Paul_Ellerman: Its a personal media veiwer
20:12:57 Paul_Ellerman: Did the audio get dropped?
20:13:59 Brad_Hicks: dead air
20:14:16 Eric: www.mindspacesolutions.com/imaginality
20:14:27 JasonR: JL said the stream would hiccup while he was away, but the skypecast is still going
20:14:40 Eric: www.mindspacesolutions.com/imaginality
20:15:34 JL: sorry to those who lost the stream
20:15:39 Paul_Ellerman: ahhh chipmonks
20:15:43 JL: Dave left and I forgot that he was streaming, not me
20:15:59 Brad_Hicks: eric has this been shown on Australian TV - Beyond Tomorrow?
20:16:01 JL: I have taken the stream, so you should be getting audio again
20:16:36 Paul_Ellerman: Night all
20:16:36 Eric: yes, there was a clip featuring the HITLabNZ - the research lab I spun out of. But not regards to education
20:17:06 Brad_Hicks: yeah i rember seeinng this
20:17:30 Eric: yeah - I set them up with the rat head - that always goes down well :)
20:17:42 JasonR: Americaneers>
20:17:44 JasonR: ?
20:17:56 Eric: ?
20:18:24 JasonR: Heron said "American ears" but I heard "Americaneers"
20:18:45 Eric: :)
20:19:21 cheryloakes: Susan, I am back.
20:19:28 cheryloakes: Hi, lee
20:23:21 Lee_: Hi Cheryl
20:24:12 cheryloakes: are you still in school?
20:24:45 JL: So I guess no live Bit by Bit tonight Cheryl?
20:25:15 Lee_: No Cheryl, I have been out since the 9th
20:25:20 cheryloakes: No, we just couldn't get it all together. All of us are preparing for our teacher professional development classes this week. Next time.
20:25:35 cheryloakes: We have still be teaching and tomorrow one workshop day.
20:26:05 cheryloakes: Now we can play and do some other things.
20:26:21 Lee_: A good feeling, eh?
20:26:38 cheryloakes: When is the next webcast academy?
20:26:48 Lee_: Tomorrow
20:26:52 Lee_: evening
20:27:03 cheryloakes: YIKEs, that is quick, okay, then I am on board.
20:27:16 cheryloakes: where do I sign on?
20:27:26 JL: for now, just register an account
20:27:38 JL: tomorrow is more 1.1 class wrap up than class of 1.2 sign up
20:27:51 JL: but would be great to have incoming interns there as well
20:27:53 cheryloakes: hm, does one register an account with bluehost?
20:28:08 cheryloakes: is there a time for this academy?
20:28:18 JL: no bluehost necessary
20:28:28 cheryloakes: okay.
20:28:31 JL: tomorrow 8pmEDT
20:28:38 cheryloakes: okay, that is perfect for me.
20:28:48 JL: rebooting now - back in a bit

AttachmentSize
Audio icon EdTechTalk51-2006-06-25.mp322.7 MB
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Comments

Hi guys,

Excellent show. Good to hear the old format back again; it feels like it's been a while.

Interesting hearing the balance between the two of you regarding Moodle. It makes for a more interesting conversation. But I'm looking forward to when you get someone from the development team on the show.

Regarding the CMSacademy... what do you understand by CMS? In Moodle terms it means Course Management System. In the rest of the world it means Content Management System.

If you're talking about Content Management, then can I recommend you take a look at Etomite (www.etomite.org). I've used it for a number of clients, including to create content that sits within a Moodle site. It allows teams to create structured content within a page template.

All the best,

Mark

We were talking about content management system. I will certainly look into etomite. What kind of questions would you like to hear about from the development team? dave.

I can confirm the story about the iPod shuffle - we've had two in our household that have broken within the space of six months. It seems to be a software problem, as when the first one stopped working, I eventually could get it working as a USB storage device, but there was no way it could play music again.

In fact, I've started to advise people away from iPods in general - two teachers at the academy where I work have had problems with their regular iPods. They stopped working, and they both have had a bad experience of customer service. One teacher was told that the problem was that he had been tapping the wheel too much. It seems to me that if you are a heavy user and you want an mp3 player that you can take with you every day, then iPods are not the best buy.