EdTechTalk

"The Internet is booming with new read-write web tools everyday. Knowing what tools to use, why you should take on learning something new, and finding ways these tools can be used in concert can be pretty confusing. When would I use a blog? Why would I use Moodle? Do I use a wiki or Google Docs? How do I choose? Do I use it just because it is the latest newest coolest thing, or is there a better reason? Four web based tools have emerged that can enhance student learning by taking some established best practices in education to the next level making it easier, faster, and more fun to learn. In this presentation we will look at how Google Aps, Moodle, Wikis, and Blogs can enhance student learning, enable collaboration and information exchange both inside and outside of your classroom. But most importantly, we will help you know when and why you should use them." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"This is a site to build a repository of public calendars since Google removed its feature to search for public calendars (no, really, they did....) To post a calendar you own or use, go to the calendar settings and copy its XML feed. You'll have to create a quick account to sign in and post a link. You can use fake names, accounts, or whatever - please just don't be evil." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"A recently released analysis of online learning 'found that, on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.' The United States Department of Education (USDOE) analysis, 'Evaluation of Evidence-based Practices in Online Learning, A Meta-analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies' (July 2009), screened 99 studies from 1996 through July 2008 that included online or blended learning and face-to-face instruction, measured student outcomes, used a rigorous research design and provided adequate information. Online learning was found to be more effective when 'blended' with face-to-face instruction. The report said the difference was larger in those studies that contrasted blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction with entirely face-to-face instruction. This finding supports the generally held view that teachers are a critical element in learning, whether it's in the classroom or online." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"Reduce the cost of purchasing multiple PCs for your business. The new LG SmartVine™ virtual desktop monitors enable 11 users to share a single PC*. Each user runs their own applications as if they had their own desktop. Just add a keyboard and a mouse. Available in standard 17" and 19" widescreen class sizes, the SmartVine virtual desktop monitors can help you achieve a cost effective multi-user computing solution." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"'What we are doing is taking a bunch of old machines that barely run Windows 2000, and turning them into something interesting and useful for essentially zero cost,' says Walter Bender, former president of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project. 'It becomes a whole new computer running off the USB key; we can breathe new life into millions of decrepit old machines.'" - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"MCG Mobile provides our students and faculty with the services and content they require — delivered when they want, where they want it and how they want it. Services such as a map, directory, events, news and other features keep you connected to the university whether you are on campus or a world away using your iPhone or iPod Touch. The future of MCG Mobile is the ability to deliver instruction and relevant content using mobile devices. The iSCOPE application provides a glimpse into the future of multimedia-rich content we will build upon to create a vast repository of instructional materials and references for our students. In addition to the applications included in this release, we offer a suite of medical applications for our students and faculty that can be downloaded using your MCG NetID." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"About 8 percent of 8- to 18-year-olds in the United States demonstrate pathological patterns of video-game play, according to a report published in the April 13 issue of Psychological Science." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"Mr. Bauerlein, a professor of English at Emory University, points to a new survey showing that about half of students have used their cellphones or other technology to cheat, and that many students do not consider their behavior to be cheating. He suggests that they may have a point. 'Don’t we see here a prime example not of the decay of personal integrity but instead the healthy spread of ‘participatory culture’?' Mr. Bauerlein wrote. 'In the digital age, intelligence is a collective thing, the individual now not a repository of knowledge but a dynamic component of it. We have entered a new realm, and if the definition of knowledge has changed, then so must the definition of cheating. Right?'" - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet

"Keith T. Larick envisions classrooms with banks of wired and wireless computers, ceiling-mounted projectors, interactive whiteboards, and mobile tech-enabled work carts for teachers, all linked to allow for dynamic, multimedia presentations that inspire learning. Students’ desks would be moved out and replaced with individual workstations and group tables to foster hands-on and collaborative projects." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet