I am involved with the 2009 Unconference in Second Life for Educators on 25-27 September (http://www.jokaydia.com). If you are interested in attending let me know. It would be great to have an informal meeting of the PBL-ers and discuss some of the ideas and methods that you've all been adding over the last year or so.

Thanks!

This is a list about productivity tools that allow you gain minutes and hours back in your life - if you life requires you to use technology in the education or research context. Things that just might give you an extra friday.

The Original online adventure games were text adventure games in which you were faced with puzzles and obstacles to overcome to complete your quest. They existed only on large corporate or academic mainframe computers in the 1970s. In the early 1980s these intriguing games became available to a much wider audience as classic adventures such as 'The Hobbit' fuelled sales of the first home computers such as the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair Spectrum. Since then online adventure games have evolved into multiuser games (generically known as MUDS) and are infinitely more challenging than the original adventure game designers could ever have dreamed. Many players share the same environment and adventure alongside you or compete against you as the whim takes them. The linear nature of the old adventure games has now mostly disappeared and the best of the new generation of online text adventure games are multi-dimensional in their game play and may be better described, perhaps, as interactive novels - often without end. A few highly commercial multiuser graphical adventures games are also now available, but they tend to lack depth and none are yet rated here.

A pile of great online puzzles to solve

An example of the NSW DET official portal for schools

Fantasic Moodle site from University of Canberra.

There's a lot of misinformation out there about legal rights and responsibilities in the digital era.

This is especially disconcerting when it comes to information being shared with youth. Kids and teens are bombarded with messages from a myriad of sources that using new technology is high-risk behavior. Downloading music is compared to stealing a bicycle - even though many downloads are lawful. Making videos using short clips from other sources is treated as probably illegal - even though many such videos are also lawful.

This misinformation is harmful, because it discourages kids and teens from following their natural inclination to be innovative and inquisitive. The innovators, artists and voters of tomorrow need to know that copyright law restricts many activities but also permits many others. And they need to know the positive steps they can take to protect themselves in the digital sphere. In short, youth don't need more intimidation - what they need is solid, accurate information.

Collection of project based learning ideas on video aligned to topic and grade ... good starting point

cool and slick collaborative drawing board

Tikatok™ is where kids channel their imagination into stories - and publish those stories into
books for you to share and treasure with friends and family.

With Lovely Charts's dedicated symbol, you will be able to create great looking wireframes in no time! Check out these samples to see what's possible, then try it out for yourself!

Gifted Education Professional Development Package

Using the Package
All modules in the Package contain a pre-test for teachers to determine what they might already know. Both the Core Modules and the Extension and Specialisation modules contain practical components with case studies and tasks for teachers to demonstrate that they have understood the module before moving on to the next one.

The modules contain an overview of current research about particular areas of gifted education. This research, in plain language, is illustrated by cartoons, case studies and examples of how it can be applied in the mainstream classroom.

The modules cover all levels of schooling: early childhood (the initial years of schooling), Primary (later years of primary schools), and secondary (secondary school). The modules are also ordered according to whether a teacher is in a rural or urban school, teaching in the classroom or involved in school administration, or whether the teacher is working alone or undertaking professional development in a small group or whole school situation.

The Extension and Specialisation Modules consist of the same six topics as in the Core Modules with additional advanced material, case studies, further reading and examples for use in the classroom. While the Core Modules were designed to cover the essential information every teacher should know, the Extension and Specialisation Modules are designed to build on this knowledge to allow teachers and teachers in training, principals and school staff to develop a deeper understanding of the issues in gifted education, develop more complex responses to addressing the needs of gifted students in the classroom, and be confident in sharing these skills with colleagues and parents.

Coloured Icons throughout the modules allow quick identification of research, case studies, information and activities according to individual needs.

What Is The Contextual Web?

Until recently on the web, most sites have not been software - only data, a bunch of flat HTML pages. The software that you used to look at them was, of course, the web browser. The problem was that the browser had no idea what the pages contained, and it did not know what you were doing. Because the browser could not infer your context, it could not help you explore related and relevant information