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Dog, a new programming language, could make it easier and more intuitive to write all sorts of social applications—anything from peer-to-peer question-and-answer sites to online dating. And because Dog incorporates natural language, this may make it easier for newbies to learn to code, too.

Teaching with Facebook is a way for me to engage my students, since many of them will be on the site before, after, and during any lecture. More than engagement, using Facebook allows me to build a bridge between my classroom curricula and what my students are doing outside the lecture hall. I must admit that student expertise with digital media often exceeds my own, and my attempts at using Facebook function as a common language that sets up my classroom as an experimental space allowing students to take risks, make connections, and participate with an alternative teaching style. As much as there are a number of other Facebook educators—there is even a Facebook groups for educators—I am certain that on my university campus I am the only instructor using this social network. My university administration has accused me of subverting our institutional course management system. They are correct. Facebook may be a commercial enterprise, but I argue that students can maintain a Facebook identity after they leave university. The work done in our lecture as represented in our Facebook group is something that lasts beyond a typical university course management system. In other words, access to the information, discussion, links, and learning is not cut off once the course is over.

Appcelerator Titanium Mobile Platforms: iPhone and Android What you need to get started: Software installed from the site Feature set: 4/5 | Difficulty: 5/5 | Reach: 5/5 To use Appcelerator Titanium Mobile, you need to be familiar with Web languages like Python, HTML and Javascript. That said, you will not need to know specific programming languages typically required to develop apps for the iPhone and Android. All you do is build the app using Web languages, and Titanium does the rest. You will need to download the iPhone SDK (which is Mac-only) if you plan to make iPhone apps. This development platform doesn't come with any tutorials - you will have to rely on the goodwill of the community and learn how to use the tools through knowledge posted on forums. There are also paid services that provide support and automation during the app-making process. If you know how to wield the tools correctly, Titanium can offer more features than App Inventor for Android. But there are limitations to being a third-party development platform - the latest features in iOS and Android OS are not guaranteed to work here. Verdict: If you are open to teaching yourself app development as a hobby, the versatile Appcelerator Titanium Mobile is a great way to start. The faint of heart need not apply.

App Inventor lets you create apps by dragging and dropping "building blocks" embedded with code that work when you drag them onto a blank canvas. These blocks let you access virtually every function of an Android handset - from timestamps and touchscreen virtual buttons to the motion sensor and GPS.

Want to write apps for OSX, the iPhone or the iPad? You can learn JavaScript and use a frameworks like PhoneGap or Titanium. Or you can learn the official language of Apple operating systems:  Objective-C. The debate over whether to build mobile apps in JavaScript or Objective-C is beyond the scope of this blog post. But if you want to learn Objective-C, these resources will get you started.

Find friends to practice, as study partners and for language exchange. Post articles in your blog and get feedback from others. Browse members by language and location:

Noah Rahman has moderate Cerebral Palsy affecting his communication, cognition and upper and lower body movement. When he turned two, his language, cognitive abilitity and fine motor skills were diagnosed by a developmental specialist as being at least 12 months behind. Then Noah got an iPad. Four months later, his language and cognition were on par with his age level. His fine motor skills had made significant leaps.

Find What You Actually Want to Learn About First things first, you need to figure out what you're actually interested in.

Figure Out How You Learn Best Full sizeWe all learn a little differently, and while we're fans of learning by doing, you can't always do that with everything.

Learn By Doing Whenever Possible Full sizeIn most cases you're going to learn best by doing. That means practicing programming by actually making a program or learning a new language by speaking it. If you're having trouble getting over the learning hump and sticking with it, you might simply need to provide better context for the process.

As MOOCs cast their eye to the developing world, very minor tweaks matter a great deal, such as the ability to allow students to download, rather than only stream course videos. But even more major ones are coming, including edX’s plans to start open-sourcing its platform in the next few months, which could allow even more universities to post online courses, and software programmers around the world to experiment with customized interfaces.

“We need to make sure we are making tools that make it easy to create new content, so it’s not only someone at MIT or Stanford who creates.” Relevance, as he notes, is one of the biggest motivators for students.

One of the major challenges for MOOCs—which so far mostly come from U.S. universities—is to tailor the content of courses to a diverse worldwide audience with any number of combinations of language, educational, motivational, and cultural backgrounds. Critics fear the rise of big box education from only a few elite institutions in Western nations, and worry these may not fit the different learning styles in different nations.

Why Develop for Android?Android is an open-source platform based on the Linux kernel, and is installed on thousands of devices from a wide range of manufacturers. Android exposes your application to all sorts of hardware that you’ll find in modern mobile devices — digital compasses, video cameras, GPS, orientation sensors, and more.

Android is an open-source platform based on the Linux kernel, and is installed on thousands of devices from a wide range of manufacturers.

Android’s free development tools make it possible for you to start writing software at little or no cost.

I use Evernote, Everywhere: Android (phone and Tablet) Windows Web Clipper (Chrome)

1. Evernote for staying focused

2. Evernote for getting organized