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Bharat Battu

What Would You Pay for a Great Educational App? | MindShift - 1 views

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    full disclosure: classmate Alex Schoenfeld first shared this with the us in the TIE facebook group :). But it brings an interesting trend in the adoption and pricing of mobile apps: Article outlining what lots of us know when it comes to moblie apps and pricing - free, $1, and $2 are the price-points that sell, and allow us to try out an app with minimal regret. But with the rise of more and more high-quailty, high-profile, and high-budget educatioanl apps, will the pricing structure change? Will parents and educators be willing to spend the prices of traditional computer software ($50 or more?) for really great mobile apps? The article brings up an interesting model that seems to already be coming to life looking at how apps are being sold and updated lately: "Donahoo and Russell propose there's a better way: subscriptions and content expansion packs.  Launchpad Toys follows the latter tact. The initial price the Toontastic app for $3 (though it's currently free). Users can use that fully functioning app, or choose to add additional characters and themes with $.99 expansion packs. This way, they contend, costs are controlled; it's cheap for parents and children to evaluate an app, and the model encourages regular updates."
Bharat Battu

India's $35 tablet is here, for real. Called Aakash, costs $60 -- Engadget - 3 views

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    Tying into discussions this week about bringing access to mobile devices to all via non-prohibitive costs, while still reaching a set of bare-minmum technical specs for actual use: India's "$35 tablet" has been a pipedream in the tech blog-o-sphere for awhile now, but it's finally available (though for a price of roughly $60). Still though, as an actual Android color touch tablet, with WiFi and cellular data capability - I'm curious to see how it's received and if it's adopted in any sort of large scale
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    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkCXZtzqXX87-pXex2nn23lWFwkw?docId=87163f29232f400d87ba906dc3a93405 A much better article that isn't so 'tech' oriented. Goes into the origin and philosophy of the $35 tablet, and future prospects
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    I had heard months ago that India was creating this, but was not going to offer it commercially - rather, just for its own country. Just like the Little Professor (Prof Dede) calculator, when tablets get this affordable, educational systems can afford classroom sets of them and then use them regularly. But to Prof Dede's point - can they do everything that more expensive tablets can do? Or better yet - do they HAVE to?
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    I think this is what they're aiming to do - all classrooms/students across the country having this particular tablet. They won't be able to do everything today's expensive tablets can do, but I think they'll still be able too to do plenty. This $35 tablet's specs are comparable to the mobile devices we had here in the US in 2008/2009. Even back then, we were able to web browse, check email, use social networking (sharing pics and video too), watching streaming online video, and play basic 2D games. But even beyond those basic features, I think this tablet will be able to do more than we expect from something at this price point and basic hardware, for 2 reasons: 1. Wide-spread adoption of a single hardware. If this thing truly does become THE tablet for India's students, it will have such a massive userbase that software developers and designers who create educational software will have to cater to it. They will have to study this tablet and learn the ins-and-outs of its hardware in order to deliver content for it. "Underpowered" hardware is able to deliver experiences well beyond what would normally be expected from it when developers are able to optimize heavily for that particular set of components. This is why software for Apple's iPhone and iPad, and games for video game consoles (xbox, PS3, wii) are so polished. For the consoles especially, all the users have the same exact hardware, with the same features and components. Developers are able to create software that is very specialized for that hardware- opposed to spending their resources and time making sure the software works on a wide variety of hardware (like in the PC world). With this development style in mind, and with a fixed hardware model remaining widely used in the market for many years- the resultant software is very polished and goes beyond what users expect from it. This is why today's game consoles, which have been around since 2005/6, produce visuals that are still really impressive and sta
Jennifer Jocz

Social Isolation and New Technology - Pew Research Center - 1 views

  • Americans are not as isolated as has been previously reported. People's use of the mobile phone and the internet is associated with larger and more diverse discussion networks.
  • Our survey results challenge the finding that an increasing number of Americans have no one with whom they can discuss important matters. However, our findings support existing research that suggests that the average size and diversity of core discussion networks have declined.
  • ownership of a mobile phone and participation in a variety of internet activities were associated with larger and more diverse core discussion networks.
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  • Contrary to the assumption that internet use encourages social contact across vast distances, we found that many internet technologies are used as much for local contact as they are for distant communication.
  • Social networking services, such as Facebook, provide new opportunities for users to maintain core social networks.
  • Contrary to the argument that internet use limits people's participation in the local community, local institutions and local spaces, our findings show that most internet activities are associated with higher levels of local activity. However, we find some evidence that use of social networking services (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn) substitutes for some level of neighborhood involvement.
  • internet use, and in particular the use of social networking services, are independently associated with higher levels of network diversity.
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    Interesting report contradicting some previous findings about the link between technology and social isolation.
Chris McEnroe

k12wiki - Social Networking Acceptable Use - 0 views

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    Many of the schools with which I come in to contact- including mine- reinvent the wheel when it comes to acceptable use policy at great expense of time and often little influence of "best practice." Why not make use of the good work and attention that has been deliberated by other educators who have already wrestled through the problem.
Emily Watson

Survey suggests students feel satisfied but not ecstatic about library services | Insid... - 1 views

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    Will online research tools contribute to the demise of the academic library? This article suggests we are using a blended approach to research. Curious to hear how many of us use Gutman's resources beyond a study space.
Irina Uk

BYOT Network - 5 views

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    Don't be a B.L.O.B.
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    Great blog posts on Acceptable Use, BYOT and pointers for educators on how to support responsible use. There are also sections on connected learning and digital citizenship.
Billy Gerchick

10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have - 5 views

  • 1. Internet Search - students need to know how to do a proper internet search, using search terms and modifiers. This skill is needed for school, work and life in general.
  • 2. Office Suite Skills - students need to now how to create, edit, and modify documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Businesses still use MS Office for the most part, but iWorks, OpenOffice / LibreOffice, and Google Docs are all getting more popular. They all work similarly so the learning curve when switching isn't that big.
  • 3. Self learning of tech and where to go for help - knowing how to search a help menu on software or hardware, where to go to find user forums for help, and where to find the manual for technology is a huge skill that many do not know about.
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  • 6. Netiquette - Internet/Email/Social Media etiquette - proper way to use the internet, write professional emails, use social media in relation to your job (not complaining about the boss).
  • 5. Social Media - how to properly use social media for school and work, how to protect yourself on it, the issues of cyberbullying, connecting with others in your profession (PLN).
  • 4. Typing - yes, typing. I can get much more work done since I know how to type, then people who don't.
  • 7. Security and Safety - antivirus, spam, phishing, too much personal information sharing, stalkers, and more are all issues they need to know about.
  • 8. Hardware basics and troubleshooting - knowing what different parts of technology are called, how to make minor fixes, and how to do basic troubleshooting for WiFi, networks, OS won't load, etc
  • 9. Backup data - with all of the data that students create for school and work, it is important to back it up and have access to it at any time
  • 10. Finding apps and software - how to find, evaluate, and use apps for school and business. Also, how to find quality, free alternatives to paid software, apps and services.
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    Gateway source for all students: high school and college composition and journalism and student of life. Bookmark this source and then bookmark the hyperlinks in this article. Do you have the 10 (11 for the bonus) tech skills down? I certainly can improve in some of these areas.
Adrian Melia

Music Video Uses Three Projectors and a Blank Room To Make Your Holodeck Fantasies Come... - 2 views

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    Cool use of how you can use projectors and a framed point of view to make a viewer believe someone is immersed in an alternate world.
Irina Uk

Augmented Reality Apps Transform Class Time -- THE Journal - 0 views

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    This article outlines various augmented reality apps that are being used in classes. I've actually used Google Sketchup when teaching, giving students an opportunity to design their own buildings and use it to study geometric properties. It was very cool.
Maung Nyeu

Chattanooga school using technology to keep students - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, W... - 1 views

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    Chattanooga school is using clickers, as we use at HGSE, to improve retention rate?
Bharat Battu

Reflex : Math fact fluency - the next generation. - 3 views

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    The school I am interning at (The Carroll School) is using this in their middle school math classes. Small class sizes typically (4-8 kids /  class), and it's a 1:1 school where every child has a laptop. But - it's working well for designated independent work time in the math classes I've observed- where each kid is asked to play the game for 15 minutes on their own. Kids have their own profiles- and there are several different math mini games they can play, each game focusing on different math skills. Each mini game involves different game mechanics and art styles. But all games involve using arithmetic skills and math concepts to solve problems that progress them in the game. Good performance gives the kids in-game credits/money that they can use to customize their in-gam avatar. 
Jennifer Jocz

Education, psychology and technology: Games lessons | The Economist - 0 views

  • transferring much of the pedagogic effort from the teachers themselves (who will now act in an advisory role) to a set of video games
  • Periods of maths, science, history and so on are no more. Quest to Learn’s school day will, rather, be divided into four 90-minute blocks devoted to the study of “domains”.
  • in education, as in other fields of activity, it is not enough just to apply new technologies to existing processes—for maximum effect you have to apply them in new and imaginative ways.
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    An article discussing the use of video games being used to replace the traditional "chalk talk". The games also combines the traditional subject-based curriculum into "domains".
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    An article discussing the use of video games being used to replace the traditional "chalk talk". The games also combine the traditional subject-based curriculum into "domains".
Cameron Paterson

Pedagogical enhancement of open learning - 1 views

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    A small but very pertinent article in the recent edition of the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL) by Seth Gurell, Yu-Chun Kuo and Andrew Walker called The Pedagogical Enhancement of Open Education: An Examination of Problem-Based Learning1 is a real gem. The Pedagogical Enhancement of Open Education is a gem because it is focussed on pedagogy and online open learning. Gurell et al argue from a review of the literature and practical experience that problem based learning can work well with online open education. For example, traditional problem-based learning requires the learner to find and review resources which are usually print based materials such as books, journals, newspapers and so on, many of which take time to locate and access. However, using problem-based online learning using open education resources can remove much of the distraction of finding resources and enable greater attention to the learning task. Although problem-based learning (PBL) may not be suitable for all types of learning, a review of the research does indicate that students perform equally well using PBL as they do in traditional learning. Students engaged with PBL also perform better on retention tasks and on explanatory tasks, reveal Gurell et al. There are many sources of open educational resources. Two such examples that are well known are the Open Education Resource (OER) Commons, the Open Courseware Consortium. However, others such as Academic Earth, Scientific Commons, and Project OSCAR are also interesting. The Pedagogical Enhancement of Open Education is a very succinct review of online PBL and its fit with open online learning. Gurell et al have provided an excellent review of the versatility of online open education and how to maximise pedagogy to achieve improved learner outcomes.
Ayelet R

Texting in the Classroom: Not Just a Distraction | Edutopia - 5 views

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    Ideas for using texting at school.
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    great article. relevant to today's discussion about web 2.0 / social media. for those who didn't read it. Here's there article's list of interesting sms based tools for education use: Remind101: Remind101 allows teachers to send text messages (and email) home -- to students and/or to parents -- to offer reminders and updates for class. Remind101 allows teachers to communicate with their classes without either teacher or students having to share their phone numbers. Poll Everywhere: As the name suggests, Poll Everywhere allows teachers to use cellphones for polling in class. Students text their responses, using their cellphones to give feedback, answer questions, take quizzes. Celly: Celly provides SMS-based group messaging. Classrooms can use the service to take quick polls and quizzes, filter messages, get news updates, take notes, and organize and hold study groups. The groups can be public or private, moderated or open. StudyBoost: StudyBoost allows students to study via SMS-based quizzes. The questions can be self- or teacher-created, and can be multiple choice or open-ended.
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    I like Celly for its group messaging and polling applications. Note: The link to "Poll Anywhere" is broken.
Chris McEnroe

Technology in Schools Faces Questions on Value - NYTimes.com - 3 views

    • Chris McEnroe
       
      Some of the thinking articulated in this article captures the gridlock of public conversation around the issue of technology in the classroom. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a colleague in which he was telling me about the many interesting ways he uses powerpoint for instruction. I asked him he ever had his students use powerpoint and he scoffed, "Powerpoint for student presenations is a Middle School right of passage. Please. They're terrible." I told him that if he didn't think powerpoint was a useful means of communication than he wouldn't use it. The fact is we don't teach kids how to use powerpoint well and so they don't use it well. The argument about tech in Ed is much the same. Sometimes when I hear or read about these discussions I think of someone who has an F-14 in his front yard complaing that it is terrible for hanging laundry on. The promise of teaching well in a 21st century classroom focuses on cultivating different skills and more dynamic learning than standardized tests seek to quantify.
Xavier Rozas

Who's the better translator: Machines or humans? - 0 views

  • Facebook
  • Facebook
  • Pros and cons: People are good at knowing idioms and slang, so Facebook tends to get these right, but there are limited numbers of multi-lingual volunteers who want to spend time helping Facebook translate things.
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  • Pros and cons: People are good at knowing idioms and slang, so Facebook tends to get these right, but the
  • Google uses mathematical equations to try to translate the Web's content. This fits in line with the company's mission, which is to organize the world's information and make it useful and accessible to all.
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    Without a doubt Google will develop a user powered and 'usefulness' powered idiom aggregate. In fact, they could use web-bots to scour their translated pages/content for user consensus on 'busted-up lingo, yo'.
David Chen

Why Desktop Touch Screens Don't Really Work Well For Humans - 0 views

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    Some interesting commentary on the future of touch screens. Potentially has implications for educational uses as well: "Anyone who has used one for a long time will tell you that they quickly revert to using the keyboard and mouse. And it isn't because of the software or touch technology - both are fine.The problem is that you get tired keeping your hands up and on the screen for a long period of time. Touch experts I've spoken with say it's because your hands are above your heart, which isn't comfortable for very long."
Kasthuri Gopalaratnam

Education Week Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook: Applicable Teaching Tools - 1 views

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    Educators are discovering that iPads and other tablet computers offer new routes to learning for students with disabilities
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    Kasthuri - I attended a session at ISTE last summer on using the iPad with Special Needs students (my oldest son has special needs) and discovered many apps that are created for "typical" learners can be adapted for students with special needs. The particular app and use in this article has (in my opinion) one huge advantage and one huge disadvantage. The advantage is price and therefore more widespread accessibility. Augmented Communicative Devices (http://www.abilityhub.com/aac/aac-devices.htm) can cost thousands of dollars. The iPad ($500-800) and app ($100) keeps the cost well below that and can give SES students with this particular need a greater chance in getting the device. The Disadvantage (in my opinion) is the FINE MOTOR skills necessary to operate the touch screen feature of the iPad. The children that I have seen who need this device to communicate have multiple issues at work that prevent them from isolating their fingers in such a way to make this a feasible way for them to communicate effectively. Some of the devices you can see in the link have distinct boundaries that account for mobility and fine motor deficiencies that make the use of the device successful to those who need that adaptation. I am not knocking the iPad for Special Needs students, simply pointing out that it is not the best tool for everyone.
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    Hi Bridget, I agree that it may not be for everyone. Would the use of a stylus rather than fingers make it easier to use the app?
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    Strictly speaking from my experience, the children that I have observed using these devices have Cerebral Palsy (or other muscular issues at work) to the extent where holding any device is not feasible for them. But I can see how a stylus might help specific students overcome this deficiency. Allison has had even more exposure to SN students than I have, so perhaps she can share some insight here.
Chris McEnroe

µTorrent 3.0 - µTorrent - a (very) tiny BitTorrent client - 2 views

shared by Chris McEnroe on 29 Oct 11 - No Cached
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    Does anyone have any experience with this tool. It looks like a very interesting example of a Intelligent Web Filtering. Wow! Good side is that this is like Tivo for the web. Bad side is that you better have nothing else to do but look at the web. Also an interesting take on Personal Learning Networks.
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    I am familiar with BitTorrent, and it's interesting Chris that you came about it excited for its uses in education. But have you read or heard about the controversy surrounding it? In a nutshell- BitTorrent is a technology that allows large collections of files and data to be shared across the internet in a decentralized, peer-to-peer manner. A person who has the original files decides to share them via BitTorrent, so others can download from him/her. But as the others begin downloading the files, they also start sharing the pieces they've downloaded with the ever-growing set of new users asking for the file. BitTorrent works like a growing web- in order to download files shared via BitTorrent - you have to share the pieces you get with others. More downloaders = more uploaders as well, ensuring popular files will always be accessible. The benefits - this is cheap and decentralized, no need to pay to host the files on the web. The users who have the file are sharing the file from their own computers with others requesting it. And this can be permanent - if you host a BitTorrent to share a file, you have that sharing channel last forever (not relying on external services that cost $ or can be shut down).
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    BitTorrent is a really powerful technology that allows large amounts of files and data to be shared quickly with a limitless number of people. It's scalability at no cost. Could be a great tool for educators to share content across the globe in a hassle-free way. Even the folks at Khan Academy are excited to use it: from: http://blog.vipeers.com/vipeers/2008/10/bittorrent-is-a.html "For Khan Academy, BitTorrent was a natural extension for it stated mission of "a world-class education for anyone anywhere," Sal Khan tells Fast Company. Kahn was excited for activist educators to be able to download the Academy's entire portforlio, burn it on a CD, and distribute it to rural or underdeveloped areas otherwise unable to access it without a broadband connection. "I think the single most fun thing about BitTorrent," Khan adds, "is this content will never die. A nuclear bomb could hit our offices tomorrow and could take down our servers, but its going to sitting somewhere in the world on somebody's server." He added, "We don't care about monetizing the content; we just care that it gets used."
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    But despite the prospects of BitTorrent being a great technology to allow sharing of digital content freely, to allow downloading of vast amounts of data that can then be stored offline and shared with anyone... the rest of the article (http://blog.vipeers.com/vipeers/2008/10/bittorrent-is-a.html) mentions that Google was unhappy with Khan's decision to use BitTorrent. Google actually blacklists BitTorrent content from its searches, and so is actually blacklisting Khan Academy content, despite being a recent financial backer of Khan. Why? This is the controversy: BitTorrent's power to share digital content in a decentralized way, where the more popular a file is, the faster it'll spread-- has led it to become the most popular method of digital piracy out there today. This has quickly become the most common use of BitTorrent, far exceeding the sharing of legitimate digital content. It's become a nightmare for the movie, music, software, and video gaming industries. A summary of the legal issues surrounding BitTorrent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_issues_with_BitTorrent
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    Hey Bharat, I am so glad I asked. I had no idea. Very interesting. New dimension to the concept of free knowledge vs. intellectual property. I think the kids at my school are using this to share music. I'll have to check it out. I find this conflict- "Google actually blacklists BitTorrent content from its searches, and so is actually blacklisting Khan Academy content, despite being a recent financial backer of Khan. " so intriguing. At first glance it looked to me like a vision of networked learning that was aimed at an authentic task with authentic participants (as portrayed by actors :).
Adrian Melia

SkyView - Explore the Universe for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (4th gen... - 0 views

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    I just started using this on my iPad - it shows you where all the stars and planets are as well as the ISS - basically a planetarium on your mobile device that you can use to find things in the sky in the day or night
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