What DL is happening?

Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/. Don’t miss the “IN-TOUCH” Live broadcast (12:45 to 13:15) on 14^th December 2009 which has a focus on Yola; it can be viewed at http://www.livestream.com/locus.

What a busy week; a family visit to the county of my birth, recording our Seasonal Greetings offering, producing the new RSC TV Video loop and eMagazine and now to prepare for the Live IN-TOUCH broadcast next Monday (14^th December 09); and it’s only Tuesday. The wife has left me to go and see Jack (my grandson) and I have to wait until Friday night to see him!

Today’s Finds include…

1:

This publication sets out how Government investment for 2010-11 will support further education and skills training for post 19 learners.

The funding will be routed through the Skills Funding Agency and enable the delivery of increased Advanced Apprenticeships places to support the creation of a new technician class central to our economic recovery and future growth, whilst continuing to support those currently seeking sustained employment as part of the Government’s Real Help Now initiative.

Download from http://www.dius.gov.uk/further_education/funding_and_investment/skills-investment-strategy.

2:

Ofqual, along with its regulatory partners in Wales and Northern Ireland, has published the criteria for Functional Skills assessments in English, mathematics and ICT.

Awarding organisations wishing to offer Functional Skills qualifications will need to submit proposals to Ofqual for approval and demonstrate how they comply with these criteria. Only those organisations and qualifications that are fully compliant with the criteria will be approved at this time, ready for first teaching in September 2010.

Functional Skills in...

• English,
• mathematics and
• ICT

...are stand alone qualifications available to a full range of learners, designed to enable those individuals to work effectively and independently.

To find out more, visit http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/2578.aspx.

The following criteria can be downloaded... 

• Functional Skills criteria for mathematics <http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-11-functional-skills-criteria-for-mathematics.pdf>
• Functional Skills for English <http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-11-functional-skills-criteria-for-english.pdf>
• Functional Skills for ICT <http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-11-functional-skills-criteria-for-ICT2.pdf>
• Functional Skills qualifications criteria <http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-11-functional-skills-qualifications-criteria.pdf>
• Appendix A - Controlled assessment regulations for Functional Skills <http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-11-Appendix-A-functional-skills-controlled-assessment-regulations.pdf>

3:

Sex worth talking about is a new campaign to help young people make more informed choices about contraception, look after their sexual health and avoid unwanted pregnancies.

The campaign aims to promote more open and honest discussions about...

• sex,
• relationships and
• contraception

...among 16 to 24 year olds and their parents.

Research shows that...

• a lack of knowledge, and misinformation, coupled with poor attitudes and communication is currently hindering their safer sexual behaviour.
• better communication and more knowledgeable conversations about sexual health and relationships are crucial to helping people make informed choices and take care of their health.

The campaign will...

• give people the facts about sexual health;
• encourage people to talk about sex and contraception - research shows that open and honest conversations about sex and relationships can stop young people having sex too early;
• raise awareness of the range of contraception that can fit with different people’s lifestyles; and
• encourage people to take a chlamydia test.

Find out more by visiting http://www.nhs.uk/worthtalkingabout/Pages/sex-worth-talking-about.aspx.

4:

Niceletter is a free letter wizard that will enable learners to construct a letter which complies with writing rules, simply by filling in text fields.

No word editor is needed as the layout is handled automatically. In addition, many sample letters are available such as...

• cover letters,
• thank-you letters,
• complaint letters and
• business letters.

Practitioners can use these templates to discuss letter structure, content etc., with learners.

Find out more at http://www.niceletter.com/.

5:

MagoFun serves a popular function, that of letting users take any picture and have some fun with it.

MagoFun allows users to upload a photograph and put it on the cover of a magazine. There are currently about 60 to choose from and once the cover is ready it can easily be published by the user in VLEs, websites, blogs and just any corner of the WWW.

The process is as easy as...

• uploading the photo and
• choosing a cover from the many on offer.
• The resulting file can be downloaded to a computer.

Try it out at http://www.magofun.com/.

6:

FlockDraw is a simple but elegant collaborative sketching website which lets users...

• draw,
• share and
• collaborate on freehand sketches and diagrams.

The simplicity of the tool makes it worth using. Just click 'start drawing' and users are presented with a whiteboard which has a url that can be easily shared (no sign up required).

On the right hand side of the board are drawing tools. There aren’t any complex tools. Just the ones that help you make a basic drawing – brush, text, line etc.

Note: the site plans to introduce the embed and save images features soon. 

Visit this nice drawing tool and have a play at http://www.flockdraw.com/. 

7:

"Snow crystals," Ukichiro Nakaya wrote in 1939, "may be called letters sent from heaven."

The Japanese physicist spent his life studying snowflakes, eventually becoming the first to create an artificial snow crystal in the laboratory.

Take a close look at this slide show at http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/12/the-unbelievable-world-of-snowflakes.php. 

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/. Don’t miss the “IN-TOUCH” Live broadcast (12:45 to 13:15) on 14^th December 2009 which has a focus on Yola; it can be viewed at http://www.livestream.com/locus.

It has been a good week, so far, but busy; Tuesday saw the uNET Conference from which we have had excellent feedback from exhibitors and delegates alike. It was nice to catch up with so many people that we support. Yesterday and it was an eGuide event where again I caught up with existing contacts and met some new ones. I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did and that I can be of some assistance in the future.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

The Top 100 Tools for Learning compiled by Jane Hart from the contributions of 278 learning professionals worldwide...

Link to SlideShare at .

2:
Google-Proof Questioning: A New Use for Bloom's Taxonomy

 "Are you telling me you memorized that fact when anyone with a cell phone can find that in thirty seconds?"

I think, if my memory hasn’t gone completely, that quote is from a Simpson's Episode, said by a new teacher!

John R Sowash says in his blog entry...

"When I give worksheets with questions on them my students immediately type the entire question into the omniscient search box on Google and in an instant, they have their answer.
They have expended absolutely zero energy or effort to find the answer and as a result will not remember the question or the answer."

The answer to this, well  one of many, can be found by reading the whole article at http://electriceducator.blogspot.com/2009/11/google-proof-questioning-new-use-for.html.

3:

Many learners struggle with apostrophes - or is that apostrophe’s? Aaugh!

Point them in the direction of a handy chart, available on the web, that shows how those flying commas work.

The chart goes over the basics...

• don’t use apostrophes on plurals,
• do use them to indicate possession or for contractions)

...as well as more confusing rules such as...

• “its” versus “it’s.”

All the information learners need, plus images of rocket ships and dinosaurs, make apostrophe.me a handy grammatical reference for any age group.

Note: apostrophe.me is hosted by another site called The Oatmeal, which isn’t appropriate for younger learners that may be engaged in Family Learning. Family Learning Practitioners and others should consider a screen grab/capture, printing it out etc.

Go to http://apostrophe.me/ and check out “How To Use An Apostrophe”.

4:

Google Chrome OS will be an open source operating system for people who spend most of their time on the web.

It aims to provide users with a...

• fast,
• simple and
• secure

...computing experience.

Find out more by watching the embedded clip below...

Netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available to consumers late next year.

If you'd like to receive news on Google Chrome OS from time to time visit https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlechromeossignup/ and sign up.

If you want to read more about this and other projects visit http://www.chromium.org/.

5:

Count Me In! are resources from Mencap designed for adults with learning disabilities.  

Count Me In! resources can be used to teach how the political and voting system work.

The resources are designed to be used in a course lasting a period of eight weeks...

• Weeks 1 to 5 are about politics and voting and
• Weeks 6 to 8 are dedicated to training the course participants to be trainers

The four resources available are...

• The Count me in! manual
• Count me in! posters
• Count me in! Session plans and notes for sessions 1 to 4
• Count me in! Session plans and notes for sessions 5 to 8.

Ideal for adults with learning disabilities and others.

To access these resources visit http://www.mencap.org.uk/ and search for "Count Me In" (without the Quote Marks)

6:

Creating slideshows can be an excellent way for learners to...

• summarize their learning,
• share what they've learned, and
• share their reflections/ideas/etc.

If you have learners that create slideshows that should be shared with a wider audience, rather than just their immediate peers in the learning environment, the web offers many ways to do just that.

The blog highlights ten free ways for learners to publish slideshows to the web.

Read what they are by visiting http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/11/12-ways-for-students-to-publish.html. 

7:

The latest edition of the JISC RSC  Scotland e-quality bulletin is now available to download.

The newsletter features a wide variety of articles on subjects from communicating with symbols to creating accessible PowerPoint slides.

Find out more, access archived publications and/or download the latest edition at http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/publications.php#e_quality_newsletter_winter_2009. 

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/. Don’t miss the “IN-TOUCH” Live broadcast (12:45 to 13:15) on 14^th December 2009 which has a focus on Yola; it can be viewed at http://www.livestream.com/locus.

Yes it’s official – I’m a Granddad! Jack was born at 20:03 GMT and weighed in at 8lb 7oz.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

NASA_CAST is a podcast repository containing a growing selection of audio-visual resources across a wide range of subject areas related to...

• astronomy,
• earth sciences, and
• space exploration.

Audio topics covered include...

• the Solar system,
• recent NASA news,
• the Shuttle and International Space Station,
• NASA moments and
• earth science stories.

The video casts include similar topics plus videos of...

• space missions and
• archive footage.

Note: podcasts are available through iTunes, and visitors can sign up to an array of newsfeeds for their preferred subject areas.

Take a closer look at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/.

2:

I have no other comment than... "This is mind-blowing!"

Livebrush is a free drawing program available for Mac and Windows computers.

Livebrush...

• offers a wide array of drawing tools for creating beautiful shapes, drawings, and designs.
• has built-in tools that allow users to create a simple sketches with just one or two strokes of the paintbrush.
• allows users to combine as many brush strokes as they like in their drawings.

Yet another tool for artists, designers etc. Watch the video clip below

Find out more and/or download at http://www.livebrush.com/.

3:

Noodle is a module, downloadable by your Moodle administrator, which makes it very easy to add NLN Learning Objects to Moodle course pages.

By making a streamlined version of the NLN website available from within Moodle itself, it makes adding Learning Objects to a course page even easier than adding Word documents.

You don't even need an NLN account to use it - just your regular Moodle login.

Find out more at http://www.nln.ac.uk/?p=Noodle.

4:

NumberNut is a comprehensive site filled with maths information and activities for review and direct instruction.

The two main areas of the site are...

1: Basic Maths that includes topics such as...

• shapes,
• time,
• operations etc. and

2: Advanced Maths that covers...

• decimals,
• fractions,
• money (US$),
• percentages, etc. 

On each of these pages users can...

• locate the Topic Section on the right,
• click on your desired topic to view a page with both information related to the topic and activities to reinforce the skill. 
• when an activity is selected users have the option to “Magnify the Activity" which makes it larger on the screen.

Many of the activities work and present well on Interactive White Boards. 

Find out more by visiting the site at http://www.numbernut.com/.

5:

This publication is designed to alert employers to impending changes within the education system that aim to see more people with learning difficulties and disabilities employed.

This publication aims to publicise the aims of the LSC strategy and encourage employers across all sectors to play a part in ensuring that disabled people have a positive start to their working lives.

It suggests ways employers can do this by:

• offering work experience opportunities and nominating mentors to support disabled people on placements;
• developing partnerships with education and training providers;
• making adjustments in the workplace and in recruitment procedures;
• advertising vacancies in places where they will be seen by disabled people;
• involving current staff in discussions about disability;
• linking up with other employers for information on best practice.

Download the publication from NIACE at http://www.niace.org.uk/research/HDE/Documents/Employers.pdf.

and an information publication for those with learning difficulties, with appropriate text and images, at http://www.niace.org.uk/research/HDE/Documents/Learners.pdf.

6:

The NIACE website has free resources to help providers and practitioners in supporting learners with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities;

The resources consist of...

• a series of case studies - highlighting practical examples of providers with a wealth of experience in supporting learners with learning difficulties and disabilities in work-based learning
• seven briefing sheets - each highlighting a particular learning difficulty or disability, explaining how it may affect learners in work-based learning and signposting to more sources of information and support.

Also on the NIACE website are

Moving into Work: (in the Employment section)

'There are six information sheets aimed at a number of different key players who need to be involved in the process of supporting people in their transition to work'

Copies of the information sheets can be downloaded from NIACE at http://www.niace.org.uk/research/HDE/documents.htm.

7:

On Guard Online offers a fifty-four page PDF guide to talking with kids about being online.

Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online offers numerous suggestions for having conversations with learners about online behaviours.

The guide offers differentiated suggestions based upon the age of the children with which you're talking. Net Cetera covers topics including...

• social networking,
• cyberbullying,
• sexting,
• mobile devices,
• peer-to-peer file sharing, and
• online privacy.

To download Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online go to http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/net-cetera.aspx.

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/. Don’t miss the “IN-TOUCH” Live broadcast (12:45 to 13:15) on 14^th December 2009 which has a focus on Yola; it can be viewed, on the day, at http://www.livestream.com/locus.

A for  those who attended the Adobe Connect online workshop on the 12^th November, eXe for Beginners, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did; feedback was very encouraging and Lisa Valentine, Helen Smith and I will continue to strive for excellence… and, I’m still not a Granddad! I hope to be one by the time I see you at the uNET Conference in Aintree.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

Nature journals are publishing a FREE audio show, called 'ChemPod', every other month; 'ChemPod', is specifically for the chemistry community, from interviews with Nobel Prize winners, to discussions on nanotechnology research and much, much more...

Shows will feature...

• important research from the Nature journals
• interviews with the people behind the science,
• in-depth commentary,
• location reports and
• analysis from journalists covering chemistry around the world.

Those who wish can receive updates on the Chempod, as well as the latest chemistry research from the Nature journals, directly into their email box by signing up for the Chemistry email alert.

For complete access to the original papers featured in the Chempod, subscriptions are available.

Visit http://www.nature.com/chemistry/podcast.html to find out more and/or to listen to the podcasts. 

2:

Making UPC barcodes less boring - now that is an interesting thought!

Read the full article at http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/making_upc_barcodes_less_boring.html. 

3:

Darwin, A Naturalist's Voyage is an interactive virtual tour of Charles Darwin's nearly five year journey on the Beagle.

Darwin, A Naturalist's Voyage has fourteen segments chronicling Darwin's voyage from start to finish. Through the tour visitors will...

• see sketches from the journey,
• hear readings from Darwin's journals, and
• learn about the journey as a whole.

This resource isn't limited to just Darwin's work as a naturalist. Darwin, A Naturalist's Voyage explores social issues of the time such as slavery.

Take a closer look at http://www.cnrs.fr/cw/dossiers/dosdarwinE/darwin.html.

4:

60 Second Recap provides book summaries in sixty second video segments.

60 Second Recap is a very new service still in its alpha phase of development; current book titles in its library are...

• Animal Farm
• Fahrenheit 451
• Frankenstein
• Great Expectations
• Hamlet
• Jane Eyre
• Lord of the Flies
• Of Mice and Men
• Pride and Prejudice
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Catcher in the Rye
• The Crucible
• The Great Gatsby
• The Scarlet Letter
• The turn of the Screw and
• To Kill a Mockingbird.

60 Second Recap could be the basis for a learner project in which they create their own video recaps of books they read. If practitioners or learners don't have access to video cameras, they could use a service like Animoto or Stupeflix to create their video recaps of the books they've read.

Find out more by visiting http://www.60secondrecap.com/; apparently new books are added each week.

5:

Maps of War's animated maps are a great visual aid for learners. The timeline that accompanies each map make the maps a great resource for showing changes over time. As the maps change the timelines change accordingly.

Maps of War has...

• a collection of seven animated maps based on the themes of...

• war,
• religion, and
• politics.

• the BBC and
• the New York Times.

Many of the maps contained in the library are interactive learning tools. 

Find out more by visiting http://www.mapsofwar.com/index.html.

6:

Learn English Kids has...

• many activities that learners can do individually which is great for differentiated instruction.
• a long list of activities and lessons that practitioners can do with a whole class.
• some articles and reports, in the teacher section, that will be of interest to ESOL/ESL/EFL practitioners.

Learners can visit the website to...

• play educational games,
• listen and read along with short stories, or
• listen to and sing along with English songs.

Learn English Kids also has a number of activities designed to help learners practice writing in English.

Find out more at http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids.htm. 

7:

WorldClock is an online clock that shows real time statistical data about the world. The data includes...

• world population,
• birth,
• death,
• divorce,
• abortion,
• HIV,
• cancer incidence… etc.

Users can view real time statistics for one...

• year,
• month,
• week and
• day.

The stats presented on the site are averages of the data gathered from sources like...

• World Health Organization,
• CIA Factbook
• US Census and others.

Take a look at http://www.shambles.net/worldclock/worldclock.swf.

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/. Don’t miss the monthly “IN-TOUCH” Live broadcast (12:45 to 13:15) on 14^th December 2009 which has a focus on YOLA – web hosting/authoring/blog portal; it can be viewed at http://www.livestream.com/locus.

A big thank you to those who attended the live broadcast on the 9^th November; sorry about the audio problems at the start of the ‘show’ - mime doesn’t work well for technology explanations. The feedback was encouraging and Keith, Colin and I will continue to strive for excellence… and, at the time of posting this, I’m still not a Granddad! I hope to be one by the time I see you at the uNET Conference in Aintree.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

Train Time <http://www.mathsyear2000.org/magnet/minus3/trains/index.html> is just one of the many interactive resources available on the Count On website; it reinforces time telling skills (elapsed time) in a fun, semi "real life" scenario.

Learners...

• read statements on the left of the screen and
• then click on the train with the correct answer.
• If correct the train will move on the tracks and they will be given the chance to complete another problem.
• Incorrect and it will tell them to try again.

Good for a quick review after instruction using an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB).

Visit http://www.counton.org/ where all the sections...

• Games
• Matrix
• Links
• Maths Magnet
• Resources
• Explorer and
• News

...can be visited and the resources tried out.

Ideal for Family Learning, Initial Teacher Training etc.

2:

A matrix shows 100 or 25 problems (depending upon the game chosen). Users can choose...

• additions, or
• subtractions, or
• multiplications.

The target number is above the matrix.

Press/click/tap on the field, in the matrix, that matches the target number.

With a correct choice, the field will change colour. The aim of the user/class (if used on an interactive whiteboard [IWB]) is to try to get

• either five coloured fields in a row (if the 5 TIC TAC GO game is chosen) or
• three coloured fields in a row (if the 3 TIC TAC GO game is chosen) Note: this game has less problems and the text is larger.

It can be a game for…

• one player or
• two players or
• two teams.

Try it out at http://www.fi.uu.nl/toepassingen/00091/toepassing_wisweb.en.html.

3:
Quality, Choice & Aspiration

A strategy for young people’s information, advice and guidance.
A 52 page publication that all involved in the education of children should be aware of.

The document outlines even more initiatives to be included in the curriculum. It identifies issues that most are taking on board or have had as part of their Careers responsibilities for some time. It talks about the need to help young adults to be aware of the opportunities available to them and repeatedly encourages practitioners, parents and learners to "think outside of the box".

As the introduction says...

"Young people need high quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) to help them find their way in the world and make decisions that will set them on the path to success. We want young people to access the support and opportunities they need to:

    *
      succeed in education and continue participating in learning until the age of 18
    *
      make informed choices about their careers and be prepared for the demands of working life
    *
      raise their aspirations and fulfil their potential
    *
      overcome barriers that may be preventing them from releasing their talents."

This is basically a common-sense document about...

• communication skills,
• how learning providers and employers relate to each other,
• how parents and learners are encouraged to gain impartial and appropriate advice.

Is a Personal Development & Planning ePortfolio (ePDP Portfolio), a possible solution to how best to encourage the processes of communication included in this publication?

Download the document at http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/IAG-Report-v2.pdf.

4:

'The Impact of Mobile Technologies: Examining what it means for teaching and learning'.

A report that summarises Phase one of MoLeNET projects.

Molenet 1 involved approximately...

• 2,000 staff and
• 10,000 learners,

...spread across 32 mobile learning projects; this produced many examples of good practice and "lessons learned", all of which are included in the report.

Handheld technologies used included...

• personal digital assistants (PDAs),
• mobile phones,
• smartphones,
• MP3 and MP4 players (eg iPODs),
• other portable multimedia players,
• handheld gaming devices (eg Sony PSP, Nintendo DS),
• ultramobile PCs (UMPCs),
• mini notebooks or netbooks (eg Asus EEE),
• handheld GPS devices,
• handheld voting devices etc.

The report offers...

• useful examples throughout and
• key pointers from providers from their project evaluations.
• a dedicated section on Work Based Learning and
• a section on Employer engagement highlighting some of the difficulties in using mobile devices in practice.

The complete publication can be downloaded without registering (FREE) from the LSN website at https://crm.lsnlearning.org.uk/user/login.aspx?code=090068&P=090068PD&action=pdfdl&src=WEBGEN or you can request a hard copy by emailing molenet@lsnlearning.org.uk.

5:

A well designed newsletter/email template can be the difference between success and failure.

Whether it’s to update potential learners about courses, or to share information with employers, having a well designed template can be a great starting point to guide target audiences and give them a clear coherent flow when they read your email. This is crucial, considering how important the first impression is.

This blog entry rounds-up of some of the best free HTML newsletter templates on the Internet that users can download without paying a penny.

Read the full blog at http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/excellent-free-html-newsletter-templates-best-of/.

6:

The Bible is the most reproduced book in the entire world having been translated into hundreds of languages and published by thousands of book publishers and binders throughout the ages. Now, it’s available on both PC and mobile phone.

iBible is a web application that has the entire bible (both testaments) translated into several languages including...

• French,
• German,
• Portuguese,
• Spanish and
• Polish

Simple to use and no set-up requirements.

The home screen of iBible is a list of available languages, these take users to a list of chapters and sections which the reader clicks to go to them instantly.

Sentences are numbered for quick and easy referencing and all the text is properly typed and laid out.

Because the majority of the application is text, it is suitable to be loaded on almost any device with access to the internet such as...

• an iPhone,
• a PSP or
• a basic GPRS mobile phone.

Access the website at http://www.ibible.mobi/.

7:

The Oska Bright website <http://www.oskabright.co.uk/> as some excellent guidelines on making films which are suitable for sharing with adults with learning disabilities.

Content includes...

• Making a story
• Using a camera
• Using Lighting
• Music and sound
• Finishing touches and
• Things to remember

Find out more at http://www.oskabright.co.uk/Film%20making.htm.

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/. Don’t miss the “IN-TOUCH” Live broadcast (12:45 to 13:15) on 9^th November 2009 which has a focus on “Just-in-time resources”; it can be viewed at http://www.livestream.com/locus.

Still no sign of becoming a Granddad; NHS said today but no news yet. Busy preparing for the two live broadcasts next week, I hope you will find time to join us.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

In forty illustrated pages, Will Mueller < http://willm.me/ > tells readers all they need to know about...

• free internet listening to music,
• streaming audio to your computer, and
• free download music sites to get all your favourite songs and albums in a whim.

Learn how to...

• share music with others and
• track a band’s performance and album releases!

Download the Internet Music Guidebook, now in PDF, and/or read it online at .

A MakeUseOf.com publication

2:
Forklift accident brings down a Russian Vodka warehouse. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.

.

3:

Shape Poems is a poem generation template hosted by Read Write Think.

Shape Poems provides a template...

• for writing poems in the shape of an object, selected from one of four themes including...

• sports,
• school,
• nature, and
• celebrations,

...about that object.

Learners then...

• select a shape
• identify words that they associate with their chosen shape.
• Write a poem

When completed, learners can...

• hear their poems read to them and/or
• print their poems.

Try it out at http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/shape/.

4:

Haven’t got a Google Wave invite yet? Don’t worry. Sooner or later you will get it.

Meanwhile get yourself acquainted with Wave by reading “The Complete Guide to Google Wave” written by Gina Trapani with Adam Pash.

Currently the guide is available online for free at http://completewaveguide.com/guide/The_Complete_Guide_to_Google_Wave. It features eight chapters and two appendices, but it is going to expand as Google Wave develops. In January 2010 a PDF and print version of the book will be made available for purchase.

The online guide runs on a Wiki allowing other users to make contributions.

5:

Hilary Thomas, our HE Adviser, brought  C-LINK to the RSC Team's attention.

"C-LINK  is new search tool for finding related and possibly unknown concepts that lie on a path between two known concepts."

In their own words...

"Knowledge repositories proliferate at an accelerating rate. While these offer excellent support for specific information searches, there is limited support for unstructured browsing or semi-structured information gathering, when a user does not know what there is to know (but wants to find information connecting known concepts)."

Find out more and/or gain access to the User Guide at http://www.conceptlinkage.org/ OR try it out at http://www.conceptlinkage.org/clink/?.

6:

Many learners don’t get to experience hands-on aspects of history and/or archaeology. Using a mouse isn’t exactly hands-on but by clicking to Interactive Dig: El Carrizal from Archaeology Magazine, learners can see photographic updates and read first-hand accounts of this "in-progress" archaeological project.

By seeing professionals in action practitioners can encourage learners to think like historians themselves and hopefully it will excite learners about history and archeology.

Visit http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/veracruz/ to find out more and/or http://www.archaeology.org/.

7:

SimpleDesktops is a recently launched website where original and simple desktop wallpapers can be download/shared.

All wallpapers are...

• flare,
• shadow and
• gradient free,

...providing enough eye candy to avoid boredom.

Spice up desktops from about 25 wallpapers currently available; browse and download the 'chosen ones' with a single click. No email or sign up required.

Find out more and/or download a new desktop wallpaper at http://simpledesktops.com/.

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/.

Booking for the on-line workshop on eXe is going so well that we may have to run it again in December; details and booking on our events page on our website.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

Oxelon Media Converter is a must have "audio/video file converter software".

It meets all I've been looking for...

• neat,
• clean interface,
• integrated with the Windows Explorer context menu allowing me to convert media files directly in Explorer by right clicking on them.

It's not often I fall in love with an application at first sight but this is an exception.

Things I like...

1. Oxelon Media Converter supports a wide range of audio and video formats allowing conversion from one to the other. Supported formats are:

• Video Formats: 3GP, ASF, AVI, DV, DVD MPEG2, FFM, FLV, GIF, MOV, MP4, MPEG1, MPEG2 PS, MPEG2 TS, NUT, PSP, RAW YUV, RM, SVCD MPEG2, SWF, VCD MPEG1, VOB, YUV4MPEG, M1V, M2V, M4V.
• Audio Formats: AC3, AAC, AIFF, AMR, AU, FLAC, MMF, MP2, MP3, OGG, VOC, WAV.

• Oxelon - Convert to Video or
• Oxelon - Convert to Audio from the menu.

• video size,
• video bitrate,
• frames per second,
• audio channels,
• audio bitrate and
• sampling rates

• "Direct Stream Copy" that lets end users convert media file format without re-encoding; allowing faster file conversion;
• drag and drop from Windows Explorer for conversion; I found this by accident.

Things I don’t like:

1. Every time Oxelon Media Converter is closed it directs users to its homepage; very annoying but, to be fair, understandable.

Oxelon Media Converter is free and works with Windows XP, Vista and 7 and can be downloaded at http://www.oxelon.com/media_converter.html.

2:

Stereomood is a free emotional internet radio that suggests to visitors the music that best suits their mood and/or their daily activities.

It's much more than an online radio, it's a tool to create playlists for every occasion, a tool to share 'emotions' through music. 

Try it out at http://www.stereomood.com/. 

3:

Lady Jane, as our Second Life users will know her, (Jane Edwards is from RSC West Midlands) has set up a page on RSC West Midlands' Wiki that brings together a number of key resources.

Jane has been looking at ways that learning providers can...

• save money and
• work more efficiently

...by thinking more about sustainable computing; something also referred to as Green ICT.

It is a large area and one that is currently attracting a lot of funding and is the subject of much research. 

On this wiki page visitors will find information on...

• green agenda government papers,
• green ICT events and
• other useful links for the education sector

Find out more by visiting http://wiki.rscwmsystems.org.uk/index.php/Green_ICT.

4:

Fruity words is from the Birmingham Grid for Learning.

There are 3 Levels...

1. Matching Fruit: Match the fruit to its picture by dragging and dropping it onto the matching one; names are under the fruit in English.
2. Counting Fruits: has three numeracy activities...

• Making 10: Put 10 pieces of fruit into the bowl by dragging and dropping the fruit of the users choice; watch the counter change from 0 to 10
• How many fruits? Count how many fruits are in the bowl, choose the correct number from those shown and click and
• What's the number? Count how many fruits are in the bowl, type in the correct number and check if you're right

Ideal for ESOL, ESL, EFL etc. as well as Family Learning.

Go to http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/english/fruits/index.html to try it out.

5:

The Great Grub Club has plenty of free ideas and downloadable resources to get family learning practitioners and their learners learning about healthy living.

Encourage Parents, Guardians and Carers to find out more about the work of World Cancer Research Fund UK and download free recipes and activity sheets to enjoy with their child/children.

The Great Grub Club includes...

• Games
• Quizzes
• Fun
• Food facts
• Olivia's Garden
• Cook it! and
• Fitness Fun

Plus sections for...

• "Your stuff"
• Parents and
• Teachers

Take a look at http://www.greatgrubclub.com/Home_page.

6:

Back in February 2006 SparkleBox.co.uk was launched as a means of sharing useful downloadable resources with other teachers around the UK (and beyond).

Since then the SparkleBox has grown dramatically but the fundamental aim of sharing resources remains. Every resource on the site is FREE to download - no payment required at all!

The main sections are...

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Topics
• Signs & Labels
• Class Management
• Miscellaneous
• Sharing Zone
• Photo Gallery
• Books
• Welsh and
• Parents

Visit http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/ to find out more.

7:

If you and/or your learners are new to blogging AND WordPress in particular, there are some things to learn before progressing too far. 

For instance, what are...

• widgets? 
• Sidebars? 
• Headers and footers? 

For veteran bloggers, these terms are second nature but for a newbie, they have lots to learn.

Enter WordPress.TV video tutorials!  Learning Providers need to be able to help learners, and many of their staff, get started with new technology.  Many create video tutorials but with websites like Wordpress.tv, with some of the best WordPress tutorials out there, their job is so much easier!

Wordpress tutorials include...

• How to sign up at Wordpress.com…
• An introduction to the dashboard…
• How to create a static page…
• How to write and publish a post…

The tutorials are professional, high quality video, and it is easy to turn subtitles on or off.  It’s is also very easy to embed and share the videos. There are tutorials for novices and the more experienced.  I think that for those of you who use or choose to use WordPress for blogging that you’ll be pleased by what you find at Wordpress.tv.

Go to http://wordpress.tv/ and click on the How To link, across the top of the page, to find out more.

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Note: For an audio version of this blog visit http://drop.io/wdlihblog to listen and/or download and/or subscribe to an RSS Feed or for  iTunes downloads.

Items included in this blog are also included in my website, http://www.acljohn.com/.

So much to do and… you know the rest! Two live presentations coming up in November. On the 9^th a live TV Broadcast on ”Just in Time Resources” and on the 12^th an Adobe Connect Workshop on eXe. If you wish to attend the eXe presentation you will need to book online on our events page.

Today’s Finds include…

1:

ClockEasy can be described as an effective way to have a clock in your blog, website and/or VLE.

There is not any mysterious algorithm or complicated set of tools working behind this site. The truth is it is a simple application that is can be highly useful and efficient when it comes to setting countdowns to important mile posts; deadlines etc.

When visiting the site visitors will see the four main options they can use. Simple and uncomplicated, this provides practical solutions for both practitioners and learners if they decide to place it in their site for many reasons.

Find out more and/or try it out at http://clockeasy.com/.

2:

Five Card Stories is an experimental web site designed to foster visual thinking.

How does it work? Users...

• are dealt five random photographs for each of five draws,
• select one each time to add to their selection of images; they will probably find it easier if the first image they select is of a person or animal, which can then be the main character in their story.

·         take the 5 images to tell a story; illustrated by them...

• give it a title,
• add a name (it doesn't have to be your real name)
• complete the story and then
• type in the two security words and
• save it to the site.

Five Card Stories provides learners with...

• quick writing practice and
• the opportunity to...

• give feedback and criticism to other users and
• receive feedback and criticism of their own written work

Find out more at http://web.nmc.org/5cardstory/index.php or
play the Five Card Flickr Game at http://web.nmc.org/5cardstory/flickr.php.

3:

In S. Hendy's own words...

"I love finding digital resources and exploring ways to integrate technology into the classroom. I am particularly interested in online applications. This blog has been designed to share resources I have found and collected as both an educator and a parent. My background is in Art and Multimedia education, however, I love finding ways to enhance learning in all subject areas."

For example Hendy's slideshow, 'Tap Into the World of Comics', presents a series of comic creation tools followed by twenty suggestions for using comics in the classroom. Creating comics can be a fun way for learners to develop their skills for planning a storyline. Comic creation is also a good way to get reluctant writers started on creating a story.

Visit the blog at http://digitaltoolsforteachers.blogspot.com/ or access the presentations at http://www.slideshare.net/shend5. 

4:

In their words...

"Ever read one of those top ten lists or photo galleries where every item is on a different page? You spend more time clicking "Next" and waiting than actually reading anything. PageZipper is a free bookmarklet which automatically merges all the "Next" pages into one, so you can skip directly to the stuff you want." 

Watch an introductory video at.

To add Page Zipper to your browser and/or to find out more go to http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/pagezipper.

5:

During October three of us, from the RSC Team, were involved with an eProgress Review with a learning provider whose staff were dispersed across the UK. Holding face to face interviews was not economical, or green, so we used skype to interview their staff. With the Call Graph Plug-in we were able to record the conversations. A very successful use of technology!

I've now come across an article in Time Magazine that starts...

"Get ready for a closeup: your next job interview might be on webcam. Looking to save time and money, companies are turning to video-chat software as a cheap, low-hassle way to vet job candidates. That means a growing number of people looking for work are meeting their prospective new bosses not at the office but in the comfort of their own home."

Read the full article at http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1930838,00.html.

More and more companies say they are using Skype to interview potential employees; some even use it as a first screening by HR before narrowing down candidates.

Are you or your learners prepared?

Have they experienced on-line interviews/discussions etc?

If they are being interviewed by video, at home, do they realise that they must be sure to remove all environmental distractions. Put the dogs out, remove the whisky bottles from the area they’re sitting in, and pyjamas are a real No-No :-).

6:

Are you a learning provider who wants to implement eLearning across your organisation? YES, then a number of toolkits and services exist that can be used to help benchmark you, and move your (ILT) strategy forward.

We at RSC Northwest, along with the 8 other English RSC, are running Generator workshops as part of the big Becta push to get learning providers engaged in a self evaluation process.

The...

• ACL sector has had the eLPS tool for a while now
• WBL sector likewise the WeLPS tool; we also produced an eMagazine to support these providers available at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag2008/eLPS_Tool/index.html.
• other sectors we supported, until the Becta Generator was developed, didn't have such tools so the team produced separate Generic Tools to aid all our supported learning providers.

Kevin Brace, RSC West Midlands, in his Gabber Blog <http://kev-brace.blogspot.com/> flagged up two other tools that may also be of use to learning providers, when addressing eLearning and self evaluation; they are...

• The NHS eLearning ToolKit at http://www.elearningreadiness.org/index.php
  This may be an appropriate tool for those engaged with NVQs that possibly lead to NHS employment; and
• Nga Kiwai Ketev at http://www.nkk.org.nz/kete1.php, designed to be used in the context of face-to-face interaction and support.
  These online resources are structured within five kete, each providing a different perspective on enhancing e-learning capability:

• Introducing e-Learning
• Planning e-Learning
• Designing e-Learning
• Teaching online
• Supporting e-Learners and Teachers

7:

ShopTalk is an application that aims to make professional collaboration an easier task.

ShopTalk lets different members of a team chat with each other in a setting which is both private and secure.

One of the best aspects of the whole service is that it enables users to employ tabbed chat rooms. i.e. a person who is in more than one department/curriculum area/faculty etc., within the same organisation will be able to take part in different chat rooms at the same time should that be necessary. Activity in each room is flagged by highlighting Room Tabs, so that users don't not have to check manually every five seconds to see if someone has posted a message.

Every session is stored so there is no need to write down anything which has been talked about within the chat room. Simply refer to the conversation and the relevant exchange of information will be found.

Note: This service can be used for free during the provided free beta. So, if you want to know whether a tool like this one is what your organisation needs in order to channel its productivity, now is the perfect time for finding it out.

I've experimented briefly and, along with the default Lobby, have set up two 'Project Room'; I've invited colleagues and we have...

• chatted
• shared documents (Images are displayed and hyperlinks are included for participants to download docs) and
• switched from room to room

Feedback has been very positive and I can see great potential for those who wish to communicate with staff or learners who are spread far and wide.

Find out more and/or sign up at http://shoptalkapp.com/. 

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