It’s all Shiny
The new MoLeNET Project that Gloucestershire College are undertaking this year, the Shiny Project; has its own project blog which can be found here.
Coming soon, Shiny stuff…
Coming soon, Shiny stuff.
Watch this space.
Glossy MoLeNET Presentation at HHL08
Presentation made at Handheld Learning 2008.
Learning in a digital age – are we prepared?
Learning in a digital age – are we prepared?
4-7th November 2008
Register now for the third international JISC online conference. This important conference for practitioners and managers embedding e-learning into their practice focuses on the tension between the tried and tested and the wholly innovative. e-Learning may now have established a foothold in learning and teaching, but are the demands of delivering the curriculum restricting its innovative potential? How can we plan to ensure the best possible e-enhancement of learning in the future?
Keynote speakers are Professor Gilly Salmon, University of Leicester, on transforming curriculum design through technology and Professor Rose Luckin, London Knowledge Lab, on the relationship between learners, their tutors and institutions. The closing keynote is being delivered by John Davitt, writer, broadcaster and education technology specialist.
The conference has two themes each running over two days and will also include guided tours in Second Life facilitated by the JISC Emerge team. During the reading weeks, the two weeks prior to the conference, there will be orientation sessions for delegates new to Second Life. We are pleased to have James Clay, mobile-learning enthusiast, as the conference blogger. Some sessions will make use of the Elluminate real-time web conferencing system.
Finally, the e-Learning Showcase will provide a shop window on innovative work from JISC e-Learning projects and services and social events include a virtual fashion show.
Details of the programme are available at www.jisc.ac.uk/elpconference08.
Delegates from further and higher education and from overseas are welcome to take part. The conference takes place in an asynchronous virtual environment which can be accessed wherever and whenever is convenient to you. Book now. The fee is £50 per delegate
End of project
As I write this blog entry the Glossy MoLeNET project is coming to an end. I am writing the final reports and ensuring that our contributions are ready to go on MoLeShare.
I will probably post some content from the reports at a later date.
I will keep the blog online as an archive of the project.
MoLeNET Dissemination Conference – 18th September
On the 18th September there is a MoLeNET Dissemination Conference in London (see attached PDF).
The aims of the conference are:
- To disseminate nationally the good practice, lessons learned, research and evaluation findings, tips, tools and advice arising out of the MoLeNET programme in 2007/08
- To demonstrate technologies, systems, learning materials and techniques
- To provide a platform for practitioners to share and an opportunity for networking and building of future partnerships
I do expect to be there in one form or another, so if you are coming do come and say hello.
Plastered
Had a really good session this morning with a group of Plastering lecturers. They are keen on creating video podcasts on plastering techniques and using video for assessment.
I have lent them an Asus EeePC to experiment and pilot with (as it comes with a webcam) to see if they feel it is of use for what they want to do, or whether they want to use traditional digital video cameras.
We went through the process of capturing and converting video, putting the video on the VLE, on a PSP and on a mobile phone.
Though will have a minimal impact on the MoLeNET project, will have a much larger impact on learners next year, which is to be honest what Glossy is all about, long term impact and sustainability.
I liked it so much I bought the class a set…
Really nice positive outcome from two learners using the Asus EeePC as part of their course. The tutor now wants to use a whole set for the whole class for the whole of next year!
We are now seeing the impact of the Glossy project beyond the initial groups and staff as the use of mobile devices cascades through the college.
Sketching on the PSP
One of the advantages of giving technology to learners is more often then not they will teach you what it can do.
We have been using PSPs (with the camera attachment) with a group of 14 year old learners. They have been using them to create stuff.
One of them today told our Alan about the effects option (something I had certainly missed, as had Alan).
One of the nice effects is the Sketch effect.
Now from a photography purist perspective you should really shoot in full colour and then use filters for this kind of effect.
Well that’s all nice and dandy if you have the computers (and software) to do this, but sometimes you don’t and come on let’s be honest a 1.3MP camera (which is what you have on top of the PSP) is certainly not a high end camera.
It’s actually quite an effective effect and much better than other sketch type effects or filters I have used.
Alas you can’t capture video with a sketch effect (though I am thinking if I can using a Pinnacle device we have.
Need to write a guide.
Little Linux Laptops
Engadget has a nice feature on the growth of Linux based UMPCs.
ASUS set the pace with Xandros on the Eee PC, and HP has tapped Novel SuSE Linux for the 2133 Mini-Note, but whereas the Eee’s positioning has been somewhat of a loose hybrid between an adult OLPC and the Nintendo Wii’s culture of global inclusion, the HP Mini-Note has been strongly focused on reckless, immature students while acknowledging potential for senior executives that have been known to share their temperament.
It’s interesting to see how this product niche has almost appeared from nowhere and is growing rapidly.
It seems to be a product that appeals to people who already own a computer, but want a laptop (and a small laptop at that) to complement it. The advantage of these little Linux laptops as well as the small size is the small price.
I have already seen quite a few of these laptops in college, brought in by learners, so I am expecting to see more of them.
