2020 Schools » Effective Communication

Student Help 24/7

steven3985 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:27:31 +0000

It was bound to happen. After all we live in a 24/7 world. There is now a personalized tutoring service online to help students 24/7. A story about the company appeared in the New York Times recently. The business or how it generates dollars is not the idea that appeals to me but rather that a highly personalized educational support is available 24/7 to students across the country. Will this work for all? Probably not, then again one shoe can never fit all. I am sure that this program which brings educational support right into a students home can only improve over time. Schools no longer are bricks and mortar places. In a digital world learning can take place anywhere. Take a look at http://www.tutor.com/.

RSS Feeds

steven3985 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:33:25 +0000

I recently learned about RSS feeds, a Web 2.0 tool. RSS is a simple way of getting customized information from the Web delivered to you computer automatically. It is a fabulous way to stay current on all of your favorite topics. This short video will tell you all all you need to know about RSS feeds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

Here is what Wikiapedia says about RSS feeds.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a “feed,” “web feed,” or “channel,” contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that’s easier than checking them manually.

RSS content can be read using software called an “RSS reader”, “feed reader” or an “aggregator“. The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed’s link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user’s subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.

The initials “RSS” are used to refer to the following formats:

Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.90)
Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91)

WEB 2.0 Tools

steven3985 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:57:48 +0000

Web 2.o tools are changing the world. If you didn’t believe that we live in a digital world the short video below will demonstrate that you may already be using Web 2.0 tools and not even know it. Many of the networking tools Wiki’s, Blogs social networking services such as Twitter and Second Life are connecting the world in ways never thought of 24/7. Time zones and location are no longer barriers for sharing digital media. Sites like De’lic’ous and Pageflake let you access your bookmarks for favorite sites wherever your are. GOOGLE Reader and RSS feeds let you be updated on news and information that you are interested in automatically 24/7. WEB 2.0 good or bad allows us to live our lives in real time. The video below reminds us that we are using our machines to make all this possible; or is the machine using us? You decide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Never Ever Say Never

steven3985 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:36:00 +0000

None of us know what the next great idea is going to be. The video below demonstrates that in education there have been naysayers to many innovative ideas yet they became accepted practice and have moved us forward. We are the Columbus’s of the 21st century. Just think of how radical his ideas were in his day. New idea’s do not always involve new technology or even dollars. However, they almost always involve doing things differently then we have done them in the past. In a world that is changing as quickly as ours we need to take a little risk to keep moving forward. The video below is not about technology but it does chronicle some key moments in education. Let me know what you think.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2855786550703993653

Open Source Software

steven3985 — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:55:49 +0000

Wow this is a great site to try out all types of different software that’s free. The mapping software is particularly interesting. Kudos to the people in London that have put this site together. Try it and tell me what you think.

http://www.osliving.com/

WIKI’s What A Great Way to Collaborate and Discuss

steven3985 — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:42:41 +0000

Hey! I’m not the youngest kid on the block but this year I have learned the power of WIKI’s and how they can help to create dialog and collaboration between people. WIKI’s in our school district have helped to get input, energize projects and move agenda’s forward. It allows everyone to come to the table with their ideas. It is one of the many tools at our disposal in this digital age. I thought this short video clip would be helpful to explain the project to any neophytes out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY&feature=related

60 Second Tech Moments

steven3985 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:36:13 +0000

Download Video: Posted by BCSD2020 at TeacherTube.com.

Having technology is a blessing and a curse. Actually, more of a blessing. The curse is the equipment is capable of doing so many things for us yet we seldom have enough time to learn all of the nuances. For some ideas the learning curve is steep and will take time. But, there are many little quick tech secrets that we sometimes overlook or are not aware of. Phil O. has put together a number of 60 Sec Tech moments to share the little secrets behind the hardware and software that we sometimes miss. What do you think of the concept? Do you think it makes a difference? Click on the link below and see what you think.

:60 Sec Tech Tip: Importing Microsoft Word into Notebook

NYS Distance Learning and Video Conferencing Workshop

steven3985 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:57:49 +0000

Was lucky enough to participate in a two day NYS Distance Learning Workshop at Monroe BOCES I. The event, people and technology were incredible. The power of collaborating with eight sites across the state was as comfortable as talking to people across the room. So many good ideas were presented and built upon. A real foundation was laid for work in the future. Students talking to students and educators talking to educators is powerful. We were able to see programs that connected students with countries around the world talking about common issues in real time. We witnessed an example of something called a “Poetry Slam” and went on a number of “Mystery Quests.” The real benefit of these two days was the energy and commitment at all the sites to use technology to further flatten the world to help students learn.