make Designed > Zip Zip Usb Brick

Yes i should be catching up on many weeks of the cck08 connectivism .. but this gadget from Pat’s shop is too much fun to pass by. The Lego usb stick. i especially love the one with a lego cap on it. make Designed Objects > Zip Zip Usb Memory Brick. Pat runs the make shop in Elgin St, Carlton (Melbourne) .. full of beautiful designer objects. The web site is fully flash, but still searchable with proper urls and page titles. Lovely work.

Can You Hear Us? New project launch ..

Thrills and spills !! What a lovely group of people we’ve got for the new PRACE research project into audio technologies: “Can You Hear Us?” We’re building on the successes of the 2007 “Can u hear me?” project, and last Thursday was the launch day. These sessions are always nerve-wracking and you never feel quite prepared enough, but we dived in and the water was warm! Plenty of ideas flowing around the table, and of course everyone is at different levels of knowledge and experience. First session was about creating Read More …

mmmm .. AutoText brings me typing bliss

“language and literacy” Oh the joy of writing those words! i should say, the ease and simplicity of writing three words, with only three keystrokes. i write those words all the time, so i need a way to do it more easily. I have found the magic of “Auto Text” … 1) i key in double-L, and then 2) the full stop / dot / period key. My autotext program (AutoHotKey) does the rest. Three keys, to write 21 characters. mmmmmmmmm Surely you’ve used – or at least heard of Read More …

Issues for '08

Over in the AFLF Networks Forum, Coach Carole has suggested discussion around our “top Ten list of issues and technologies would you like to explore in 08 (and why)” Link to the Forum here (login req’d .. but i was too slow to respond.) These are the ideas that fascinate me at the moment: Issues: Digital literacies and participatory digital culture, Development of professional expertise within the ACE sector, Shared writing spaces for adult literacy learners, Audio books on the web, Sharing resources across adult community education (ACE), Professional development Read More …

Hopes and fears for flexible ACE

Looking back over 2007, it was an extraordinary year, but i rarely had the energy to write here at all. I’d intended to use this place for reflecting on my research readings. i ended up just writing the thesis instead. One of the best projects in years was “Access ACE“, an investigation into flexible learning in Adult Community Education (ACE). Josie Rose managed somehow to negotiate with all of the regional and central managers at ACFE (the Adult Community Further Education board), and win them over to see the potential Read More …

tried to make me go to Wiihab

A very funny take-off of Amy Winehouse, here we have Amy Brickhouse singing about the Wii. Why did they call it a Wii? (Oh, of course, it’s wireless and the (ii) represents two people standing, waving their arms in 3D space.) i wonder how long before we’ll get wii-based games in the classroom? They could suit some people better, because of the different physicality – you’re really bodily involved in the game (from what i gather .. never touched one. What a dullard.) Must confess i’m waiting for the day Read More …

Flex e-news (second life + interactive ochre)

The latest flex e-news is out, from the AFLF (australian flexible learning framework), and this month one of the feature articles focusses on Second Life, the virtual world that’s been on TV and in the ordinary news. In 2006, Gipps Tafe used Second Life to explore work-based learning for VCAL students. Other articles cover the very inspiring “Interactive Ochre”, which is a CD-based resource on Indigenous Culture. Past articles include one study which shows Australia is leading the world. Links: Lead article on Second Life Article on Interactive Ochre Australia Read More …

image labelling game

An interesting idea from Google: they want to improve the quality of their knowledge about online images, so they create a game, the "Image Labeler". Could be difficult to play when people have serious spelling issues, but could be fun for others .. Essentially the program matches you up with another person (you may play as a guest), and you both add words to describe each image, until you come up with a match. This gives the search engine more information about the pictures it has found. Matching two strangers Read More …

Student Blogging, (efl/esl)

Adult learners are starting to get into Self-Publishing (aka blogging). and Barbara Dieu, a Brazilian educator, has set up an Exchange for ESL students around the world. With two colleagues, she has found a way to gather and re-publish the writings of students who have blog journals in their ESL classes. (This re-publishing is known as ‘aggregation’.) The site is called Dakita (i don’t know why), and the collection of student writings you’ll find in The Orchard (or The Exchange). Worth a look, especially if you’re thinking of using blogs Read More …