Category: technology

Recycle your old box

Michael ChalkLeave a commenthow to, technology

Maria asked me about places to recycle old computers. By coincidence, i visited the Darebin recycling place the other day .. and it’s really close to central Reservoir. The Byteback scheme in Reservoir takes computer that are really broken and not worth fixing, (more about Byteback Victoria here) If you think your computer might be useful to someone else, there are a few different schemes: GreenPC refurbish old computers for people without much cash, Business 2 community recyclers do something very similar (in Thomastown), Computer Bank Victoria has a page Read More …

Pacific Black Box film chosen for festival

Michael ChalkLeave a commentcommunity, innovation, technology

One of the films made during Georgia’s Pacific Black Box project .. has been selected for screening in the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. Good work ;-] Georgie (formerly with PRACE VCAL) went to Bougainville and the Carteret Islands earlier in the year to teach people how to use digital storytelling so they could bring the world into their lives .. You can see some of their films over on the blogspot. ( PS: holdthepress: the film won an award! from community prophets. Brilliant. ) Here’s one about the Read More …

"ease" of Screencasting part ii

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, e-learning, professional development, technology

Well .. Lisa continued her brave and valiant exploration of screencasting in the MYOB classroom, as part of the Can You Hear Us? project. And it’s still not as straightforward as we’d like it to be. We discovered a few more things about this program known as Jing. We already knew that the application would not run without a login. Now we know it’s a challenge to log yourself off the system .. for example when you’re on a public computer. Lisa’s had a go at recording the in-class on-screen Read More …

A pen that reads aloud?

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy, technology

So Pauline mentions, on her way out of the office, that she once saw a “scanner pen” that would read aloud printed words from the page. “Stop right there!” i leapt up from my seat. (Actually, i gazed up in a web-induced stupor, “Hmm?”) At a conference for adaptive technologies a couple of years ago, she saw one of these things being used. A pen, that scans the page and reads aloud. i want one. i want several !! How useful would that be for literacy learners?! .. could be Read More …

Taxonomy of blogs, and civility online (radio national)

Michael Chalk1 Commentresearch, technology

Browsing the Radio national podcasts, i found this interview and panel discussion: “Author and media analyst Margaret Simons takes a stab at defining the different types of blogs that currently exist.” (The interview follows an article in Creative Economy, where you’ll find relevant other links.) 1) Pamphleteering – often political blogs are like this, with many authors. 2) Digest blog, which aggregates and comments on a range of other stuff, eg from other blogs or from mainstream media. 3) Advocacy, eg telstra – where the company gets their workers to Read More …

keyboard lights up .. video in class

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, technology

Here’s a gadget that looks like fun .. and is completely useless. i just want to know if it comes in Dvorak flavour. Speaking of gadgets, today we had the adult literacy classroom on their laptops for the whole session. i wanted to get students used to searching for images and videos, so a couple of activities focussed on these skills. For example, find a video that interests you on how stuff works. Watch it, take some notes and then write a response (a description, an opinion or a set Read More …

Massive connectivist hook-up

Michael Chalk2 Commentsprofessional development, technology

Well this is extraordinary. Nearly two thousand people involved in a massive online course on Connectivism; a course that will go from now until November-ish, and takes place on thousands of different sites around the world. Have to join in, don’t i! Stephen and George are among my favourite writers, and yes, i’ve missed a couple of courses i wanted to attend this year (eg Leigh on facilitating).. so it’s time to dive in and experience. Got no idea what connectivism is really .. well it’s somewhere in there with Read More …

Difficult to change (word processor)

Michael ChalkLeave a commenttechnology

i’m curious to find out more about Open Office, so i’m writing a staff-support document in Oo Writer. It can be frustrating .. when you know one application so well .. to try the same task in another app. i’ve never been a fan of microsoft, but i am a big fan of microsoft word (except for beginner users with adult literacy needs); and i know the program so well, that i can make the computer whatever i want (except place images on the page and keep file size low). Read More …

death of education .. dawn of learning (?)

Michael Chalk2 Commentse-learning, technology

Some very good “video bites” in this short piece about how schools need to change. i like the way the video is put together – short, snappy and sharp; with plenty of good ideas about how young people are learning more outside of school these days, via the social networking sites – which are all blocked inside schools. But 21st century learning will need to dig deep into wider educational networking possibilities, say these talking heads. i spoke recently with someone from one of the bigger TAFE colleges .. who Read More …

mmmm .. AutoText brings me typing bliss

Michael ChalkLeave a commentinnovation, technology

“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 …