ning >> the social network thing

somehow it is just be a case of 'if you can't beat them join them'. so I have been setting up a social networks for the students I teach, over the last year or so we have had much trouble with the bypassing of the educational filters using proxy servers.


so I spent ages today creating accountable areas of social network type opportunities for them using ning. hopefully whilst learning about the ever increasing uses and the obvious misuse of bebo, myspace, facebook even youtube.
we will for a short time (at least) allow them to control as well as moderate content. it is an never ending battle for which there will never be an answer just an understanding, until then the bulk of the education needs to be with the use of the powerful applications by a large number of computer literate under 20's by an often less than understanding under 50's. the power of computers in the study/work place is still to reach its height so filtering is not the answer, understanding just might be.

lego >> films >> youtube

I have often checked stuff that the students I teach as well as what my own children look at on the internet as well as how they use it. it is for many reasons not just the obvious (their security).
I often get ideas for new ways of teaching ICT in the classroom, I nearly always find that the younger they are the more intuitive they are. perhaps it is because they are not being scared to try stuff without thinking things might go wrong with the 'expensive machine'.

the other day I was amazed to find that my normally busy, happy, sporty, easily distracted 9 year old was sitting silently at my computer totally absorbed. I had to see what was so good, he was watching lego films on youtube.
the good thing after I had managed to get him away from the computer he continued to play with his own lego even having a go at making his own films with improvised sets. I don't get cross now when I tread (barefoot it really hurts) on his lego all over the front room floor early in the morning. I am pleased with the creativity and the thinking behind making new stuff from created stuff.

obviously this film is not one of his but it I like it, give it a chance its really quite good.

it's a nice idea >> local shops

you would think that living in the area I do (cornwall). local shops would be successful but that is just not the case. we have many shops geared totally for the seasonal visitors, selling tourist trinket stuff (probably made in china).
but more and more the big super-stores/supermarkets the nearest an 18 mile round trip. but we use it most weeks it is a shame that local shops just cannot compete, and that the price is all that seems to matter.
oh well! the video says it better than I can.

.ppt >> projectors and presentation

probably because I work in a room that has a fixed projector coming out of the ceiling (mounted on a piece of polished scaffold pole) connected to a desktop computer that I can set it up and make sure that I have a screen that is in focus, no reverse parallax's in my room. I think I am getting increasingly intolerant of a badly presented anything.

I work in a educational situation where so many building have been adapted, I know that my room in its fifty years has been a sewing room a science lab, and now a room full of computers.
so I have to get round the problems of a strange shaped room and odd acoustics as well as the lure of computers for students to play with and look at web based email working around the network restrictions firewalls. generally playing on line rather than studying, using proxy servers so as not to get caught.

(there is just no need for this!)

it is funny that many people who do not work on computers all the time have a different idea of what is interesting. I am still surprised that a really academic educator will sometimes arrive having spent ages on a Powerpoint and wonder way the students are so bored as soon as the presentation starts, not realising that most of the audience have been using Powerpoint since they were in year 4 (uk) 8 years old.

I am even more surprised when at supposed professional meetings presenters don't take the time to set up equipment to provide the best viewing experience.
I know that there is heaps of stuff on youtube, talking about death by Powerpoint, but I could cope with some of it if only the equipment was set up properly as well as the presenter not reading it out and then giving me a photocopy of it all!