ETEC 645 - Future Education: Open Content & Open Mind (major points)

Future Education: Open Content & Open Mind (Major Points with References)

Lulu Liu, ETEC 645 - Fall -12/05/08

This article will discuss about the future education as a contribution for the online course in ETEC645.

As my own understanding, the open content is a concept of equal opportunity of accessing educational materials, while open mind is an ideal way for educators to treat each single student as a special individual without exclusivity.

1. Open Content

1) What is Open Content?

2) Open content = Free Content ? No.

3) What kind of license for the open content?

4) What other resources about the Open Content?

2. Inclusive Education V.S. Special Education

In general, special education is for the students with disabilities. It’s an educational treatment for minority/ students with special needs. Here, there are three points for future education.

1) Pay more attention to the words we are using, especially the "special education".
2) Inclusive Education: special education for everyone

3) Technology, as a support for students with special needs, can support the inclusive education to normalize every single student as a special one.

3. Technology for Education, not the other way around.
4. Comments on the Open content in China

Is open content ready for China?

- No yet. Open content not the best choice for the general public in China, since the education level of the majority is still below the world average and the lack of faith in the public may cause a uncivilized chaos. It is a long way to go before the content open. But it's good to dry to bridge the inequality of the society with the technology and information support. In another word, to avoid the public chaos and better educational environment, a moderated censorship is necessary for China.

It positive for the international medias to accelerate this open content movement in China, but more importantly, above content and mind, the open the souls first. Content can be bad, when the soul is lost.

With an emerging of technology, the vision of future education is the education with the equal access to open content education materials, and inclusive education addressing theh special treatment for every single student.

Open content, and more importantly, open mind.

Reference:

Sullivan, J. K. (July, 2008). Education faculty to make articles available to all. Stanford Report, July 9, 2008. http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/july9/access-070908.html.

Liang, L. (2004). A Guide to Open Content Licenses. Piet Zwart Institute. http://pzwart.wdka.hro.nl/mdr/research/lliang/open_content_guide .

Davies, B., West-Burnham, J. (2003). Handbook of Educational Leadership and Management. P693. Published by Pearson Education. ISBN 0273656686, 9780273656685.

Vygotskiĭ, L.S., Cole, M., and John-Steiner, V. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Published by Harvard University Press, 1978 ISBN 0674576292, 9780674576292

Laun, C. (June, 2008). 100 Helpful Web Tools for Every Kind of Learner. College at Home Blog. http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/10/100-helpful-web-tools-for-every-kind-of-learner/ .

this is dos and donts email season

First etec course 5-step model, to this random blog entry jumping into my RSS subscription.
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/09/the-soul-of-wit.html

Always wish I could have knew something earlier.... sh~
=D

PLAN670 D. in mandarin apply

Part of interesting things found in the course.

Here are the characters of disaster in Chinese, and it is about destroy of the house, either by fire, or through flood, or from both.

《誠明（二）》, "Cheng Ming (2nd)"
Early Shang Dynasty

From the book 《乙（九五九）》"Yi (Nine Five Nine)"
In Late Shang Dynasty

《楚帛書》,"Chu Jin Shu"
In Xi Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period

《古鉨》 "Gu Xi"
Han Dynasty.

So, to answer the question from the professor, I Ching is the book about astrology in ancient China, and it's a very difficult to read and comprehend.

Now:
Traditional Chinese: 災 -- the shapes are about water and fire
Simplified Chinese: 灾 -- the shapes represent fire and house.

Most of the natural disaster in China as far as I understand, it's directly supported by the military directly, with a very high efficiency.

Video - Project Based Learning for Disaster Relief Education

Summer school is fun: life won't get boring if we can squeeze a semester into six weeks. lol
Finally, got over the animated film: it's different from geek work. The essential part is actually at the storyboarding and scripts, other than geek.
Also, Adobe is amazing, but After Effects is such a giant for my laptop. I bedt it will only take half of the time with mac instead of pc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZxMVfT3mps

ETEC698 - Blog - Regarding the Literacy

Assignment 4

Description: Go to Blogger. Create an account and follow the steps to create a blog. After posting your thoughts regarding the Literacy assignment, send your blog link to the class email list and invite your peers to check it out. Visit a couple of your peers' blogs and post a comment or two.

Use the following criteria to assess your blog.

The online discussion on the topic of Literacy actually proves the information literacy is already in a non-traditional way and we are soaking in the information world. The "information highway" is not fast enough and the “cyberspace” is no longer a new for us (Dyson, Gilder, Keyworth & Toffler, 1994). Futurist is putting hards on creating the society with a vision of digital inclusion (Meinrath, 2006) and we all are the member of this web 2.0 global society. Honestly, I will be overwhelmed by the information everyday if I don't have a priority.

The article below is the revised post on information literature, inspirited by the critical comments. Comments said that the analysis of the weakness of the resource was not strong enough and makes the article inbalanced. While reading the comments, I was wondering how I could pin-point the weakness of the resource while not being "rude". Thus, I have to think critically, which my culture taught that disagreement is not a good way to approach.

As a result, the multiple contradictions make the critical thinking more interesting for me.

When people in the culture avoiding “the critical thinking” encounter this information cyberspace, the government based censorship is necessary. Remember I was not agree with the censorship at all, and tried my best to help friends approach the information freely with some technique. Now I changed my mind though this chemical reaction of “critical thinking” and “agreement thinking”. A society with majority without ability of filtering out the useless information, the control is necessary and it requires the leaders in power have the ability and wisdom of filtering the most effective information. Is this fooling people? As long as the controller is thinking about how to educate the people critical thinking, it will reach to the point of zero-filtering.

Here is the example. When A was volunteering at the travel agency in Hawaii, she was asked by a visiting scholar B from an ancient Asian country C about the strip-clubs in Honolulu. A was shocked by the “open mind” of C, since A thought C is a very traditional country and condemns the immorality. After A gave C a lesson of sex industry and human trafficking in the world, the injustice and ignorance of the “consumer” and the misunderstanding between cultures, C changed the mind of looking for the information of strip-clubs.

Critical thinking education is necessary, especially for the culture focusing on harmony and agreement, valuing obedience and humbleness. In this information cyberspace era, critical thinking is the inner power of creativity.

---

Here is the entry I posted at online discussion in class. The blue part is the revised updating after classmate’s feedback.

Understanding Information Literacy

Liu Liu

Prof. Mike Mencraca

ETEC 698 - Summer 2008

Introduction

This blog entry will review author’s understanding of information literacy and its operation (or lack thereof) in website development and second language teaching and learning, this entry will The second part of the entry briefly describes the website http://www.iosn.net/ strengths and weakness.

Information literacy

Information literacy is ability to locate the information and use the information effectively. In this special era of information, the internet makes the information more approachable comparing we all can become an expert in three months if we grape the information literacy. As the world is filled with commercial ideas and dominant by all fun and cool ideas, as the educator, it’s time to rethink about the classroom. Make the school, classroom as a "cool" place to be, teach students thinking different and critical, while having a sense of the globe.

Website Design – Open Source

The open source really makes all programming works easier and more productive. In Communication &　Information at UN website, there is a Portals/Directories for Open Source software & Free software where located most international open source systems information. The link is: http://www.unesco.org/webworld/portal_freesoft/. Open source systems make the program more efficient and the software more acquirable, while free software breaks the economic barrier.

Take my personal experience as an example: three years ago I made the website for an international organization in three months. The whole progress of building a website included every single step of developing an online system and especially when the customer revised the requirement, it would take me forever to fulfill the updated requirement. Years later, the same organization asked me again to make the site, and this time with the open source content manage system Joomla and related open source systems, the whole website only took one quarter amount of time comparing with the former one, with more professional functions and more friendly interface. Open sources are not free software, but it definitely, but it is a huge step to bridge the injustice. As Stallman R. said on GUN website and I am quoting here:

The official definition of “open source software” (which is published by the Open Source Initiative and too long to cite here) was derived indirectly from our (Free software) criteria for free software. It is not the same; it is a little looser in some respects, so open source supporters have accepted a few licenses that we consider unacceptably restrictive of the users. Nonetheless, it is fairly close to our definition in practice.

Computer-assisted language learning System in Mandarin

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) originates from Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI). The philosophy of CAI or CALL is that the lessons should allow the learners to learn on their own using structured and/or unstructured interactive lessons. These lessons carry 2 important features: bidirectional (interactive) learning and individualized learning. CALL is not a method but a tool helping teachers to facilitate language learning process. The software assisting mandarin learning, the on-line mandarin learning communities, the instructional videos are different ways of CALL.

International Open Source Network http://www.iosn.net/

The International Open Source Network (IOSN) an initiative of the United Nations Development Programmer’s (UNDP) Asia Pacific Development Information Programmer (APDIP) and supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada. The IOSN is a Center of Excellence for FOSS in the Asia-Pacific Region. It shapes its activities around Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) technologies and applications. Via a small secretariat based at the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok and three centers of excellence – IOSN ASEAN+3, IOSN PIC (Pacific Island Countries), and IOSN South Asia, based in Manila, Suva and Chennai respectively, the IOSN is tasked specifically to facilitate and network FOSS advocates and human resources in the region.

The vision is that developing countries in the Asia-Pacific Region can achieve rapid and sustained economic and social development by using affordable yet effective FOSS ICT solutions to bridge the digital divide.

The only weakness of the website is the limitation of open source, not the free source.

Technically, the site is built by the open source CMS Plone (plone.net). It offers customization options like all other CMS. One of Plone's greatest strengths is its accessibility: Plone is built following government standards such that it is user friendly with people with disabilities. Although Plone is a very powerful and highly extensible CMS, it’s incredibly hard to learn to develop for because of the poor documentation.

Regarding the website IOSN, the translation of the website hasn't done yet, with the list of language choices. Removing the undone language choices will help the visitors to get the information effectively without confusion.

This is the data from Alexa traffic details for iosn.net on June 7, 2008:

Iosn.net users come from these countries:	Iosn.net traffic rank in other countries:
South Africa 20.8%	South Africa 52144,06297
India 14.2%	Iran 102,3114622
Iran 9.4%	Philippines 617614,213
Thailand 3.1%	Vietnam 3112665,296
Philippines 1.7%	Thailand 60140,482
Malaysia 1.0%	India 221,35478
Vietnam 0.7%	Malaysia 30334,463
Other countries 49.0%

From the table above, the IOSN is well-known in South Africa, but  the place like China, East Asia and Pacific islands have not ranked in.

Here are the other places linked to IOSN website: Google Directory: http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Open_Source/Advocacy/

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3601710.stm

Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia-Pacific_Development_Information_Programme

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Criteria

I will apply the same criteria in scoring them. Your blog includes the following:

1. You did it.

2. You emailed the URL.

3. Freebie. Come on, we have enough going on and I had to make one assignment less rigorous!

FW: Helpful Web Tools for Every Kind of Learner

By Christina Laun    [Original Post]

For those unfamiliar with the term, a learning style is a way in which an individual approaches learning. Many people understand material much better when it is presented in one format, for example a lab experiment, than when it is presented in another, like an audio presentation. Determining how you best learn and using materials that cater to this style can be a great way to make school and the entire process of acquiring new information easier and much more intuitive. Here are some great tools that you can use to cater to your individual learning style, no matter what that is.

Visual Learners

Visual learners learn through seeing and retain more information when it’s presented in the form of pictures, diagrams, visual presentations, textbooks, handouts and videos. Here are some Web resources that cater to those needs.

Mind Mapping

Get your ideas charted out in a visual format with these easy-to-use online brainstorming and organizational tools.

1. Bubbl.us: This flash-based mind mapping tools allows you to chart out your thoughts in a colorful format, share them with friends or embed them in blogs, websites and emails.
2. Free Mind: Mind mapping is easy and free with this Java tool. You’ll be able to manage your notes, lay out a paper and more completely online.
3. WiseMapping: You can access your mind maps from anywhere with this online tool. You can lay out words, pictures, ideas and more easily with WiseMapping.
4. Mindomo: Premium versions of this mind mapping tool come at a cost, but you can get access to the basic version for free. It allows you to add links, pictures and text to mind maps and share them over the net.
5. DeepMehta: This mind mapping tool is built around the idea of knowledge management and cognitive psychology. The open source tool allows sharing, emailing and even contains an embedded calendar.
6. MindMeister: Collaborate with your classmates on mind maps with this great online tool. The basic version is free and comes complete with the ability to create, share, import and export maps.
7. Mind42: The name of this tool represents "for two", and is indicative of the collaborative nature of this mapping tool. It can make it easy to keep track of your ideas, share them with friends and teachers and take them with you no matter where you are.
8. RecallPlus: Students can organize their notes, create flashcards, make use of 3D tools and more in this great mind mapping tool.
9. Mapul: This mind mapping program has basic and premium levels and allows users to map not only text but images and hyperlinks as well.
10. DebateMapper: If you’re struggling to understand a debate for your classes try creating a visual representation with this great mapping tool.
11. CMapTools: CMapTools is free for students to use and allows them to create and share all kinds of knowledge maps.
12. Thinkature: This site allows real-time collaboration on flow charts, diagrams and mind maps with features that include color organization and freehand drawing.

Charting and Diagrams

Love to put information into charts and diagrams? These tools can help you do that.

13. Gliffy: Gliffy makes it easy to lay out ideas in flow charts and diagrams or to create floor plans and technical drawings to help you better visually understand information.
14. FlowChart: Create great flow charts for your classes using this online tool, which comes complete with drawing tools and objects as well as collaborative tools.
15. DrawAnywhere: This online program allows you to create diagrams and flow charts to represent all kinds of information. Best of all, you can log in from anywhere to get access to your diagrams.
16. AjaxSketch: This web-based drawing tool makes it easy to not only create flow charts and diagrams but to do freehand drawing as well and you can use it right from Firefox.
17. XML/SWF Charts: Those familiar with XML will be able to turn their data into colorful and useful charts with this downloadable tool.
18. yEd: Is a very powerful graph editor and creation tool that can be used to quickly and effectively generate drawings and to create easily read and laid out graphs and diagrams.
19. Graphviz: If you’ve got a lot of information about the structure of a website or anything else for that matter, this tool can help you to easy map it out into a graph or network.
20. Kivio: Kivio easy to use diagramming and flowcharting application that is part of the KOffice suite of programs. It comes with features to network diagrams, create organization charts, build flowcharts and more.
21. Project Draw: This program is a feature-rich web-based vector drawing application that will allow you to create diagrams and graphs of any kind of information as well as making a variety of other kinds of drawings.
22. Best 4C: This Web-based tool allows you to create and share charts from anywhere, making it easier than ever to diagram and draw your ideas.
23. LovelyCharts: Charts created through this tool really can be lovely with full color capabilities and loads of graphics.

Videos and Photos

Find everything you’ll need to learn through videos and pictures with these tools.

24. Google Video: Google Video is chock full of educational videos that can help explain everything from how to use Second Life to learn to explanations of psychological illnesses.
25. YouTube College: Sign up with your individual college and share videos with fellow students on this College-based version of YouTube. You can post your own visual notes and slides or look at those of others.
26. Picasa: Picasa is Google’s answer to photo sharing and you can upload images from an art history or anatomy class and study them from anywhere on the Web.
27. Flickr: This social networking and photo posting site can be a great way to share images from a class with your classmates or look for images to back up your notes.
28. Scooch: Scooch is a Web-based slide show program that will allow you to post photos and make slide shows that you can share with others over the Web.
29. Perseus Digital Library: In need of visual representations of manuscripts or sculptures from ancient Rome and Greece? You can find tens of thousands on this online library and database.
30. Teachertube: Teachertube is a great place to find instructional videos on just about everything. You can learn about the formation of mountains, world history and economics on this useful educational site.
31. Screencast-o-Matic: Create a video or photo of your screen with this helpful online tool. It can be a great way to remember how to do tasks on the computer or just to share images online.
32. Jing Project: This tool allows you to snap a photo of your desktop, make recordings of your activities and email or IM them to anyone.
33. Visuwords: Text dictionaries don’t always give visual learners the explanations they need. This dictionary is graphically based, making it easy to see what concepts or ideas are represented.
34. KartOO: Along those same lines, Kartoo is a visual search engine, giving you results laid out in a networked chart so it’s easy to see how topics relate.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners do best in classes where listening is a main concern. These learners prefer verbal lectures and discussions. Auditory learners can get a leg up on their learning with these Web tools.

Podcasts

Get all kind of supplementary education materials through these great podcast tools.

35. ProfCasts: Turn a PowerPoint presentation into a useful and portable podcast using this tool. It can be a great way to put class materials into a format you can bring with you anywhere.
36. Moodle: Post and share podcasts with an interactive online community using Moodle. You can not only post your own podcasts but get access to those of others that could provide educational value to you.
37. First Class: This collaboration and communication software offers a podcast publishing feature that can be great for educational purposes.
38. Podomatic: Find, share and publish your podcasts through Podomatic. You can search for existing podcasts that may cover topics you’re researching or that are relevant to your classes.
39. Podcast.net: Podcast.net provides a huge listing of podcasts from all over the Web. You’ll be able to find just about anything you need in an easy, audio format.
40. Educational Podcast Network: Narrow your search for podcasts down to those dedicated to education. You can learn about everything from math to dance right on your iPod.
41. PoducateMe: Don’t know the first thing about podcasting or how you can use it to make education a little easier? This site has all the information you need.

Presentation Tools

Put your notes or classroom information into an audio format with these handy apps.

42. Zoho Show: This great online tool allows you to create, edit and share presentations online making it easy to create interactive homework assignments or to organize your notes in an audio-visual format.
43. Eyespot: Users can create video mixes online and share them with others on this site and can even add effects to their graphics and music.
44. Thumbstacks: Thumbstacks allows users to create a web-based presentation or slide show and then share it with others.
45. SlideShare: This site takes more of a networked approach to creating presentations allowing you to post your presentations and browse those of other users.
46. Empressr: You can access your organized class materials or projects from anywhere with this tool and share them with friends and other classmates easily.
47. ThinkFree Show: If you are using PowerPoint to organize your class notes into a more visual and audio conducive format then you can take advantage of this site which makes it easy to take them to the Web.
48. AuthorStream: Another PowerPoint centered program, AuthorStream makes it simple to upload and share your presentations.
49. Toufee: If Flash is more your style you can use this online tool which gives you the tools needed to publish and play flash presentations and movies.
50. PhotoStory 3: Make your slides for class a little more interesting with this free program from Microsoft. You can add special effects or your own voice narration.

Audio Tools

Listen and edit your sounds and music with these tools.

51. Jamglue: Mix and edit your audio clips with this online tool and when you’re done, share the finished product with other online visitors in a YouTube like format.
52. Audacity: One of the most popular free audio editors out there, audacity is multi-featured and allows users to record and edit in all kinds of formats.
53. Wave Surfer: Visualize and manipulate sounds with this free and customizable tool.
54. Looplab: Create and manipulate short loops and phrases with this great sound editing tool.
55. LAME: This open source tool makes it easy to encode and manipulate MP3s.

Text Readers

Understand material better when it’s read out loud? These Web tools can do that for you.

56. Adobe Acrobat Reader: You may not know this, but Adobe Reader has a feature that will allow the contents of the document to be read out loud. It can be a great way for the more auditorially inclined to get through readings.
57. Read Please: Cut and paste text or type it directly into the input form on this site and the program will read it to you. It can be a very useful tool for making sure essays and projects are written correctly.
58. Text Reader: Here you’ll find a tool that will give you audio for any text you feed into it.
59. Expressivo: This simple text reader will give you a variety of audio readings when you paste or type text into the entry form.
60. ItCanSay: This site has a great online text reader and can also give you some help pronouncing difficult words that aren’t said like they’re spelt.
61. Midomi: While not quite a text reader, this tool couldn’t be left out of this list. It’s a search engine that is based on sound rather than text. It can be a more intuitive way to find things if you respond better to sounds.

Audio Books

Those who have trouble retaining information from printed words can listen to their assigned reading instead with help from these sites.

62. LibriVox: This site provides free audiobooks for books in the public domain and has numerous titles. If you don’t find what you want, see if you can volunteer to create a recording of the book yourself.
63. History and Politics Out Loud: Here you’ll find speeches, historical information and more in an audio format, making it easier to take in and absorb for the auditory learner.
64. Audible: This subscription site allows visitors to download from thousands of audio books, both best sellers and classics making it easy to find what you need for class.
65. Project Gutenburg: Books that are no longer under copyright can be found here and there is a special section for audio books, both read by computers and by humans.
66. Free Books.org: If your class is reading an older text you may be able to find a free version of it to listen to on this site. It contains recordings of numerous out of copyright books.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners do best when they interact and touch things. They prefer a hands-on approach to learning and enjoy interacting with classroom materials and those around them. These tools can help keep these inquisitive learners busy.

Note Taking Tools

No matter what you’re reading or watching you can make it more interactive by taking notes and these tools can help.

67. MyNoteIT: This great tool allows students to take and store their notes online, edit them with the help of classmates, look up words or terms you don’t understand and keep track of things you need to do.
68. Google Docs: With this program from Google you can take notes online, save them, and even send them to your peers for collaboration.
69. Notely: Keep your class notes, to-do lists and more organized and easy to access with this site.
70. NoteMesh: This site allows students from the same class to share notes by creating a wiki, making it easy and practical to work together.
71. Stu.dicio.us: Here, students are able to actively organize their class materials, take and store notes, share information and even link to online reference sites.
72. ShortText: This is a very simple tool for taking notes online. Simply enter your text, hit save, and you’ve got an online note you can revisit anytime you like.
73. YourDraft: Take notes with this rich text editor and share and save them online.
74. Stickkit: Get an intelligent sticky note with this great online program. It looks at the text on your notes and can recognize important dates, bookmarks, emails and more, organizing them for you and making it easy to stay on top of everything.
75. SyncNotes: If you use a PDA this can be a great way to keep your notes accessible on both your main computer and your portable device.
76. JotCloud: If you’re the type that loves to put sticky notes all over everything then you’ll enjoy this online note taking tool. It allows you to create clouds of stickies anywhere you need them.
77. NoteCentric: Store and share your classroom notes with this innovative site. It keeps your notes organized so you can reference them later and you can easily access it through a Facebook account.

Bookmarking

Mark references for later while you’re researching with these tools.

78. del.icio.us: This online tool makes it easy to mark sites you find interesting to use for later research or to send to friends and project partners.
79. Clipmarks: Don’t waste time searching through webpages you’ve already read to find the content you needed. Instead, clip it out this this tool. You can clip and email bits to yourself as you go making online research more active.
80. Wizlite: Don’t just save online material for later, highlight and tag it just like you would a real book with this great online tool.
81. i-Lighter: Help make online reading a little more hands on with this highlighting program. It allows you to mark parts of online text you found interesting or want to revisit later.
82. Web-Chops: Web-Chops allows you to clip out any part of a webpage then save and share these clips. It can be a great way to study for tests or prepare for papers in a more interactive fashion.
83. Furl: This social bookmarking site makes it easy to keep track of webpages you were interested in, share them with classmates and keep them organized for research.
84. Ma.gnolia: Search through sites others have bookmarked as interesting or use the site to highlight your own information from the Web and keep it in an easy to find place.
85. Blinklist: Make lists of sites that are relevant to whatever you’re working on with Blinklist. If you have a blog, you can even have the links appear automatically on it, making them super easy to access later.

Interaction

Get involved with the material with these online applications.

86. Flash Card Machine: This site allows you to create web-based flash cards to study the information you have for class using text and pictures.
87. Quia: With Quia, you’ll be able to create your own online quizzes and educational games to help you study your materials in a more interactive fashion.
88. Quizlet: Quizlet makes it easy to study things like vocabulary words with it’s online study tools. You can make quizzes, use your friend’s or browse existing flashcards on the site.
89. Pauker: This open source program will test your short and long term memory with a system that makes it easy to create and reuse flashcards and quizzes.
90. Learner.org Interactives: Need a more interactive explanation of a concept from class? You’ll find dozens of educational ones here that can help explain geology, chemistry, math and more.

Collaboration

These chatting and networking tools can make it easy to interact with classmates and friends.

91. Meebo: This website allows students to IM from anywhere, even computers without the software installations for major programs like AIM, Yahoo!, MSN and more.
92. Campfire: Here students can create password protected chat rooms to discuss their assignments, collaborate on projects or just chat. Best of all, you won’t need to install a thing.
93. CollegeRuled: Students can set up class message boards, create to-do lists and interact with classmates on this site.
94. Campusbug: This site provides a social learning network where students can interact and chat with each other while asking questions and getting answers about class materials.
95. Facebook: One of the most popular social network sites for students, Facebook provides a place where classmates can come together to chat about assignments, keep up with their lives and post links to sites, videos and photos.
96. Backpack: Backpack allows students to organize their notes, to-do lists and calendars while sharing information and working with classmates.
97. The Campus Center: Students can get together and network on this site and also have access to note taking and spreadsheet programs.
98. JotSpot: Working in a group just became easier with this online wiki tool that allows students to share notes, project ideas and information in an easily accessible format.
99. WebBrush: Collaborate in a fun and creative way with this tool that lets students send drawings and graphics to one another.
100. Grouptivity: This site allows students to use email to start a group discussion about class projects and assignments or just to complain about their professors.

ETEC 414 - Last post

Everything is updated:
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~liuliu/courses/etec414
:)

ETEC 414 HW: video

:)
Let's relax...(whew...i am disabled to be relaxed)

By Brian and Liu

^_^

ED. Journal - group working

There is a saying that "one Chinese is a dragon, two Chinese are moth. " to show how bad Chinese people are at group working.
It's true. Group working is an art and is hard.
In Chinese culture, most of time, a successful group working turns to be a great leadership model. Here is the graphic about group work created by a Chinese German Liu Yang about how different the culture is.

Blue is leadership in Germany and Red represents China.

well...so the problem comes up when we were working as a group:
It's a communication issue...not in the intellectual level, but a mental level: I will ignore the communication if the work can be done by myself without communicating. --- It's bad and I keep reminding myself about that: communicate! people won't know what you are thinking if you don't tell them.

I will suggest the Chinese student union to put the "group working" in the "new student orientation" with a title "Don't be moth if you can be a dragon".

So, from the PAMO project, I learned a lot from group working. It's all about communication and organization and our role and attitude will vary according to the time, place and people in the groups.

It's fun to work in group actually...

"The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
- Tuesdays With Morrie

ED. Journal - Difference between Germany and China

Blue is Germany while red is China
=)

作者簡介：About the Author:
劉揚（女）1976年生於北京。13歲隨家人遷居德國。
17歲時被德國柏林藝術大學設計系錄取，師從於霍爾格 .馬諦斯，獲碩士及大師班學位。
畢業後曾先後在倫敦、柏林、紐約工作及生活。
零四年在柏林開始自己的設計工作室。
曾任教於荷蘭設計中心、中國中央美術學院設計系、英國格拉斯歌美術學院，
並在國際設計研討會及博覽會講座。
劉揚的作品曾多次在國際設計大賽中獲重要獎項，
作品被國際多家博物館展覽並收藏。

藍色是德國 紅色是中國

etec 414 - classroom exercise

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Rights Reserved to Some Rights Reserved

Interesting video...:)

Technorati : Creative Commons, copyright

Technology Lesson Topic and Standards - Liu Liu

Mandarin Class

Performance Objectives

Given access to a computer with Skype, the 2nd year high school language student will interview a mandarin speaker in China and make an oral presentation that follows the checklist

A. Audience: 2nd year high school language student


B. Behavior: interview a mandarin speaker in China and make an oral presentation


C. Condition: given access to a computer with Skype


D. Degree: follows at least 5 items in checklist


(Checklist of the interviewing content: Name, gender, age/grade, educational background, hobbies, family members, future goal, other)

Domain of Learning: Cognitive

HCPS III Standard(s) - Content Area Standard:

1. Standard 1: INTERPERSONAL: Use target language to engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. - In the class, the students will engage in conversation individually through Skype to a mandarin speaker oversea. They will get to know each other through this online Skype call.

2. Standard 3: PRESENTATIONAL: Present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. - After the call, the student will give an oral presentation in Mandarin, telling the classmates what she/he knows about this new friend just make though the Skype.

3. Standard 6: Oral Communication: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Apply knowledge of verbal and nonverbal language to communicate effectively in various situations: interpersonal, group, and public for a variety of purposes.


Benchmark LA.K.6.2 Use basic social conventions in greetings, in introductions, and in conversations


Benchmark LA.K.6.3 Ask and respond appropriately to basic questions - This lesson apply the Mandarin communication in interpersonal and public levels.

NETS Standard(s) - Technology Standards:

1. Basic operations and concepts


2. 
   
   
   
   • Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
   
   
   • Students are proficient in the use of technology.
   
   
   
   


3. Social, ethical, and human issues


4. 
   
   
   
   • For the class requires students to communicate with another ethnic group, the students need to understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
   
   
   • Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software, including the computer, the headsets and the system.
   
   
   • Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
   
   
   
   


5. Technology productivity tools


6. 
   
   
   
   • Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
   
   
   • Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
   
   
   
   


7. Technology communications tools


8. 
   
   
   
   • Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
   
   
   • Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
   
   
   
   

References

ISTE NETS, Technology Foundation Standardsfor All Students, Feb 2008, http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_stands.html


Hawaii Content & Performance Standards III, Content Area: Language Arts for Grade/Course: K, Feb 2008, http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us/

Technorati : , HCPS III Standard, NETS Standard, less plan, mandarin, performance objectives, skype

Blog Post # 4

Website/blog: Music Mandarin
Link: http://mus-mandarin.blogspot.com/
About:
This blog is created by Robin, a experienced mandarin teacher for elementary school, sharing the teaching materials in Madarin. Information on Chinese culture, and resources, including picture books on China are shared.
The potential readers might include mandarin teachers at elementary schools in English speaking countries. As we know, children are good at aquiring a foreign language, and music is an effective way to maintian attention from the children.
In addition, plenty of interesting resources from the "site link" can be found. Acutally, I explored the "site link" for almost half an hour and added most of them into my "favourate folder". It's the great experience of reading someone's blog!

Ed. Journal - A website about Tolerance

It's acutally the homework in ETEC414.
We were told to find some website about education (in general) and analyze them.
Just like this site in all means. :)

http://www.tolerance.org/

How many of us never have a feeling towards someone or some behavior of “oh, that’s weird”?
None!

The world is the world with diversity but we human is not naturally appreciating this diversity. We have bias towards differences, get worried about the alliances or even worse, hate each other due to the differences. Weirdo = Abnormal by our own ruler
As educators, we feel urged to prepare ourselves and our kids to appreciate this colorful world with diversity.

From the site introduction in Tolerance.org, it is a principal online destination for people interested in dismantling bigotry and creating, in hate's stead, communities that value diversity. Through its online well of resources and ideas, its expanding collection of print materials, its burgeoning outreach efforts, and its downloadable public service announcements, Tolerance.org promotes and supports anti-bias activism in every venue of life.

The site targets on four groups: teacher, parents, teens and kids. As a potential teacher, let’s explore the teacher’s site: (http://www.tolerance.org/teach): it provides educators with educational materials that promote respect for differences and appreciation of diversity in and beyond the classroom. It's interesting to look at the classroom activities to get more ideas about how other expert preparing their curriculums.

Also, the outlook of the website is amazingly mature. Each sub-site can be a integrated site acutually. From the screen shots of each sub-site, we can feel the efforts by the site owner, through the delicated layouts, color themes, structures and contents.

(click the picture to open a window for the sub-sites)
Teachers


Parents


Teens


Kids

About Blog Comments Post #3

• Why people commenting?
• How to comment on people's blog?
• What kind of blog/ blog post wins people's comments"?
• Here you go...my little thought about this topic:
  
  Here are some blogs I observed:
• Wang Jianshuo’s Blog:
  http://home.wangjianshuo.com/
  I regularly comment on his site, just because his information & insight: http://user.wangjianshuo.com/artemis.htm
  Thought those comments were made long time ago; this is the first time I start thinking about the reason of making comments.
  Some comments are from his friends, some are from the ransom guest like me.
  I was searching Google about the shanghai’s building in Xintiandi area, and one of his blog posts helped me. So I just commented for appreciating the information he offered generously on the blog. The link is http://home.wangjianshuo.com/archives/20060514_how_xintiandi_was_built.htm
  
  
• Face book – K.M.'s blog:
  http://hawaii.facebook.com/notes.php?style=2&id=19504040
  I hope you can read even you are not in her friend list.
  She is a new Christian and it’s really exciting and encouraging to see her growth in Christ.
  Appreciate her gift in writing, and really amazed by reading her articles.
  If she publishes a book someday, I probably will ask all of my friends buy ~
  I almost comments on all her notes, since we are good buddies.
  
• http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1191258123
  This blog has 11694000 visiting counts.
  It’s by Han Han, the post modern writer. I was a fan of him back to high school.
  Just liked his cynic style of writing and shared the same hatred to the power and felt the same sympathy towards the weakness, with his pen, he is like a fighter.
  It might be the only blog right now I am reading in Chinese
  The comments are most from his fans, readers or even hostiles (his writing did offended many people).
  
  So, what is the purpose of commenting on blog? I generalize these 5 points and there should be a lot of reasons. Only thing we need to remember is: keep a light mood when you read other people's writing. we don't have to agree to anyone, but it's a good way to learn, to explore and to experience this amazing world on web.

1. Friendship’s extension from the real world.
   Like most of my post on Kacie’s blog, it’s an extension of our real world friendship. Sometimes, when people writing, they changed their personality. Kacie is this kind and from reading her blog, you can’t image it’s written by a big smiling little girl!
2. Appreciate the information the blog offers.
   Like the one I commented in Wang Jianshuo’s blog. I did this a lot, for the encouraging comments will motivate writers and helps with the environment of the whole network.
3. Share some ideas you have
   It might be something you don’t agree with the blog post, or something you want to add on the same topic the blog post is issuing on.
4. Marketing
   There are a lot of Ads in blog comments. Sometimes it’s really annoying. I got some in my blog on MSN and normally, I will just delete those unpleasant comments. But not all marketing comments are bad. If you leave your comments on A’s blog, A might visit you back and comment on you as well. Then you will build a network with some strangers, in a nice way.
5. Venting
   There are some people doing that, it might be some psychological reason for health enhancement, but I can’t understand this behavior. It happens more often on Forum.
   

My comments:

• http://user.wangjianshuo.com/artemis.htm

Copyright Free

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain_image_resources

Chinese Pod - Post #2

Hei folks, have a great blog to share!
http://chinesepod.com/

Chinese Pod is a language training service unlike anything I have ever seen before. It works by taking the best of the traditional classroom, and recreating it around the needs and lifestyle of the student, with all the improvements that technology allows.







It provides a community of practice: great teachers, lively discussion with fellow students, and a shared learning experience.

However, Chinese Pod supports learning in ways that a traditional school is unable to do. For example:
Bookmark the lessons you want to study, and have them delivered daily through the personal RSS feed.
Study on the go: can put the lessons on the iPod or mobile phone.
Tag: The user can tag my vocabulary lists, then the related words tagged by others can be found.
Comment: Can feel the real classroom in this integrated Blog.

It also allows users to sign up and create their own blog.
I found Professor Yao’s book with the lessons in MP3 by some Chinese language fans!
Integrated Chinese: http://blogs.chinesepod.com/integrated-chinese/

Right now, I am working on a website for Chinese Language Education Association in Hawaii. Chinese Pod is an on line integrated learning blog, which inspire me about the site I am working on. Blog can be considered as a part of that website, for teachers to share the ideas about teaching. But I might use more videos than audio, since I believe that visual learning is more efficient and attractive in language teaching and learning.

TV/ test embed video

Someone said that "only loser watches TV shows".

Hardly agree with it, but I am pretty sure that Bush doesn't watch TV....

Then, just make some assumption that those busy people don't watch.

I don't watch TV before 20, not for I am as busy as Bush, but the TV ban in my family.

It was said by mum that TV could make a child stupid and I believed that for 20 years...

Haha...now sounds funny since TV is one of my listening and culture tool for English ...

Hope Snew can introduce it for her students as a way of learning, cuz it does works.

Whatever, it also consumes time...so...

perhaps books and radios are better for kids as an educating way, with plain and boring interface...

=------------------------------

Just found windows live spaces support video now, gonna get a try...

Huh...becomes a fan to microsoft, hope it is just because of Ray...though perhaps bigger fan to google cuz everything is simple...

Anyways, still, I can not stop dreaming about the United States of Internet...

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Chose some course really can not catch the clue now, which is horrible since it only gets two weeks left

...though at first...was quite confident with that course...

6 books (not including papers) per semester...and they seem sort of irrelevant...

still struggling at the threshold of HCI...

Oh...perhaps the instructor wants us to find some relevance among them...back to work