RyanCollins.org

I’ve been playing around with Twitter for a little while (and if you’re really bored, you can follow me). A very cool feature is tracking. It works when you link your Twitter account with your instant messenger of choice. I’m currently tracking the following terms:

• education
• ed tech
• ipod touch
• educational technology

I then see any tweet posted with those terms. It’s a great way to find sites that you didn’t even know you needed. Just this week I found Glossy - MoLeNet:

“The Glossy project will undertake a large-scale development and implementation of mobile learning across Gloucestershire College utilising the mobile devices that learners already own. A comparative study will be made by providing a range of mobile devices for learners in excluded groups at Gloucestershire College and learners with learning difficulties and disabilities at National Star College. The project will put in place an infrastructure that will allow learners using devices which they already own to access learning activities and content through a mobile learning portal in conjunction with the college VLE.”

This is a very interesting project, to utilize mobile devices that students already have. I plan on following their blog and am very interested in their findings.

Tags: twitter, mobile devices, education

Tags: Web 2.0 by Mr.Rcollins
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At the eTech Ohio Technology Conference this past February I presented on different ways a person can communicate. Some ways were very low tech (writing a letter, using the phone), and some ways very high tech (using Grand Central to control incoming calls, social networking with del.icio.us or Twitter). I’ve finally gotten around to tagging the sites in del.icio.us (thanks Alvin!). I used the tag etechohio08.
photo credit: steveyb

Tags: 21st Century Skills, Professional Development, Web 2.0, eTech Ohio Conference by Mr.Rcollins
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Using my RSS reader of choice Google Reader, I’ve discovered two ways to use it on my iPod Touch. If I navigate to:
http://google.com/reader/m I get a slightly different interface than using http://google.com/m#reader. The former address gives me a nice icon when I add it to my home screen, but the latter address works better on my touch.

Does anyone know what the differences are? Why can’t I get the nice icon to add to my home screen with the second address?

Tags: Mobile Computing, Web 2.0 by Mr.Rcollins
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From the NCS-Tech blog: Meet your “Maker” - Newsletters, Brochures, Albums and Postcards

Thanks to a tip from my friend and colleague Nancy Sharoff, I am pleased to tell you about these VERY cool and FREE of course services offering fast and easy creation of professional looking newsletters, brochures, photo albums and postcards Who needs Microsoft Publisher??

• http://www.mynewslettermaker.com/
• http://www.mybrochuremaker.com/
• http://www.myalbummaker.com/
• http://www.mycardmaker.com/

Tags: Online Tools, Web 2.0 by Mr.Rcollins
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Google, at Google For Educators, is now offering educational resources for using Google products in the classroom:

Google recognizes the central role that teachers play in breaking down the barriers between people and information, and we support educators who work each day to empower their students and expand the frontiers of human knowledge. This website is one of the ways we’re working to bolster that support and explore how Google and educators can work together.As a start, we’re inviting you to share your best ideas for using technology to innovate in the classroom. To your left, you’ll find a teacher’s guide to 12 Google products, including basic information about each tool, examples of how educators are using them, and lesson ideas. You’ll also find lesson plans and videos from our partners at Discovery Education focusing on two of our most popular teaching tools: Google Earth and Google SketchUp.

When I first read it I was expecting a more general view of Internet
resources that may be used in the classroom, but limiting it to Google products still gives teachers and students some very cool software they can use. Google Earth is talked about a lot, but I think a lot of people are missing out learning opportunities that can take place with Google SketchUp.

Tags: Online Tools, Professional Development, Web 2.0 by Mr.Rcollins
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