OPLS blog

Amazon have just announced a major new development in the ebook market. Called Kindle, it is pretty much a complete service package - from the hand-held hardware technology to the ability to browse, download or retrieve content. View the demo video for further details.

Why should we care? Well, I can see a number of potential uses in education. As more and more content becomes fully digital - by which I mean described in XML format - students can have direct access to reading lists and text-based course materials. In addition, because of its in-built dictionary and links to wikipedia, students can investigate words and phrases of which they are unsure. From the video, bookmarking and annotation look straight forward too.

Generally, its advantages include a hosted back-up service for all your purchased content, fast wifi connectivity using mobile phone network technologies (but no additional charges other than the download fee - currently $9.99 per book), a good screen and no syncing requirements with your pc.

I won’t be buying one yet though. At US$399 a pop, it’s not cheap. Furthermore, it’s another hand-held device to lug around - and therein lies the rub. My phone is pretty much becoming the ubiquitous computing device I need. Why should I invest in another piece of chunky technology that only delivers books, doesn’t play music and video, or allow me to read my emails, etc, etc, and, worse still, ties me into one provider?

The ultimate let-down for me, though, is the fact that Kindle charges for newspaper and blog content. How retro a step is that? I think Bezos was dancing with the fairies at the bottom of his garden when he came up with that particular business model.

Nevertheless, I have always had a soft spot for Amazon, ever since living overseas in the late 90s and it being the only effective means I had to get hold of books for my students. I shall therefore watch developments with interest and not dismiss the venture too hastily.

Following its major redevelopment earlier this year the International Education Research Database (IERD) is now available in a more robust, accessible and user-friendly format. The improvements include a new look and feel in line with the organization’s visual identity, extended functionality such as user reference submission, site registration, newsletter subscription and much more.

The research team is keen that users find the resource useful and easy to use and are looking forward to contributions from teachers, IB staff and independent researchers. The team welcomes all feedback and urges users to communicate with them via the feedback form found on the site.

Visit the IERD at: http://research.ibo.org or, alternatively, via the resource section of the public website or the OCC.

Something else that I caught a quick glimpse of in Berlin is G.ho.st (Global hosted operating system). “Ghost” provides a free, complete Virtual Computer service which includes a personal desktop, files and applications, available from any browser. Ghost claim to be the world’s first and only true open Web Operating System (Web OS).

There has been a lot of discussion recently about Samorost and Samorost 2 - fantasy, Flash-based games by Amanita.

The discussion has centred on how the games have been used in creative writing classes in primary schools and the dramatic impact they have had on improving student outcomes in this area.

One teacher has blogged about her experiences with it and you can see a summary of her principal entries below:

• Setting the scene: stating the initial issues, eg “Descriptions of any sort seem quite hard for my students to write – they consist of basic details of what can be seen, without any emotional connection to either character or setting.”
• Initial reactions from students: “When you activate certain objects or certain people you have to think how it will affect your surroundings.” Martin. “When we worked as a team we did well. Everyone thought it was exciting so they all wanted a turn.” Timothy
• Student responses and outputs: setting the scene and putting themselves in the character’s shoes
• Six Thinking Hats and Samorost: The teacher used de Bono’s six Thinking Hats to help structure her reflections and evaluation of the experience.
• Final reflections: a wonderful final reflection post, looking back on why it went so well. Read the comments too - they help frame the post.

If this isn’t a great example of a teacher’s e-portfolio, I don’t know what is.

As well as coming across Yuuguu at the recent Web 2.0 Expo in Berlin, I spotted this free online meeting planner, ikordo. ikordo is intelligent. It uses plain English and email to arrange meetings for you on your behalf. You can plan meetings, set up attendees and the ikordo negotiates the most suitable date for a meeting on your behalf. It can interpret plain English email responses and builds up a picture of everyone’s availability. You can also have email and SMS reminders before a meeting beings. Try it. Nothing to download this time

Clare recently alerted me to this screen sharing application: Yuuguu.

Great for collaboration and demonstration - although it does involve a download.

Just when we thought we wouldn’t need to download anything ever again.

Another resource that teachers may find useful is Ustream - a live broadcasting tool which, according to its blurb, “is a platform that provides live interactive video for everyone. Anyone with a camera and an Internet connection can use Ustream to broadcast to a global audience.”

We will certainly look at its potential for professional development, but if any of you are using it with your students, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks, Paul, for passing this on.

Recently, I was alerted to an initiative by some of our diploma geography teachers - a subject-based wiki designed to support the teaching and learning of the current syllabus (guide or specification).

It’s another great example of how tools like wikis can harness the collective intelligence of the IB teaching community and an important pointer for future OCC development.

They’ve used wikispaces but it could easily have been set up on any other wiki platform.

Have a look for yourselves here: IBgeog Wiki.  Great stuff!

An interesting meet-up is being planned around BETT next year. Called TeachMeet08, it is a gathering of education technologists, willing to share their experiences and expertise. It is being led by Ewan McIntosh among others and he has blogged about it here.

If you want to sign up, please do so at the supporting wiki: TeachMeet08.

Hope to see you there.