Quick List of some of my Favorites

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Yahoo’s Shared Time Capsule

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Yahoo's TimecapsuleI don’t know how I missed this great site while it was open, but Yahoo’s Time Capsule is a fantastic interactive exploration of life in 2006. I’m sure there must be cyber vandalism lurking in some corner, but what I saw was a lovely appreciation – both in the original postings as well as people’s comments.

There are all kinds of possible uses for this site – one of the best might be to have students create their own similar site or explore the themes as a way to help children and adolescents to express themselves about their feelings. Not a bad idea for us blokes as well!?

Helpful PD Links on Web 2.0

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Welcome to my friends in the Diocese of Broken Bay. Nice to get together again.

Here’s a handout for the day to download

Here’s a handout for setting up a WordPress blog
Activities

Readings

“World of WarCrack”

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I’ve been harping for a couple years about how vulnerable we can all be to the lure of getting “Whatever we want, Whenever and Wherever” (The New WWW). Even though it’s human nature to want what we want (all of it!), there’s some point in every life (that lasts long enough) when a person realizes that this doesn’t lead to happiness. I turn to Martin Seligman’s research on Authentic Happiness which points out that people typically try four approaches to find happiness: 1) pursue pleasure, 2) put meaning into actions, 3) engage in activities that stretch us into “flow experiences,” and 4) serve something larger than ourselves. All but the first work. And we all think (at least sometimes) that getting/doing/having something will make us happy. But the separation of “us” and “whatever” creates a duality that insures unhappiness (“I’m not complete without that“).

W o WI’ve just read the most powerful statement on this subject I’ve ever seen. Posted on a blog, this fellow provides a View from the Top: what it’s like to be successful at the most popular online game, World of Warcraft. Not just what it’s like, but why after a year as a leader in a position of power and respect, he gave it up.

When I started playing, I was working towards getting into the best shape of my life (and making good progress, too). Now a year later, I’m about 30 pounds heavier that I was back then, and it is not muscle. I had a lot of hobbies including DJing (which I was pretty accomplished at) and music as well as writing and martial arts. I haven’t touched a record or my guitar for over a year and I think if I tried any Kung Fu my gut would throw my back out. Finally, and most significantly, I had a very satisfying social life before.

It’s a tale of addiction realized. As powerful as his blog entry is, once you read it, take a look at the scrollbar and see how much of the page is yet to come. I did a quick copy/paste of the text on the page and it came out to 234 pages!

I think this should be required reading for everyone who suspects they might be addicted to online gaming (or gambling, drinking, drugs, eating, exercise, etc.).

With the opportunity to do “whatever” they want, our children face temptations we were fortunate we never had to confront.

It must be that time again…

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At the risk of sparking a PC/Mac flame war, I thought I’d point to a couple new models. The [H] with Dell innards and the Pumputer 1.0 (a Classic…).  Okay, so maybe it won’t start a flame war, just a couple candles to make the eyes glow…

As an Aussie transplant, I bring the undeard of pumpkin pie Down Under, so let me share a terrific soup recipe for those in the US:

Start with what we call a Jap Pumpkin (AKA winter squash)

In a large soup pot:

  • sautee one onion, three cloves garlic, chunk of finely chopped ginger root
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Add a quick pour of dry cooking sherry (gets the above nice and soft)

Attack the pumpkin:

  • Scoop the seeds and cut off the skin (easier when halved or quartered)
  • Chop into chunks
  • Add to onion, etc. and sautee/stir fry a bit to bring out the flavor
  • Pour in enough boiling water to cover about 1/2 the mixture
  • Boil, stirring occasionally, until pumpkin is soft.
  • Use one of those hand blenders / whizzy sticks to puree
  • Add a can of coconut cream (lowfat?)
  • Add water to desired consistency
  • Add seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, dash of cayenne, curry powder)

‘US full of Internet addicts’

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Okay, so I can say “I told you so…” An article recently making the rounds highlights research at Stanford University that “indicated more than one in eight US residents showed at least one sign of ‘problematic Internet use.'” And I suppose it’s also no surprise that “the typical Internet addict is a single, college-educated, white male in his 30s, who spends approximately 30 hours a week on non-essential computer use.” If these guys are vulnerable, how do we suppose tweenies and teenagers will handle the New WWW (Whatever, Whenever, Wherever) as it comes to their personal device? Informants already say that iPods loaded with pornographic videos are common at schools. This said, I’m one of the biggest advocates for integrating iPods into learning (Stanford on iTunes, anyone?). Maybe we need are Real, Rich and Relevant discussions with kids about about choosing what they want to do with their lives?

YouTube used for “Astro Turf”

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Apparently “Astro Turfing” was first coined by Lloyd Bentsen to describe fake grassroots campaigns to sway public opinion.  Not only was LonelyGirl15 a fake, but now The Wall Street Journal has fingered the dirty PR company DCI for posting a parody of Al Gore to take the sting out of An Inconvenient Truth.  You see it’s true what teachers have been saying about the Web, you can’t trust anyone (like Zaire, Microsoft, Wal-Mart…).

Here’s what I think: I’ve studied it a lot for almost a full minute and I’m certain that as hot as it is right now, YouTube must be adding to Global Warming.

Jonathan Coulton’s “Flickr”

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Take a creative and talented alternative folk singer who’s tuned to Web 2.0 and you’ll get Jonathan Coulton’s “Flickr” (16 mg Quicktime movie).  It had to happen and it couldn’t have come from a better source.  You can also get just the song (which is lovely as is).  Thanks.

“It’s not Always like you think”

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According to one study at Coventry University:

the use of text message abbreviations is linked positively with literacy achievements.

Perhaps just like the pundits who said videos would spell the end for movies attendance (wrong) and music file sharers would never pay for music (not!), maybe the obvious isn’t true with text messaging? Could be that literacy skills cross boundries of text types? Could be, but note that this study also had a sample size of 35 andf that

the children who were better at spelling and writing used the most “textisms”.

Which could mean that like their ability to spell accurately, these kids were also tuned into the different grammar of SMS. It cuold aslo maen taht clihredn are celver.

An Intro to the Web for Year 5

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Hello. Welcome. Below are some Web links and a few ideas for activities. Click on the ones that interest you. Chat with a friend about what you see and think.

1. Blue Poles is the most famous painting at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Look at a picture of it. Then go to Jackson Pollock.org and try clicking around. Discuss one of these questions: “How come my creation is disposable and Pollock’s are worth tens of millions?” or “What is the point of ‘action painting’?”

2. Pick a topic you’re interested in (really!) and then see what each of the three online encyclopedia have to say about it: Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia, and the Simple English Wikipedia. Could you contribute new information in the last one? Write out your contribution in the Task below.
3. What does it mean by “The World is Flat” (see the BBC article), then see about the Miniature Earth. What does either of these sites make you think about your place in the world?

4. Take this online quiz about the Internet and see how many right answers you get.

5. Write a message in SMS speak or translate this famous document:

dad@hvn,
urspshl.
we want wot u want
&urth2b like hvn
giv us food Give us food
&4giv r sins
lyk we 4giv uvaz.
don’t test us!
save us!
bcos we kno ur boss
ur tuf
&ur cool 4 eva!
ok?

Task – Thanks for trying out these links and questions. Please write me a two page letter about things you saw or thought about from this activity. Include your ideas or feelings from the presentation and the response from one of the questions above. Only write the letter in binary code if you send it digitally! Optional extra – in your lesson book, draw a cool picture that shows you in ten years time with all the gadgets pointed to with arrows and explained (see an example).