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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.8.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:14:28 GMT--><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><title>Blog</title><subtitle>Blog</subtitle><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/</id><link rel="alternate" type="application/xhtml+xml" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/"/><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/atom.xml"/><updated>2009-08-24T22:02:39Z</updated><generator uri="http://www.squarespace.com/" version="Squarespace Site Server v5.8.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)">Squarespace</generator><entry><title>ONLINE LEARNING</title><category term="Online Learning"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/3/2/online-learning.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/3/2/online-learning.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-03-03T03:36:05Z</published><updated>2008-03-03T03:36:05Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 3.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">Designing for E-Learning</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">The author of this article is Mark Nichols, E-learning Specialist .Bible College of New Zealand.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">Read the introduction:</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><em><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">Faculty are often too busy to seriously consider learning design. Rather than embracing its open-endedness and seeing the almost limitless potential for customising it to their own educational purposes, we often hear comments such as &lsquo;Just show me how it looks and I&rsquo;ll get on with it&rsquo;, or &lsquo;Do you have a sample that I could look at and use as a template?&rsquo; (There is a clear parallel with &lsquo;Just give me what&rsquo;s in the exam&rsquo;!) It is all too easy to provide examples and templates, and so give the impression that instructional design for e-learning is simply about filling in blanks and copying exemplars. But instructional design and e-learning have too much potential and variety to even consider a Model-T Ford approach to development. Faculty also tend to think of writing courses rather than creating learning experiences. This e-primer aims to help you, as faculty, to think creatively about how to match what you would like students to learn with an enlightening learning experience.</span></span></em></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><em><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">This e-primer provides a framework for deciding how you might apply instructional design and e-learning to any given educational context. The framework is relevant to all educational contexts, but the discussion assumes a tertiary education context in humanities, and a distance education or hybrid delivery model. I do not consider Web 2.0 technologies and techniques in depth here (for that discussion, see E-Primer 5, Extending Possibilities).</span></span></em></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">I acquired this resource from Instructional Technology Forum,1 March 2008.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">Recommended.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">This is a 34-page PDF file.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;"><a href="http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper106/Designing_for_e-learning.pdf" target="_blank"><span>Designing for E-Learning</span></a></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span><span style="font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><strong><span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">Creating Learning Materials for Open and Distance Learning</span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="font-size: 120%;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">This valuable resource, an introduction to instructional design,isavailable online for free.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-size: 120%;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">I acquired this resource from Mark Nichols's article<span>&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper106/Designing_for_e-learning.pdf" target="_blank"><span>Designing for E-Learning</span></a><span>.</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="font-size: 120%;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;"><a href="http://www.col.org/colweb/site/pid/3145," target="_blank"><span>Creating Learning Materials for Open and Distance Learning</span></a></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">This report from the United States Department of Education concludes &ldquo;&ldquo;On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;">This is a 93-page report.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: #181818;"><a href="http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf">Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;">&nbsp;</p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; background: white;">&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large;"><span><br /></span></span></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>BLOG GRAB BAG</title><category term="Blog Grab Bag"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/blog-grab-bag.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/blog-grab-bag.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-02-25T03:56:55Z</published><updated>2008-02-25T03:56:55Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 140%;">Blown Up:&nbsp; More Inflatable Military Stuff</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="full-image-float-none"><img style="width: 500px; height: 303px;" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/tank3.jpg" alt="tank3.jpg" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This comes from the blog&nbsp; <a href="http://www.strangeharvest.com/" target="_blank">Strange Harvest, Architecture, Design, Art and More</a>, 01.01.08.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.strangeharvest.com/mt/archive/the_harvest/blown_up_more_inflat.php" target="_blank">Blown Up:&nbsp; More Inflatable Military Stuff</a></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>LIFE HACKS</title><category term="LIFE HACKS"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/life-hacks.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/life-hacks.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-02-25T03:50:59Z</published><updated>2008-02-25T03:50:59Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 140%;"><strong>How to Be a Leader in Your Field</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">Advice from Phil Agre, Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. 10.07.05.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 120%;"><a href="http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/leader.html" target="_blank">How to Be a Leader in Your Field</a></span></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>DIGITAL CULTURE</title><category term="DIGITAL CULTURE"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/digital-culture.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/digital-culture.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-02-25T03:40:17Z</published><updated>2008-02-25T03:40:17Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 140%;"><strong>The New Literacy:&nbsp; Programming</strong></span></p>
<p>This article comes from <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/literacy-computer-programming" target="_blank"><em>Edutopia Magaz</em>ine</a>, February 2008.&nbsp; The author is Marc Prensky.</p>
<p><span class="full-image-float-none"><img style="width: 333px; height: 80px;" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/edutopia_mast.jpg" alt="edutopia_mast.jpg" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/literacy-computer-programming" target="_blank">The New Literacy:&nbsp; Programming</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>TOOLS</title><category term="Tools"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/tools.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/tools.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-02-25T03:22:23Z</published><updated>2008-02-25T03:22:23Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 140%;"><strong>12 Screencasting Tools for Creating Video Tutorials</strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">This resource comes from the Web site <a href="http://mashable.com/" target="_blank">Mashable</a>, 02.21.08, by Sean P. Aune.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;"><a href="http://mashable.com/2008/02/21/screencasting-video-tutorials/" target="_blank">12 Screencasting Tools</a></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 140%;"><strong>Online Sign Generator</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">Useful, and fun to play with.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;"><a href="http://www.customsigngenerator.com/"><img style="width: 600px; height: 60px;" src="http://signgenerator.org/signs/images/www.signgenerator.org.png" alt="A sign generator is a type of web based image tool that allows you to change around the letters on photographs of actual road signs (business signs, sport fan signs, protest signage, fast food take out signs, panhadler signs, etc). You can make parody graphics just for fun or customized graphics for web/blog design." /></a></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.signgenerator.org/thumbs.htm" target="_blank">Online Sign Generator</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 140%;"><strong>99 Resources to Research and Mine the&nbsp; Invisible Web</strong></span></p>
<p>Here are just a few:</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.agrisurf.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>Agrisurf</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: If you're searching for information related to agriculture and farming, check out this engine. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.incywincy.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>IncyWincy</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: This search engine canvasses the deep web. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>Direct Search</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: Direct Search covers the invisible web, offering results in books, government, and much more. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.surfwax.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>SurfWax</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: The SurfWax search engine taps into the deep web and offers search tools for feeds, news, blogs, and more. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://zoominfo.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>ZoomInfo</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: Get information about corporations and job searchers here. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.archive.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>Internet Archive</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: Here you'll be able to find movies, music, text, and more, even including sites and pages that no longer exist. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.tenkwizard.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>TenKWizard</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: This business search engine covers Forbes, specific industries, and exchanges. </em></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://zabasearch.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0066cc;"><em>ZabaSearch</em></span></span></a></strong><em>: This search engine serves up public records like phone numbers and addresses.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This resource is from the Web site <a href="http://www.collegedegree.com/" target="_blank">CollegeDegree.com</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp; Published 02.13.08 by Jessica Hupp.</p>
<p class="entry-meta">&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/99-resources-to" target="_blank">99 Resources</a></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>BLOG RECOMMENDATIONS</title><category term="Blog Recommendations"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/blog-recommendations.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/blog-recommendations.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-02-25T02:58:01Z</published><updated>2008-02-25T02:58:01Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 140%;"><strong>Rapid E-Learning Blog</strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">This blog is the creation of Tom Kuhlmann, who shares tricks and tips about E-learning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">BONUS: If you subscribe to this blog, you get a free 46-page book, The Insider's Guide to Beoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="full-image-float-none"><img style="width: 240px; height: 321px;" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/pic_ebook.png" alt="pic_ebook.png" /></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/" target="_blank">Rapid E-Learning Blog</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;"><strong>Student as Scholar Blog</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">The "Student As Scholar" blog was formally created on July 25 2008. The Blog<br />is devoted to documenting relevant literature that supports the view that :<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 120%;">"Undergraduate education should adopt the &sup3;Student as Scholar&sup2; Model<br />throughout the curriculum, where scholar is conceived in terms of an<br />attitude, an intellectual posture, and a frame of mind derived from the best<br />traditions of an engaged liberal arts education. With this framework, not<br />only each research project, but also each course, is viewed as an<br />integrated, and integrating, part of the student experience."</span><span style="font-size: 120%;"><br /><br />From "Convocation to Capstone: Developing the Student as Scholar"David<br />Hodge, Kira Pasquesi, Marissa Hirsh / Miami University ; Paul LePore /<br />University ofWashington.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">This resource acquired from&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><a class="aRecip" style="font-size: 120%;" title="DEOS-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU" href="https://oes.inverhills.mnscu.edu/Exchange/cwanles/Inbox/?cmd=editrecipient&amp;Index=0"><span style="font-size: 120%;">DEOS-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU</span></a><span style="font-size: 120%;">&nbsp;,07.26.08.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 110%;"><a href="http://student-as-scholar.blogspot.com/">Student as Scholar Blog</a></span></span></p>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>GAMING IN EDUCATION</title><category term="Gaming in Education"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/gaming-in-education.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2008/2/24/gaming-in-education.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2008-02-25T02:37:02Z</published><updated>2008-02-25T02:37:02Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: 120%;"><strong>CISCO's Educational Games for Work Place Training</strong></span></p>
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<p><span class="full-image-float-none"><img style="width: 87px; height: 45px;" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/Cisco.gif" alt="Cisco.gif" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">I experimented with the games to get some ideas for my own educational gaming designs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 120%;">Free!&nbsp; You will see a prompt asking you for provide a name for playing the games.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.medcalf.com/games/cisco_games/" target="_blank">CISCO Learning Games</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Until next time!</p>
<p><span class="full-image-float-left"><img style="width: 116px; height: 107px;" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/Goat%20with%20Smile.jpg" alt="Goat%20with%20Smile.jpg" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>TOOLS</title><category term="Tools"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/tools.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/tools.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-09-23T19:54:43Z</published><updated>2007-09-23T19:54:43Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><strong>GOOGLE PRESENTATION</strong></p><p><span class="quote">Google has launched <strong>Presentation,</strong> a tool for making presentations, much like Microsoft&rsquo;s PowerPoint or Apple&rsquo;s Keynote. Google Presentation is part of <em>Google Docs</em>, a suite of tools that was previously called Google Docs &amp; Spreadsheets.</span></p><p><span class="quote">Try it!</span></p><span class="quote"><a href="http://www.google.com/a/" target="_blank">Presentation</a>&nbsp;(Google Apps)</span><span class="quote"> <p><br /></p></span>]]></content></entry><entry><title>GAMING IN EDUCATION</title><category term="Gaming in Education"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/9/23/gaming-in-education.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/9/23/gaming-in-education.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-09-23T19:31:09Z</published><updated>2007-09-23T19:31:09Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><strong>GROCKIT</strong></p><p>Grockit is a venture corporation , located in San Francisco, working on the development of massive multiplayer online learning applications.</p><p><em>Grockit</em> is a play on the word <em>grok, </em>which means &quot;to understand something so well it becomes part of you.&quot;</p><p>This page appears on the Web site <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/about-techcrunch/" target="_blank">Tech Crunch </a>07.24.07.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/24/grockit-raises-cash-prepares-massive-multiplayer-online-learning-product/" target="_blank">GROCKIT</a></strong></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>BLOG GRAB BAG</title><category term="Blog Grab Bag"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/9/23/blog-grab-bag.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/9/23/blog-grab-bag.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-09-23T19:07:53Z</published><updated>2007-09-23T19:07:53Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span class="sizeGreater20"><strong>Blog Grab Bag</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>72 Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena</strong></p><p>Optical illusions galore and explanations for the phenomena<strong>.</strong></p><p>This Web page appears on <a href="http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/" target="_blank">Impressum,</a>&nbsp;09.14.07, the Web site of Michael Bach.&nbsp; I acquired the link from Stephen Downes'&nbsp; Web site, <a href="http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=41669" target="_blank">Stephen's Web </a>09.14.07.</p><p><a href="http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/" target="_blank"><strong>72 Optical Illusions</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span class="sizeGreater20"><strong>InfraView</strong></span></p><p>InfraView is a graphic viewer software / freeware.</p><p>This utility allows you to&nbsp; convert, optimize, scan and print images; create slideshows; and play movies.</p><p><a href="http://www.irfanview.com/" target="_blank">Infra View</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>COLLABORATION NEWSBYTES</title><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/8/21/collaboration-newsbytes.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/8/21/collaboration-newsbytes.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-08-21T15:10:48Z</published><updated>2007-08-21T15:10:48Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><a name="Hold"></a><strong>COLLABORATION NEWSBYTES</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span class="full-image-float-left"><img style="width: 500px; height: 155px" alt="collablogo2.gif" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/collablogo2.gif" /></span></p><p>Check out new and upcoming events with <a href="http://www.collab.org/" target="_blank">The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>REGISTER NOW! </p><p>For another great Collaboration conference experience, register now for the November 16-17, 2007, conference, <a href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/display/admin/programsservices/conferences/Nov07%20Conference.htm">&quot;Promoting Deep Learning: Cultivating Intellectual Curiosity, Creativity, and Engagement in College.</a>&quot; The conference offers more than 30 preconference and concurrent sessions and features a keynote address by Ken Bain, author of <em>What the Best College Teachers Do </em>(Harvard University Press, 2004)<em>. </em></p><p><a name="Dates"></a>HOLD THESE DATES! </p><p>The Collaboration's February conference theme is &quot;Critical Thinking in the Age of the Internet.&quot; The conference will be held at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel , Bloomington, Minnesota. Interested in submitting a concurrent session proposal? <a href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/display/admin/programsservices/February%2008%20CFP.pdf">View the Call for Proposals</a> for guidelines and deadlines.<br /></p><p><strong><a name="Celebrate"></a>START THE YEAR OFF RIGHT WITH THE COLLABORATION&rsquo;S TRAVELING WORKSHOPS </strong></p><p>What&rsquo;s the best way to ensure a great faculty or staff development workshop experience with guest facilitators on your campus, other than researching and auditioning presenters yourself? Tap into The Collaboration&rsquo;s talented pool of workshop facilitators! We recruit our presenters, work with them to design workshop outlines and materials, match our talent to your needs, and monitor workshop results, including session evaluations. With help from our staff to find the perfect fit for your needs, you can choose a single workshop, a workshop series, or several workshops together to create a conference with concurrent sessions and multiple learning opportunities. We can customize the program to serve your needs, even combining it with our program consulting and evaluation services. Call us for help creating a plan to meet your needs for the coming academic year, but <a href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/display/admin/twabs08.html">check out our online catalog first. </a>There&rsquo;s also a handy <a href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/display/admin/TWinquiry08.html">online inquiry form!</a> </p><p><br /><strong><a name="Diversity"></a>DIVERSITY &Agrave; LA CARTE </strong></p><p>Whether you need one workshop on inclusive teaching for an annual campus event or departmental retreat, an article on developing a campus diversity plan to help guide your own planning, or a comprehensive approach to internationalizing the curriculum, The Collaboration can help you put together a program package to meet your unique campus needs. Choose from Traveling Workshops on a variety of topics; review articles for discussion in learning communities; or invite a team of external evaluators to assess a campus diversity initiative. </p><p><a>Check out our &agrave; la carte menu for more information</a> <a>. </a><br /></p><p><strong><a name="Assessment"></a>ASSESSMENT &Agrave; LA CARTE <br /></strong>Is your institution eager to improve its efforts to assess student learning? Are you trying to find ways to create a &quot;culture of assessment&quot; among faculty, staff, and students or &quot;close the loop&quot; between assessment and the improvement of teaching? The Collaboration has a long history of programming in this area, including four major conferences and Summer Institutes, and we've worked to embed assessment into all the programs we do. Whether you need one Traveling Workshop, such as &quot;Exploring the New Assessments,&quot; expert consultation for your leadership team, access to a professional network focused on assessment, or a combination of services on assessing general education, we can help you put together a customized package to strengthen your assessment efforts. </p><p>This blog entry is a cut and paste from the <a href="http://www.collab.org/" target="_blank">Collaboration Web site</a>&nbsp;09.23.07.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>INTERPERSONAL SKILLS</title><category term="Interpersonal Skills"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/8/19/interpersonal-skills.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/8/19/interpersonal-skills.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-08-19T18:24:34Z</published><updated>2007-08-19T18:24:34Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><strong>PRINCIPLES OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT</strong></p><p>It's the little things that matter in human relationships, such as acknowledging people's good work and actions.</p><p>The excerpt below from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.iil.com/iil_shortdescr.asp?sku=PT251&ld=POASHRTCT" target="_blank"><u>The Power of Acknowledgment&nbsp;</u></a> (2006) by Judith W. Umlas addresses the importance of acknowledgment skills in all areas of life, professional and personal.</p><p>I acquired Umlas' excerpt from <a href="mailto:Projects@Work">Projects@Work </a>, 07.17.07 issue.</p><p>Subscription to this site's newsletter is free with registration.</p><p><strong>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</strong> </p><p><strong>Principles of Acknowledgment</strong> </p><p>Can sincere acknowledgment make a difference in the performance and health of project teams? </p><p>There is a simple, no-cost tool available to everyone that can transform lethargic, frustrated project teams into productive, high-level performers. This incredible tool, according to Judy Umlas, is &quot;the power of acknowledgment.&quot; It's also the title of a book she has authored. In the introduction, the senior vice president for the International Institute for Learning says she hopes to help people understand and use a tool that &quot;can produce profound and dramatic changes in our intimate circles and far beyond,&quot; from spouses to coworkers. And here Umlas shares her seven principles of acknowledgment. </p><p>1. The world is full of people who deserve to be acknowledged. </p><p>It will be easier to acknowledge those you care most about if you start by practicing your acknowledgment skills on people you don't know very well, or even know at all. Then you will begin making the world a happier place. </p><p>2. Acknowledgment builds intimacy and creates powerful interactions. </p><p>Acknowledge the people around you directly and fully, especially those with whom you are in an intimate relationship. What is it about your spouse, your daughter, your uncle, your oldest colleague or subordinate that you want to acknowledge? Look for ways to say how much you value them, and then be prepared for miracles. </p><p>3. Acknowledgment neutralizes, defuses, deactivates and reduces the effect of jealousy and envy. Acknowledge those you are jealous of, for the very attributes you envy. Watch the envy diminish and the relationship grow stronger as you grow to accept valuable input from the person you were envying. </p><p>4. Recognizing good work leads to high energy, great feelings, high-quality performance and terrific results. Not acknowledging good work causes lethargy, resentment, sorrow and withdrawal. Recognize and acknowledge good work, wherever you find it. It's not true that people only work hard if they worry whether you value them. Quite the opposite! </p><p>5. Truthful, heartfelt and deserved acknowledgment always makes a difference, sometimes a profound one, in a person's life and work. Rarely given acknowledgements have no more value than frequent ones. Sincere praise should not be withheld due to fear of diminishing returns, of appearing inappropriate or out of embarrassment. These obstacles can and should be overcome in order for you and your recipients to reap the tremendous rewards. </p><p>6. It is likely that acknowledgment can improve the emotional and physical health of both the giver and the receiver. There is already substantial scientific evidence that gratitude and forgiveness help well being, alertness and energy, diminish stress and feelings of negativity, actually boosting the immune system. It is reported that they can even reduce the risk of stroke and heart failure. This research leads us to believe that acknowledging others has similar effects. </p><p>7. Practice different ways of getting through to the people you want to acknowledge. Develop an acknowledgment repertoire that will give you the tools to reach out to the people in your life in the different ways that will be the most meaningful to each situation and each person. </p><p>Excerpted from <em>The Power of Acknowledgment</em> (&copy;2006 IIL Publishing, New York) by Judith W. Umlas. </p><p>Source: <a href="http://www.projectsatwork.com/article.cfm?ID=237275" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.projectsatwork.com/article.cfm?ID=237275 </a></p><p><br />&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Until next time!</p><p><span class="full-image-float-left"><img style="width: 116px; height: 107px" alt="Goat%20with%20Smile.jpg" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/Goat%20with%20Smile.jpg" /></span></p><p><br />&nbsp;</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>NEW LOOK FOR BLOG</title><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/7/18/new-look-for-blog.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/7/18/new-look-for-blog.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-07-18T03:15:26Z</published><updated>2007-07-18T03:15:26Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p>Hello, all.</p><p>It has been&nbsp;some time&nbsp;since <em>Ruminators' Ilk</em> was last published.&nbsp; Notice the blog has a new look.&nbsp; I was tired of the crabby-looking medieval goat and chose this goat family instead.&nbsp; By the way,&nbsp; they are eating spinach.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class="h2subtitle tag"><p><span class="sizeLess20"><a href="http://www.v1golf.com/" target="_blank"><span class="sizeGreater20"><u><font style="color: #0000ff" color="#0000ff"></font></u></span></a></span></p><u><font style="color: #0000ff" color="#0000ff"></font></u></div><p><u><font style="color: #0000ff" color="#0000ff"></font></u></p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>Profile</title><category term="Profile"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/7/18/profile.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/7/18/profile.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-07-18T02:33:08Z</published><updated>2007-07-18T02:33:08Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left"><img style="width: 125px; height: 166px" alt="Mandy.jpg" src="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/storage/Mandy.jpg" /></span>This is Amanda (Mandy)&nbsp;Alcorn, a law enforcement&nbsp;student at Inver Hills. Mandy also happens to be the online student mentor for my D2L classes.&nbsp; </p><p>Mandy is a wonder. As a D2L student mentor, she offers the following traits:</p><p>*High standards&nbsp; *Commitment to excellence&nbsp;&nbsp; *Proven D2L expertise&nbsp; *Respect for the abilities of others&nbsp; *Commitment to shared learning&nbsp; *Willingness to be an advocate and supporter&nbsp; *Trustworthiness *&nbsp;Care and empathy&nbsp; *Effective communication skills *Creativity and openness&nbsp; *Self-confidence and ability to affirm others&nbsp; *Positive attitude&nbsp; *Flexibility *Ethical behavior </p><p>She and I also laugh a lot together.</p><p>The message here:&nbsp; Consider partnering with a student mentor for your online classes.</p>]]></content></entry><entry><title>Lifelong Learning</title><category term="LifeLong Learning"/><id>http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/7/7/lifelong-learning.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://ruminatorsilk.squarespace.com/blog/2007/7/7/lifelong-learning.html"/><author><name>blog editor</name></author><published>2007-07-07T14:06:28Z</published><updated>2007-07-07T14:06:28Z</updated><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US"><![CDATA[<p><span class="sizeGreater20"><strong>Learning for Life : IHCC's Academy for Lifelong Learning</strong></span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20"><span class="sizeGreater20">The Academy for Lifelong Learning at IHCC is a community of learners of all ages. Its goal is to provide access to opportunities for intellectual and personal growth that are the core mission of the college. Quality class facilitators, flexibility in time and place, variety in delivery methods, and creative use of the best in technology make the ALL program at IHCC unique.</span> </span></p><span class="sizeLess20">Staff, faculty, students, and individuals in the Twin Cities and surrounding communities are welcome to enroll in ALL classes. </span><span class="sizeGreater20"><p><span class="sizeLess20">Inver Hills' Academy for Lifelong Learning fall 2007 course offerings: </span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20"><strong>Antiques of Quality</strong>-- The facilitator, Richard LeFebvre, is an antiques dealer--35 years in the business! </span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20"><strong>Holocaust Rememberance</strong>--Vicky Knickerbocker will explore Holocaust representations in film, drama, literature, and story-telling</span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20">&nbsp;<strong>Chamber Players</strong>--Anthony Titus invites classical musicians to meet and play chamber and orchestral repertoire.</span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20">&nbsp;<strong>Byzantine History: Then and Now</strong>--Che Hazlewood explores Byzantine history in the common era 330-1453.</span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20">&nbsp;<strong>The 60s: The War in Vietnam and at Home</strong>--Neil Anderson, a Vietnam protester, and Michael Orange, a Vietnam veteran, offer this thought-provoking course on America in the 1960s.</span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20">&nbsp;<strong>Italian Art: The Pious, the Pagan and the Patron</strong>--Travel to Italy with Sue Kattas and study art. </span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20"><strong>The Modern Memoir: How to Write One</strong>--Terrence Gannon teaches this class on autobiography, autobiographical fiction, and memoir. Possible publishing ventures will also be explored.</span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20"><strong>Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict: Beyond the Headlines</strong>--Holly Bord Farber explores the underbelly of the Arb-Israeli conflict.</span></p><p><span class="sizeLess20"><strong>19th Century Russian Literature</strong>-- Read and discuss Russian literary classics with Don Langworthy. Come meet Gogol, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Dostoyesvsky, and Turgenev. </span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span class="sizeLess20">Brochures will soon be available. </span></p></span>]]></content></entry></feed>