Moodle Pilot Update

December seemed to have whooshed by. I am participating in an IMS of the Future study using MoodleRooms. Just opened up my classroom and am getting started. Let me know if you also would like to try a class or demo of Moodle. We do have Remotelearner hosted Moodle courses on campus, so I am pretty familiar with Moodle, though not what I'd ever call the expert!! Happy Holidays. Read about Moodle in Wikipedia.

Google adds Captions to Youtube!!

Google will add for English-first-speaking users automatic caption capability to videos on YouTube!!!

Math Instructors using Maplesoft

November Webinars: Education & Research

Throughout November, Maplesoft will be offering the following live webinars, free-of-charge. These sessions provide the perfect opportunity for you to listen to Maplesoft experts as they share their experience and expertise on a variety of topics. Please take a moment to look through these complimentary webinars and feel free to register for as many as you would like to attend. All sessions take place at 2pm Eastern Time and are best viewed in Internet Explorer.

Nov. 16: Maple 13 Academic Training
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b59b26c6f21f17a3e6feaa965df5d679f5bb109fb7049a35f8

Nov. 18: Maplesoft Solutions for Mathematics Education
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b51f83230a0bf381bb139932aadda84bd2f5bcbe5c060fbe23

Nov. 25: Introducing Modern Modeling Techniques to the Undergraduate Control Course
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b5a27fe9b17f75e3e132f3e7ac888096f58d69d5686cd10055

Nov. 30: Getting Started with Maple 13 Academic for Evaluators
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b50c84823c6493c543b4a2c7ff02fd34357b54833e58ab49f0

To view a complete list of our upcoming webinars, please visit: http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=5d0689a59049e6bb64e37618018d9b11165f125a66c915e33be38dd349463875

Kind Regards,

Rick Andrade
Webinar Coordinator
Maplesoft

Great article on Learning Styles and new Media

I am a huge fan of matching the technology to the activity and to incorporate a variety of tools to meet the needs of various learning styles. Social networking tools offer great promise, but knowing and having the time to study which learning style matches what technology is important. Well, here is such a study to utilize emerging web technologies for higher education based on student's learning styles. Let me know what you think of the article. I am still digesting it.

Free Appollo Space Program Virtual Conference for Educators

Over the next three weeks LearningTimes is pleased to be participating in three unique programs designed to improve your knowledge and effectiveness as an educator. While the topics are distinctly different – each of these live online events will be filled with opportunities to collaborate, network and learn with experts and colleagues from around the globe.

**Apollo Space Program Virtual Conference**

This is a free one-day event, taking place on November 10, 2009. The online conference highlights the Apollo Program and its impact on American and world history and our lives today. The Apollo Space Program Virtual Conference is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum and NASA.

You will participate in interactive discussions and explore ways to teach your students using primary source materials.

Topics will include:

** Placing Apollo in Historical Context
** Getting to the Moon: Apollo Technology
** Presidents, Politics, Social Climate
** Apollo Artifacts
** Apollo Imagery and its Place in Modern American Society
** Remembering Apollo

Register now at: http://www.learningtimes.net/apollo

UNC Blog on Sakai Pilot Project

University of North Carolina has a Sakai Learning Management System report completed. Should be an interesting read for anyone wondering about Open Source possibilities for learning management systems.

Site to Check out

Check out the Academic Earth Site. It pulls together academic content from a variety of online sites.

Just in Time was Successful

Wow, we had so many faculty that participated in the Just in Time Training sessions! I'll host another one in October, in case you missed the last. I am getting together days and will post the dates and send an email!

Just in Time Training on Tuesday!

Tuesday, September 29, CBT 166, 2:30-5:30 pm is the next Just in Time training sessions for the Online Learning Department. If you have questions regarding Online Learning, including D2L and other tools you may be using in D2L, drop-by anytime during those times and get training!

If you have a particular issue and would like us to research it for you ahead of time, reply to this email and we will come prepared to meet with you.

If you can't make this training day, email Kathy Grady, D2L Administrator, kgrady@nhcc.edu or myself to set up an individual training session. I do have evening appointments possible for those faculty that work off our campus during the day.

See you September 29, CBT 166, 2:30-5:30! Just in Time training for you!

Cheating Online

I saw this article in a blog and know many have mentioned cheating in the online environment.

Futurity Science Site

Here is a news site for those interested in Scientific information. Futurity.org

Safety First in Science Game

Here is an interesting game I found in the paper back in August and finally took a couple minutes and tried it out. The Scientist Safety Game. and also located at: http://www.planet-science.com/outthere/getclobbered/get_clobbered.html

Just in Time Training Announcement

The next open-lab, drop-in style training session is scheduled for September 29 from 2:30-5:30pm in CBT 166. If you are looking to expand your knowledge on D2L, podcasting, or other Online Learning-related topics, drop by and see us on the 29th. If this date and times do not work, remember you can always schedule an appointment.

D2L link our site is down

The link to D2L is down only on our website. Use the backup site. Please bookmark it and give to students on your syllabus! Thanks. https://nhcc.ims.mnscu.edu/

Computer Anxiety

A great PDF research article is available about Computer Anxiety in e-Learning. Click to go to the Journal of Information Technology Education and scroll to Computer Anxiety PDF. 50% of adults, including first year university students have computer anxiety! We have noticed a dramatic increase in students coming to us to learn about how to interact in their online classes (new students and students that have been here).

Course Content Web Accessibility

Here is a quote from the WebAim site on Universal design importance. "Though estimates vary, most studies find that about one fifth (20%) of the population has some kind of disability. Not all of these people have disabilities that make it difficult for them to access the internet, but it is still a significant portion of the population. Businesses would be unwise to purposely exclude 20, 10, or even 5 percent of their potential customers from their web sites. For schools, universities, and government entities it would not only be unwise, but in many cases, it would also break the law." They also have a great section called Getting Started for you to apply Universal Design to Online Learning. Read more at their web site.

Wikispaces Blog » Blog Archive » Tips and Tricks: Create Templates for Your Wiki Pages

Wikispaces Blog » Blog Archive » Tips and Tricks: Create Templates for Your Wiki Pages

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The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Residents say broadband needed in rural areas

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Residents say broadband needed in rural areas

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NHCC D2L Back Up Login Site

Here is a site to store in your favorites in case the Online Learning login page goes out on us: https://nhcc.ims.mnscu.edu/ Like it did today!!!

NVC Speaker Coming Friday Aug 21, 2009

How to cultivate a culture of compassion without becoming a doormat

Non-Violent Communications (NVC) presents Jorge Rubio

Jorge Rubio has been a certified trainer of nonviolent communication for eleven years. He has worked intensively in his country of origin, Colombia, as founder and executive director of The Foundation for Nonviolent Communication Center and participated in the Presidential program "Haz Paz", with the intention to create a culture of peace in a country of war.

Jorge has a gift for modeling empathic intelligence in highly stressful situations. Establishing heart to heart connection between the stressed parties transforms conflict into a place where willing compassionate giving and receiving towards each other results. In this workshop you will learn how to bring empathic intelligence into your life.
EVERYONE is welcome! Feel free to bring guests.

Date: Friday August 21, 2009
Time(s): 1-3 and 3-5 PM
Attend one or both sessions.
Place: CLA 120

North Hennepin Community College


Sponsored by the Campus Trust and Respect Committee. Lisa Schlotterhausen 763-424-0853

New tool from EAT-IT 09m

Respondus New License

For those of you who are currently using the Respondus 3.5 (or 4.O beta) test creation software, you will need a new license number after July 31 in order to continue to use the site license version of Respondus. This is a great tool and I use it for all the test creation I do. It is great! It saves you tons of time and you just use a Word Document to initiate the process! Slick!

Please contact Carol Karnitz(carol.karnitz@nhcc.edu) to get the license number.

The new full version 4.0 (not released yet) will have the ability to auto export quizzes to your D2L courses but that is not quite ready for release. Whoohoo, can't wait for this!

Here is a link to a pdf with some of the features, visit Respondus

There is also the Respondus Test Bank Network that provides instructors a central location for obtaining publisher test banks that are in Respondus format. Test Bank

Contact me with questions or Carol for set-up. The Online Teaching Best Practices Sharehouse D2L course has all the directions for set up too!

Scientific Learning

Check out these Scientific Brain Games.

Unbelievable

The Mind Research institute. Awesome games!

What educators can learn from brain research

What educators can learn from brain research

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Paradigm Shift

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future University Paradigms.

Gates: U.S. ed has no choice but to improve

Gates: U.S. ed has no choice but to improve

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Academic Technology Reads--must have!

Hello,

As you are putting together some interesting reading for the academic year, might I suggest a few books I read (am reading) over the summer and past spring? Can't say as I have read a fiction book in years, except Harry Potter books! The recent Harry Potter movie was great too!

--The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education. Curtis Bonk
--Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, home, and School. John Medina
--iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind. Gary Small
--Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation. Don Tapscott
--Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and more Miserable than ever before. Jean Twenge
--A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule the World/Future. Daniel Pink
--Five Minds for the Future. Howard Gardner
--Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation will Change the way the World Learns. Clayton Christensen, Curtis Johnson and Michael Horn

The majority of these books are available for check-out through the Hennepin County Library System. I currently am working my way through Generation Me and Growing up Digital, courtesy of the library system. Some of them, I just had to buy too! Disrupting Class is amazing. I wanted to bury myself in that book! Generation Me is great and it really helped me understand students point of view and even my own views on why technology should be free.

Just some light reading for you! Enjoy!

eFolio World Newsletter

Here is the summer edition to the eFolio World news. Hope to see you at the conference in August.

EAT IT 09 New Media Conference

The schedule is posted and the conference is on. EATIT 09 Emerging Technologies. Looks to be a good session. August 12 & 13. See you there.

Faculty Development Day Presentations

August 20, 2009, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm two sessions on eFolio and Peer Review. CBT 167.
These are hands-on classes. Bring materials you may want to upload to your eFolio.

EFolio: eFolioMinnesota is a free resource for Minnesota residents, students, and workers provided by the Minnesota State College and University system. Many institutions are having students create portfolios of their work throughout their program of study. Use eFolio for professional development or student competency tracking. Migrate your current EFolio account to the new and improved EFolio too. In this session, we will briefly get you started with a new eFolio account or migrate your account.
eFolio should be in a computer lab.

Peer Review: Teaching online is different than teaching in the regular classroom. A group of NHCC faculty and Online Learning staff adapted the Quality Matters rubric to the working culture of NHCC. In this session, you will learn about Quality Matters, the process to get your online course Peer Reviewed, and the best practices behind having a Quality Matters program at NHCC. See the latest Quality Matters rubric and test drive it for yourself.

eFolio Summit August 5 & 6

The deadline for registering to attend the August 5 & 6 or just 6, 2009 eFolio Summit training is rapidly approaching. July 24 is the deadline. Join me in learning about the new eFolio Minnesota!

Using Google Docs Training

Using Google Apps for Colleges and Universities training session August 6.
** Goggle Docs Essentials: Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms & More
** Tools to Create, Edit, Publish, & Share Your Google Docs
** Using Google Templates- Fast & Easy Ways to Enhance Your Docs
** Drawbacks to Google@School- Limitations & Lessons Learned

D2L Conference Starts today

The Desire2Learn, D2L, conference is July 13-15 at the St. Paul River Center. We are so fortunate to have this event here! Join me at a session I am presenting on Tuesday at 8:30 am.

Project Looking Glass

The future possibilities for education are enormous with the virtual systems Sun is coming out with. Check out Project Looking Glass

Migrating eFolio Account

You now are able to migrate your former eFolio account into the new version. Version 2 directions

Grading Scale Calculator

Ever wished you had an easy method to figure out grading scales? You simply type in the number of points for the graded item and click to see a grading scale you could copy and paste onto a page to show students. Check out this link for an online grade scale calculator!

Using Audacity for Podcasts Training

An online manual for Audacity and tutorials. If you haven't registered for the CTL Faculty Lodge, you should. These two were picked up from sessions there. Swat mosquitos from your desktop and enjoy some sweet tea while you learn.

Social Networking Wiki

Thinking of exploring the phenomenon of today's social networking? Try this wiki

Camtasia and iTunes Set-up video

If you are using Camtasia and would like a cool way to share through iTunes. Screencast, Camtasia and iTunes are your tools

Free Web Conferencing Tools

Virtual office hours, meetings, remote screen control, all freebies, with budget cuts, who knows what the next thing to go will be. We have free access to Adobe Connect and WebEx, at least for now.

VRoom with Elluminate

I have mentioned DimDim before, but a reminder.

I haven't tried Teamviewer, but will do and let you know. Free remote access and it is suggested to work with Skype as a great tool.

Adobe Connect has a new free beta tool called Adobe ConnectNow for trial.

Getting Started Material EFolio

Training for EFolio Links

Quick lessons in HTML

Great site for basic HTML training!

EFolio has launched new version

Efolio: Warming up for Fall’s Training sessions

If you have been waiting to set-up your EFolio account and get your students using the tool, your patience has paid off! The new EFolio has launched and it is smashing! Sign up for your account now or wait for training in August! Watch your email in July!