That was a headline in the Higher Education Chronicle in October 2006. Heavens that was 18 months ago! And I'm still trying to get colleagues to post documents and material on-line instead of those flaming Word attachments and get their use of e-mail smartened up. Must admit that I missed that headline at the time but as an old person who does use e-mail it has got me thinking.
Like many organisations, my College has the All Staff e-mail and whilst that's a huge improvement on the massive list of people's names that occupies more screen space than the message itself that used (and, oh dear, still is, occasionally) to be the way people did it, it occurred to me that I had never, ever sent one myself. I have also noticed a big reduction in the number of e-mails that I send or originate. Part of the reason is that I have managed to get out of the habit of checking College e-mail before doing anything in the morning. Initially I did feel a bit guilty and even left it for a whole day and a half once or twice and felt quite naughty!
This has come about as I have been teaching at 9am on several mornings and the classroom is on the very top floor. Even though I get in to work pretty early it is so much simpler to go straight up to the room with all my papers and the heavy laptop. I dump them there and then go off in search of caffeine and nicotine. On my travels I meet people and actually talk to them. Amazing that, talking. Much quicker than e-mail and you get instant responses too. I was initially a bit embarrassed when they'd say I sent you an e-mail but now quite openly admit that I don't check College mail every morning. Slowly the word is getting round and it's great!
Now, if I could get the College mail on my Blackberry it might be a different tale. You'll notice that I said College e-mail above. All my other e-mail arrives on my phone. I just take the phone out of my pocket and there's a list of senders and headings. Simple. If something's urgent then I see it. I'm now starting to reply to College mail from my Gmail account and hope that, eventually, colleagues'll get the hint!
So I guess I'm still an old person using e-mail but no I don't do attachments and I am doing my best to figure out and keep up with what students are using these days. Marc Prensky has another of his excellent articles on this which you can see here (a pdf unfortunately but blame Becta not me for that!) and I'm pleased to see that an idea I had a while ago of getting a student team helping out tutors with technology isn't as silly as some people said!
Friday, 15 February 2008
Minis proving popuar again
No, not the car. Nor the skirt. Much loved as they may be by girls and boys respectively, it's the mini notebook that I mean. That's lost half my readers but those that remain may remember that I have been going on about how great the little ASUS notebook seems to be. I haven't tried one yet but the whole idea of something light and small that is ready to use like almost instantly is very appealing.
Now everyone is talking about them and RM have got in on the act, promoting them heavily in schools which is bound to reach parents before long. Current range and pricing details here. You need to wait until April for the Windows version with 8GB memory and 1GB RAM but the Linux options are the ones that spin along and are cheaper. Details here.
Almost everyone seems to be impressed, with only screen size (800x480) being criticised but for a unit of about A5 size that's part of the deal really. It's not a games machine or going to compete with some dual processor 17" wide screen laptop with a state of the art video card and the Linux version won't connect via Bluetooth. Some users appear to have arranged extra GBs of memory which helps Windows speed and this would allow you to download and install familiar applications if you can't live without them. However, it's intended to provide quick internet browsing, access to text processing, spreadsheets, presentations and with an inbuilt web cam and microphone is ready to communicate with.
I find it hard to believe that no-one else is in on this act. There simply have to be a whole load of development work going on in other brands' offices and hopefully factories too. All I need to decide is whether to get an ASUS now or wait and see what the competition comes up with. And if you need an excuse, just say you're getting one for the children! But I predict that get one you or they almost certainly will before long.
Now everyone is talking about them and RM have got in on the act, promoting them heavily in schools which is bound to reach parents before long. Current range and pricing details here. You need to wait until April for the Windows version with 8GB memory and 1GB RAM but the Linux options are the ones that spin along and are cheaper. Details here.
Almost everyone seems to be impressed, with only screen size (800x480) being criticised but for a unit of about A5 size that's part of the deal really. It's not a games machine or going to compete with some dual processor 17" wide screen laptop with a state of the art video card and the Linux version won't connect via Bluetooth. Some users appear to have arranged extra GBs of memory which helps Windows speed and this would allow you to download and install familiar applications if you can't live without them. However, it's intended to provide quick internet browsing, access to text processing, spreadsheets, presentations and with an inbuilt web cam and microphone is ready to communicate with.
I find it hard to believe that no-one else is in on this act. There simply have to be a whole load of development work going on in other brands' offices and hopefully factories too. All I need to decide is whether to get an ASUS now or wait and see what the competition comes up with. And if you need an excuse, just say you're getting one for the children! But I predict that get one you or they almost certainly will before long.
Monday, 4 February 2008
School 1960 vs. School 2007
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1960 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.
2007 - Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. Mobiles with video of fight confiscated as evidence. They are charged with assault, AVOs are taken out and both are suspended even though Johnny started it. Diversionary conferences and parent meetings conducted. Video shown on 6 internet sites.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1960 - Jeffrey is sent to the principal's office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Counselled to death. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra funding because Jeffrey has a disability. Drops out of school.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mum has an affair with the psychologist. Psychologist gets a promotion.
Scenario: Mark, a college student, brings cigarettes to school.
1960 - Mark shares a smoke with the school principal out on the smoking area.
2007 - Police are called and Mark is expelled from School for drug possession. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Vinh fails high school English.
1960 - Vinh goes to Remedial English, passes and goes to college.
2007 - Vinh's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against state school system and his English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Vinh is given his Y10 anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model plane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1960 - Ants die.
2007 - Security and ASIO are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. Teams investigate parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1960 - Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Becomes gay.
1960 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.
2007 - Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. Mobiles with video of fight confiscated as evidence. They are charged with assault, AVOs are taken out and both are suspended even though Johnny started it. Diversionary conferences and parent meetings conducted. Video shown on 6 internet sites.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1960 - Jeffrey is sent to the principal's office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Counselled to death. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra funding because Jeffrey has a disability. Drops out of school.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mum has an affair with the psychologist. Psychologist gets a promotion.
Scenario: Mark, a college student, brings cigarettes to school.
1960 - Mark shares a smoke with the school principal out on the smoking area.
2007 - Police are called and Mark is expelled from School for drug possession. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Vinh fails high school English.
1960 - Vinh goes to Remedial English, passes and goes to college.
2007 - Vinh's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against state school system and his English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Vinh is given his Y10 anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model plane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1960 - Ants die.
2007 - Security and ASIO are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. Teams investigate parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1960 - Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Becomes gay.
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Storm in an IT Cup
Michael Lasky's article today in PC Advisor has caused a storm of outbursts from IT Support and others. Titled: 7 fun things IT support wants to keep secret, Transfer huge files, chat and surf at work, you can guess what's it's all about. Yes, what most students do but staff shouldn't.
Can't resist passing these on, purely for colleagues to be aware of what may be going on in the classroom, of course ;)
My view is that if you believe that using a particular site or application, or that some restriction placed upon your computing activity is unreasonable then you should talk to the people controlling the switch and if you can make a good case, get it changed. It is totally reasonable for IT Services or Support staff to wish to minimise any risk of data leak, trojan or virus infection or conflicts with other software. It is, however, also totally reasonable for a lecturer to want students to access a particular site that he has determined suitable or advantageous for them, to wish to utilise such methods of communication as are most efficient, read mail when away and I would always heartily back the storage of my files almost anywhere except on some of our servers which cease to function when someone switches off the air conditioning during the holidays.
Most of us probably frequently break the IT User Agreements we signed without reading. Perhaps it's time to look at them again and do some negotiating.
Can't resist passing these on, purely for colleagues to be aware of what may be going on in the classroom, of course ;)
- Transfer huge files
- Using IM at work
- Run any app at work
- Unblock prohibited websites
- Store your work files online
- Get company email when you're away from the office
- Keep your email private
My view is that if you believe that using a particular site or application, or that some restriction placed upon your computing activity is unreasonable then you should talk to the people controlling the switch and if you can make a good case, get it changed. It is totally reasonable for IT Services or Support staff to wish to minimise any risk of data leak, trojan or virus infection or conflicts with other software. It is, however, also totally reasonable for a lecturer to want students to access a particular site that he has determined suitable or advantageous for them, to wish to utilise such methods of communication as are most efficient, read mail when away and I would always heartily back the storage of my files almost anywhere except on some of our servers which cease to function when someone switches off the air conditioning during the holidays.
Most of us probably frequently break the IT User Agreements we signed without reading. Perhaps it's time to look at them again and do some negotiating.
News from Brighton Peer
Lecturer bans students from Google and Wikipedia
January 14, 2008
Brighton Argos and PC Advisor, Feb 2008 issue
Couldn't do better than reproduce this amazing bit of news posted by Matt Egan on the PC Advisor blog.
January 14, 2008
Brighton Argos and PC Advisor, Feb 2008 issue
Professor Tara Brabazon, a media studies lecturer from the University of Brighton (apparently there is such an institution), has banned students from online research.
Specifically, the Prof is unhappy with the feckless, unwashed layabouts simply rehashing the first thing they find on Google or Wikipedia. (Media studies or no, she should never meet any actual journalists. The disappointment may finish her off.)
In a move that may give dangerous ideas to the good, good people at Google, Professor Brabazon dubbed her students efforts as 'the University of Google', - although I imagine the diet would be much more healthy at that particular institution. She bemoaned her students' disinclination to double check facts. Note to subs: can you check this bit?
According to Brabazon, too many students turn to the internet for easy information, hampering their development and their forensic research and analysis skills. (A travesty, when you consider the amount of 'Quincy' and 'Columbo' they must get through.)
"The education world has pursued new technology with an almost evangelical zeal and it is time to take a step back and give proper consideration of how we use it," she told the the Argos in Brighton.
Frankly, hanging is too good for the lot of them.
When I was a student I wrote essays by hand. It once took me (literally) all night - fueled only by penny sweets and Channel 5 - to plagarise a book I found at the back of the library, only to turn the final page and see the beaming face of my tutor gurning back at me. It took me the whole day find something else to copy (I missed Hollyoaks).
Kids today don't even know they are born.
Couldn't do better than reproduce this amazing bit of news posted by Matt Egan on the PC Advisor blog.
Monday, 7 January 2008
2008 Resolutions (the boring work-related ones)
It's traditional at this time of year to tell everyone what we resolve either to do or not to do, presumably on the grounds that there will then be the big incentive of avoiding embarrassment of not sticking to them!
Here are mine.
1 Not to swear loudly in class when there is a huge delay for students opening Office files while applications are being 'installed' every day
2 Not to attach any documents to e-mail unless that really is the only way to share them
3 Not to feel guilty about using interactive whiteboards as little more than projector screens
4 Back up files to another drive a lot more often than when I just happen to remember and put things I'm likely to want to refer to on-line too
5 Change all my passwords to something I can remember but others won't guess
6 Just use one e-mail account for work and one for personal stuff
7 Delete any file I didn't use at all last year unless there's a really good reason not to.
8 Delete all my 2007 and older work e-mail other than contact details, contracts or really vital stuff
9 Get a decent skin for Moodle that doesn't stretch and look silly on widescreen and that isn't full of bugs that confuse new users
10 Write at least as many cheerful and positive articles as ones that moan about something.
9
Here are mine.
1 Not to swear loudly in class when there is a huge delay for students opening Office files while applications are being 'installed' every day
2 Not to attach any documents to e-mail unless that really is the only way to share them
3 Not to feel guilty about using interactive whiteboards as little more than projector screens
4 Back up files to another drive a lot more often than when I just happen to remember and put things I'm likely to want to refer to on-line too
5 Change all my passwords to something I can remember but others won't guess
6 Just use one e-mail account for work and one for personal stuff
7 Delete any file I didn't use at all last year unless there's a really good reason not to.
8 Delete all my 2007 and older work e-mail other than contact details, contracts or really vital stuff
9 Get a decent skin for Moodle that doesn't stretch and look silly on widescreen and that isn't full of bugs that confuse new users
10 Write at least as many cheerful and positive articles as ones that moan about something.
9
Friday, 4 January 2008
Create Your Own Academic Webpage
The blurb says "Academia.edu enables graduate students and professors to create academic webpages very easily." You don't need to be a professor - just have a .ac.uk or .edu address!
It also has discussion rooms, and a paper-tracking engine, that allows academics to track the latest papers uploaded to the web in their field.
I've just tried it out and created this page in about 5 minutes. It looks neat and tidy and may be just what someone out there is looking for. My preference would still be to use Pageflakes or Protopage or, of course, pbwiki but this really is one of the simplest I've seen. It's free and no ads.
Click here for access..
http://www.emedia.co.uk/l/?874876.834750.LSBVIRZO.0
It also has discussion rooms, and a paper-tracking engine, that allows academics to track the latest papers uploaded to the web in their field.
I've just tried it out and created this page in about 5 minutes. It looks neat and tidy and may be just what someone out there is looking for. My preference would still be to use Pageflakes or Protopage or, of course, pbwiki but this really is one of the simplest I've seen. It's free and no ads.
Click here for access..
http://www.emedia.co.uk/l/?874876.834750.LSBVIRZO.0
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