TED Talks: Wikipedia's origins and a creature feature.

I found this OUTSTANDING web site called TED Talks. I found this site thanks to a fellow classmate's blog: Kristen's eLearning Blog. Her post, "Facilitating Change in Education" first introduced me to TED Talks and I've been hooked even since.

I found this video from the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Whales. He talks about how he started Wikipedea and what goes into editing an entry. It made me look at the site differently. I still wouldn't use it as a reference but I do trust the information a little more after listening to this video.




This next video I'm adding not so much for practical educational purposes but because I like it and you might as well.




There might be some practical use for education, but it's hard for me to see. What do you think?

Happy Halloween!!!

So I subscribe to Common Craft. (you remember the wiki film) And I felt that this would be something fun. I needed something fun to keep sane this week. It's been a long one. I hope this brings a smile to your face. I look forward to reading your overviews.

Next Post So Soon?

Well I know this is usually a weekly post I wanted to add a link I found at the BBC World News site. The article "Universal avatars bestride worlds" describes how one day you will have a virtual self that you can take to any company that has a virtual world. This would help promote virtual world growth. One of the current set backs is that every new virtual world you join you have to take time to fill out a personal profile, then design your avatar, then you can finally get to exploring the VR world. With a universal avatar people may feel they have more free time to explore thus join more virtual worlds. One day you may have a corporate training session in a VR world with highly detailed virtual representations of ourselves. What do you all think?

Second Life Video Attempt

Well this is the first time I've posted an actual video. I hope it works. I'm posting this video because of two reasons.

1st: I'm going to be in a group that will have Second Life as our trends analysis subject. I have to tell you I'm kind of looking forward to it. =0) It might be hard to find a lot of corporate world training uses but it will not be that hard for me to speculate as to future training uses of SL based on what is in this video. So I think I have that going for me.

2nd: I'm also starting a section of my other class based on Virtual Reality and its influence education. For my groups section we need to focus on the "future of avatars" and I think this video will help my group see a couple of applications of eduction already established in the Second Life world.

If you have already seen this video its because I got it from a blog entitled "eLearning Technology" created by Tony Karrer. He in turn got it from "corporate elearning strategies and development" a corporate learning blog. If you haven't seen these videos let me know any first impressions of Second Life you might get from this video.

More News in Blogging

Relating to my blog entry "Blogging Monks in the News," I found another real world application of blogging.

This time the blog news comes from FOXNews.com, the article is "Official State Department Blog Reveals Diplomat Character, Invites Public Discourse." This article introduced me to the U.S. State Department's official blog "Dipnote." The article is a place where US diplomats overseas can post and reflect on what serving abroad means to them. It also gives these people the ability to share what they do as diplomats. I really liked the article and the blog.

It gave me the idea that blogs would be good for a free form feedback tool. Have your class (corporate or k-12) build a blog at the beginning of their tenure and have each student post impressions and improvement ideas. I know this sounds somewhat similar to what we are doing here but have the students keep the same blog site and post for every class once a week. Each teacher would subscribe to the blogs. Students could express themselves in a environment they create and are somewhat comfortable in. Teachers would be able to get an impression of the student by examining past blogs. I'm certain the US state department is trying to get as much information out of their blog as they can, at the very least the "Dipnote" blog gives feedback on a basic level. In both my classes this semester we have discussed using the tools of educators in their best possible use. I think this might be a good use for blogs.

Good Rant.

I liked this post on Ryan's blog. It expresses many feelings I have about blogging. I posted that, "I wouldn't go so far as to hate blogging, but I do hate the randomness that springs forth from anyone that cares to say something. I believe everyone has a voice but if we all talk at the same time its hard to catch the worth while stuff." I know this is a random publish in itself but I couldn't resist.

Blogging Monks in the News

Well not quite the monks themselves but certainly a blogging reference. Here is a link to BBC News online and that will take you to an article about how blogging is literally helping to change the world. "Burma's cyber-dissidents" by Stephanie Holmes, is a very intriguing article. Burmese Monks have been protesting against their government and unlike the past where the government could handle an up rising how ever they pleased, this time around the government has to deal with the information age. I quote, "Thanks in part to bloggers, this time the outside world is acutely aware of what is happening on the streets of Rangoon, Mandalay and Pakokku and is hungry for more information." It goes on to describe how a blogger from Burma based in London has set up a social network over the Internet and phone to gain picture and video for a blog dedicated to reporting what has and will happen over the time of protest. The blogger's name is Ko Htike and his blog is: http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/ Check it out. Real interesting pictures. I picked to write about this this time around because it was something in the news which I felt was somewhat relative to this class and I thought who ever is reading this might be interested. Let me know what you think.

I have a lot to write today.

We'll start with a little review. For my other class, Instructional Message Design, we have been reading Multi-Media Learning by Richard E. Mayer. I have completed the first three chapters and this will be the first review I will do on this book. Each time i finish a section for my class I will post a new review.

This is a very insightful book. Click on the book title to see a digital copy. The first three chapters lay down some ground rules and background for the book. "The Promise of Multimedia Learning," Mayer's first chapter, covers his definition of multimedia. This boils down to any instructional material presented in different forms, such as a written document with pictures incorporated or an animated video with a narration. He then breaks down views of multimedia design, learning metaphors, learning out comes and types of active learning. To sum it up, the best route according to Mayer would be to have a learner centered design which could lead to the knowledge construction metaphors, which intern fosters understanding, or transfer. That all leads to meaningful learning which Mayer states should be the objective of most learning.

Chapter 2, "Multimedia Instructional Messages" gives examples that reflect Mayer's definition of multimedia. Using three different models Mayer explains what a basic multimedia message should entail. This helped me with the definitions he had mentioned.

Chapter 3, "A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning" was the most informative chapter yet. It started with three known assumptions on how we learn. Dual channel processing, limited capacity and active processing are the assumptions that motivate learners and if designers do not keep these in mind the true cognitive learning cannot take place. Mayer then goes into the five steps a learn goes through when they gain a cognitive understanding of any subject. This helped me place behaviors that I have seen in my students. I feel I'll understand why they act like they do, at least some of the time.

This is the review to date. The next chapters are all dedicated to certain techniques on how to enhance this learning medium. I'm all the more confident in this book and what it can teach me because of the sound base of theory laid down in these first three chapters. Stay tuned for more posts. Below is an APA citation for the book.

I plan on updating my links and setting up a couple more links leading to some cool things my classmates are doing. I'm also reading an article on e-learning from a readings list that I will be making comments on soon.



Mayer, R E (2007). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.

post test

And He's OFF!!!!

I picked my first paper to review. "Leadership and management in e-learning for teachers and trainers: An introductory guide, " by D. E. Gray. I've almost finished with the reading and so far its good stuff. Some highlights I've liked so far is how Gray breaks down each major step needed for managers and e-learning designers to successfully produce an e-learning production. Grey gives the how as well as to why each step needs to be done as well as some help tips to overcome obstacles. I'm going to go back through it and post some of the major points I found most interesting. The paper its self is a good piece of multi-media design and there are even sporadic questions and a test at the end to test retention. I might even use this paper for my other class in Multi-Media Design. Here is the citation for this review. I will say more at a close date.

Gray, D. E. (no date). Leadership and management in e-learning for teachers and trainers: An introductory guide. Online: http://www.oph.fi/attachment.asp?path=1,439,3739,7557,38404,38405,38414

I also have set up an interview with a lead instructional designer at Echostar (my work). I will be conducting that interview this Tuesday morning so I should have that out on this blog soon too.

OK... back on track

Thanks to the help of my team I finally found the list of journals in the course shell. (I'm new to this online learning) All the other sections look great and thanks to that list I feel much better about my end of the project.

I have a habit of over thinking and re-thinking then not asking for help. I'll learn.

Well I finally got around to adding a link to Brent's Blog. I'm adding a couple more links tonight when I get off work. A couple more journals and then I think I'll set up a team blog section. I love this work in progress stuff. I've never actually kept a journal but this makes it fun.

Almost done with the research

Its difficult to find many non-profit organizations that support the corporate based world of Learning and Development. The only one I've found to date is ASTD. I have found many organizations that are consulting firms to help your training team grow with your company but as an individual with little funds it is very limiting. I've listed the sites I've found for 2 of the orgnizations and I've listed the only journal I've found that is solely dedicated to L&D.

I'll post my portion of the opening project on the Web tomorrow.

1st Blog for IT 6750

This is my first posting of my first blog ever. Feels weird to be published.

I will be working on finding web sites in Adult Learning support organizations. I will start with a group entitled ASTD and will posting the link for this site and others on the left of this page.