Diigo Bookmarks: Week Ending July 31, 2010

• Rhemuth Castle – The Official Site of Katherine Kurtz

  You’ll be able to find information here on Katherine Kurtz’s current projects and published books, her collaborations with other authors, and her many tales of home. You can also check her con schedule and plan to meet her and some of your fellow fans. Plus you’ll find out the answers to some of your burning questions and find links to fan discussion groups in the community section.

  tags: author SF+F

• Sputtik

  Hi! I´m Sputtik the first Network Operating System! I´m a system that organizes and selects the best resources and applications on the web. This allows you to reach your target in few clicks. All the services are completely free and they don´t need to be downloaded.

  tags: searchengine research

• BevyFind

  Using Bevyweb, BevyFind makes web search faster than ever by allowing the user to open multiple search results in the original browser window without having to leave the search page. All the user has to do is click a button next to the search result, causing an embedded BevyWindow with the desired website to open up on the page.

  tags: searchengine research

• NIXTY

  NIXTY combines powerful technology with open education to meet the audacious goal of empowering education for everyone! NIXTY provides an educational platform that students, educators, and institutions harness to meet their learning goals. Primary products include ePortfolios, Courses, WikiCourses, and Continuing Education Courses.

  tags: education elearning CMS learning tools

• TrekToday

  tags: SF+F StarTrek

• STAT-USA/Internet

  STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a single point of access to authoritative business, trade, and economic information from across the Federal Government.

  tags: research reference statistics data

• Public Library of Science

  PLoS is a nonprofit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world’s scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource.

  tags: research science library reference journal

• Boardreader

  Connecting Communities through Search – Forum Search Engine

  tags: research forum searchengine

• Scirus

  Scirus is the most comprehensive scientific research tool on the web. With over 370 million scientific items indexed at last count, it allows researchers to search for not only journal content but also scientists’ homepages, courseware, pre-print server material, patents and institutional repository and website information.

  tags: science research searchengine periodicals

• butterscotch

  butterscotch.com is your fresh, friendly, smart and sticky portal into the world of technology. We help you do more with the tech you already own and turn you on to the latest and greatest in language everyone can understand. We promise not to talk down to you and to only talk up the most interesting and impactful software, trends, news, gadgets and gear if you promise to come back often. Have a look around and see what sticks!

  tags: technology tutorials video

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Blog Posts and Articles To Read: July 30, 2010

Since last week, I’ve found these articles and posts in the RSS feeds I subscribe to and in the Twitter accounts I follow:

• “The #Edchat Special Conversation With Howard Rheingold Wrap-Up“
• “Ten Steps to Better Web Research“
• “Higher Education Moves to Meet Student Tech-spectations“
• “Web 3.0, Networked Literacy, and Information Fluency | #ISTE10“
• “Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning” (65-page paper)
• “The Impact of Instructor Immediacy and Presence for Online Student Affective Learning, Cognition, and Motivation“
• “Is technology changing our brains?“
• “My Rules of Information“
• “Mapping the Information Landscape“
• “7 Techniques to Capture Attention in eLearning“
• “Virtual Online Learning Rated Key By College IT Staff, Not Faculty“
• “Trust Online: Young Adults’ Evaluation of Web Content“
• “The Most Influential Technical Communicator Bloggers“

Lists of Web-Based Learning Tools

Over the last week, I ran across a couple of lists of learning tools, so I looked to see what other lists were available.  I found these:

• eLearning Tools (Wetpaint wiki)
• Web Tools in Action (PBWorks wiki)
• e-Learning Centre by Learning Light > “[e-Learning] Products and Services” (directory)
• Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies > “The Emerging List of Top 100 Tools for Learning 2010” (closed on Oct. 17, 2010)
• EduDemic > “The 100 Best (And Free) Online Learning Tools” (July 21, 2010)
• eFronters > “Top 10 free e-Learning Tools” (July 8, 2010)
• eLearning Brothers > “Free eLearning Tools” (June 28, 2010)
• The eLearning Coach > “Online Tools: Improve Your Productivity” (May 5, 2010)
• Tony Bates > “List of web 2.0 tools for instruction” (May 3, 2010)
• eLearn Magazine > “eLearning Tools for English Composition: 30 New Media Tools and Web Sites for Writing Teachers” (Mar. 30, 2010)
• The eLearning Coach > “10 Social Media Tools For Learning” (Nov. 16, 2009)
• ReadWriteWeb > “Seven e-Learning and Teaching Resources” (July 21, 2009)
• Online Education Database > “e-Learning Reloaded: Top 50 Web 2.0 Tools for Info Junkies, Researchers & Students” (Feb.  18, 2008)
• eLearning Technology > “Collaboration Tools” (Dec. 2, 2008)
• eLearning Technology > “eLearning Tools” (May 14, 2007)

Star Trek: Vanguard Novels

Yesterday I finished reading the first book in the Star Trek Vanguard series:  Harbinger (New York:  Pock Books, 2005) by David Mack.  As I recall, one of my nephews mentioned the series.  I like the first book better than I have some other “non-canon” series and plan to read at least the next one in the series.  I think Mack did a good job of integrating familiar characters from the original series to keep the interest of hard-core Star Trek fans.

So far, four more novels in the series have been published, and one is scheduled for release next year:

• Summon the Thunder
• Reap the Whirlwind
• Open Secrets
• Precipice
• Declassified
  

Diigo Bookmarks: Week Ending July 24, 2010

• Best Search Tools Chart

  tags: reference searchengine directory metacrawler chart

• Flisti

  Create free online polls without signing-up

  tags: polls free tools surveys

• Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning

  by George Siemens and Peter Tittenberger

  tags: learning elearning education technology

• AnswerGarden

  AnswerGarden is a new minimalistic feedback tool. Use it as a tool for online brainstorming or embed it on your website or blog as a poll or guestbook.

  tags: tools web social web2.0 brainstorming surveys

• useKit

  Use sticky notes, virtual highlighter, the copy paste principle, twitter and more without ever leaving the webpage you are currently looking at.

  tags: tools web social web2.0 media

• Scholarly and Research Communication

  Scholarly and Research Communication is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, Open Access online journal that publishes original contributions to the understanding of production, dissemination, and usage of knowledge. It emphasizes the dynamics of representation and changing organizational elements, including technologically mediated workflows, ownership, and legal structures.

  tags: journal periodicals

• Topsy

  Topsy Expert Search. . . lets you discover knowledgeable, interesting and active users on any topic or keyword. Expert Search ranks results based on influence and topical focus, and works for any topic, however obscure — you just have to enter the search terms.

  tags: searchengine experts Twitter microblogging web2.0

• Virtualu

  Our VirtualU platform provides solutions for today’s difficult business challenges. Take advantage of the latest technology and bring your organization or business colleagues together, whenever you need to, all in a robust 3-D avatar based environment.

  tags: virtualworlds 3D

• SearchCredible

  Enter a query. Search credible resources.

  tags: metacrawler research

• historious

  historious . . . is basically a search engine for sites you like. Add (we call it “historify”) a site using our bookmarklet, our browser extensions or manually, then come back to the site and search your historified sites just by entering some keywords!

  tags: web2.0 bookmarking socialbookmarking

• Paper.li

  paper.li organizes links shared on Twitter into an easy to read newspaper-style format. Newspapers can be created for any Twitter user, list or #tag.

  tags: web2.0 Twitter socialmedia microblogging free tools RSS

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Blog Posts and Articles To Read: July 23, 2010

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve run across these blog posts and articles that I want to get around to reading eventually:

• “What You Should Know About The Millenial Generation [INFOGRAPHIC]“
• “45 Interesting Ways To Use Wordle In The Classroom“
• “Using Netvibes to Connect a Network of Blogs” (video)
• “Eye Tracking and e-Learning: Seeing Through Your Students’ Eyes“
• “Instructional Design Review Checklists – Key to Quality E-learning“
• “A Research Design to Evaluate E-Learning Projects“
• “Individual and Group Projects in an Online Class“
• “eLearning & mLearning: In Fonts We Trust“
• “eLearning & mLearning: Using Color in Learning“
• “eLearning & mLearning: Using Color in Learning, Part II“
• “eLearning & mLearning: Using Color in Learning, Part III“
• “eLearning & mLearning: Using Color in Learning, Part IV“
• “eLearning & mLearning: Everything You Need to Know About Graphics, Part I“
• “Web 3.0 Presentation – The Way Forward?” (presentation)
• “Wikis and Learning – 60 Resources: eLearning Technology” (list of links)
• “Free eLearning Books” (list of links)

These are listed in no particular order.

Resources on Managing Online Discussions

Webpages and Articles:

• “Activities to Promote Online Discussions“
• Arend, Bridget. “Encouraging Critical Thinking in Online Threaded Discussions“
• Bouchat, Clarence J. “Threaded Discussion Tips for Dummies“
• “Crafting Discussion Questions“
• “Designing and Managing Effective Online Discussions“
• “Developing a Philosophy for Discussions“
• “Discussion Management Tips for Online Educators“
• “Discussions“
• “Evaluating Discussions – Rubric“
• “Facilitating Online Discussions“
• Goldberg, Barbara, Barry Vroeginday, and Barbara Burke. “Online Threaded Discussions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly“
• “Managing Online Class Discussions“
• “Managing Online Discussions in Blackboard“
• Mandernach, B. Jean, Amber Dailey-Hebert, and Emily Donnelli-Sallee. “Frequency and Time Investment of INstructors’ Participation in Threaded Discussions in the Online Classroom“
• Mandernach, B. Jean, R. M. Gonzales, and Amanda L. Garrett. “An Examination of Online Instructor Presence via Threaded Discussion Participation“
• Maurino, Paula San Millan. “Looking for Critical Thinking in Online Threaded Discussions“
• Mazzolini, Margaret, and Sarah Maddison. “Widening the Circle – Managing Discussion Forums in a Growing Online Program“
• Meyer, Katrina A. “Face-to-Face versus Threaded Discussions: The Role of Time and Higher-Order Thinking“
• Mossavar-Rahmani, Farhang, and Cunthia Larson-Daugherty. “Managing Threaded Discussions“
• “Resources for Moderators and Facilitators of Online Discussion“
• “[Macquarie University] Staff Guide: An Introduction to Online Discussions“
• “[Macquarie University] Staff Guide: Using Discussions for Assessment – Overview“
• “Strategies for Engaging Discussions“
• “Strategies to Promote Online Discussions“
• Swan, Karen. “Threaded Discussion“
• “Threaded Discussion“
• “Tips for a Threaded Discussion: Pros and Cons“
• “Tips for Keeping Online Asynchronous Discussions on Topic“
• “Why Use Discussions“

Presentations:

• “Effectively Managing Online Discussions: Learning Modules for Blended Learning“
• “Managing Online Discussions Through a ‘Participation Portfolio“
• “Pros and Cons of Online Threaded Discussions“

Videos:

• “Managing Online Discussion“
• “Managing Online Discussions with a Participation Portfolio“

“Blended Learning Course Design”

“Blended Learning Course Design” (Madison, WI:  Magna Publications, 2009) is a white paper based on a seminar titled “10 Ways to Improve Blended Learning Course Design” presented by Ike Shibley, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Penn State.  Shibley picked up where Snart left off and offered some general suggestions for designing “a successful blended course”:

1. start with learning objectives
2. create ways for students to learn before class
3. create ways for students to learn during class
4. create ways for students to learn after class
5. use multiple forms of communication
6. encourage collaboration
7. utilize online resources
8. utilize both low-and high-stakes grading
9. seek assistance from professionals
10. stay organized

For details, you’ll need to read the paper, which I highly recommend.  Shipley refers to Bloom’s taxonomy frequently.  I’d have appreciated a more in-depth discussion, but that would have required an entire book rather than a 20-page paper.

One of the references listed at the end of the paper (21) looks useful:

Garrison, D. Randy and Vaughan, Norman D. (2007).  Blended Learning in Higher Education:  Framework, Principles, and Guidelines. Jossey-Bass.

It appears that someone was trying to put the information into APA style, but it should look more like this*:

Garrison, D.R., & Vaughan, N.D.  (2007).  Blended learning in higher education:  Framework, principles, and guidelines.  Hoboken, NJ:  Jossey-Bass-Wiley.

* I just went over APA-style documentation with my class on Thursday, July 15.

Legacies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill

Legacies (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2010), by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill, is the first book in the Shadow Grail series.  The novel reminds me of the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series, though less cartoonish than either, and I think the intended audience is a little older.  As I recall, the main character even refers to Oakhurst as “Hogwarts West.”

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, but I don’t know what the title is or when it will be released.

Diigo Bookmarks: Week Ending July 17, 2010

• ExitReality

  Enter every website as a 3D virtual world

  tags: virtualworlds 3D web2.0

• Logical Fallacies @Web English Teacher

  list of websites about logical fallacies

  tags: argument fallacies logic philosophy reference rhetoric

• Fallacies

  The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

  tags: argument fallacies logic philosophy reference rhetoric

• Logical Fallacies

  PhilosophicalSociety.com

  tags: argument fallacies logic philosophy reference rhetoric

• Top 20 Logical Fallacies

  tags: logic fallacies philosophy argument reference rhetoric

• Logical Fallacies: The Fallacy Files

  The Fallacy Files, was first published on March 11th, 2001, and is the result of this score of years of research and fieldwork on the fallacies.

  tags: logic fallacies philosophy argument reference rhetoric

• Fallacies

  This handout is on common logical fallacies that you may encounter in your own writing or the writing of others. The handout provides definitions, examples, and tips on avoiding these fallacies.

  tags: logic fallacies philosophy argument reference rhetoric

• Logical Fallacies

  An Encyclopedia of Errors of Reasoning

  tags: logic fallacies philosophy argument reference rhetoric

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.