What else can this little thing do:

• Copy to clipboard to paste quickly into message, forum, etc.
• History / dashboard for a link.
• QR Code
• ‘Ingognito’ mode … ;-)

Of course the usual caveat is required .. it’s a Google service so everything you now do is monitored and stored by Google.

PS. If you’re not using Chrome as your browser yet I’d recommend trying it out. It’s really fast to start and load websites and, if you’re logged in using your Google account, you can share and save favourites and passwords between different computers (as well as with specific Chrome App for smartphones, if you’re logged in).

Related posts:

Browser extension creates QR Codes ‘Chrome’ Browser App Video: What is Google Chrome OS?

Yes, I am finally getting round to writing my semi-promised eBook on QR Codes and education / classroom technology … more on that score later, but if you’re interested in being involved or reviewing it, please let me know by email or message on Twitter.

Whilst browsing and writing up and expanding my previous thoughts, links, and resources I came across this (new?) QR Code generator, Visualead - http://www.visualead.com/. As you can see from below you can position the QR Code over all or only a part of the image you choose.

Naturally if you want to make the most of the full statistical analysis and support/reporting you’ll need to upgrade and pay then something, but the free version is a good start before you go further.

Will this make a difference in the use and popularity of QR Codes? I think not, but this kind of aesthetic approach to tidying up QR Codes might bring a few more advertisers and marketing agencies back to using them, which could have a positive impact on how educators (or more specifically students) view them.

Related posts:

Custom QR Code generator #QRCode QR Codes: Rise of the Code QR Code Reader Apps #QRCode

Called ’37 Examples of using QR Codes’ it could have been so good – showing innovate ways a QR Code can be used for different purposes: medical, arts, marketing, education, etc. What it turned out to be was just 37 places you can put a QR Code, and some of the actual codes are awful. While it could be a viewed as good introduction to ‘where’ to put a code, it does nothing to help or describe what code could be used for, hence my disappointment at the title that clearly states ‘using QR Codes’.

YouTube: 37 Examples of using QR Codes

Examples from the video and why I’m critical … QR Code on a:

• Dog sweater? When does a dog stand still long enough for a stranger to scan its back?
• Tattoo? Do you anyone well enough to ask to scan their arm, back, or chest? If you do then you probably already know what the tattoo is for or about.
• Biscuit / Cookie? Yeah, OK, you’ve got me there. I’ve done it and would do it again for marketing/brand awareness.
• Magazine? Yes, but the video does not say in what context – is it for a mobile marketing campaign, online store, discount voucher, etc.?
• Business Card? Not only is that example really poor, it’s more about what the code will direct you to instead of where you put it … vCard, introductory video, website, contact form, phone number, etc.?
• Vegetable? No, that’s not on the vegetable, it’s on the packaging.
• Window advert? Yes, but why (see above).

It is precisely this kind of approach that has made, or is still making, QR Codes a has-been technology – explain why I should want to put a QR Code on a poster not how – I can leave that up to the printing company to put it in the ad. Explain the context of the code and what the scanner can expect to do with the information next.

This video should really be ’37 places to put a QR Code’ – now I’m happy.

Sorry, rant over.

Related posts:

QR Codes: What are they? QR Codes: The nuts and bolts #QRCode #edtech #ukedchat QR Codes: Using the code

I’m not limiting this to iOS ‘apps’ but please consider any ‘tool’ you use on a mobile or tablet device.

Leave a comment below and share your App and reasons for it. If you’ve already written this up then link to your post and share your thoughts and preferences with us.

Related posts:

‘Generation Y’ is dead, long live ‘Generation T’ Smartphones make a difference #edtech #eLearning ‘DropBox’ App

“Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish — and how current education culture works against them. In a funny, stirring talk he tells us how to get out of the educational “death valley” we now face, and how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility.”

Sir Ken Robinson: How to escape education’s death valley

Some choice words from Sir Ken on education:

“There are three principles on which human life flourishes,and they are contradicted by the culture of education under which most teachers have to labor and most students have to endure.”

“If you sit kids down, hour after hour, doing low-grade clerical work, don’t be surprised if they start to fidget, you know?  Children are not, for the most part, suffering from a psychological condition. They’re suffering from childhood. Kids prosper best with a broad curriculum that celebrates their various talents, not just a small range of them.”

“If you can light the spark of curiosity in a child, they will learn without any further assistance, very often. Children are natural learners. It’s a real achievement to put that particular ability out, or to stifle it. Curiosity is the engine of achievement.”

“There is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers.Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools. But teaching is a creative profession. Teaching, properly conceived, is not a delivery system. You know, you’re not there just to pass on received information. Great teachers do that, but what great teachers also do is mentor, stimulate, provoke, engage. You see, in the end, education is about learning. If there’s no learning going on, there’s no education going on.”

Thanks to Pat Parslow for copying the embed code and sending it via Twitter, Safari wouldn’t let me do it on the iPad is afternoon!

Related posts:

Video: Sir Ken Robinson “Changing Education Paradigms” (RSAnimate) Video: Educational Transformation, Sir Ken Robinson Video: Sir Ken Robinson “Bring on the learning revolution!”

Here are a couple of handy hints – some my own and some modified from TippingPoint Labs ‘Top 10′ and The Wikiman:

• Scale – As most projectors are still restrained to a 1024×768 pixel resolution it’s best to use background images and frames in this ratio too. If you create or use a screenshot in your presentation then it’s best to re-scale your screen or browser to this ration before taking the screenshot.
• Frames – Use the ‘shift’ key when you create a frame as it locks it to the 4:3 ratio (see above).
• Hidden frames – Not everyone wants to see the frame border around each bit of text, use the ‘hidden’ frame to structure your Prezi without the border viewable.
• Search – If in any doubt then search through the extensive archive of Prezi’s on the site for inspiration.
• Time – Give yourself plenty of time to learn the tool to get the most out of it. If you have something specific you want to do then invest some effort to figure it out (there are plenty of guides out there to help you, both official Prezi ones and from passionate users.
• Zoom & Rotate – The one complaint that everyone has with Prezi is the motion-sickness of too many rotations and/or zooming. Keep it to a minimum and only use when the movement enhances the message.
• Images – If you want to zoom in close to an image for the next frame try and find a vector graphic to avoid the pixelation of the main image when you zoom in close.
• Keyboard shortcuts – There are shortcuts available and can save a lot of time if you know them. Why not print them out and keep them to hand when you use it, until they become as second-nature as Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V?
• Template – Prezi provides a good selection of templates to help get you started. While I like them I have only ever used them for inspiration, I prefer to start from a blank canvas and create as I go.
• Path – The ‘path’ is the selection of frames and how a linear presentation in Prexi will progress. I always do this at the end and usually change the path many times before I’m happy.
• Consistency – Use a consistent font and font size throughout the presentation, as well as a consistent image and presentation style.
• Prezi Edu – Consider the Prezi Edu account: upgrade your Prezi standard account to the free Edu account and get the same features as the ‘enjoy’ account but without the cost.
• Check it & ‘Ask a Friend’ - If you have time always check the Prezi works on the machine you will use to present on. The number of times I’ve arrived to a room to find the machine doesn’t have the right plugins installed, or projector working, or screen size, etc. worries me. If in doubt, check it. I always take a downloaded copy of the presentation on a memory stick with me, in case the Internet connection fails too! It’s also worth asking a trusted friend to review it for accuracy, details, nausea (!), and ‘flow’.

My profile and presentations on Prezi: hopkinsdavid on Prezi

Here is a Prezi I created for the QR Code Workshop I ran in January 2012 – it’s simple and effective, it has no rotation and a mix of images and video. It does not use vector images so, as you zoom into different areas you can see the pixelation of the main QR Code.

QR Codes in Higher Education by David Hopkins

What are your favourite tips or hints you’d want to share to help others get the most from Prezi, either as a creator or audience member with Prezi? Please leave a comment below and share with everyone. If you’ve written about your own Prezi experience please also leave a comment with link to  your own work, we can learn together.

Related posts:

PowerPoint and Prezi ‘Prezi’ App Prezi.com – free account for educators & students

There are always great lists and resources available if you take the time to hunt and search form them. I have a fair few saved and bookmarked. But, if you’re like me, I often lose or forget them. So here are a few of the ones I like, use, reuse, and recommend for learning or educational uses (including creative commons):

• PhotoPin: http://photopin.com/ – “Search millions of Creative Commons photos from Flickr and add them to your blog posts easily.”
• Flickr Creative Commons: http://flickr.com/search/advanced/? - I only ever use the ‘advanced search’ options as this enables to search only creative commons images. Sometimes I find it easier/quicker to use Photopin, but the direct Flickr search sometimes brings up more meaningful responses.
• Stock.xchng: http://sxc.hu/- good quality images and illustrations available, just check with ownership and/or rights before using.
• IconFinder: http://iconfinder.com/ - High quality icons for use by/for web designers with associated creative commons attribution.
• FreeVector: http://freevector.com/ - Great website for backgrounds, characters, etc. in vector image formats for editing.

While the JISC Digital Media website is not a source for images like the above it is still and important resources for finding, editing, and managing digital resources, and one you should be aware of and visiting on a (semi) regular basis.

As with all lists it’s worth mentioning that while you found something really good using services like Google image search it is not necessarily OK to use in your materials. You could check with the image owner but it’s just easier to use the above services from the start to avoid a lengthy hunt for the legitimate owner.

Where do you go, how do you find ‘the’ image for your project, learning package, etc? Share your tips, tricks, and resources by leaving a comment below.

Note: Thanks to Fred Riley for helping me remember some of these I had forgotten!

Image Source: Brief Encounter by sharkbait  (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Related posts:

Images for your Learning Materials & Presentations Creative Commons Infographic: Licenses Explained Presentation: “Creative Commons: What every Educator needs to know”

There’s no point having a good (large, massive?) number of students enrolled on the course if you already know that a proportion of them are not technically or academically capable of engaging or completing the course. Is this one of the criticisms of MOOCs?

The Characteristics Of A Successful Online Student

What does this infographic say? Well:

• Screen applicants before allowing them start study: Not always possible I would think. By nature of the course being online you would hope they are aware of technical limitations in their own ability and consider this before applying. What about asking students to complete an online activity as part of the application process (within the learning environment maybe?) to assess their abilities (assignment submission, online discussion, etc)? It could be done, but what about the overheads placed on the course team members to administer these types of activities?
• Teach online learning skills: Yes, this is / should be  part of the orientation week / induction week (Hopkins et al, 2010) / introductory activities where the students can engage with the technology on non-subject specific activities to help align themselves with their peers and the course team. From here they are then able to use the skills in the learning without needing to learn the technology at the same time.
• Early-warning systems: Not sure how you would do this at scale, but certainly knowing the attendees on the course and monitoring how they engage and interact will help form a basis for knowing if or when a problem arises, as well as making contact with those who are less vocal than the rest, to see if they are struggling or need further information or help – remember, the quiet ones are not always in trouble, they could just be listening!
• Improve quality: Always yes, yes, yes! Each cohort of students should have the ability to feedback to the course leaders on their experiences (positive and negative) and this feedback should help the course team rework or adjust the materials to fill any blanks or difficult areas. It’s not only the marks that count, as these can mask areas where there are gaps or problems.

This is one reason I liked the ALT #ocTEL MOOC so much: we had a settling-in / induction week where we were able to wonder around the online environment, find our feet, find our friends, learn the subtleties of the platform, and make arrangements for our own interactions and how we’d engage (as well as where).

Resources:

Hopkins, D., Wincott, M. and Hutchings, L., 2011. Building educational confidence and affinity through Online Induction Activities. In: Bournemouth University Education Enhancement Conference 2011, 4 May 2011, Bournemouth University, Poole, England. Available from: http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/elearning/poster-building-educational-confidence-and-affinity-through-online-induction-activities/

Related posts:

Poster: Building Educational Confidence and Affinity Through Online Induction Activities Week 1: Induction #ocTEL Open Course in Technology Enhanced Learning #ocTEL

“Alarming Facebook Misuse Stats”

 So, lets dispute discuss the figures here:

• 46% of company leaders think you’ll misuse social media and workplace technology: define misuse’? Do they mean posting silly photos or gaming, do they mean posting derogatory remarks about their employer or work colleagues, or do they mean that company leaders don’t understand what social media is and how it works? I’ve recently finished reading ‘Organisations don’t Tweet, people do’ and there are some important (and very simple) tips for managers and employers to consider … the main one for me is to understand what social media is and how it can be leveraged for the ‘greater good’. After all, a happy workforce is a productive one?
• 27% monitor employee use of social media: define monitor? Is this actively monitoring each cookie stored, keyboard type, URL visited, etc. Or is it monitoring by following and ‘friending ‘on each network. Either way it’s a little bit ‘Big Brother’ … whatever happened to trust? Perhaps this is also linked to the next statistic …
• 45% have no social media policy. With no policy or guideline then there is no line drawn for employees to know when they’ve crossed it or not. With one in place then both sides know where, when, how, and why networks can be used and leveraged for personal or professional gain, corporate or individual use. With no policy in place there is also a big empty hole where any misdemeanors cannot be fairly dealt with as there has been no precedence set.

On the whole I personally think my use of social media and social networks is a benefit to those I work with – I engage outside of my immediate ‘network’ (office) and role (‘job) and can bring those discussions, collaborations, conversations, etc. back in to my every-day role and activities and help those around me try new things and grow the role and projects we work on. This is also the case with my colleagues, I get to learn from their own individual networks as they bring their knowledge acquisitions in to our conversations.

My recommendation for employers … engage your staff, at all levels, on what you will and wont accept, make them aware of reasons for and against it, listen to them, and let them help create, monitor, and update the guidelines. And above all else, make sure you understand what it is your getting yourself involved in: if in doubt get professional guidance (your staff are also probably more informed on this point too!).

What about you, do you agree? Do you monitor, of have you been monitored?

Related posts:

You know when you've been Facebook'd Social Media Policy Who takes responsibility for online or digital communications?

ocTEL (CC BY 2.0 UK)

• Firstly … yes, I know the ‘error’ in the title! This one is called ‘Week 1 …’, and so was the last one: “Week 1: Induction #ocTEL”. I made a mistake, last week. While last week was technically the first week of the MOOC it was not assigned a numerical identity as it was the orientation / induction week. That’s why, if you’re reading this MOOC series back there are two ‘week 1′ posts!

I want to continue the style I started in my previous post by highlighting each activity as the ocTEL website/email introduces us to it …

… and I start with an confesison. I think I’m all read out. I’ve been reading so much recently, and with Inge Ignatia de Waard’s ‘MOOC Yourself’ (2013) book just added to the list, I’ve had enough. So this week I’ve taken some time ‘off’ and just done the bare minimum.

Activity 1.0: “If you only do one thing … “
Deciding on two of these resources to concentrate on was easy. Do I review Helen Keegan’s PELeCON keynote that I loved at last year’s pelc12 event because (a) I was in the audience during the recording and remember the gasps from the audience as we realised how risky and brave she’d been throughout the project, and (b) enjoyed the whole ARG-thing. Do I look into the ‘technology of touch‘ and the work of haptic technology that enables learning in a safe tactile environment? I want to stay away from something I’m familiar with (so that drops Sugata Mitra off the list, I’ve blogged about this work too), so that leave Eric Mazur and Stephen Downes / George Siemens references.

Eric Mazur, talking about peer instruction (three minutes from where the below video starts) is not familiar to me. Eric talks of the ‘ah ha’ moment that happens outside the classroom, and which is the hard part of ‘learning’ – is it the “information transfer” or the “assimilation of knowledge”?

YouTube: Eric Mazur “The scientific approach to teaching…”

By concentrating on the easiest of the two elements of learning, the information transfer, we leave the students to fend for themselves for the reflection and “assimilation” of knowledge – this isn’t right, as this is as important, if not more so, than the actual initial introduction of the information. By throwing out this initial stage of learning, by replacing the lecture with a recorded lecture the students watch before the session he has been able to introduce discussion and questioning to the learning process where there wasn’t time or inclination before. Is this better learning, or just a better method for presenting the opportunity to learn?

And what of George Siemnes and Stephen Downes? I follow their work on Twitter, whenever possible, and their continued development of a sustainable and ‘appropriate’ MOOC pedagogy. From a student-centred constructitivst approach where the institution makes the content and process of learning available (the ‘open’ in the MOOC acronym) and the students create their own spaces (like ocTEL and EDC MOOC) to publish their opinions and openly discuss them. I like and am comfortable with this approach as it is a space I can ‘learn’ in – I figured out very quickly during my undergraduate days (mid 1990′s) that I didn’t learn in a lecture theatre, that I didn’t like being talked ‘at’ and that I’m a kinesthetic learner (Characteristics of a Tactile/Kinesthetic Learner) – I need to follow the materials, stop, restart, write, stand up, move around, note take, draw, go away and come back and do some more. The movement helps me form the connections between p paragraphs, pages, links, chapters, etc.

Perhaps this is why I like (at the same time I don’t like) the approach made to this MOOC – I can come and go as I please, with whatever time or inclination I can commit. I’m not tied to a defined ‘lecture’ period at a specific time: I like and want to learn in an asynchronous manner. But that doesn’t mean I can do everything I want to, or am expected to … which is why this week this is all I’m doing. I am reading the rest of the material, I may even write about it later, but not now.

Next week … “Understanding learners’ needs”.

Reference

Characteristics of a Tactile/Kinesthetic Learner. Lehigh University. n.d. http://www.lehigh.edu/~inacsup/cas/pdfs/LS_Tactile_Learner.pdf

de Waard, I. I. 2013 MOOC YourSelf - Set up your own MOOC for Business, Non-Profits, and Informal Communities [Kindle eBook]. http://www.amazon.co.uk/MOOC-YourSelf-Non-Profits-Communities-ebook/dp/B00CDVZ2AW/

Related posts:

Week 1: Induction #ocTEL Open Course in Technology Enhanced Learning #ocTEL Engaging and Motivating Students #edcmooc