Google has just released Google Talk, an IM program that is set to compete with AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo's IM client. It might be worth installing this in the lab, and seeing what Google has brought to the game. I did read an article on MSNBC that indicated that Google employeed open standards when developing this tool, and that there is the potential of programatically embedding this tool in web applications. Let's stay on top of this as it may provide a means o...

Thought this might be of interest:RSS4LIB.

Here are the links that Gus mentioned during her presentation: http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/start/qaworlds.html Quest Atlantis, an educational MMORPG produced on an NSF grant at the U. of Indiana. http://www.educationarcade.org/gtt/revolution/ Revolution, a historical roleplaying mod using the Neverwinter Nights engine, produced at MIT. http:...

I found the iCohere web site while trying to track down a new approach to experiential learning being used by ASAE (American Society of Association Executives). ASAE is an iCohere case study. A friend just returned from ASAE's annual conference in Nashville and was blown away by the new format that combines high-speed and high-tech to promote "emotional learning." He says the effect a lot of the time is like literally walking into a lifesize music video. The Opryland Hotel is also an example of "Wow" customer service. During the online check-out, my frien...

Since I bugged everyone so much about preparing for the seminar, I'd like to know what you think worked and what didn't. Obviously, it didn't exactly go in any of the directions we'd talked about. What are your observations? What should I/we have done differently? (How about those circles? They really worked great, right?!)

I encourage evryone to take a close look at the attached PowerPoint. It is an overview of Tomoye Simplify 4.0, a "Communities of Practice" software package. Please note that this software is not unlike what we have been imagining when we speak of "Social Scholar" -- at least it is close to what I have been imagining when I speak of "Social Scholar". As we have said in the past, the archinging project will need to be integrated with other products like "Social Scholar" and "Pathways". I would encourage everyone to think broadly a...

Barry Rosen: Guiding Questions (Sorry that the topic sounds like the teacher's edition of a textbook. Ugh.) I want some help thinking of specific questions for our Wednesday conversation, not necessarily just for Barry (at all!) but for ourselves and the (so far quite a few) people from outside the lab who will join us. A reminder that the organizing concept is to use Barry's visit to hear about his education project in Afghanistan and then use his experience as an opportunity to examine our educational system — to “seeâ€? with new eyes. (Organizationally, I'm thinking 20-30 min...

In week three of the Summer edLab seminar the group was involved in a design exercise. The exercise was presented to the group as follows (this scenario is purely fictional!!!): ************************************************************** Background: A New TC Mandate As prospective students assess their options for graduate-level education in 2005, they will find that there are more and more educational programs — including graduate schools -- offering certification quickly, cheaply, and conveniently. While TC believes that efficiencies are important, the institution would ...

Michael asked me to work with Barry on next week's seminar. After talking with Barry, Michael and Clifford, it seems to me that at least one interesting way to connect Barry's experience in Afghanistan to the work we are doing is to use it as a "what does the earth look like from Mars" opportunity. The notion is that much of what we live with in our own educational system -- its infrastructure, its content, values and purposes -- become invisible to us unless we leave and look back. If we are developing an agenda that challenges (or even transcends/bypasses) the existing system, I think it is ...