tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16286077740270985192012-02-21T08:44:05.155-06:00This blog will feature posts about new cool tech tools or gadgets, the Internet, new developments in Moodle at Beloit College and elsewhere, and things generally related to educational technology.Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-72101041986553533562012-02-17T09:05:00.000-06:002012-02-17T09:05:51.527-06:00

I was recently introduced to LibriVox. This project has been producing audio recordings of books in the public domain through volunteer support since 2005. You can read more here. All of the recordings are posted in the public domain and are free to use. Much of the content for LibrVox comes from the Project Gutenberg. According to the website, "LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-75446775161446010282012-02-10T15:36:00.003-06:002012-02-10T15:36:47.115-06:00

Diigo has been around for awhile now. I am not sure why it is still in beta, but I digress. Diigo is a social bookmarking tool. You can watch a video explaining what social bookmarking is here. If you have not tried this tool, I definitely recommend it. Others have reviewed some of the great features of Diigo. I don't want this post to be an exhaustive list of all the capabilities of Diigo, but

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-76820655126569740882012-02-03T13:48:00.000-06:002012-02-14T11:45:42.370-06:00

So... you may or may not have heard about iBooks Author. Some have touted that it will revolutionize the textbook. There have been may reviews (here, and here) and some videos like this one. There has been much talk about iBooks Author's EULA (here, here and here). I do not want to rehash what has come before, but hopefully build upon and turn the discussion in a bit of a different direction.

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-66207775143869741732012-01-27T09:00:00.000-06:002012-01-27T09:31:16.226-06:00

As you will see, I have tried my hand at blogging before and it was hit and miss. I want to give this 'blog thing' another go and see what I can make of it.  This blog will serve as an outlet for all the cool and interesting things I find on the 'internets'. Hopefully some of this information will even be helpful and/or at least informative to you (the reader). I hope to post at least once a

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-29819835092028037482010-12-12T20:42:00.001-06:002010-12-12T21:01:14.045-06:00

I don't know about you, but I like technology that makes my life easier or more organized.  There are many applications out there that have a ton of features and can track every area of your life.  While this is all well and good, many times with the increased power comes an increased learning curve and intricate UI (user interface). Not so with Wunderlist.  This application is a straight

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-74674046912237242962010-11-15T22:21:00.001-06:002010-12-12T20:50:02.116-06:00

Hello!  In addition to work, home and this blog, I am also contributing to Ed and Web. I am an instructional technologist in the higher ed world. I am enjoying the world of technology and education.  I have been coming across a lot of articles about Evernote in the wake of the release of Evernote for Windows.  Personally and professionally I am always interested in being as organized as I can be.

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-13144004538783782192010-10-09T17:25:00.000-05:002010-10-09T17:25:04.499-05:00

I recently read an article in The Chronicle's ProfHacker blog asking how people manage searching for a job.  That got me thinking about how I have managed a job search.  As I recently experienced a job search, I thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect on how I managed my search, what tools I used and how it all worked. I really don't like looking for a job.  I am sure that there

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-84481520074917723572010-09-28T20:39:00.000-05:002010-10-07T21:40:37.574-05:00

If you are someone who follows blogs or subscribes to any RSS feeds, Google Reader is a great tool for having one place to go to read all of them.  I have been using it for a few months now and have enjoyed being able to organize all my feeds from blogs, Hulu shows, and RSS feeds.  Using the reader has allowed me to quickly see, organize and read the information I subscribe to. One of the nice

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-5799019942797217382010-09-25T21:53:00.001-05:002010-09-28T20:19:00.078-05:00

It has been a long time since I have written anything.  When this blog first began, it was a project for a class.  I have had moments when I have thought about making it a more steady deal, but other things have gotten higher priority.  Since this blog was begun, I have completed a master's degree, moved to a new home, and begun a new job.  Life is full, and good. I am not sure what this blog

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-76922599675122993002009-08-07T12:05:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:40:37.574-05:00

I have come across an exciting website called Wordle. This website has been created by Jonathan Feinberg. He has created a program that will create a "word cloud". A word cloud is a visual arrangement of words. The words can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or any which way. To see representations of "wordles" you can visit www.wordle.net . There isn't really any educational value in this

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-73981612131581733422009-08-05T13:49:00.005-05:002010-12-12T20:52:03.373-06:00

Course Management Systems are quickly becoming a standard part of a schools curriculum in higher education. Blackboard is the industry standard for large schools. Other options include Moodle and Sakai. Moodle is very popular due to its open-source nature. It is inexpensive and adaptable to many different applications. I have had the opportunity to investigate Moodle from both a student'

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-47255916541767400292009-08-04T20:03:00.003-05:002010-12-12T20:52:53.260-06:00

I have been thinking about podcasting lately. How can podcasting best be used in an educational setting. I have heard stories of professors who put podcasts of their lecture notes online and then their students never show up for class. I think that podcasting can and should be more than audio filing. The podcast should enhance or extend the classroom experience in some way. This can be done

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-77822863996146842472009-08-04T19:05:00.003-05:002009-08-05T13:48:37.337-05:00

This is technically my second, but really first experience keeping and writing a blog. I have found it difficult at times to sit down and write, but it has been a good exercise in analysis and synthesis. Blogging does have its uses providing a means of forming and solidifying comprehension. It is a fairly accessible and user-friendly technology. Schools could benefit from incorporating them

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-47292573746602546852009-08-04T18:16:00.004-05:002010-12-12T20:54:29.237-06:00

Yes! It is the Flip camera. I recently got to play with one of these and they are very cool. The one that I had ran on two AA batteries and could capture sixty minutes of standard-definition video. It had a marginal zoom and a fair microphone. The cool thing about this camera is that it has a USB connector that flips out (hmmm...) and allows the user to import directly into a computer. The

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-10330774094517288942009-08-04T07:09:00.003-05:002010-10-07T21:40:37.574-05:00

I wonder how a technology like Skype would have changed that first online collaborative experience? I have had the opportunity to use Skype with other classes and projects and it works very well. It has many benefits: it is free, it supports, audio/video one-to-one calling, conference calling (audio only), IM (instant messaging) and text chat. In my experience it has been a great collaborative

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-8680817332800448082009-08-04T07:00:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.455-05:00

There were, however, times of wailing and gnashing of teeth. One of my early experiences with online collaboration involved a group project in which each of the group members were spread across the state. At first we tried using online text chat, and wiki to organize our thoughts, plans and ideas. This took more time than we possessed. The text chat was particularly tedious. Each person had

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-23076183570128216612009-08-03T19:51:00.003-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.455-05:00

I was pondering a new-to-me phenomena since I have gone back to school. Up until that time I had known only "cooperative learning" and large group work - all face to face. I have now experienced and come to appreciate online collaboration or collaboration at a distance. There have been times when I did not have the same opinion as I do now. In the earlier stages of learning this new

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-75889104726045042262009-08-03T18:45:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:40:37.575-05:00

I have recently been introduced to Skype. I am impressed. I must provide a disclaimer however that I am not endorsing this software, only providing my opinion. This software offers great communication tools that have many applications for education. The immediate benefit is that it can be a free service. The user has only to download the software, create a profile, find a friend in Skype and

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-58852395249814044022009-08-02T14:02:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:40:37.575-05:00

I have recently been mulling over what technology is good and what is actually a waste of time. For example. a smart-phone might be great for someone keeping track of a business or using its capabilities in a specific manner, but for the general public this technology can be a time-waster. It has been in my experience. I purchased a PDA (personal digital assistant) along with a mini keyboard.

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-84726126725947072982009-07-31T07:50:00.003-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.455-05:00

I have been contemplating further the idea of teaching music at a distance or online. There certainly are options out there. Any audio content or listening activities can be done in podcast or vodcast form. A teacher could manage a class or classes with a CMS/LMS (course/learning management system). Assessment could be done online as well. Teachers could create traditional assessments, but

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-81739314949996075022009-07-06T14:09:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.456-05:00

Websites are everywhere. The number of websites on the internet continues to grow exponentially every day. How can educators best use this technology? A great use of websites/webpages for educators is communication with students and parents. With a bit more research and know-how an educator can use a website for instruction, posting links to assignments, web-quests, or quizzes and tests. A

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-14222837069734112732009-06-25T09:18:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.456-05:00

I think I have successfully created a webquest. It took awhile to remember Dreamweaver, but I think the end product came out well. Thanks to a classmate, Denise, I was made aware of a free web-based webquest creator. The site also features a digital portfolio creator that is also free. That is a cool tool for anyone, as well as those that don't have Dreamweaver. As I have been creating my

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-34858104028674124142009-06-22T13:43:00.003-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.456-05:00

Well...I have begun putting the webquest together and all seems to be going well. The most difficult part thus far has been determining the topic and the particular objectives that I want the students to complete. After figuring that out, I think that the rest should fall into place. I think that this teaching format would be a great tool. Once it is completed and set up for use in a

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628607774027098519.post-36626470769879380112009-06-15T15:15:00.003-05:002010-10-07T21:41:47.457-05:00

One of the first assignments for my class involves Webquests. I have heard of webquests, looked at some of them, but never created or participated in one. after reading some of the articles about webquests. I am excited to begin creating one. A couple things stood out to me regarding webquests.First, they are very constructivist in nature. The entire point of any webquest is for the learner

Jedidiah Rexhttps://profiles.google.com/104088460777354482738noreply@blogger.com0