I popped over to the U. of Minnesota today for a teleconference about podcasting in the classroom. Long-time readers may recall that I posted last year about the U.’s UThink blogging system that provides a free blog for every student and staff member. They’ve upgraded the system to support podcasting now and they will be tracking how the students and faculty take to it. More than 50 people showed up for this teleconference which suggests that there’s quite a bit of pent-up interest in the topic. The main portion of the teleconference is about Purdue’s campus-wide podcasting system called BoilerCast. The presenter is Michael Gay who was the main developer of the BoilerCast system.
Monthly Archives: November 2005
AdSense on the Savvy Technologist
I’ve been curious about Google’s AdSense program for a while so I installed the AdSense plugin for WordPress and signed up. I have no illusions about making any money from this, and it’s the last time I’ll mention it on my blog unless something really interesting happens. I guess I’m just impressed with the overall system and the fact that there are bloggers out there making a living from their online writing.
Physics, Math and Engineering concepts using Java Applets
These are some cool java applets that demonstrate: Oscillations and Waves, Acoustics, Electrodynamics, Quantum Mechanics and much more. LOTS of fun to play around with!
I guess I’m hearkening back to my science teaching days with two science-related posts in a row. The other reason I posted this was to see how it would look to post something from Digg. In case you haven’t discovered it, Digg is something of a “Slashdot 2.0″ which has built in many advanced features included lots of RSS feeds, user voting to determine what gets posted, and a quick link to post any story to your blog. Kind of cool, but you can’t really tweak anything. I’ve had to log in as normal to set a proper category and add my Technorati tags
Open source astronomy application
I discovered Stellarium recently and suggest anyone teaching science add it to their toolbelt. From the project FAQ:
Stellarium is an open source desktop planetarium for Linux/Unix, Windows and MacOSX. It renders the skies in realtime using OpenGL, which means the skies will look exactly like what you see with your eyes, binoculars, or a small telescope. Stellarium is very simple to use, which is one of its biggest advantages: it can easily be used by beginners.
I love the fact that it’s open source and cross-platform. There’s no reason not to download it and try it out, but if you want a bit of a preview you can check out the screenshots. Just beautiful.
David Glick: Online learning
I sat down with David Glick recently at a local library that just happens to have a coffee shop. We talked about online learning while I sipped my chai latté. Dave has been consulting with organizations that are developing online learning programs for a couple years now, and before that he was the first online learning coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Education. Check out his company’s Web site for more info about the kind of work Dave does around the country.
We talked about the characteristics of quality online learning programs, some pitfalls to avoid, and wondered aloud what would become of the course management system software space now that Blackboard and WebCT have merged and Moodle is gaining ground quickly. Cook this podcast for 15 minutes per pound, baste frequently, and enjoy with a hearty portion of sweet potatoes and that green bean casserole with the crunchy onions on top.
Other sites mentioned:
Download: STP-DavidGlick (18.3 MB, 39:57)
Secure computing on the road
I’m in Rochester, MN for a couple days this week working as a mentor at an ISTE Institute. After listening to the latest Security Now! podcast with Steve Gibson where he talked about VPNs, I decided that I should probably get my act together and get set up with a secure connection.
If you ever use a laptop in an untrusted environment you should be using a VPN. By “untrusted” I mean a setting where you’re not sure who might be eavesdropping on your communications. Coffee shops, hotel rooms, and even remote offices on wired connections are good examples. Many people these days are used to using SSL-encrypted Web access for banking or online commerce (the “https” sites), but it’s less obvious that many email connections are unencrypted. In other words, unless you take steps to avoid it, the default behavior is usually to send your email password flying across the network in plain text where it can be intercepted by someone running a packet sniffer.
After doing a bit of research online, I signed up for a month of HotSpotVPN service. After a relatively straightforward install (it’s easier on a PC), I was connected to their service and all of my Internet traffic is now running through an encrypted “tunnel” and immune from inquiring packet sniffers. The service is about $10/month and I consider it a bargain for frequent travelers or anyone who uses wifi connections in public places.
New podcast mic
I wasn’t home when the FedEx guy stopped by today, so I’ll have to give him a hug next time I see him. Fortunately he dropped off my new microphone at my neighbor’s house and I got to unpack it tonight and try it out.
This is the real deal, ladies and gentlemen. The Electro-Voice RE20 is a broadcast quality microphone that looks cool and sounds better. Do I have an understanding wife or what? She doesn’t really get my geeky side, but she tolerates it well. I’ll post an updated picture of the “podcave” as soon as my new mounting bracket arrives and I get everything arranged the way I like it.
Open source Mac software
There is a bunch of open source software available for Apple’s OS X operating system. Thanks to Open Source Mac it’s now a lot easier to find. Many of the apps have obvious educational uses and other are just for fun. The list is growing so bookmark it and check back occasionally to find new entries.
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