Google’s absolutely amazing & extraordinary office in Tel Aviv, Israel –from theultralinx.com by Oliur Rahman
From DSC:
Thanks Oliur for a great portfolio of images/ideas! Here are just a few examples of some very cool spaces that encourage learning, creativity, innovation, and collaboration:
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Technology trends that are driving Internet of Things markets — from onworld.com
ON World has identified the key technology advances that are making 2013 a pivotal year for the Internet of Things (IoT). Dozens of cloud addressable wireless sensors were demonstrated at CES and Bluetooth Smart products increased by 5X from last fall.
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
San Diego, CA , Jan. 30, 2013 — Within the next five years, billions of Internet connected wireless smart objects will be in use, according to global technology research firm ON World.
“Cloud services combined with smart mobile devices have created a new landscape of opportunities for service providers, manufacturers and developers,” says Mareca Hatler, ON World’s research director. “As demonstrated by dozens of cloud addressable wireless sensing systems shown at CES this year, a new generation of Internet connected systems is underway.”
The major technology trends that are driving Internet of Things (IoT) markets include the following…
From DSC:
As a team of us have been charged with putting together a new collaborative workspace/conference room, I’ve been thinking about some ideas for a new type of interface as well as some new types of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to be used in group collaboration/web-based collaboration. I was thinking it would be good to not only display files from various devices but also to be able to share files/URLs/other resources with each other. (Some type of storage device that processes files — and scans them for viruses would be needed in addition to a large display or an interactive multitouch surface/wall.)
People within the same room could contribute files/items to a variety of “areas” — and so could others who joined in via the Internet. Here’s what I had wanted to be able to do and I had pictured in my mind:
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
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It’s very similar to what Tidebreak has created/envisioned in their product lines.
Check out their innovative work/products/concepts!
Transforming learning spaces: 3 big ideas — from Tidebreak
Also see:
Excerpt from Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie – February 1, 2013 (emphasis DSC)
#760 – Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,887 Readers – www.masie.com – twitter: emasie – The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Directions Blended Seminars
2. Logitech Business Camera – Skype for the Classroom! I almost never endorse or highlight a product, as Learning TRENDS is vendor-neutral. But, we have been on a quest for a simple technology that finally arrived.
We wanted a camera, with High Definition capability, that could [offer remote Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) capabilities] – and also worked perfectly with both Skype, Gmail Video as well as a capture camera for content. Why? In all of our classrooms, we have multiple large Plama/LCD Screens and wanted to add cameras for both video conferencing, class capture and knowledge clips. While we could mount a nice single focus camera, the PTZ capability was missing.
Logitech BCC950 Conference Cam Video Conferencing Camera is perfect! We have tested in multiple settings and are delighted with the focus, quality and ease of use in a classroom or meeting room. It has extensions that allow it to be mounted apart from the base and it would be ideal to add video capacity to a classroom – in our effort to evolve to the “connected classroom”. The price is around $220 and we have purchased several for our Center.
Also see:
Welcome to the doctor’s office of the future: It’s a kiosk — from dvice.com by Alice Truong
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From DSC:
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Re: the idea of exchanges:
“Mom! Check out what I did at school today!”
If you’re a parent, don’t you love to hear the excitement in your son’s or daughter’s voice when they bring home something from school that really peaked their interest? Their passions?
I woke up last night with several ideas and thoughts on how technology could help students become — and stay — engaged, while passing over more control and choice to the students in order for them to pursue their own interests and passions. The idea would enable students to efficiently gain some exposure to a variety of things to see if those things were interesting to them — perhaps opening a way for a future internship or, eventually, a career.
The device I pictured in my mind was the sort of device that I saw a while back out at Double Robotics and/or at Suitable Technologies:
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The thoughts centered on implementing a growing network of such remote-controlled, mobile, videoconferencing-based sorts of devices, that were hooked up to voice translation engines. Students could control such devices to pursue things that they wanted to know more about, such as:
For accountability — as well as for setting aside intentional time to process the information — students would update their own blogs about what they experienced, heard, and saw. They would need to include at least one image, along with the text they write about their experience. Or perhaps a brief/edited piece of digital video or audio of some of the statements that they heard that really resonated with them, or that they had further questions on. The default setting on such postings would be to be kept private, but if the teacher and the student felt that a posting could/should be made public, a quick setting could be checked to publish it out there for others to see/experience.
Real world. Engaging. Passing over more choice and control to the students so that they can pursue what they are passionate about.
Also see the following items from Genius:
Additional notes from DSC:
Excerpt from edSurge’s 12-4-12 newsletter:
SO HOW WAS THAT MOOC FOR YA? First come the MOOCs, then come the reviews. First out of the box: Founded just six months ago, Knollop is a Yelp-like review and discovery site for MOOCs. It boasts courses from nine MOOCs: including Khan Academy, MIT, and Harvard, as well as favorites like edX, Udacity, and Coursera.
But Knollop has competition. A mere seven weeks ago, serial entrepreneur Jesse Spaulding (LunchTree, FourTonight) launched a rival site called CourseTalk. While CourseTalk features many of the same features as Knollop, it lists just 276 courses to Knollop’s 2,835.
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Connected learning: The Power Of Social Learning Models — from teachthought.com
Excerpt:
Connected Learning “is an answer to three key shifts as society evolves from the industrial age of the 20th century and its one-size-fits-all factory approach to educating youth to a 21st century networked society.”
1) A shift from education to learning. Education is what institutions do, learning is what people do. Digital media enable learning anywhere, anytime; formal learning must also be mobile and just-in-time.
2) A shift from consumption of information to participatory learning. Learning happens best when it is rich in social connections, especially when it is peer-based and organized around learners’ interests, enabling them to create as well as consume information.
3) A shift from institutions to networks. In the digital age, the fundamental operating and delivery systems are networks, not institutions such as schools, which are one node of many on a young person’s network of learning opportunities. People learn across institutions, so an entire learning network must be supported.
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From DSC:
This reminds me of the animated video that I recently ran across at remixteaching.com entitled, “I, Pencil”:
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If that’s what’s involved with creating a pencil, what does the family tree look like for creating the Internet?!
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From DSC:
I don’t think that what we know today as “MOOCs” are anywhere’s nearly fully-baked and ready for prime time. They will be refined, altered , and new systems/software will be further developed for them. But the idea of reducing costs, increasing access, and experimenting sounds good to me! As illustrated above, the idea of “Rock Star Professor” or “Super Professor” is gaining traction. Also, note the team-based approach here.
From DSC:
I wonder how MOOCs focused on language will go…? It could be great to practice a language from folks all around the world — or will it be chaotic? Different accents. Real-world speaking and listening. Real world conflict, perhaps, as well. But it seems like there could be some effective learning going on — at least “on paper”. I wonder, too, if 1/2 of the time folks could speak one language — and would be the students during that part of the class — while the other 1/2 of the time they speak another language — and would be the “teachers.”
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And for yet another item on innovation within higher ed! Whew!
