10 takeaways from Big Tech’s big earnings — from protocol.com by David Pierce
What Apple, Facebook, Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon earnings say about the state of tech.
On 04/28/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, animation, digital photography, graphics, instructional design, liberal arts, Microsoft, online learning, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, tools, visualizing information,
by Daniel Christian
7 Things You Didn’t Know PowerPoint Could Do That Will Make Your Next Presentation POP! — from Dr. Echo Rivera; posted 4/20/21
Excerpt:
I’m going to show you more than 7 Powerpoint features, but I’ve broken them down into 7 categories.
Here are those seven categories:
- Accessibility
- Photo Editing
- Interactivity
- Animations
- Custom Visuals
- Data Visualization
- Saving Time
On 03/22/2021,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Africa, Amazon, Apple, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communities of practice, computer science, corporate / business world, data related items, emerging technologies, Europe, experimentation, Facebook / Meta Platforms, future, Google, health, Microsoft, Natural Language Processing (NLP), platforms, programming, United States, vision/possibilities, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces,
by Daniel Christian
14th Annual Edition | 2021 Tech Trends Report — from the Future Today Institute
Our 2021 Tech Trends Report is designed to help you confront deep uncertainty, adapt and thrive. For this year’s edition, the magnitude of new signals required us to create 12 separate volumes, and each report focuses on a cluster of related trends. In total, we’ve analyzed nearly 500 technology and science trends across multiple industry sectors. In each volume, we discuss the disruptive forces, opportunities and strategies that will drive your organization in the near future.
Now, more than ever, your organization should examine the potential near and long-term impact of tech trends. You must factor the trends in this report into your strategic thinking for the coming year, and adjust your planning, operations and business models accordingly. But we hope you will make time for creative exploration. From chaos, a new world will come.
Some example items noted in this report:
- Natural language processing is an area experiencing high interest, investment, and growth.
- + No-code or low-code systems are unlocking new use cases for businesses.
- Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google Cloud’s low-code and no-code offerings will trickle down to everyday people, allowing them to create their own artificial intelligence applications and deploy them as easily as they could a website.
- The race is on to capture AI cloudshare—and to become the most trusted provider of AI on remote servers.
- COVID-19 accelerated the use of AI in drug discovery last year. The first trial of an AI-discovered drug is underway in Japan.
On 03/18/2021,
in A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, adjunct faculty, art, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, distance education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, flipping -- inverted learning, Google, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, interactivity, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, lifelong learning, Microsoft, multimedia, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, parents/guardians, platforms, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, remote teaching and learning, student teaching/teacher education, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telelegal, telemedicine / telehealth / virtual health, tools, training / L&D, universities, vendors, videoconferencing, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
The excerpt below is from The 7 best online whiteboards in 2021 — from zapier.com by Maria Myre
- Miro for turning ideas into tasks
- Stormboard for creating multiple whiteboards in a single brainstorming session
- MURAL for remote, multi-member team meetings
- Limnu for teaching students remotely
- InVision Freehand for annotating design files with a team
- Conceptboard for turning a brainstorming session into a formal presentation
- Explain Everything for creating whiteboard videos
From DSC:
Other potentially-relevant tools/vendors here include:
- Cisco Webex
On 02/25/2021,
in accessibility / UDL, adult learning, assistive technologies, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, education, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, Microsoft, more voice more choice more control, Natural Language Processing (NLP), neurodivergent/special needs, student-related, teachers, tools, training / L&D, user experience (UX), voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces,
by Daniel Christian
Look at the choice and control possibilities mentioned in the following except from Immersive Reader in Canvas: Improve Reading Comprehension for All Students
When building courses and creating course content in Canvas, Immersive Reader lets users:
- Change font size, text spacing, and background color
- Split up words into syllables
- Highlight verbs, nouns, adjectives, and sub-clauses
- Choose between two fonts optimised to help with reading
- Read text aloud
- Change the speed of reading
- Highlight sets of one, three, or five lines for greater focus
- Select a word to see a related picture and hear the word read aloud as many times as necessary
Also see:
All about the Immersive Reader — from education.microsoft.com
On 01/18/2021,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, education, education technology, entrepreneurship, future, game-changing environment, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent tutoring, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, mathematics, Microsoft, online learning, online tutoring, parents/guardians, personalized/customized learning, platforms, remote teaching and learning, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, tools, United States, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual K-12 schools, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Microsoft Education offers a free tutoring service to help students with their math problems — from educatorstechnology.com
Excerpt:
In today’s post I want to bring to your attention this interesting math resource from Microsoft Education called Tutoring Experts. As its name indicates, Tutoring Experts allows students to seek help with their math problems from tutors that are available 24/7.
Also see:
From DSC:
One wonders if there aren’t some opportunities here for more online-based tutoring services. Perhaps graduates from schools of education will move more towards this type of thing…
Perhaps the online-based materials in the future will have a question mark “?” icon that instantly connects to that service’s teachers, professors, trainers, pastors, and/or other SMEs. Or perhaps this type of thing is already there…I’m not sure.
On 12/04/2020,
in Access to Justice (A2J), adjunct faculty, Amazon, Apple, business, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, culture, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, economics, education, education reform, education technology, ethics, Facebook / Meta Platforms, faculty/staff, faith, funding / grants, future, future of higher education, geography / geology, Google, health, higher education, history, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, legislatures / government / legal, lifelong learning, Michigan, Microsoft, mobile technologies, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, morals/values, new media literacies, online learning, platforms, policy, remote teaching and learning, society, student-related, surviving, technologies for your home, telecommunications, ubiquitous learning, United States, universities, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, youth,
by Daniel Christian
The Digital Divide for Tribal College Students — COVID, CARES Act, and Critical Next Steps — from diverseeducation.com
Excerpt:
In this episode staff writer Sara Weissman shares a story that focuses on the digital divide for Native Americans by bringing in voices of tribal college leaders and their students during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Many don’t know but Native American colleges and universities have long struggled with the worst internet connectivity in the nation while ironically paying the highest rates for service. Hear first-hand how students from Diné College and other institutions are currently affected. Carrie Billie (Big Water Clan), President & CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and Dr. Cynthia Lindquist (Star Horse Woman), President of Cankdeska Cikana Community College in North Dakota, break down the data and lay out critical next steps necessary to address the digital divide.
Many don’t know but Native American colleges and universities have long struggled with the worst internet connectivity in the nation while ironically paying the highest rates for service.
From DSC:
When will there be justice!? Let’s join in and make amends and provide the funding, concrete assistance, products, and services to Native American colleges, universities, and communities. Some potential ideas:
- For the short term, could there be Loon balloons deployed immediately to provide free and stronger access to the Internet?
- Could our Federal Government make amends and do the right thing here? (e-rate program, put Internet access in, make policy changes, offer more grants, other?)
- Could Silicon Valley assist with hardware and software? For example:
- Can Apple, HP, Microsoft, and others donate hardware and software?
- Can Zoom, Adobe, Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, and others donate whatever these communities need to provide videoconferencing licenses?
- Could telecom providers provide free internet access?
- Could MOOCs offer more free courses?
- Could furniture makers such as Steelcase, Herman Miller, and others donate furniture and help establish connected learning spaces?
- How might faculty members and staff within higher education contribute?
- How could churches, synagogues, and such get involved?
- Could the rest of us locate and donate to charities that aim to provide concrete assistance to Native American schools, colleges, universities, and communities?
We need to do the right thing here. This is another area* where our nation can do much better.
* Here’s another example/area where we can do much better and make amends/changes.
Addendum on 12/7/20:
- How to Implement Long-Term Remote Learning in a Rural Area— from techlearning.com by Ray Bendici
On 11/11/2020,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, career development, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, credentialing, curriculum, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, distance education, elearning, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, ideas, informal learning, innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, IT in HE, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, microlearning, Microsoft, mobile technologies, more voice more choice more control, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, platforms, professional development, programming, social learning / networks, society, staying relevant, streams of content, technologies for your home, technology (general), telepresence, television, tools, training / L&D, trends, TVs, United States, universities, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual tutoring, web-based collaboration, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
The Dice Q3 Tech Job Report: Tech Hiring and COVID-19: What You Need to Know — from techhub.dice.com
The report, issued quarterly by Dice, provides
From DSC:
One can quickly see how valuable this information would be as a data feed into an AI-based, next-generation learning platform.
The platform would connect the marketable skills with the courses, websites, blogs, RSS feeds/streams of content, etc. that would help a learner quickly and affordably build such in-demand skills. Given the shortening half-lives of many kinds of information, such a service is needed desperately…especially now with the impact of the Coronavirus.
Also relevant: See how ISTE built its upcoming virtual event!
On 10/24/2020,
in A/V -- audio/visual, adjunct faculty, colleges, communications, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, distance education, Google, K-12 related, law schools, Microsoft, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, remote teaching and learning, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, tools, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
Expert Tips for Using PowerPoint Presenter View (2 screens, Windows) in Zoom or Teams — from thinkoutsidetheslide.com; with thanks to Tamara Kravits for this resource
Except:
In this article I want to share some of the expert tips for using the features of Presenter View. I will use the common scenario of Presenter View showing on one screen while the slides show on a second screen which is shared in the meeting platform. This allows easy access to all the Presenter View features.
If you need to add a second screen, check out the options in this article and if you want to learn more about using Presenter View in different setups, I have complete guides to using Presenter View in Zoom and in Teams.
From DSC:
Along the lines of using two monitors with a videoconferencing application, below is a graphic I created for our faculty members at the WMU-Cooley Law School.
Also relevant/see:
- 6 Microsoft Teams features Zoom doesn’t have — from legaltechmonitor.com by Jim Calloway
On 10/18/2020,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Amazon, Apple, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, attention, business, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, computer science, corporate / business world, curriculum, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, data related items, design, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, Facebook / Meta Platforms, future, game-changing environment, Google, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, legislatures / government / legal, marketing/social marketing, marketplaces, mathematics, media/film, Microsoft, new business models, participation, platforms, policy, political science, religion, social learning / networks, social media, society, sociology, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, trends, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Who needs to be discussing/debating “The Social Dilemma” movie? Whether one agrees with the perspectives put forth therein or not, the discussion boards out there should be lighting up in the undergraduate areas of Computer Science (especially Programming), Engineering, Business, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Sociology, and perhaps other disciplines as well.
To those starting out the relevant careers here…just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. Ask yourself not whether something CAN be developed, but *whether it SHOULD be developed* and what the potential implications of a technology/invention/etc. might be. I’m not aiming to take a position here. Rather, I’m trying to promote some serious reflection for those developing our new, emerging technologies and our new products/services out there.
On 09/09/2020,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Apple, Asia, Australia, Canada, digital learning, global / globalization, Google, India, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, Microsoft, platforms, social media, society, streams of content, student-related, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, trends, UK, United States, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Visualizing the Social Media Universe in 2020 — from visualcapitalist.com Aran Ali
On 09/08/2020,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, adjunct faculty, Adobe, adult learning, Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, creativity, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, distance education, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, faculty/staff, future, global / globalization, Google, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, interactivity, IT in HE, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, microlearning, Microsoft, multimedia, online learning, online media, online tutoring, participation, pedagogy, platforms, remote teaching and learning, second screen apps, social learning / networks, social media, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telepresence, television, tools, TVs, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), using teams, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual K-12 schools, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
Per this week’s Lecture Breakers Weekly! from Dr. Barbi Honeycutt:
Break up your online lectures with the Watch Party! Here’s how you can do it:
- Pre-record your mini-lecture or find a video you want to use for your lesson.
- Instead of asking students to watch the video on their own, play it during your synchronous/live class time.
- Explain to your students that they are watching the video all at the same time and that you will be facilitating the chat and answering their questions as they watch the video together. It’s a watch party!
- Option: Take the conversation out of Zoom or your LMS. Create a hashtag for your course on Twitter and invite other experts, colleagues, or friends to join the conversation.
Instead of presenting during the synchronous class time, you can now focus completely on managing the chat, prompting discussion, and responding to students’ questions and ideas in real-time. And be sure to record and save the chat for students who couldn’t attend the live session or want to review it later.
From DSC:
This is one of the kind of things that I envisioned with Learning from the living class[room] — a next-generation, global learning platform.
Learners could be watching a presentation/presenter, but communicating in real-time with other learners. Perhaps it will be a tvOS-based app or something similar. But TV as we know it is changing, right? It continues to become more interactive and on-demand all the time. Add videoconferencing apps like Zoom, Cisco Webex Meetings, Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Connect and others, and you have real-time, continuous, lifelong, relevant/timely, affordable, accessible, up-to-date learning.
Also, you have TEAM-BASED learning.
