Comments for Tech Academy 2009 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09 Just another Titania weblog Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:02:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 Comment on Behind (or in front) of the wall by hmcgovern http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/behind-or-in-front-of-the-wall/#comment-10 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:06:46 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/behind-or-in-front-of-the-wall/#comment-10 I guess I should maintain a blog better. I keep having them, but, honestly, I don’t see why people would be interested in what I have to say. Therefore, I don’t really see the need to update a blog or have a personal website. I’ve used blogs for my classes before, which does seem sensible, but I haven’t for a while because I’ve liked the additional functionality (especially password protection and ability to comment and give grades online) possible with Webboard or Blackboard and other systems, that essentially can do the blog things, plus more. I appreciate that blogs are more democratic and open, really I do, but that doesn’t trump, for me, the practicality of privacy for many of our educational activities. And I’ve learned to appreciate having fewer systems at work in any one class to minimize the chaos and time spent teaching a system… I guess I should maintain a blog better. I keep having them, but, honestly, I don’t see why people would be interested in what I have to say. Therefore, I don’t really see the need to update a blog or have a personal website. I’ve used blogs for my classes before, which does seem sensible, but I haven’t for a while because I’ve liked the additional functionality (especially password protection and ability to comment and give grades online) possible with Webboard or Blackboard and other systems, that essentially can do the blog things, plus more. I appreciate that blogs are more democratic and open, really I do, but that doesn’t trump, for me, the practicality of privacy for many of our educational activities. And I’ve learned to appreciate having fewer systems at work in any one class to minimize the chaos and time spent teaching a system…

]]> Comment on *Commenting on this Blog by reynoldw http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/16/commenting-on-this-blog/#comment-9 Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:32:40 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/16/commenting-on-this-blog/#comment-9 Thanks, Tom. I created a blog here at one point but never posted, so maybe I'll dig it up and play with the settings. Thanks, Tom. I created a blog here at one point but never posted, so maybe I’ll dig it up and play with the settings.

]]> Comment on Keeping up with new formats (and technology) by kinsella http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/keeping-up-with-new-formats-and-technology/#comment-8 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:03:21 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/keeping-up-with-new-formats-and-technology/#comment-8 As a graduate student I worked in the Rare Book Room at PENN. They had several large folio account books of the Medici family from the 16th & 17th centuries. Intriguingly, the accounts were in code. During the 1970s some smart grad student broke the code and wrote a computer script that allowed anyone to type in the code verbatim and receive a translation. The problem today is that the computer programing was done on punch cards. Last time I was in the Rare Book stacks the account books were lying on the shelves as they always have. Right next to them were the punch cards -- two relics from times past. As a graduate student I worked in the Rare Book Room at PENN. They had several large folio account books of the Medici family from the 16th & 17th centuries. Intriguingly, the accounts were in code. During the 1970s some smart grad student broke the code and wrote a computer script that allowed anyone to type in the code verbatim and receive a translation. The problem today is that the computer programing was done on punch cards. Last time I was in the Rare Book stacks the account books were lying on the shelves as they always have. Right next to them were the punch cards — two relics from times past.

]]> Comment on Keeping up with new formats (and technology) by kinsella http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/keeping-up-with-new-formats-and-technology/#comment-7 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:56:40 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/keeping-up-with-new-formats-and-technology/#comment-7 Just received a request from someone who would like to access material on 5 1/4 inch mac disks. Those disks haven't been in use (or at least a standard format) for perhaps 30 years. It won't be easy to access this info. Perhaps it won't be possible. Another example of the need for regular migration of files to new formats. The first computer I did a lot of work on was an <a href="http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=15" rel="nofollow">Xerox 820</a> with 8 inch floppy disks. I suppose I'd have to take those disks to a computer museum to try to read them. Just received a request from someone who would like to access material on 5 1/4 inch mac disks. Those disks haven’t been in use (or at least a standard format) for perhaps 30 years. It won’t be easy to access this info. Perhaps it won’t be possible. Another example of the need for regular migration of files to new formats.

The first computer I did a lot of work on was an Xerox 820 with 8 inch floppy disks. I suppose I’d have to take those disks to a computer museum to try to read them.

]]> Comment on *Commenting on this Blog by kinsella http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/16/commenting-on-this-blog/#comment-6 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:45:38 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/16/commenting-on-this-blog/#comment-6 Bill, this software has many different templates that quickly and easily change blog appearance. We'll show you that on Monday. What you are asking for, I believe, is dependent upon the template. This one does not give the author's name after posts (but it does after comments). If you look here, you'll see <a href="http://titania.stockton.edu/medieval/" rel="nofollow">a template that does give names</a>. At the moment, I haven't found a way to turn out the naming function in templates without it. Bob, do you know? Bill, this software has many different templates that quickly and easily change blog appearance. We’ll show you that on Monday.

What you are asking for, I believe, is dependent upon the template. This one does not give the author’s name after posts (but it does after comments). If you look here, you’ll see a template that does give names.

At the moment, I haven’t found a way to turn out the naming function in templates without it. Bob, do you know?

]]> Comment on *Commenting on this Blog by reynoldw http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/16/commenting-on-this-blog/#comment-5 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:16:40 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/16/commenting-on-this-blog/#comment-5 For those of you who have access to actually leave a post on the blog and not simply comment, is there an automatic function that would identify you as the author of the post? Since there are multiple facilitators leaving information on the blog, it would be helpful to know who's who. Thanks. (Bill Reynolds--not sure if the comment will automatically identify me.) For those of you who have access to actually leave a post on the blog and not simply comment, is there an automatic function that would identify you as the author of the post? Since there are multiple facilitators leaving information on the blog, it would be helpful to know who’s who. Thanks. (Bill Reynolds–not sure if the comment will automatically identify me.)

]]> Comment on Twitter in the Classroom by nancytdavis http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/twitter-in-the-classroom/#comment-4 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:56:28 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/twitter-in-the-classroom/#comment-4 I am a bit overwhelmed as i have learned so much and don't know where to start-podcasting or camtasia or aggregating!!! I am a bit overwhelmed as i have learned so much and don’t know where to start-podcasting or camtasia or aggregating!!!

]]> Comment on Twitter in the Classroom by heinricb http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/twitter-in-the-classroom/#comment-3 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:02:45 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/twitter-in-the-classroom/#comment-3 One benefit that Twitter brings to education is the ability to have content experts participate in a discussion within a class without actually having to be in the classroom. If an instructor wants to involve folks from the outside in a discussion all he/she needs to do is have them follow the discussion via the hashtag. I agree that the character limitation may necessitate multiple 'tweets' to share a long message or convey one's beliefs on a subject. The ease of updates from a variety of portable and mobile devices makes it very convenient and easy to contribute to the discussion without any additional authentication, client side tools, or HTML coding necessary. One benefit that Twitter brings to education is the ability to have content experts participate in a discussion within a class without actually having to be in the classroom. If an instructor wants to involve folks from the outside in a discussion all he/she needs to do is have them follow the discussion via the hashtag. I agree that the character limitation may necessitate multiple ‘tweets’ to share a long message or convey one’s beliefs on a subject. The ease of updates from a variety of portable and mobile devices makes it very convenient and easy to contribute to the discussion without any additional authentication, client side tools, or HTML coding necessary.

]]> Comment on Twitter in the Classroom by kinsella http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/twitter-in-the-classroom/#comment-2 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:05:54 +0000 http://titania.stockton.edu/techacad09/2009/06/15/twitter-in-the-classroom/#comment-2 Comments below are from John Carr, Stockton alum and one of my twitter buds (who first twittered them to me): "I can't envision Twitter as a useful tool in class, but it should mos def be studied. It could be good for announcements, I suppose. But for reactions to reading, I think it could be frustrating. I end up having lots of conversations on Twitter with friends regarding books, movies, TV, etc., but I frequently have to spread my reactions over multiple Tweets. If a class were using a hash tag to organize reactions, that makes for even less space in a given Tweet. And when I'm discussing with friends on Twitter, that's conversation among 3-4 people. Kick that up to 10-15 people and it could be difficult following anyone's line of thought if they have more than one Tweet worth of opinion. Of course, if you're just looking for one Tweet worth of reaction from everyone, save real thoughts for class, there might be value in that. However, it might be an interesting exercise for a creative writing class to tell a story in a given number of Tweets." Comments below are from John Carr, Stockton alum and one of my twitter buds (who first twittered them to me):

“I can’t envision Twitter as a useful tool in class, but it should mos def be studied.

It could be good for announcements, I suppose. But for reactions to reading, I think it could be frustrating. I end up having lots of conversations on Twitter with friends regarding books, movies, TV, etc., but I frequently have to spread my reactions over multiple Tweets. If a class were using a hash tag to organize reactions, that makes for even less space in a given Tweet.

And when I’m discussing with friends on Twitter, that’s conversation among 3-4 people. Kick that up to 10-15 people and it could be difficult following anyone’s line of thought if they have more than one Tweet worth of opinion. Of course, if you’re just looking for one Tweet worth of reaction from everyone, save real thoughts for class, there might be value in that.

However, it might be an interesting exercise for a creative writing class to tell a story in a given number of Tweets.”

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