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Strange name, useful web app. Mojiti allows you to annotate videos from variety of sources, including YouTube and Google Video. This could be very useful for peer reviewing and even for remixing other people’s content to suit what you’re doing with your particular students!

Posted: April 30th, 2007
Categories: Education
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(click on images to play videos)

People (especially family) keep asking for videos of Ben, so instead of clogging up email inboxes, here’s a short video of him on his new bouncer. £10 off eBay – bargain…

He hasn’t quite got the hang of yet but you can see his progress: the first video is from last week whereas the second is today. Being a Belshaw, he’s learning quickly! (more…)

Posted: April 29th, 2007
Categories: Everything Else
Tags: Ben, Benjamin Belshaw, video
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I don’t like my websites to look exactly the same as everyone else’s (or even like one another!). But nor, should I imagine, does anyone really. It all comes down to coding skills and having the ability to hack together a WordPress theme the way you want it. (more…)

Posted: April 26th, 2007
Categories: Everything Else
Tags: generator, Hemingway, themes, Wordpress
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I’ve added a few more pictures of Benjamin D.J. Belshaw to his Flickr photoset. I don’t want to overload everyone with photos, but he is very cute. (more…)

Posted: April 26th, 2007
Categories: Everything Else
Tags: Ben, Benjamin Belshaw, Flickr, photos
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A post at Tony Vincent’s excellent Learning in Hand blog has informed me of a new ‘game’ for Apple iPods entitled iQuiz. This $0.99 (£0.75) game allows you to view and play quizzes on a 5th generation iPod (known as ‘iPod Video’). Fortunately I have one of these and was able to test it. My verdict? It rocks: really professionally made, very intuitive and could be great to use with students!

There’s immense possibilities for this. I’ve recently added a whole host of iPod-formatted video and audio files to a password-protected page on my website for students. As I will be able to create games for free at iQuizMaker.com (currently Mac-only, but with a Windows version forthcoming) this opens up even more opportunities…

(click to enlarge)

More at the Apple Learning Interchange

Posted: April 26th, 2007
Categories: Education
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(click to enlarge)

…is the name of a great Daft Punk track, but also my aim in getting fit for this 10km (6.4 mile) ‘dash’ that I’ve signed up for in June. Today I went for a run and, to my surprise, went further than I had anticipated going. According to Google Earth, I went 5.01 miles! Now to many people, I’m sure, that’s nothing, but for me on a Sunday afternoon at my current level of fitness, that’s pretty good.

Just imagine how far I’ll be able to go when I finally get the Nike+ system up-and-running… (more…)

Posted: April 22nd, 2007
Categories: Everything Else
Tags: Daft Punk, Google Earth, Nike+, running, That-thing-they-call-exercise
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According to BBC News, Wikipedia are to start putting articles on CD and selling them for offline at $13.99 (£7). Whilst this is probably good news for third world countries (charities might foot the bill) if you want to do something similar yourself, I’d recommend doing it for free with Webaroo…

Posted: April 22nd, 2007
Categories: Education
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As promised earlier, here’s the bibliography for my Ed.D. thesis proposal. This might prove handy for those looking to read up on the areas of 21st century literacy, what it means to be ‘educated’ in the 21st century, and how educational technology has impacted schools.

• Abbott, J. & Ryan, T. (2000) The Unfinished Revolution: learning, human behaviour, community and political paradox
• Abbott, C. (2001) ICT: changing education
• Anderson, L.W. & Krathwohl, D.R. (eds.) (2001) A taxonomy of learning, teaching, and assessment: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives
• Aviram, A. (2000) ‘From “Computers in the Classroom” to mindful radical adaptation by education system to the emerging cyber culture’ (Journal of Educational Change, 1)
• Barton, D. & Hamilton, M. (2000) ‘Literacy Practices’ (in Barton, D., Hamilton, M. & Ivanic, R. (eds.), Situated Literacies: reading and writing in context)
• Beavis, C. (1988) ‘Computer games, culture and curriculum’ (in I. Snyder (ed.), Page to Screen: taking literacy into the electronic era)
• Bigum, C. (2002) ‘Design Sensibilities, Schools and the New Computing and Communication Technologies’ (in I. Snyder (ed.), Silicon Literacies: Communication, Innovation and Education in the Electronic Age)
• Blacker, D. & J. McKie, J. (2003) ‘Information and Communication Technology’ (in N. Blake, et al. (eds.), The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education)
• Bottino, R.M. (2001) ‘Advanced Learning Environments’ (in M. Ortega & J. Bravo (eds.), Computers and Education: towards an interconnected society)
• Burnett, R. (2002) Technology, Learning and Visual Culture (in I. Snyder (ed.), Silicon Literacies: Communication, Innovation and Education in the Electronic Age)
• Burniske, R.W. & Monke, L. (2001) Breaking Down the Digital Walls: learning to teach in a post-modem world
• Carneiro, R. (2002) ‘The New Frontiers of Education’ (in UNESCO, Learning Throughout Life: challenges for the twenty-first century)
• Carr, D. (2003) Making Sense of Education: an introduction to the philosophy and theory of education and teaching
• Chaiklin, S. (2002) ‘A Developmental Teaching Approach to Schooling’ (in G. Wells & G. Claxton (eds.), Learning for Life in the 21st Century)
• Claxton, G. (2002) ‘Education for the Learning Age: A Sociocultural Approach to Learning to Learn’ (in G. Wells & G. Claxton (eds.), Learning for Life in the 21st Century)
• Conlon (2000) ‘Visions of Change’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 31:2)
  Conlon & Simpson, (2003) ‘Silicon Valley versus Silicon Glen: the impact of computers upon teaching and learning: a comparative study’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 34:2)
• Cornu, B. (1995) ‘New technologies: integration into education’ (in D. Watson & D. Tinsley (eds.), Integrating Information Technology into Education)
• Cromer, A. (1997) Connected Knowledge: Science, Philosophy, and Education
• Cuban, L. (1986) Teachers and Machines: the classroom use of technology since 1920
• Davis N., et al. (1997) ‘Can quality in learning be enhanced through the use of IT?’ (in B. Somekh, G. Whitty & R. Coveney, IT and the politics of institutional change)
• Davis, A. & Williams, K. (2003) ‘Epistemology and Curriculum’ (in N. Blake, et al. (eds.), The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education
• Delors, J. (1996a) ‘The Four Pillars of Education’, in (J. Delors (ed.), Learning: The Treasure Within)
• Delors, J. (1996b) ‘Choices for Education: the political factor’ (in J. Delors (ed.), Learning: The Treasure Within)
• Delors, J. (1996c) ‘Education: the necessary Utopia’ in (J. Delors (ed.), Learning: The Treasure Within)
• Delors, J. (1996d) ‘Teachers in Search of New Perspectives’ in (J. Delors (ed.), Learning: The Treasure Within)
• Demetriadis, et al. (2003) ‘ Cultures in negotiation’: teachers’ acceptance/resistance attitudes considering the infusion of technology into schools’ (Computers & Education, 41)
• Doll, W.E. Jr. (1993) A Post-modern perspective on curriculum
• Dunn, S. & V. Morgan (1987) The Impact of the Computer on Education: a course for teachers
• Eraut, M. (1991) Education and the Information Society: a challenge for European policy
• Eyman, D. (working paper, undated) Digital Literac(ies), Digital Discourses, and Communities of Practice: Literacy Practices in Virtual Environments
• Fisher, C. (2007) – ‘A New Language’ (http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2007/03/a_new_language.ht)
• Friedman, T.L. (2005) The World is Flat: the globalized world in the twenty-first century
• Glaser, R. (1999) ‘Expert Knowledge and Processes of Thinking’ (in R. McCormick & C. Paechter (eds.), Learning and Knowledge)
• Golby, M. (1990) ‘The Multiple Functions of Education’ (in N. Entwistle (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Educational Ideas and Practices
• Grossman, P.L. & Stodolsky, S.S. (1999) ‘Content as Context: the role of school subjects in secondary school teaching’ (in R. McCormick & C. Paechter (eds.), Learning and Knowledge)
• Haymore Sandholtz, I & Ringstaff, C. (1996) ‘Teacher Change in Technology-Rich Classrooms’ (in C. Fisher, D.C. Dwyer & K. Yocam (eds.), Education and Technology: reflections on computing in classrooms)
• Hoban, G.F. (2002) Teacher Learning for Educational Change: a systems thinking approach
• Hogan, P. & Smith, R. (2003) ‘The Activity of Philosophy and the Practice of Education’ (in N. Blake, et al. (eds.), The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education)
• Imison, T. & Taylor, P. (2001) Managing ICT in the Secondary School
• Johnson, Eilda, J. (1998) ‘Living on the surface: learning in the age of global communication networks’ (in I. Snyder (ed.), Page to Screen: taking literacy into the electronic era)
• Kapitzke (2000) ‘Information Technology as Cultural Capital’ (Education and Information Technology, 5:1)
• Kellner, D.M. (2002) ‘Technological Revolution, Multiple Literacies, and the Restructuring of Education’ (in I. Snyder (ed.), Silicon Literacies: communication, innovation and education in the electronic age)
• Kenway (1996) ‘The Information Superhighway and Post-modernity’ (Comparative Education, 32:2)
• Kerr (2005) ‘Why we all want it to work: towards a culturally based model for technology and educational change’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 36:6,)
• Lemke, J.L. (2002) ‘Becoming the Village: Education Across Lives’ (in G. Wells & G. Claxton (eds.), Learning for Life in the 21st Century)
• Levin, B. & Riffel, J.A. (1997) Schools and the Changing World: struggling toward the future
• Machlup, F. (1962) Knowledge production and distribution in the United States
• Martin, A. (2003) ‘Towards e-literacy’ (in A. Martin & H. Rader (eds.), Information and IT literacy: enabling learning in the 21st century)
• McCormick, R. (1999) ‘Practical Knowledge: A View from the Snooker Table’ (in R. McCormick & C. Paechter (eds.), Learning and Knowledge)
• McFarlane, A. (1997)? ‘…and where might we end up?’ (in A. McFarlane (ed.), Information Technology and Authentic Learning: realising the potential of computers in the primary classroom)
• Meyerson, D. & Martin, J. (1997) ‘Cultural Change: an integration of three different views’ (in A. Harris, N. Bennett & M. Preedy (eds.), Organizational Effectiveness and Improvement in Education)
• Muller, J. (2000) Reclaiming Knowledge: social theory, curriculum and education policy
• Newton, L. (2003) ‘Management and the use of ICT in subject teaching’ (in Selwood, Find & O’Mahony (eds.), Management of Education in the Information Age: the role of ICT)
• Nichol & Watson (2003) ‘Editorial: Rhetoric & reality: the present and future of ICT in education’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 34:2)
• OECD (1994) The Curriculum Redefined: schooling for the 21st century
• OECD (2001) Learning to Change: ICT in Schools
• Okan (2003) ‘Edutainment: is learning at risk?’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 34:3)
• Papert, S. (1980) Mindstorms: children, computers, and powerful ideas
• Papert, S. (1993) The Children’s Machine: rethinking school in the age of the computer
• Phillips, J. (200) Contested Knowledge: a guide to critical theory
• Postman, N. (1993), cited by R.W. Burniske & L. Monke, Breaking Down the Digital Walls: learning to teach in a post-modem world (2001: 21)
• Provenzo, E.F. Jr., Brett, A. & McCloskey, G.N. (1999) Computers, Curriculum, and Cultural Change: an introduction for teachers
• Reffell, P. (2003) ‘IT Skills are not enough’ (in A. Martin & H. Rader (eds.), Information and IT literacy: enabling learning in the 21st century
• Robinson, B. (1997) ‘Getting Ready to Change: the place of change theory in the information technology education of teachers’ (in D. Passey & B. Samways (eds.), Information Technology: supporting change through teacher education)
• Rodr?guez Illera, J.L. (2004) ‘Digital Literacies’ (Interactive Educational Multimedia, number 9 (November 2004), pp. 48-62)
• Roszak, T. (1986) The Cult of Information: the folklore of computers and the true art of thinking
• Rushby (2005) ‘Editorial: where are the new paradigms?’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 36:3)
• Sanger, J. (2001)? ‘ICT, the demise of UK schooling and the rise of the individual learner’ (in A. Loveless & V. Ellis (eds.), ICT, Pedagogy and the Curriculum: subject to change)
• Schofield, J.W. (1995) Computers and Classroom Culture
• Siemens, G. (2004) ‘A Learning Theory for the Digital Age’ (http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm)
• Snyder, I. (2001) ‘Hybrid Vigour’: Reconciling the verbal and the visual in electronic communication (in A. Loveless & V. Ellis (eds.), ICT, Pedagogy and the Curriculum: subject to change)
• Snyder, I. (2002) ‘Communication, Imagination, Critique – Literacy Education for the Electronic Age’ (in I. Snyder (ed.), Silicon Literacies: communication, innovation and education in the electronic age)
• Somekh, B. (1997) ‘Towards effective learning with new technology resources: the role of teacher education in reconceptualising the relationship between task setting and student learning in technology-rich classrooms’ (in D. Passey & B. Samways (eds.), Information Technology: supporting change through teacher education)
• Somekh, B. (2000) ‘New Technology and Learning: policy and practice in the UK, 1980-2010′ (Education and Information Technology, 5:1)
• Stetsenko, A. & Arievitch, I. (2002) ‘Teaching, Learning, and Development: A Post-Vygotskian Perspective’ (in G. Wells & G. Claxton, Learning for Life in the 21st Century)
• Stoll Dalton, S. & Tharp, R.G. (2002) ‘Standards for Pedagogy: Research, Theory and Practice’ (in G. Wells & G. Claxton, Learning for Life in the 21st Century)
• Stonier, T. & Conlin, C. (1985) The Three C’s: children, computers, communication
  Sutherland & InterActive Project Team (2004) Designs for Learning: ICT and knowledge in the classroom (Computers & Education, 43)
• Tearle (2003) ‘ICT implementation: what makes the difference?’ (British Journal of Educational Technology, 34:5)
• Tiffin, J. & Rajasingham, L. (2003) The Global Virtual University
• Town, J.S. (2003) ‘Information Literacy: definition, measurement, impact’ (in A. Martin & H. Rader (eds.), Information and IT literacy: enabling learning in the 21st century)
• Tuman, M. (1992) Word Perfect: literacy in the computer age
• Underwood, J.D.M. & Underwood, G. (1990) Computers and Learning: helping children acquire thinking skills
• UNESCO (1994) The Plurality of Literacy and its Implications for Policies and Programmes
• Willis, P. (1990) Common Culture
• Yip, C.T., Cheung, P.S. & C. Sze, C. (2004) Towards a Knowledge-creating School: a research project on paradigm shift of teaching and learning in IT education

Apologies for the lack of italicization of the titles, but it didn’t carry over from my Word document and it’s a bit of an ask to go through all of those by hand…

Posted: April 22nd, 2007
Categories: Thesis
Tags: Ed.D., references, Research, Thesis
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I’ve finally finished my Ed.D. thesis proposal! I shall be sending it off this week to be ripped to shreds. But hey, I’ve only got to pass the module – the real work starts in the summer…

If anyone fancies reading 6,000 words on what I intend to do with the spare moments of my life over the next 2/3 years, feel free to read it here. I shall post my bibliography separately online, as it may be useful for others when searching Google, etc.

Posted: April 22nd, 2007
Categories: Thesis
Tags: Ed.D., Google Docs, proposal, references, Thesis
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Hannah’s laptop was running Windows XP and I had a spare copy of Windows Vista Ultimate lying around (a legitimate version, thank you very much!) so I decided to install it. Unfortunately, unlike the wonderful easy-to-use world of the Mac, things weren’t exactly straightforward on her Lenovo 3000 N100. So this post is to document what worked for those in the same boat.

One would think that installing the System Update software from Lenovo would do the trick, but oh no… After downloading c.500MB and restarting, the hard disk started churning away and the wireless LAN card wasn’t recognised. And the sound still didn’t work! So a quick System Restore later and a return to the Lenovo support website beckoned. (more…)

Posted: April 21st, 2007
Categories: Technology
Tags: downloads, drivers, Lenovo, sound, support, update, Windows Vista
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