Wireless Definition
What exactly does wireless consist of?
March 01, 2006
February 26, 2006
The Smart Board
The SMART Board is a interactive, electronic whiteboard that is connected to a computer and a data projector. Once the computer image is projected on the board, the SMARTboard can be used as a computer. By just using your finger you can control the computer. Studies indicate that interactive whiteboards benefit student engagement, learner motivation and knowledge retention. The technology has also been successful in reaching students with a variety of learning styles, including those with special needs. And educators benefit too, enjoying better student involvement, streamlined lesson preparation and enhanced lesson materials.
Educators can use digital resources while maintaining dynamic interaction with the entire class. Interactive whiteboards allow computer-based learning without isolating students in front of individual computer screens. Their large, visible workspace encourages a higher level of student interaction in both teacher-directed and group-based exchanges.
Some students are intrinsically motivated to learn for its own rewards, but others require external motivations such as rewards or teacher-defined goals. Intrinsically motivated learers enjoy demonstrating their knowledge on the interactive whiteboard as a means of showcasing individual achievement. Interactive whiteboards are dynamic and compete successfully with student’s favorite consumer technologies (e.g., games, cell phones, MP3 players), helping keep students focused and on task.
Students’ ability to retain information is subject to several conditions, some of which are related to engagement and motivation in class. Successful retention is also aided by accurate review notes. Interactive whiteboards help make lessons memorable because students are more engaged and motivated in class. Different learning styles are accommodated by the technology, improving the chances of retention by all students.
*********Notes taken on the interactive whiteboard can be printed, e-mailed or saved, ensuring the entire class has access to accurate review material *************
The dynamic, highly visual nature of interactive whiteboards is a natural fit for all learning styles. It also helps students with a variety of special needs achieve their educational goals. Visual learners benefit from note-taking, diagramming and manipulating objects or symbols on the large screen. Kinesthetic and tactile learners can reinforce learning through exercises involving touch, movement and space on the interactive whiteboard. Deaf and hearing-impaired students gain from the ability to both see visuals on the screen and the simultaneous use of sign language. Visually impaired students with some vision ability can manipulate objects and text and participate in ways not possible on a small computer screen. Special needs students with physical challenges or behavioral issues benefit from the interactive whiteboard because, the large screen and touch-sensitive surface facilitate learning beyond standard keyboard-and-mouse applications, and it can also be used to promote good behavior.
Interactive whiteboards are easy for beginners to walk up and use, shortening lesson integration time. The technology motivates educators to incorporate and develop more digital and interactive resources into their lessons
Finally, notes and materials can be saved for review and used next class or next year.
Project - Based Learning
Project-based learning (PBL) is a model for classroom activity that shifts away from the classroom practices of short, isolated, teacher-centered lessons and instead emphasizes learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary, student-centered, and integrated with real world issues and practices.
One immediate benefit of practicing PBL is the unique way that it can motivate students by engaging them in their own learning. PBL provides opportunities for students to pursue their own interests and questions and make decisions about how they will find answers and solve problems.
PBL also provides opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Students apply and integrate the content of different subject areas at authentic moments in the production process, instead of in isolation or in an artificial setting.
PBL helps make learning relevant and useful to students by establishing connections to life outside the classroom, addressing real world concerns, and developing real world skills. Many of the skills learned through PBL are those desired by today's employer, including the ability to work well with others, make thoughtful decisions, take initiative, and solve complex problems.
In the classroom, PBL provides many unique opportunities for teachers to build relationships with students. Teachers may fill the varied roles of coach, facilitator, and co-learner. Finished products, plans, drafts, and prototypes all make excellent "conversation pieces" around which teachers and students can discuss the learning that is taking place.
In the school and beyond, PBL also provides opportunities for teachers to build relationships with each other and with those in the larger community. Student work-which includes documentation of the learning process as well as the students' final projects-can be shared with other teachers, parents, mentors, and the business community who all have a stake in the students' education.
The multimedia component gives students opportunities to use various technologies effectively as tools in the planning, development, or presentation of their projects. Though the technology can easily become the main focus of a given project, the real strength of the multimedia component lies in its integration with the subject curriculum and its authentic use in the production process.
With its innovative approach to learning, PBL also requires an innovative approach to assessment. Just as learning is an ongoing process, assessment can be an ongoing process of documenting that learning. PBL requires varied and frequent assessment, including teacher assessment, peer assessment, self-assessment, and reflection. Assessment practices should also be inclusive and well understood by students, allowing them opportunities to participate in the assessment process in ways not typically supported by more traditional teacher-centered lessons.
Instant Messenging
"Snail mail" has long been on a decline since the popularity of email took over the virtual market. Though much more accessible than the post office, email is facing its own competition from instant messaging software, produced by companies such as Yahoo, Google, and AOL. These companies are among the world's leading virtual giants, and all offer their own version of an instant messenger.
One of the basic advantages of an instant messenger over e-mail is that you can immediately see the online status of the people you're trying to reach by looking at your "buddy" list, a menu of users with whom you communicate. No more wondering if your e-mail has reached the recipient, or if the recipient is currently accessing e-mail.
Since you can see which buddies, or users, are online, you're more likely to get an immediate response from them. In this way, instant messaging is almost like a rolling conversation, becoming a faster and more spontaneous way to communicate compared to sending one-line e-mail messages back and forth. And it may be less intrusive than a phone call.
Disadvantages of this communication include lack of privacy and security. It is very easy for someone to get your personal information (though newer versions of IM software give you stricter security options). Instant messaging is the biggest distraction among students who use computer technology in schools. Some case studies even describe online messaging to be an addictive behavior. Frequent use of this technology at home and in the classroom has led to an unfortunate trend of virtual bullying. Despite these disadvantages, instant messgaing can be a useful tool for educators. With propoer supervision and implementation, students can use IM software to enrich classroom discussion and extend the boundaries of the classroom environment.
Piconets
To further reading about what a piconet is....
Wiki
The name "Wiki" comes from the Hawaiian word for "quick," and the term is generally attributed to Ward Cunningham, who, in 1995 set out to create "the simplest database that would work."
AudiSee
The AudiSee is a technological breakthrough in assistive listening devices. 
Webquest
WebQuest is "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing."
Modding
Modding is a slang expression for the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software to perform a function not intended by someone with legal rights concerning that modification.
WebCT and Blackboard
It is a web based platform for blended learning.
Cisco Certificate Program
I am going to introduce "CCP(Cisco Certificate Program) again with my tech-presentation file.
If you are willing to develop your mid-term examples with my resource, please click here and download it.
February 25, 2006
LAN and WAN
The more I study about computer network, the more I am getting counfused about basic concept of LAN and WAN.
So, I am going to take this good opportunity and try to cofirm my knowledge again by defining its difference.
LAN: It is a high-speed data network that covers a relatively small geographic area. It typically connects workstations, personal computers, printers, servers, and other devices. LANs offer computer users many advantages, including shared access to devices and applications, file exchange between connected users, and communication between users via electronic mail and other applications.
WAN: It is a data communications network that covers a relatively broad geographic area and that often uses transmission facilities provided by common carriers, such as telephone companies. WAN technologies generally function at the lower three layers of the OSI (Open System Interface) reference model; the physical layer(the 1st layer), the data link layer(the 2nd layer), and the network layer(the 3rd layer).
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So, now you can figure out which technology does the "Dial-up service" belong to between LAN and WAN !!! |
Digital Planbooks
Anything to assit teachers in keeping their sanity is welcome!
Educational Portals
This has the potiental to have an integral part of a classroom, if used properly.
Ubiquitous Computing
Ubiqitous computing is the idea of computers being everywhere at the same time.
February 24, 2006
Webquests
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. Most WebQuests include the links that are appropriate for students to research as well as suggestions for further research. They are generally constructed around a scenario of interest to students. Traditionally they have an introduction, a process, a task, a list of resources, a conclusion, and an evaluation. Click here for more information.
Discovery Learning
Discovery learning has various definitions. The learner "makes sense" of the tools and information that are needed to solve a problem. On the other end of the spectrum, discovery learning is defined as "the expository teaching model of discovery learning where the learner "discovers" what the teacher decides he is to discover using a process prescribed by the teacher." Click here for more information.
Podcasting
Podcasting is a term used to describe a combination of hardware and software used to distribute audio and video content online. Anyone with access to the internet and the capability of playing audio files on a computer or any portable media device can listen to podcasts. These podcasts are audio and video recordings that are made available through an online subscription for use on a computer or portable media player. Click here for more information about podcasting.
February 23, 2006
Open Source Technologies
Refers to software that is created by a development community rather than a single vendor. Typically programmed by volunteers from many organizations, the source code of open source software is free and available to anyone who would like to use it or modify it for their own purposes. This allows an organization to add a feature itself rather than hope that the vendor of a proprietary product will implement its suggestion in a subsequent release.
More Information
Server
Definition of Server
Social Networking
Definition of Social Networking
Social Software
Social software enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and to form online communities.
Broadly conceived, this term could encompass older media such as mailing lists and Usenet, but some would restrict its meaning to more recent software genres such as blogs and wikis. Others suggest that the term social software is best used not to refer to a single type of software, but rather to the use of two or more modes of computer-mediated communication to engage in community formation.[1] In this view, people form online communities by combining one-to-one (e.g., email and instant messaging), one-to-many (Web pages and blogs), and many-to-many (wikis) communication modes.[2] In many online communities, real life meetings become part of the communication repertoire. The more specific term collaborative software applies to cooperative work systems.
More Information
movable type
Movable Type is a proprietary blog publishing system developed by California-based Six Apart. It is widely used, and supports most popular weblogging features, including user accounts, comments, TrackBacks, categories, and themes, and is extensible through a large library of third-party plug-ins. (The TrackBack feature was actually originated by Six Apart, and version 2.2 of Movable Type was the first weblog publishing software to include support for it.) Movable Type is free of charge for a single author, and paid licenses are available
More information
February 18, 2006
Distributed Classes
Distributed classes is a term associated with Distance Learning Education.
Workgroup Computing
Workgroup software allows many people to work on a document or project at the same time.
Centralized Software Management
A great benefit exist when installing a network in schools. This benefit is being able to have a centralized software management system.
February 17, 2006
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)
Virtual Learning Environments are web-based tools designed to support, manage, and in some cases, replace the traditional teaching and learning process within one single software environment. The VLE provides three different user levels—student, tutor, and administrator—which each level allowing more access to the environment. The VLE can offer a combination of the following facilities: the delivery of course materials and information; student-tutor and student-student communication tools. Student self-assessment and automated feedback, as well as tutor monitored automatic marking. Student progress tracked by tutors; individual and group profile statistics and management; support tools such as electronic diaries and calendars; collaborative group work areas, cross modular access and access to on-line materials.
Shilesky, M. S., & Casey, R. (n.d.). Web-based learning and teaching in e-commerce. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from , Southern Association for Information Systems Web site: http://sais.aisnet.org/sais2004/.%5CShilesky%20&%20Casey.pdf
Blog
A blog would fit under COMMUNITY for this project.
Blog is short for weblog. A weblog is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the Web site. A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.
A blog entry typically consists of the following:
Title - main title of the post,
Body - main content of the post,
Permalink - the URL of the full, individual article,
Post Date - date and time the post was published
A blog entry optionally includes the following:
Comments - comments added by readers
Category (or tags) - category the post is labeled with (optional, multiple categories possible)
Trackback - links to other sites that refer to the entry
A blog site typically contains:
Blogroll - other blogs that the blog author reads/affiliates with
We have been using blogs in our class to communicate with each other. Our blog is our community.
Wikipedia (n.d.). Blog--Wikipedia. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from , Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Portals
A web portal is a web site that provides a starting point or gateway to other resources on the Internet or an intranet. Intranet portals are also known as enterprise information portals (EIP). The building blocks of portals are portlets, which contain portions of content published using markup languages such as HTML. Portals typically provide personalized capabilities to their users. They are designed to use distributed applications, different numbers and types of middleware, and hardware to provide services from a number of different sources. In addition, business portals are designed to share collaboration in workplaces. A further business-driven requirement of portals is that the content be able to work on multiple platforms such as personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cell phones.
Answers.com (n.d.). Dictionary: Portal. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from , Answers Corporation Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/web-portal
February 16, 2006
Marc's Blue Tooth Presentation
February 15, 2006
More resources of cabling in School N/W
When I was reading again "School Network" sites, I came to want to add some information about cabling.
Specially, I would like to talk more about "Category 6 cable."
Continue reading "More resources of cabling in School N/W" »
January 19, 2006
Discussion Board vs. Blog
These are the two definitions of a Discussion Board and Blog.
LAN vs WAN
Know the difference from the Network Guide article:
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/network/chap1/chap1.htm
RJ11 & RJ45
RJ11: It is phone connector. Currently, it is still using with Modulation and Demodulation Device.
RJ45: It is typical ethernet connector using with Cat5 and Cat6 cable. It can support up to 100Mbps with Cat5 cable and 1Gbps with Cat6 cable.
802.11
Wireless technologies forthcoming...