DiscoverEd

We all appreciate the many open educational resources available these days. However, finding these resources can sometimes be a time-consuming process. This new tool looks like it could be very useful!

DiscoverEd is an experimental project from ccLearn which attempts to provide scalable search and discovery for educational resources on the web.

Readability

Readability is a tool that instantly transforms any web page into something that is EASY to read. Is the text too small? Are there distracting graphics on the side? Click the readability button and all of that changes. This tweet from Clint Lalonde says it all:

I love Readability, esp for longer texts. Anything that strips away distraction is good for helping me tame my monkey mind.

Amazing Stories of Openness

Let's hear from you! In preparation for the Open Education conference in Vancouver, August 2009, Alan Levine (aka CogDog) is seeking amazing stories from YOU. They don't have to be huge multimedia projects -- just say a few words about something from your own experiences. Alan will even work with your to figure out the best way to share your story. Do it!

Check this wiki for all the details.

AACE Global U - Social Media Seminar Series

The first of the free, monthly AACE Global U - Social Media Seminar Series, facilitated by George Siemens and David Cormier, was held yesterday and attracted over 300 people. The recording is available here.

The full schedule and details are available on the AACE website. Here's the description:

Social media and emerging technologies are gaining increased attention for use in education. The list of tools grows daily.

Examples: blogs, wikis, Ning, podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, Second Life, cloud computing, surface computing, mobile learning, and so on.

"Social Media: Trends and Implications for Learning" will explore the impact of new technologies, research, and related projects.

What does it all mean? Do long term trends and change cycles exist in the constant change? What patterns are emerging?

And, perhaps most importantly, should academics and education leaders respond?

"Social Media" will explore emerging technological and related research trends from a perspective of social and networked learning theory.

Finding coherence in the midst of rapid changes is increasingly difficult. This monthly session will create a forum for educators to gather, present, and discuss the future impact of today's trends.

Exploring Networks of Communities

The July seminar discussion at SCoPE is one of my favourite topics, and facilitated by some of my favourite people! Exploring Networks of Communities runs July 6 - 24 with each week focusing on specific questions and issues and illustrated through case studies. The seminar is facilitated by Diego Leal, Project Manager for the Colombia National Program for ICT Use on Education in Higher Education, and John Smith, leader of CPsquare, the community of practice on communities of practice.

We're trying something a little different with this seminar -- it will be in both English and Spanish! (I predict Babelfish and other translation services will be getting a few hits over the next 3 weeks!)

These are the cases presentations we have lined up so far, scheduled for Monday of each week via Elluminate. The first case is scheduled for Monday, July 6 at 10:00 a.m. PDT (your time zone). Check the SCoPE forum description for up-to-date times and locations of all live sessions.

• Paul Stacey and Andrew Marchand, The Learn Together Collaboratory (English)
  
• Diego Leal, Colombia Ministry of Education project (Spanish)
  
• Nick Lothian, Education Network Australia (English)
  

Here is the description from the forum:

When does it make sense to have a network of communities? How do you go about supporting a network of communities? These are questions many of us are grappling with and we are finding there are many issues and challenges to consider! This 3-week seminar will be combined with weekly live "case study" sessions where we will hear from community leaders in higher education. Together we will explore the aspects and issues that can lead to a need for a network of communities based on these study cases and the practices of the participants. This is an initial exploration around this topic and we will identify new tasks, opportunities, and actions that emerge from the seminar.

All SCoPE events are facilitated by volunteers in the community and are free and open to the public. Registration is not required and you are welcome to participate according to your own your time and interest. Latecomers, newcomers, and passersby are always welcomed. All discussions and presentations are archived for future reference.

Please spread the word!

Effective Practices in a Digital Age

Effective Practices in a Digital Age was published this week by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) in the UK. This guide is intended for those in higher education seeking to understand how to better integrate technology into their teaching. The 60-page document is available for download at no cost. There is also an option to order a print version and accompanying videos and podcasts. It contains several useful case studies as well as practical learning design guidelines.

Thanks to Tony Bates for bringing this resource to our attention.