The recent ruling on net neutrality should be something we follow. I came across this “This Week in Google” podcast and thought Scott Ingram did a great job of explaining the issues and present standing of the issue. He mentioned an article he wrote for GigaOM on this topic and it also provides a great description.
It appears that the FCC may offer a plan to reinstate the neutrality requirement.
Forbes offers this interview exploring Edmodo with developer Nic Forbes.
“The Facebook of Education” … hmmm
Flat World Knowledge has announced that it is backing away from offering free online content (TechCrunch). I like the TechCrunch author’s analysis:
the world at large is coming back a bit from the overwhelming sense of entitlement to free content, and expectations are shifting. We’re moving to a time when publishers won’t be able to get away with charging $100 for a textbook, but there’s also mounting evidence that free isn’t exactly going to work either.
My preference with online content is to read rather than listen, but I realize others have a different preference. Wesley Fryer offers a nice list of what he considers useful education podcasts.
I got all excited about this post until my wife told me that this is some time off and what goes into the budget is not necessarily what happens.
President Obama expects to request new funding in the federal budget for the next fiscal year specifically to help teachers and administrators obtain professional development to help them make the transition to digital learning. Obama made the remarks during a talk he gave Feb. 4 a Buck Lodge Middle School in Maryland.
Some years ago the Department of Education sponsored a similar program for preservice teachers (PT3 – preparing tomorrows teachers to use technology). The program ran for several years and then was discontinued. I thought the PT3 program was productive. The issue of technology integration is complicated and while I think we understand many of the issues they are complicated to address. There are issues involving preparation, support, and priorities. Clearly, we have learned that using technology cannot be assumed to transfer to using technology in instruction or understanding the role of technology in learning. Preservice teachers moving into the work force appear to temporarily regress while focusing on other expectations they see as more important. Teachers report being pressured to deal with student performance expectations they are not comfortable with projects allowing student independence. There is even of the issue of whether these are genuine problems or excuses.
Here is another link which seems to imply some professional development money will be available immediately.
DO NOT PANIC! I am not claiming you are subject to attacks if you happen to be a Mac user. I do not know that this is the case.
The University of North Dakota just announced that Mac users will need to install virus software if they want to use the University network after Feb. 19. No specific threat was identified in the email. My assumption is that Mac users may pass on Windows viruses. This is kind of like asking everyone to get a flu shot even though some feel that they are not going to be harmed if they should get the flu. All can be carriers.
Mac users were recommended to use the free antivirus ClamXav.
I noticed that the install instructions asked that users back up first. I have had one issue playing with a previous version of ClamX. The virus protection found a virus in my downloaded email and messed up this email in removing the virus. As I understand the issue, email storage (at least at that time) is kind of a blob (sorry for the imprecise terminology) rather than easily differentiated files. Hence acting on the virus prevented me from using the client to access the email that had been downloaded to my computer.
I am encouraging my colleagues who do not run a backup program to purchase an external hard drive and use Time Machine.
