Blurts

I have updated my Primer explaining the use of online services that are available to develop instructional content from existing online web pages and videos. The inexpensive resource explains the capabilities of these design services for adding elements to existing content so that the existing content is more appropriate for instructional use. The Primer explains how best to make use of the elements that can be added and provides tutorials on setting up and using these services. The Kindle book is available from Amazon.

More and more online content is being assigned as resources for learning. Designing Instruction Using Layering Services explores how prompts, annotations, highlights, questions and other adjunct devices can be added to existing online resources by both educators and learners to improve the understanding, application and retention of this content. This short ebook explains proven tactics for developing skill in the use of the recommended study strategies and identifies and explains the use of several existing online services for developing web pages and online video as instructional content. This book is focused on the use of these services in K12 classrooms.

I recently created a video briefly explaining how one of these design services works. Watching the video offers an example of the type of service covered in the Primer.

A VPN (virtual private network) protects awareness of your browsing activity between your computer and the site you are using. It is most important if you are concerned with awareness of your browsing activity in a public location (e.g., coffee shop) or object to your ISP from collecting and possible selling information about your browsing activity. Individuals regard external awareness of this personal information with different degrees of concern.

Mozilla has just announced a built in VPN you can use to secure your browsing history. The service will cost $5 a month after the initial “try it out” phase.

If you have heard the backstory of the Kahn Academy, Kahn discovered the same thing Bloom noted several decades ago. The best instruction is provided by a tutor. Mastery learning originated about the same time (Bloom’s Group Based Mastery, Keller’s Personalized System of instruction). It took this long for technology to offer a way to approximate this at scale.

I am spending the day watching the ND Governor’s Technology Innovation Summit. One of the guests was Scott McNealy. McNealy (sun Microsystems) is one of the wealthy tech entrepreneurs turning his attention to education. One of his first ventures was the OER sharing site Curriki. His new venture is a content creation tool Curriki Studio [product access]. This is a free service. McNealy promotes the new design environment as promoting more immersive experiences and intends the content developed to be deliverable within any standard LMS.

I can’t say I support McNealy’s politics which were on display during this presentation, but the tool he offers at no cost will likely appeal to educators wanting to create their own learning resources.