Stephen’s Untold Stories

June 26th, 2007

New Interface for Google Docs & Spreadsheets

Sometimes all you need to say is “Wow.” I absolutely love the new interface they have put together. This will make it so much easier to keep up with my documents and the people I’ve shared them with. And just think that soon we will also be seeing presentations here!

newdoclist

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June 9th, 2007

Citizendium

Citizendium is a new Wiki created by the founders of Wikipedia. In order to post on Citizendium, you must use your real name in order to add “gentle expert oversight.” One of my assignment for one of my classes this summer is to join the site and work collaboratively on a project dealing with change in education. You actually have to apply for membership, so I hope I get accepted! :)

Update…I’m in!

citizendium

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February 20th, 2007

Laptop Troubles at Princeton

As someone who has recently returned to grad school, I must admit that I do take my laptop to class and try to use it appropriately. I will confess to veering off task a couple of times, but I have managed to get back on track quickly. I can see how the laptop could turn into a real distraction if I allowed it to be.

Anyway, it seems that the faculty at Princeton are having some problems with their students’ having laptops in class.

Technology may well turn out to be the new taboo on campus, as professors increasingly worry about laptops in lecture and other pitfalls of the 21st century.

Faculty members and technology experts debated the role of computers on campus yesterday, during the first Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) meeting of the new semester. CPUC and the Office and of Information Technology (OIT) have joined forces to form a Strategic Planning Initiative, which will attempt to address the various uses and misuses of technology in Princeton academics.

Nevertheless, the University recognizes the benefits of laptop access in lecture accompanying its various distractions. Leydon noted that laptops cannot be outlawed from the classroom but must be regulated in some way. “Students learn in many different ways, and we must learn to accommodate that,” she said. “We are certainly not, at this point, looking at a ban on laptop use.”

“The consensus seems to be that it has many deserving functions,” she added, “and our most likely path, if we are to take one at all, is to adopt something similar to an Honor Code in several years’ time — something to put onto course syllabi to remind students to refrain from using laptops during lecture for purposes beyond research of class material.”

Link to article

 

January 4th, 2007

Last Week of Freedom

Yes, this is it. As of next Thursday, I will be back in grad school to work on my doctorate. I am very excited, but I realize that it will be a great deal of work and time.

Here is a description of the program I’ll be in.

This semester I’ll be taking these classes:

  • EDL 8000 Foundations of Distributed Leadership for Learning
  • ITEC 8400 Instructional Design and Technology

I checked with the campus bookstore, and the cost for books will be a little over $100, which isn’t too bad at all.

Wish me luck!

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