Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 7, 2015.#884 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.56,973 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 817 Colleagues Now Registered! 1. Sway, Microsoft’s Beyond PowerPoint Alternative.2. Skills for Learning Teams - Data Analytics.3. Allegiance - Our Show Comes to Broadway.4. Global MeetUps at Learning 2015. 1. Sway, Microsoft’s Beyond PowerPoint Alternative: There is a new product from Microsoft that we have been experimenting with: Sway.  It is designed as an alternative and future model for building content, presentations and document sharing with face to face and distributed audiences. Check it out at: http://www.fastcompany.com/3049484/app-economy/microsoft-sway We have been impressed in our experiments in the MASIE Center Learning LAB at the flexibility and agility in merging presentations, documents, media and more.  Microsoft has made special efforts to engage educators - in both schools and work settings - to help shape Sway.  Personally, I love the title - as one would never say that PowerPoint Embraced Swaying :) 2. Skills for Learning Teams - Data Analytics: If there was one skill that I would add to your Learning Time - it would be Data Analytics. This would include these abilities and competencies: * Structure Big and Personal Data Collection Models for Learning.* Leverage the Data Collection of Learning Management Systems.* Integrate Data Analytics with Design and Assessment.* Interface with Corporate Data Groups to Represent and Connect Learning Efforts.* Bridge the Data Collection Efforts to Workplace and Performance Settings. Ideally, our Higher Education programs in Learning & Development would add Data Analytics as both a skillset and certification for new graduates. The field needs them! 3. Allegiance - Our Show Comes to Broadway: MASIE Productions is proud to be a Producer for the upcoming Broadway show Allegiance, which stars George Takei, Lea Selonga and Telly Leung.  We have been involved with this show for many years - and we are so excited to announce it will start Previews on October 6th and open on November 8th. We are starting our rehearsals in 3 weeks on August 24th. I wanted to share several elements of our significant involvement in Allegiance: * Catch a Video of George Takei & Allegiance: http://tinyurl.com/nqak5ja* Tickets to Allegiance: http://allegiancemusical.com/ In addition, if any colleagues are interested in becoming more involved in Broadway Production of shows like Allegiance, send a note to MASIE Productions at elliott@masie.com I will share some of our learnings as we bring this very powerful and cool show to life on Broadway. 4. Global MeetUps at Learning 2015: We are honored that we have many colleagues attending Learning 2015 (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando, FL) from international locations. We are creating a series of Global MeetUps for learning colleagues from global locations to connect - and for organizations that are building global learning efforts to discuss shared challenges and approaches. If you are interesting in helping to organize some of the Global MeetUps, please send a note to emily@masie.com Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015 MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 17, 2015.#885 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.56,989 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 859 Colleagues Now Registered! 1. Press a Button - Buy a Product - Access Learning?2. Hilton Worldwide & American Express CLOs.3. Cursive Skills Evaporate? 1. Press a Button - Buy a Product - Access Learning? Amazon has been experimenting with small, wireless buttons that can be hung or pasted in your home. Each button has the brand label of a company - for example Tide or Gillette - and is mapped to your Amazon account and a specific product that you use on a regular basis. For example, I can press the Gillette button and in about 5 seconds I have ordered my next shipment of razor blades. So, rather than go on a phone or computer to access Amazon, these one-press buttons encourage regularized ordering. These are one variety in the "Internet of Things" evolution. Amazon calls these Dash Buttons and you can check out their offering at: http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=10667898011&lo=digital-text We have been experimenting with these buttons in our LAB and are brainstorming how the button technology could be applied to Learning, Support and Knowledge in the workplace. Imagine that they could be applied throughout a factory or technical environment where a button push sent key content or video segments to a screen nearby or directly to your phone. Imagine if they were part of an Onboarding or Orientation tour and were used to trigger engagement or add to a Gamification element. Buttons like this are new and, based on our own staff conversations, mildly controversial. We will be exploring the wide range of Push to Learn technologies in the months ahead. 2. Hilton Worldwide & American Express CLOs: I am totally honored to be featuring two of the most innovative Chief Learning Officers at Learning 2015 (Nov 1 to 4, Orlando): - Kimo Kippen, Hilton Worldwide CLO: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/kimo-kippen.html- David Clark, American Express CLO: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/david-clark.html Kimo and David are amazing learning leaders and have deep experience in corporate workplace settings as well as Government and Social Services. We will feature each of them at one of our Learning 2015 General Sessions as we explore the opportunities and challenges of scaling learning in a global organization. Learning 2015 information at: http://www.learning2015.com 3. Cursive Skills Evaporate? A personal confession - my ability to write in Cursive is almost gone. Several times a month, I have to write a greeting card or note, and the look and feel of my Cursive writing is embarrassing. I even occasionally try to put the greeting card into the printer so I can use a Cursive Script Font to pretend. I would like to ask each of my Learning TRENDS readers to take a personal quick test. Write three lines of text in Cursive. And, send me a quick note (via email to emasie@masie.com) with an update on your own Cursive writing skills. What’s happened, why and what is it telling us about shifting skills in the age of technology and texting? Yours in learning, Elliott MasieHost, Learning 2015 MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida. Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

Leonard Low University of Canberra, November 2009 ABSTRACT: Since July 2007 there have been more mobile phones in operation in Australia than there are people; and when you add in the other mobile, digital devices that ordinary Australians own - such as media players, digital cameras, and portable computing devices - it is apparent that there are tremendous tools for personal and lifelong learning in the pockets of our students.  Unfortunately, there is an equally enormous mental rift between the way these devices are perceived by most users (who usually view these devices as being for entertainment or personal communications only), and the way they need to be perceived if they are to be used to their ultimate potential: as digital "pocket knives" of tools for creation and learning.  This paper draws a comparison with personal computer users who view computers as primarily an entertainment or communications device; discusses user resistance to the intrusion of "work" into their "personal" spaces; and makes the case that changing user attitudes is just as important as training user skills, if we want to unleash the hidden power of ubiquitous mobile devices for personal and lifelong learning. Author’s Notes Educators have contemplated the possible benefits of using mobile technologies for learning for decades, and hundreds of scholarly articles have been published in recent years on the potential affordances of mobile devices for facilitating, supporting, and enhancing learning. With so much interest, speculation and research into the use of mobile devices for learning, and with such broad availability and affordability of mobile devices, why hasn’t there been a corresponding surge in the use of these devices in educational contexts?  Why aren’t students already using their mobile devices for personal and lifelong learning? Two dominant strategies have emerged in relation to ownership of digital devices for mobile learning: one in which a uniform set of devices is provided to all learners to overcome barriers of platform diversity and device access, on a temporary or permanent basis; and an alternative strategy which leverages the mobile devices already owned by students (regardless of interoperability) for learning activities.  I believe there are problems with both strategies - problems which currently present psychological barriers to the adoption of mobile devices as learning tools, despite their many affordances. In the first instance, a school or institution may provide, sell, or direct students to purchase a particular mobile device, for example, an Apple iPhone, for the purpose of study.  In cases where devices are loaned to students on a temporary basis, students generally have very little time to develop proficiency or fluency in the use of the device.  Better outcomes are evident in cases where students are allowed to retain devices for longer periods of time to develop proficiency and personalise devices to suit individual usage preferences, but the expense of buying these "standard" devices (either for the organisation, or for the student) can make this strategy difficult to implement. In the second scenario, an educator may draw on the mobile tools that students already own.  One major difficulty with this approach is the wide range of mobile devices owned by students, which are as divergent in capabilities for communications and networking, media playback and capture, and application customisation as you can imagine.  However the perceived advantage with this approach is that it allows students to use the tools they are already most familiar with for the purpose of learning. This paper looks at this particular issue - the use of personal mobile devices for learning - and posits that the "personal" nature of these devices is a double-edged sword: it improves flexibility and reduces cost of participation, but at the risk of students feeling like learning is imposing on their "personal spaces". TBC…

Back in 2006, I made some predictions about where mobile learning might be heading, including the use of augmented reality or "Heads Up" data displays to provide information on a learner’s environment and allow learning "in situ,".  Augmented reality has recently really taken off during 2009, with a number of apps on various GPS-enabled mobile phones (notably the iPhone) providing information layered over a camera view of the world; one example of this is the Layar application. I also predicted the use of image recognition that would effectively enable "visual searches" of objects and images in the real world (and indeed, I reiterated this belief in a comment just yesterday on Stephen Downes’ blog).  Want to know more information on that bridge over there?  No worries!  Just point your camera at it, and image recognition will provide some suggestions on appropriate websites to look at. When I blogged that idea, however, I’m not sure I expected this technology to actually become available quite so fast.  Today, Google announced a new beta application they’ve coined "Google Goggles".  And guess what?  Their concept illustrations even features a bridge as the subject of their illustrated example - even if it is an American one rather than an Australian one. The official Google site for the project (which is still in development) provides a number of ways Goggles can be used to accomplish a "visual search", including landmarks, books, contact information, artwork, places, logos, and even wine labels (which I anticipate could go much further, to cover product packaging more broadly). So why is this a significant development for m-learning?  Because this innovation will enable learners to "explore" the physical world without assuming any prior knowledge.  If you know absolutely nothing about an object, Goggles will provide you with a start.  Here’s an example: you’re studying industrial design, and you happen to spot a rather nicely-designed chair.  However, there’s no information on the chair about who designed it.  How do you find out some information about the chair, which you’d like to note as an influence in your own designs?  A textual search is useless, but a visual search would allow you to take a photo of the chair and let Google’s servers offer some suggestions about who might have manufactured, designed, or sold it.  Ditto unusual insects, species of tree, graphic designs, sculptures, or whatever you might happen to by interested in learning. Just watch this space.  I think Google Goggles is going to rock m-learning… (via Mobility Site)

Gear Diary has just informed me of some good news, just in time for Christmas. Historically, Apple have maintained strict control of the capabilities of the iPhone, by restricting the use of certain functions and preventing developers from using them in "approved" apps. This is the reason that older model iPhones (the original iPhone and the previous model, the 3G) could not install software to record or stream video, despite having a camera built in that was quite capable of the task. It seems that Apple have recently relaxed their control of some private APIS, and this means that developers have been able to create approved apps that can be installed even on older iPhones to allow them to record and even stream video. Hopefully, this signifies a change of heart at Apple that will allow developers to more fully embrace and exploit the full power of iPhones past and present! (via Gear Diary)

There has been considerable activity at the University of Canberra with the implementation of Apple-based systems for supporting teaching and learning.  With the University installing a new lecture recording system, staff here in the Teaching & Learning Centre have been focused on ways to optimise the capture, editing, and delivery of videos from all sources (including learner-created, teacher-created, and lecture-recorded). Amongst the many ideas for content delivery we have been investigating iTunesU and the use of iPod Touch and iPhone devices for accessing content on-campus (or at home) for later review and reflection.  With that in mind, I applied for one of the Apple University Consortium (AUC) scholarships to attend last week’s iPhone Software Developer’s Kit (SDK) Workshops in Sydney, and was delighted to be accepted. The three-day event was hosted at Clifton’s Training on George Street, and the facilities were excellent.  There simply wasn’t a technical glitch the whole time we were there, which meant we could focus on learning instead of troubleshooting.  The facilities were adequately spacious, well-lit, quiet, clean and modern.  A shiny new Apple Powerbook was provided to each participant from the AUC’s own "Classroom(s) in a Box" - this was a simple and flawless way of ensuring all participants were up and running in mere minutes. The main trainer trainer was Nicholas Circosta, a 21-year-old Honours student from Murdoch University and a founding partner in start-up software development company Codelity.  Nick’s interest in all things Apple has naturally led him to apply his studies in Software Engineering to developing all manner of cool, useful, and whacky iPhone apps.  It was a privilege to have someone so knowledgable and talented as our trainer, and he made learning iPhone development heaps of fun.  I’m no Apple fanboy, but talking with Nick I couldn’t help but be somewhat infected with his enthusiasm for all things Apple!  No surprise, then that he’s been headhunted by Apple themselves and will shortly be heading over to begin working for them in Cupertino. Nick demos adding an image to an iPhone app. Nick was assisted by Louis Cremen, a mobile developer and teaching member at the University of Wollongong’s Faculty of Informatics.  Louis provided excellent support during the "hands on" practical coding parts of the course, as well as great perspectives during teaching and discussion.  When Nick goes off to Cupertino, Louis will be taking on the main teaching role for future iPhone SDK Workshops run by AUC, and we were very lucky to have both experts supporting our class during this transitory handover period of the course. The course was divided into 10 modules of varying size and increasing technical complexity.  The course content was designed to be approachable for those with little experience in coding Apple applications in Objective C; and was really ideal for the mixed experience levels in the class (which contained everything from post-doctoral through to minimally-experienced developers!)  The first day focused on fundamental concepts of iPhone development (I shall never forget the  Model/View/Controller Song from last year’s WWDC), the language (Objective C) and the development environment (XCode+Interface Builder+iPhone Simulator). We finished the day with a look at the basic structure of an app in development and the concept of "Views" created through both code and Interface Builder.  On Day 2, we got into the guts of development and did plenty of coding based on Nick’s examples, achieving things like storing data between sessions, enabling multitouch, and having a look at the various ways to implement 2D, 2.5D, and 3D graphics.  By the third day our brains were pretty much bursting… but we were pushed harder conceptually, exploring the Core Animation and Core Location frameworks.  Nick allowed us some free programming time at the end of the session, even putting up a nice prize for the participant who could code the best app in the last 3 hours of the day. :) This was only my second ever AUC event (the first being CreateWorld09), but if this is an indication of the quality of AUC events I will definitely be hoping to attend more in future.  First class training begins with first class trainers, and Nick’s ascendancy into the realms of Apple itself provides some indication of his energy, enthusiasm and talent in iPhone development. This iPhone SDK workshop is being held again several times this year - in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.  While I don’t believe it’s possible to get into the Melbourne workshop any more, if you are able to attend the Brisbane or Perth workshops I would highly recommend them.  See the AUC website for more details.

The Mirus Schoolbook Convertible looks like it’s a decent step forward in the design of a low-cost mobile computing device for education. Mirus Schoolmate convertible netbook/tablet: designed for learning. It’s a step up from existing netbooks and even the OLPC because it features a convertible design - the screen can be swivelled and locked flat so that it turns into a "tablet" computer, which responds to both the built-in stylus and to finger touch (like an iPhone). The finger-responsive touch screen is particularly useful in an educational tablet computer because of the device’s utility as an ebook reader.  Nobody wants to be holding a stylus to turn pages while reading an ebook, and this innovation allows stylus-free ebook reading.  However, a fully finger-based design (like an iPad or iPhone) wouldn’t be optimal: the stylus is much better than a finger for more precise tasks such as drawing accurate diagrams or writing handwritten notes.  And while I’m listing features that make this device better than Apple’s upcoming iPad for education, I should also mention that this device has a built in webcam (the iPad will not). :) The design also features a liquid-resistant design just in case there’s an occasional spill or run through the rain - scenarios that are possible (or probable!) in a classroom, school yard, or school bag. Like most netbooks, however, this device doesn’t have a massive amount of processing power or hard drive space; but it doesn’t really need it for the tasks it would most commonly be used for: accessing web-based activities and resources, working on homework or assignments, reading ebooks and basic communications and connectivity.  Indeed, having reduced processing power means it’s far less likely to be used for playing the latest computer games rather than used as a learning tool. After analysing the product features and reviews of it that are sprinkled across the web, I suspect that this device could be better in a classroom than any edu-netbook I’ve previously seen.  The one specification that could probably do with improvement is the 5.5 hour claimed battery life.  Some netbooks are now obtaining usable durations of 8-10 hours, and this would allow it to be used for a whole day without requiring a charge. All in all though, this is a most capably specified  device - so much so that I’m considering buying one myself to try out more rigorously.

The FLiP, made by V-Tech, is an e-book reader targeted at children aged 3-7. It features a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, rugged design and over 100 downloadable titles. FLiP e-book reader A programmable, touchscreen mobile learning device with a QWERTY keyboard for $60!? Things are getting very exciting for mobile learning. :)

Over the last week or so, I’ve been keeping up with the story of the US school that activated the webcam on a student’s Macbook while the student was at home, and took photographs to allege that the student was handling drugs (which the student asserts were actually candies). In the half a decade I’ve been involved with mobile learning, the issue of student ettiquette in classrooms and schools has surfaced frequently. It is sometimes asserted, for example, that mobile phones and other portable digital devices are "intrusive" in classrooms; and they are cited as being problematic when it comes to the recording of playground fights and bullying, or to secretly record peers and teachers inappropriately.  While these issues concerning student use of mobile, portable, and ubiquitous devices are frequently discussed, the inverse responsibilities of schools and teachers are rarely, if ever, discussed. Students at work on their laptops. But these issues now need to be properly addressed.  This incident will almost certainly whip up fear in educational communities worldwide - particularly amongst students and their families.  Many educational institutions have long-standing "student policies" on the use of mobile devices on campus; but almost none would have public policies on how mobile devices may be used by organisations when the student leaves the campus. Turning on webcams when students and their families have a reasonable expecation of privacy is just one way mobile devices might be abused by educational organisations.  Unsolicited or overly frequent instant or SMS messaging, GPS tracking, or content/communications monitoring are amongst other issues that may need to be addressed in the wake of this incident. The internal enforcement of policy would be another issue to address.  The school being sued for this particular incident has claimed that these laptop webcams were only used to try to retrieve lost or stolen laptops, could only be accessed by two personnel, and they were activated exactly 42 times, ever.  But none of that explains how someone else gained access to a laptop that was NOT stolen or lost, used said device to watch a student’s activities, and ultimately decided to take photos of those activities to confront the student. I’m concerned that unless public mobile technology policies are put into place and enforced, this incident will have a chilling effect on the growth of mobile learning.  Students and families will be suspicious of institution-issued or -accessed devices, and from educational institutions will be afraid of issuing said devices due to resistance and/or being accused of inappropriate use of these devices.  In the words of this article on Arstechnica: "School-issued laptops are becoming more and more common these days, but thanks to the action of one high school, students and parents might have second thoughts about bringing them home." That would be a terrible shame.   This school may have a lot to answer for for the damage they’ve done to the reputation and advancement of mobile learning.

I’ve been engrossed in an article on the tech blog Gizmodo this morning, which reveals that Dr. Alan Kay made the following quote about the iPhone when it was launched: "Make the screen 5 inches by 8 inches and you'll rule the world". I’ve written several posts about Dr Alan Kay in the past, but to summarise, Dr Kay is one of the greatest minds in the history of computer science. He predicted (and invented) mobile computing, the windowed GUI, and was a pioneer of object oriented programming and social constructivist learning.  And a large proportion of his work was in pursuit of a computing device to support learning - he is indisputably the first person to research and develop digital m-learning, and was involved with much of the design of the OLPC. Dr Alan Kay’s prediction that a large, multitouch tablet will be an incredibly popular device must therefore, I think, be read in the context of his life’s work.  I believe that he sees significant potential for a device like this to make a powerful impact on the way students learn both formally and outside the classroom (Dr Kay was also an early proponent of "informal learning" - since the 1970s). Kay’s prediction for the iPad’s success is further supported by the work of another luminary in the computing world, Jef Raskin, whose work pointed to a simple, easy-to-use "information appliance" as having the most chance of success: a computer as easy to use as a toaster.  The iPhone was a significant milestone towards that goal - and some believe the iPad will advance it even further. When a pioneer of computing and mobile learning makes a prediction like this about the iPad, it is worthwhile taking note.

This video shows the positive use of mobile devices in the classroom to provide a "back channel"; and also discusses other aspects of mobility, such as the teacher being able to interact with her class even though she was physically away that day. The comments are worth reading too as they provide significant perspectives and additional information on this innovative use of mobile Web 2.0 tools to support and enhance learning.

There’s a pretty decent post over at the AppStorm blog, which has posted its reviews for the "30 Essential iPad Apps for Designers and Creatives". Adobe Ideas 1.0 for iPad (a free app on the iTunes Store) While I’m not a massive Apple fanboy, as a graphic designer who has extensively used Wacom graphics tablets for digital sketching and drawing, I can certainly see the advantages of doing freehand creative sketching and drawing using a device like the iPad.  As an educator, I’m also a big fan of "student-created content" for learning - the idea that when students create things, they learn from that experience.  The apps described in this article are great for designing charts, diagrams, graphics, illustrations, images… and more.  All of these creative affordances of the iPad (combined with these apps) could be used to support a myriad of learning activities.

From next year, the University of Adelaide’s Faculty of Science will be moving towards mobile delivery, with all first-year students provided with iPads, and textbooks replaced by digital materials.  They will be the first Australian University to begin delivering in this way, and this is the first step towards an overhaul of their teaching strategies, including moving to fully online delivery of first-year Science courses from 2012, according to Professor Bob Hill, Executive Dean of the Faculty. To help ensure that teaching materials and activities are compatible with the iPads, teaching staff will also be receiving the devices. I have a modicum of skepticism about some aspects of this planned course of action, however.  Firstly, the focus on iPads might force thinking around mobile learning into a iPad-shaped box, rather than encouraging the development of mobile learning activities and resources to suit a wider range of devices.  This is already apparent in the kinds of materials they describe as being prepared for their iPads: "The aim is to transfer all learning content to an electronic version which includes many currently printed textbooks for first-year students sometime in 2012." Aaargh.  Transferring learning content to computers, including textbooks, does not equate to e-learning.  Transferring learning content to mobile devices is unlikely to result in quality mobile learning.  The REAL task here should be to develop new learning activities and resources that target the required learning outcomes and utilise the affordances of mobile devices, rather than thinking that an electronic textbook on an iPad is somehow better that a paper-based textbook.  Instead, the focus appears to be on the *delivery* of content, rather than ways in which students can interact with, and create on, iPads: "The online material will take a variety of forms with students being able to access lecture notes, audio, background documents and textbooks through tailored web-based apps. This is in addition to all the student services currently available through the MyUni website such as timetabling, video downloads, slides and email." THERE IS NOTHING NEW or innovative about ANY of those content sources or activities.  All that’s happening is that they’re being displayed on a shiny new device, instead of a laptop or a desktop computer, and they’re accessed through "app" buttons.  Contrast that philosophy with a learner-centric pedagogical model in which learning activities are developed that use key affordances of the iPad: for example, designing activities where students annotate or complete worksheets or experiments using an app like Noterize; or focusing on using mobile devices equipped with cameras to document science experiments or field trips using blogs, images, and video. I hope the University of Adelaide will take time to consider how learning with technology is much more than learning ON technology.  A successful mobile learning strategy requires working with the inherant strengths and limitations of mobile devices to enhance learning and engagement - not just trying to do the same thing as before with the new tool!

I’ve been writing about QR Codes in education for the last five years (http://mlearning.edublogs.org/?s=qr+code), on this blog, as well as in a few published and formal papers. Recently, I have been seeing some buzz around QR Codes in education, and without meaning in any way to discourage people from trying out QR Codes (or other present-day locative technologies like RFID tags), I thought it might be time to update this blog with my latest thoughts on them. QR Code shirts I wore (+stamps and cards brought) to the 2007 MLearn Conference While I was very interested in their potential when they were almost unheard of in the western hemisphere, I now believe they provide an interesting technology for situated mobile learning in the present day, but I increasingly think will be supplanted by visual searching (e.g. Google Goggles) and mobile text recognition (both typeface and handwritten) within about five years. The former technology, visual searching, allows mobile devices to visually "recognise" shapes of objects, logos, etc. taken with a mobile phone camera, and use that to retrieve information.  This would ultimately free tagging from any single barcode standard, and allow physical objects to be tagged with ANY consistent visual symbol.  In a few years, this technology will become much more accurate, particularly as imaging resolutions continue to increase and mobile processing becomes faster and more powerful. Simultaneously, improved text recognition will allow retrieval of, or access to, web-based activities or resources simply by typing or writing our a URL in human-readable form and pointing a mobile phone camera at that URL.  This would completely bypass the need to create a QR Code in the first place, as well as having the advantage of knowing where your phone browser is taking you.  A QR Code could, for example, lead to a hidden virus or phishing site, but its actual destination is obscured by its graphical, barcoded representation. I still see QR Codes as being a useful tool for mobile and situated learning in the present day, but I have never been content to simply look at the present without looking towards the future; and in that future, I see QR Codes becoming rapidly redundant. Just some thoughts from an ed tech who has been thinking about these issues for a long time. :)

Energy Explained, a web portal launched by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), celebrates Energy Awareness Month with the most comprehensive energy education resource available from the U.S. Government. The site explains where gasoline comes from, what determines the price of electricity, how much renewable energy the United States uses, and hundreds of other energy topics. Energy Explained allows easy navigation between major energy topics: What Is Energy?Use of EnergyEnergy and the EnvironmentNonrenewable Energy SourcesRenewable Energy SourcesSecondary Energy SourcesCheck it out: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/?featureclicked=2&The Energy Information Administration "Energy Kid’s Page" has useful terms, facts, and historical data on energy. It also has educational games and helpful links.Check it out: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/index.cfm

The U.S. Department of Energy offers lessons on fossil fuels, featuring cartoon personality Dr. H. Carbon and his interactive quizzes.Check it out: www.fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/index.html

The American Wind Association has a good tutorial on wind energy - includes costs and statistics. You can download a PDF with all the information.Check it out: http://www.awea.org/

Girls Go Tech provides information on how math, science and technology play an important role in the world around us. Includes technical career information and games that introduce math, science and technology concepts.Check it out: http://www.girlsgotech.org/

Girlstart.com provides online science, math, and engineering lessons directed at girls. It has helpful information and games as well.Check it out: http://www.girlstart.com/index.asp

For the third year in a row, Creative Interactive Ideas has made the Houston Business Journal's Largest Houston-Area Training Companies List!Connect Learning is also on the list - way to go, Sally!

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity. For example, check out 12.003 Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics.  This undergraduate class is designed to introduce students to the physics that govern the circulation of the ocean and atmosphere. The focus of the course is on the processes that control the climate of the planet.  The course includes interactive simulations and videos.Check it out:  http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

The Microsoft Showcase website has lots of videos that you can view, email or embed in a webpage.  There are over 800 videos including previews of Microsoft Office 2010.  For example, Health Tech Today with Dr. Bill Crounse is a monthly online series providing cutting-edge stories at the intersection of health and information technology. The show features informative interviews with some of the world's top health leaders; compelling health-related personal stories; and the latest technology and IT innovations.  http://www.microsoft.com/video/en/us/details/4329633e-0333-49d7-852e-acdde14e42ccCheck it out:  http://www.microsoft.com/video/en/us/default.aspx

Check out the new Microsoft Translator - it raises the bar for translating three ways: on the Web, for Office 2007 & 2003, and a unique translation widget for your site. See the links below to get the particular tool you want. Office Casual: How you can translate better with Microsoft Translator Update any Office 2007 or Office 2003 product with Microsoft Translator, find instructions for the free download:  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA103514221033.aspx#6Microsoft Translator widget:  http://www.microsofttranslator.com/Widget/?ref=MSTWidgetTo drop text for translation (or a URL) via Bing:  http://www.microsofttranslator.com/. Want to dive deeper? Read the Microsoft Translator blog:  http://blogs.msdn.com/translation/default.aspx

Looking for a unique holiday gift? How about Copper Plating and Etching Altoids Tins? Check out the Sreampunk site for other ideas. Steampunk is the intersection of technology and romance. It’s a genre of fiction, an aesthetic, a musical style, and a burgeoning sub-culture which delights in making things that are a blend of the modern and anachronistic.Check it out: http://steampunkworkshop.com/altoid-etch.shtml