I was recently asked if I thought the edParadigm project was a "dead end." Quick answer was that I am on a temporary hiatus. The long answer has more to do with this idea attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci:

"Art is never finished, only abandoned."

However, it does not feel as though I have abandoned the project, and I also know that I am a long way from being finished. From the start - even before the term streaming media really caught on - I had imagined including video segments. I have not begun to work on that, do not even own a digital camera. And, now that several animations have been made, I see that - although I may be able to piece a 'Session' together - I do not have the design skills to bring it off with flavor. That is something young eyeballs have learned to expect.

Perhaps I will be able to plug into a development community, maybe add my two cents to a larger purse...

...there's plenty to be said for collaboration, after all: Just have a look at this screencast analysis of the evolution of a Wikipedia article (and turn your sound on), it is an excellent bit of educational material.

posted by john on 4/28/2005 11:04:00 PM
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Steering a clear course

This blog, previously a random tack through educational sites, has received orders from the fleet command: Find Xanadu!

"...properly used, the internet frees learners and instructors from the constraints of time and space, which in turn unleashes economical one-on-one communication and experience-sharing on a scale unprecedented in history."

- Godfrey Parkin

My limited understanding of sharable content objects (SCO) suggests that a primary feature, or advantage, of such design is to enable the tracking of student progress (including scores from assessments, the virtual bookmarking of a student's place in a lesson or course, and the sequencing of lessons). These features, along with the ability to marry data to an LMS (or IMS?) provide a dynamic aspect of e-learning. Something that is sorely needed in public education.

Is the difference between IMS and an LMS distinct? Does an IMS allow for managing feedback from sharable content objects? Or, is this an exclusive function of an LMS? How long will it be until K-12 educators and curriculum developers are "simply authoring courses and attaching them [to an LMS] ?" (from "Defining an E-Learning Strategy", by Mr. Parkin)

Stay tuned...

A sudden burst of networking (thanks to several bloggers listed in the nav menu, there to the left) has resulted in an entire curriculum of resources. Keep an eye and an ear peeled for buzzwords like the semantic web, RDF, and content repositories (i.e. The Gateway to Educational Materials; or, go find an SCO with DLORN, or just read an article); and watch for RSS feeds (coming soon to a district website near you).

The National Education Technology Plan was released in January. Recommended 'Action Steps' include:

• Support E-Learning and Virtual Schools


• Move Toward Digital Content

The need is clear when educators start asking for such things (see "Seeking a lesson sharing tool", an entry by Tim Wilson at the eSchool News blog titled ed-tech insider).

If I cannot manage to be a part of the solution in the next few years, I can at least hope to see it precipitate.

posted by john on 4/27/2005 10:18:00 PM
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Results from first day as a software tester: brain scramble. Glad I started with a short day.

Received some excellent feedback from folks at The Learning Circuits Blog. I am anxious to dig into the sources they've suggested - will go ahead and add one such to the nav menu. CETIS was mentioned, as well.

posted by john on 4/25/2005 07:49:00 PM
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Opportunity: software testing at Teacher's Pal may be my first foot in the industry door...

posted by john on 4/10/2005 07:46:00 PM
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