April 23, 2012

The Napster-Ification of K-12 learning

There is something happening in K-12 education. A movement. A revolution. A paradigm shift. Call it what you may, but something is changing for sure. For lack of a great phrase, it is has been termed "Mobile Learning". You have probably heard this term bandied about at varied K-12 technology conferences already. What does it truly mean?

I have been thinking about this convert and what it means to students, educators and parents. I realized that this was a movement only when I attended the movable 2011 conference. There were K-12 educators, administrators, technology staff and even app developers at the conference. As the founder of Mobicip, you could say I was one of the early converts that believed that students were going to use a movable expedient in lieu of textbooks, notebooks and basically to replace the backpack. As much as I believed in the certainty of this convert happening, I did not fully comprehend the implications of this convert until I listened to Graham Brown-Martin, founder of learning Without Frontiers and organizer-in-chief of the Handheld learning argument in London.

During his keynote speech at movable 2011, Graham had an intelligent take on the implications of movable learning.




Think about what the automobile did to horse-drawn carts. That is exactly what movable learning means to K-12 education. In fact, the phrase "Mobile Learning" by itself is slightly misleading. It is not about the mobility, although it is an prominent component. This convert is about ubiquitous, equitable connectivity and passage to facts at the students' fingertips. What does such passage do? It gives them passage to high-quality interactions that allow them to learn by doing, learn by practice, learn by repetition, learn by enjoyment of a game, learn by the instant-on nature of the connectivity. If you have any iota of doubt, talk to Travis Allen, the founder of iSchoolInitiative.

According to Graham, movable learning will eventually lead to the "Napster"-ification of how K-12 students learn. Let's think about this for a minute. The diligent trainee would seek the information, app, and article she wants at the time she wants it. Given that there will be an incredible whole of options available, she would try to seek the best quality learning feel available. There is no interrogate that high-quality article is available online. Lets look at a few examples.

1. Mit Open Courseware
According to their website, Ocw is "a web-based publication of virtually all Mit procedure content. Ocw is open and available to the world and is a permanent Mit activity." This is incredible, isn't it? And it's not just Mit. Any higher study institutions have followed the example and created online courses accessible to anyone with a web browser.

2. ItunesU
According to Apple, iTunesU has "more than 350,000 free lectures, videos, films, and other resources - from all over the world." All free.

3. Connexions
According to the Connexions website, it "is one of the most beloved open study sites in the world. It's more than 17,000 learning objects or modules in its repository and over 1000 collections (textbooks, journal articles, etc.) are used by over 2 million population per month."

4. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is intelligent simply due to the incredible fact that one person has created 2100 videos which have been viewed 44.3 million times and counting. To learn more, watch the video of Sal Khan at Ted 2011.

5. App Store
But of course. The App Store has brought about a whole new level of instant interactivity to learning that was not inherent before. The most coarse recurring theme at movable 2011 has been about the incredible apps that population are using. Every school, every educator, every trainee has a personalized list of beloved apps that they are more than happy to share with the rest of the world.

Clearly, Graham is on to something when he says that movable learning is about instant passage and connectivity. However, I have a feeling that everything discussed at movable 2011, every back channel conversation, every article on this blog, put together, is still the tip of the iceberg. If Graham's prediction is true, ubiquitous connectivity and instant passage will convert the basic definition of learning as we know it. The flow of education, from institutional entities to students, will be irrevocably reversed. The trainee now becomes the learner, the seeker, the extreme arbiter of what a quality learning feel means to her at a personalized and individualized level. The teacher, especially the good ones, will be incredibly primary and sought-after and will command an revenue proportionate to their value to society. A new class of "mentor/coach" might arise who will be the friend, philosopher and guide to the learner, but with maybe wee authority to dictate terms over the why and the what, but simply guide the how. The institution's role will experience a transformation into a commoditized aggregator of high-quality learning resources, its survival at the mercy of the option of the discerning learner. Institutions that do not transform themselves will be left by the wayside as relics of an older time.

Will Graham's prediction come true? Will there be a disruptive convert in study as we know it? Is it simply obvious as a consequence of truly "mobile" learning?

Only time will tell. movable 2011 will then be seen as a harbinger of times to come.

Thanks to the organizers for a overwhelming and intelligent conference.

Suren

The Napster-Ification of K-12 learning

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April 13, 2012

Best Laptops for illustrated Designers 2011-2012

So you find yourself needing a great performing laptop for descriptive design? You should look into top notch laptops from respectable clubs such as Dell or Apple, since these join a lot of new tech and include a lot of support and warranty if you ever run into trouble. But all things fair, it doesn't matter which business you pick as long as you know a bit about the inner workings of such systems.

When you do get to finally pick the laptop you'll use for descriptive design, the most prominent aspect you'll want to focus on is the Resolution.

Screen Resolution, that is, which is not the same as screen size. Resolutions of about 1680 x 1050 are great for descriptive designers since you can fit in all the toolbars and still have enough room for the actual image.




Most gaming laptops carry a dedicated video card to save up on precious Ram. This is commonly a good idea for descriptive compose laptops as well, since you will want all the Ram you can get.

If the laptop has an integrated graphics card, chances are that about up to a quarter of your available theory memory will be used by the Gpu, and that can seriously impact theory carrying out during compose sessions.

One thing is for sure, an integrated graphics card will run much slower if it has to draw available theory memory using the same path as the theory uses. In the case of laptops for descriptive design, you could probably use a decent dedicated video card with about 128-256Mb of Vram.

Don't decide for incorporated Gpus if you're serious about the work you intend to do. It's just not worth the trouble. You need every bit of carrying out your theory can provide.

How about Ram amount? This is a tricky question. If you're purchasing a new laptop specifically for descriptive compose and have a puny budget, the best deal you can perhaps get is to purchase a laptop with the minimum number and purchase detach Ram modules to setup them yourself. This is much cheaper than large clubs fee for easy Ram upgrades.

A good number of Ram for descriptive compose is somewhere in the 2Gb range, but why stop there? With 4Gb you'll probably zoom right through applications and get the work much faster.

Just remember to make a smarter option and get a cheap laptop which you can upgrade later.

On the processor side of things, you shouldn't get a crappy single core laptop. These do fine in daily applications, but are seriously outperformed by dual-cores and quad cores. Look into models which are both affordable and carry a superior central processing unit, since you might regret it if you don't.

To sum things up a bit, you'll need to keep an eye out for the following things:

Screen resolution - the greater the better. Also, screen size should not be under 15.4 inches.

Dedicated video card - you know you need the extra Ram, why waste it on a Gpu?

Medium to large Ram number - multitasking and switching in the middle of more programs is easier when your theory can handle the stress.

Cpu - the processor is your systems heart. Don't think you'll get away with a low-end processor if you focus on all things else besides the Cpu.

Invest in a second monitor! - a second monitor can help even more in descriptive design, since you can stuff all the toolbars on one monitor and leave room for the actual image on the other.

Best Laptops for illustrated Designers 2011-2012

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April 8, 2012

Why Does My Lower Back Hurt More After Getting a Memory Foam Mattress?

Sleeping on a memory foam mattress is not always a bed of roses (pardon the pun). It is supposed to help get rid of back pains but many habitancy feel like it magnified their back pain even more.

The truth is, despite the hype that surrounds this mattress in providing back pain-free sleep, it is not for everyone. Some habitancy just could not get used to a firm mattress and this is headed for a catastrophic sleep. If you are considering buying a memory foam mattress, do entertain those second thoughts.

The right physique
It matters how your body is shaped in the memory foam industry. This is a mattress that is good for those with lankier and skinnier body. They have more bones sticking out which means they need more support.




A fuller body or those with fewer angles in their body needs a semi-firm mattress. In this case, look for those with a density lower than 5 pounds. 5 pounds of density is just too firm and you will no ifs ands or buts have a hard time adjusting. Also, the lower part of the body needs a cushioning layer and a too firm mattress just will not contribute that. It can even make lower back pains a lot more prominent.

Semi-firm
Rather than join the hype when it comes to this mattress, think what you no ifs ands or buts need. More and more experts are advent forward to say that habitancy want more support to their upper body and more relax to their lower body. This provides a good balance. In this way, comfortable sleep is more achievable.

Slowly but surely, latex foams are unseating memory foams in the niche that they are in. This is because other than being health-friendly and nature-friendly, it is a semi-firm mattress. The pincore holes integrated are carefully mapped up to target the key areas that need relax and support.

The remedy
If you just spent a few thousands on your current memory foam bed, it will no ifs ands or buts break your heart to discard it. You can do something to make it more comfortable. Just purchase a good mattress topper with the right density. This time, get the one that will no ifs ands or buts contribute you with the relax you no ifs ands or buts need.

They are cheaper and they can hide the discomfort provided by your traditional bed. This way, you can still use your traditional bed. Get a latex or memory foam topper if you are bent on getting whether one but make sure it has the right density.

Why Does My Lower Back Hurt More After Getting a Memory Foam Mattress?

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April 3, 2012

Toshiba Satellite Pro L450 Discounts Help Make This professional Laptop More Affordable

The Toshiba Satellite Pro L450 is a laptop computer that starts with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6670, 4Gb Ddr2 memory, 320 hard drive, etc. Users can customize and upgrade however they wish if they order online. If you are interested in this laptop, you will find that there are a whole of lid colors and designs to select from. This motor also has a backlit keyboard, glossy finish, and diagonal widescreen display.

The laptop offers all the essentials you will need for everyday tasks. Either you want to use it for business, entertainment, communication, or all three, you will be able to stay linked with integrated Wi-Fi. Also, with Hd expandability, you will be able to hook it up to a larger display. Either you want to generate impressive presentations on a projector or watch videos on a Hdtv, you will be able to do so.

Another great thing that needs to be mentioned in a Toshiba Satellite Pro L450 tell is its display. It is a 15.6" diagonal widescreen with great colors and lighting. You can adjust the lighting and the 1366x768 pixel resolution if you want more glow or want to save on power. If you need to do presentations, you'll be amazed at how great the multicolored graphs appear.




This laptop measures practically 15" in width, 10.5" in depth, and 1.6" in height. It's not the smallest or lightest of notebooks, but it's still pretty compact inspecting all of its features. In increasing to the main specs, it also has a safety lock slot, stereo speakers, 4-in-1 card reader, optic drive, and more. It can withhold webcams, up to 4 Gb of memory, and integrated graphics cards.

Newer models of the Toshiba Satellite Pro L450 come with Windows 7 and Amd or Intel processing power. You will be able to multitask without any problems or crashes. This laptop works well as a movable device, although you can use it as a desktop exchange computer as well.

The best place to purchase this notebook is online. It's pretty affordable, and you shouldn't expect to pay anymore than 0. You can get is for as low as 9 at some sites, depending on what features you're willing to sacrifice. If you want all the upgrades, expect to pay more. Thankfully, some internet computer stores give out Toshiba Satellite Pro L450 coupons to help make the computer more affordable. Be sure to look for discounts before buying so that you can find the best deal possible!

Toshiba Satellite Pro L450 Discounts Help Make This professional Laptop More Affordable

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