This article discusses the future of using the pen in the classroom. It compares the traditional system of learning proper penmanship and cursive with the "new" system of keyboarding and print. With all this computer technology is there still a need for teaching cursive? (click on the link below)

Is the pen still mighty in the computer age?

Network Access Control Systems are becoming more and more common on campuses across the globe. The two heavyweights are Bradford Networks Campus Manager and Cisco NAC (formerly Cisco Clean Access). Others have been in the ring for a few years and could prove to be rising stars.

Windows XP Tablet PC edition combined with the Tablet PC and some good marketing has sparked the popularity of the Tablet PC. The pen interface introduces an old method of communication and data recording to a very young technology. The result should allow for a sense of familiarity for many users especially those who rarely use a computer. However, in many cases, users seem to be stuck on the mouse and keyboard. When users are asked why they do not use the pen, answers vary from the slowness of data entry to the poor penmanship of the user. I too find myself slipping back to the keyboard and mouse after having a tablet for more than 6 months. Most users I have talked with end up using their tablet as a light mobile laptop rather than its intended use. In this regard, the Tablet PC seems to be a fad and will fade away like the pet rock. However, the education realm offers a kernel of value that may keep the tablet alive and kicking for semesters to come.

After a hiatus we finally got talku back up with our original domain on our new host. Please spread the word and keep adding good articles!

TalkU is transferring to a different hosting company and could see small outages in service over the next 2 weeks.

Tribstar has an interesting article on schools in Kokomo, Indiana banning cell phones in classrooms.

From the article:
Maconaquah, like other Kokomo-area schools, has policies in place to keep cell phones from being used in the classrooms. Principals mostly said the rules are to prevent classroom disturbances, rather than to keep students from cheating through text messaging.

Online education begins in the K-12 market as an alternative to home schooling. Does an online education have as much academic value as a face to face course? Certainly a lack of interaction between fellow students and teachers is a problem that must be overcome. In higher ed. online courses at least students had the face to face social interactions in secondary school. What will happen if a student can go all the way from kindergarten to a college degree without stepping foot in a classroom?

Welcome to ResNet 2006. The Conference will be starting Friday the 16th of June at Bowling Green State University in beautiful Bowling Green, Ohio. I hope the other attendees leave some comments and get the discussion started. On a side note, I am writing this by hand on the first tablet I have used for more than 20 minutes. So far I am very impressed at the level of handwriting recognition.

BloggingBaby has a nice write-up on Edubuntu, the release of Ubuntu (pronounced oo-bun-to) geared towards schools. Extra software is included in the release that is aimed primarily at younger students but even students in higher grades could be interested in playing with the programs.

Ubuntu (and all *buntu releases) are full operating systems based on Linux (specifically the debian distribution (aka distro)). The installation of the *buntu disto's is not difficult because the default options work for 99% of the pc's out there. I would not recommend installing any *buntu release without a small amount of computer familiarity. Anyone that is comfortable installing Windows and running basic configurations and reading through very easy guides will have no problems with any *buntu release.

Feel free to check out Ubuntu.com for more information and cd images of their operating systems.

Summary of No Child Left Behind needs more than tests
The No Child Left Behind Act, which began in 2001, does little to standardize education in America. This is because it does not address facilities or quality of teachers. It only looks at the test scores and if schools are not up to par they lose funding, thus they have less money to get better quality teachers and facilities. "Just punishing these schools and labeling them failures will not make them better. How is this helping?" What can be done to supplement the law so schools who would lose funding under the current law could be labeled as a school in trouble that needs federal aid?

"There is no denying that videoconferencing in the classroom is still a novelty and used mostly for fun and experimentation. At the same time, it has opened a window to the world for some students and teachers. With software, an inexpensive camera, and an IP connection to the Internet, anyone can turn a computer into a videoconferencing center. Teachers who have used the technology successfully are quick to extol the benefits to their students."

States Struggle to Computerize School Records - Schools nation wide are attempting to convert their record systems into databases and are running into funding and implementation problems. Costs are sky rocketing as the projects progress and the groups funding them are pulling out. Faculty and staff are reluctant to learn new systems for keeping records. All of these problems are causing educational institutions to be "left behind" in technology.

When you are creating new topics...what about Instructional Design and Online Learning/Teaching.


Thanks,

Julie

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Cheers,
TalkU Web Team