Learning and Teaching Intranet design
This article on designing on-boarding is worth a look
a team thinking about buying a project management tool doesn’t want a project management tool. They want to be a well organized team that does good work and finishes it on time.
http://www.wired.com/2015/05/someone-came-site-user-onboarders-get-stay/
Improve your teaching with this “Training Maximizer”
Have a look at Bill Thalheimer’s Training maximiser.
It is framed around workplace learning but there is a lot we can take from it as we look at how we support our students retain and use information.
The best of 2015 round up
I have been flat out and haven’t’ had time to post but there are some 2015 round ups
TechCrunch’s Favorite Things Of 2015
News.coms Best gadgets of 2015
Have a good holiday.
Hangouts are now a bit more useful.
“Starting today, we’re making this feature even more useful by removing the requirement that guests have a Google account in order to join a Hangouts video call. Here’s how it works: guests without a Google account who have been provided with the video call link by the organizer will be asked to provide their name and then request to join the call.”
Weekend funny – 6 second tutorial on how to use a selfie stick
There are many uses for selfie sticks and this video is certainly one.
It’s interesting how polarizing these (it has to be said, quite useful) items have become.
I’m trying to think of other recent items that have been used (usually unfairly) as indicators of a persons personality and values.
So here’s my list so far 🙂
- Hummers
- Over priced Polo shirts (LaCoste, Hilfigger insert your brand bias here)
- Blue Ribbon beer (and fixed wheel bikes – seriously guys, get some gears).
- Ponytails (on men), Mullets (either sex)
- Hats of any description (except on the beach)
- Persistent Bloggers (how 2006!)
- Emoji over users
Weekend Funny – 27 Professors Who Got The Last Laugh
I’m a big believer in using humour in our teaching. Buzzfeed has collected a few examples.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/professors-who-got-the-last-laugh#.icDrrgpwY
Shove Chrome extension – good for practical jokes but maybe also lectures.
There’s an insane new Chrome extension called “Shove” that we’re sure nobody’s going to misuse. As spotted by Wired, it lets you drop a web page onto your friend’s browser, and vice-versa. … however, it’s strictly opt-in. Once both parties agree, they can open up links in each others’ browsers anytime.”
http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/13/shove-chrome-browser-extension/
First, I would not use this app with my sons or either brother. My younger brother occasionally calls friends during church or in the cinema just to see if they have left their ringtone on. It’s funny when it’s not you.
But imagine you are running a live Q&A event. It could be very useful to have an off-sider quickly hunting up answers or resources and posting them straight to your screen or the projector.
Tech enhanced narcissism is now more dangerous than sharks
The death toll of officially recorded selfie-related deaths currently stands at 12, shark deaths are currently at 8.
http://mashable.com/2015/09/21/selfie-deaths/#xbqR1cMJskqm
Previous incidents this year include a man who was gored to death taking a picture during a bull run in a Spanish town, and two men who accidentally blew themselves up in the Russian Ural mountains when posing with a live grenade. The picture was discovered saved to the camera roll on one of the men’s phones.”
It may be that the Darwin Awards will need a whole separate category for Selfie related deaths. For those who aren’t aware of the Darwin Awards
“the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species’ chances of long-term survival.”
Something to think about before you buy a selfie stick.
Weekend Funny – MTV awards feud explained in emojis
http://www.wired.com/2015/09/nicki-minaj-miley-cyrus-beef-explained-emojis/
Second – While this is a gag, it is a reflection on how our language is evolving. As the current young generation of tech users disperse into the workforce (if they ever leave home and learn how to wash their own clothes) it’s not hard to see communication via emojis, animated gifs and text abbreviations become established as the unofficial universal language. Unlike top down universal languages like Esperanto, this is an evolutionary grassroots change.
It is conceivable that the “Queens English” becomes the isolated language of the bureaucracy, much like Latin in the medieval Catholic Church.
Or, it could be that emojis are rejected by the next generation as symbols of oppression by the smart phone obsessed old fogey millennials who are keeping them out of jobs and don’t how to use washing machines.
Tech giants stab at Flash with pointy sticks
