What is a wiki?
A wiki is a website that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change available content, typically without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring. The term wiki also can refer to the collaborative software itself (wiki engine) that facilitates the operation of such a Web site, or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (the original wiki) WikiWikiWeb and on-line encyclopedias such as Wikipedia.
Wiki is a website or similar online resource which allows users to add and edit content collectively.
Wiki is a collection of websites of hypertext, each of them can be visited and edited by anyone. “Wiki wiki” means "rapidly" in the Hawaiian language.
Wiki is online collaboration model and tool that allows any user to edit some content of webpages through a simple browser.
Key characteristics of Wiki:
A wiki enables documents to be written very collaboratively in a simple markup language using a web browser. A single page in a wiki is referred to as a "wiki page"(Wiki page is a web page that is part of a WIKI system. Such page has the characteristic of being editable by any browser and its content can therefore be changed by the web users.) while the entire body of pages, which are usually highly interconnected via hyperlinks, is "the wiki". In effect, a wiki is actually a very simple, easy-to-use user-maintained database for searching or even creating information.
A defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Generally, there is no review before modifications are accepted. Most wikis are open to the general public without the need to register any user account.
To learn more about Wiki, please follow the link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIKI
Friday, February 09, 2007
A little more about High Tech
What is podcasting?
The concept of podcasting was suggested as early as 2000 and its technical components were available by 2001. In 2003 regular podcasts started showing up on well-known Web sites and software support spread.
Podcasting is like broadcasting in that someone creates a show for an audience. The difference is that broadcasting is done for a general audience to tune in (through television, radio, or Internet radio) while podcasting is much different, you can target a specific niche which makes the power of podcasting much more exciting.
Podcasting is an automatic mechanism whereby multimedia computer files are transferred from a server to a client, which pulls down XML files containing the Internet addresses of the media files. In general, these files contain audio or video, but also could be images, text, PDF, or any file type.Podcasting's initial appeal was to allow individuals to distribute their own "radio shows," but the system quickly became used in a wide variety of other ways, including distribution of school lessons, official and unofficial audio tours of museums, conference meeting alerts and updates, and by police departments to distribute public safety messages.
To know more about Podcasting, please follow the link
Thursday, February 08, 2007
High Tech---A Double-Edged Sword
Hign tech is like a double-edged sword. It may on the one hand faciliate teaching and learning in the classroom while it may, on the other hand, cause distractions and thus affect both teachers' instructions and students' performances.
I tend to agree with Tan Dinghua that teachers should not allow students to use laptops in class since they are diverting both the teacher and the students' attention. However, asking students to shut down their computers is not a good solution, because not all the students are doing sth. unrelated to the lecture with their computers. What if a student is using his/her computer to take notes?
Therefore, high tech brings us great convenience while does us harm at the same time. Digital distraction in future classrooms of China will be the teacher's biggest headache. Actually, it has already! With so many college students own mobilephones, there is too much disturbance in classroom.
What I do in my daily teaching practice is I make it clear in my first lecture that all students must power off their mobile phones in class. The most important thing is I require myself to be a role model to them---I never brought my mobile phone to classroom and of course never talked to a mobile phone in class, which unfortunately so many young teachers do. Although there were a few times some students forgot to turn off their power, I did not give them any punishment as the sound of their MUSIC already made them embarassed since all the other students turned back and looked at them. Perhaps in future I will carry out some friendly PUNISHMENTS on my students, as what is mentioned in that article.
I tend to agree with Tan Dinghua that teachers should not allow students to use laptops in class since they are diverting both the teacher and the students' attention. However, asking students to shut down their computers is not a good solution, because not all the students are doing sth. unrelated to the lecture with their computers. What if a student is using his/her computer to take notes?
Therefore, high tech brings us great convenience while does us harm at the same time. Digital distraction in future classrooms of China will be the teacher's biggest headache. Actually, it has already! With so many college students own mobilephones, there is too much disturbance in classroom.
What I do in my daily teaching practice is I make it clear in my first lecture that all students must power off their mobile phones in class. The most important thing is I require myself to be a role model to them---I never brought my mobile phone to classroom and of course never talked to a mobile phone in class, which unfortunately so many young teachers do. Although there were a few times some students forgot to turn off their power, I did not give them any punishment as the sound of their MUSIC already made them embarassed since all the other students turned back and looked at them. Perhaps in future I will carry out some friendly PUNISHMENTS on my students, as what is mentioned in that article.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Learn about a new Tech
What is Skype?
Skype is the most popular voice service. With more than 100 million registered users, Skype is the most popular voice communication service in the world. If you use Skype to make PC to PC communication, you pay nothing more than the monthly Internet service. Skype is changing how people communicate with the integration of voice and Instant Messaging into one application. You can talk when you want and type when you want, and switch betw. the two as you wish.
Skype also provides presence information in a very practical way. Presence is the availability and willingness of a person to communicate. People use Skype mainly for the high quality of voice it offers and esp. because it offers free PC service. People around the world use Skype for several things: for long-distance meetings with family, friends and loved ones; for remote activity monitoring; for business calls; for long-distance conferences; for cheap calls during travel etc.
Skype is used in nearly all countries of the world. Today, there are many Skype user groups around the world. The largest groups are found in Europe, north America and South East Asia.
What do you need to use Skype?
You need a computer; A good internet connection; Sound; Speakers and earpieces; A microphone; The Skype software; and One or more persons to communicate with.
Where to download Skype?
The Skype software is freely Downloadable from www.skype.com.
Skype and teaching: Skype can be used as a Bridge between the teacher and the student, which provides an easy and convenient way for both to communicate. It is esp. good for individual instruction. It gives the student chance to voice his/her doubts and also helps the teacher to know about a particular student's needs and problems and thus help him/her individually.
Skype is the most popular voice service. With more than 100 million registered users, Skype is the most popular voice communication service in the world. If you use Skype to make PC to PC communication, you pay nothing more than the monthly Internet service. Skype is changing how people communicate with the integration of voice and Instant Messaging into one application. You can talk when you want and type when you want, and switch betw. the two as you wish.
Skype also provides presence information in a very practical way. Presence is the availability and willingness of a person to communicate. People use Skype mainly for the high quality of voice it offers and esp. because it offers free PC service. People around the world use Skype for several things: for long-distance meetings with family, friends and loved ones; for remote activity monitoring; for business calls; for long-distance conferences; for cheap calls during travel etc.
Skype is used in nearly all countries of the world. Today, there are many Skype user groups around the world. The largest groups are found in Europe, north America and South East Asia.
What do you need to use Skype?
You need a computer; A good internet connection; Sound; Speakers and earpieces; A microphone; The Skype software; and One or more persons to communicate with.
Where to download Skype?
The Skype software is freely Downloadable from www.skype.com.
Skype and teaching: Skype can be used as a Bridge between the teacher and the student, which provides an easy and convenient way for both to communicate. It is esp. good for individual instruction. It gives the student chance to voice his/her doubts and also helps the teacher to know about a particular student's needs and problems and thus help him/her individually.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
E-Learning Assignment
Dealing with Digital Distractions in Wireless Classroom
As more and more classrooms go wireless, there is a lot of misuse of technology during class, such as Web surfing, text-messaging, gaming, watching videos, sending E-mails, etc. While classroom access to the Internet may be a wonderful teaching tool, it can also be a barrier to learning and will put an unprecedented barrier between the student and the instructor.
As teachers of 21st century, we will all face such a problem. To combat technology distractions, I suggest solutions from two aspects---both universities and teachers should take some measures to deal with this problem:
First of all, etiquette education (netiquette/CR etiquette) should become part of universities’ modules. In other words, students need to be taught about what classroom behaviors are appropriate. In addition, universities need to provide ground rules for technology use in the classroom. A statement should be made clear that inappropriate use of technology will not be tolerated and certain punishment will be exercised on those who break the rules.
From the perspective of teachers, they need to be well trained to be in front of the class. Just as the article mentioned that “students expect to be entertained as they learn. If the entertainment doesn’t come from the front, it comes from the Internet.” Therefore, facing great challenges, teachers must thinking of ways to attract their students. In doing so, they may need to change the ways they teach.
To add, teachers should be role models of their students. If a teacher talks to a hand phone in class, how can she/he expect the students not to send instant messages during her/his lecture?
Reference:
Michael J. Bugeja, Distractions in the Wireless Classroom
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/01/2007012601c/careers.html
As more and more classrooms go wireless, there is a lot of misuse of technology during class, such as Web surfing, text-messaging, gaming, watching videos, sending E-mails, etc. While classroom access to the Internet may be a wonderful teaching tool, it can also be a barrier to learning and will put an unprecedented barrier between the student and the instructor.
As teachers of 21st century, we will all face such a problem. To combat technology distractions, I suggest solutions from two aspects---both universities and teachers should take some measures to deal with this problem:
First of all, etiquette education (netiquette/CR etiquette) should become part of universities’ modules. In other words, students need to be taught about what classroom behaviors are appropriate. In addition, universities need to provide ground rules for technology use in the classroom. A statement should be made clear that inappropriate use of technology will not be tolerated and certain punishment will be exercised on those who break the rules.
From the perspective of teachers, they need to be well trained to be in front of the class. Just as the article mentioned that “students expect to be entertained as they learn. If the entertainment doesn’t come from the front, it comes from the Internet.” Therefore, facing great challenges, teachers must thinking of ways to attract their students. In doing so, they may need to change the ways they teach.
To add, teachers should be role models of their students. If a teacher talks to a hand phone in class, how can she/he expect the students not to send instant messages during her/his lecture?
Reference:
Michael J. Bugeja, Distractions in the Wireless Classroom
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/01/2007012601c/careers.html
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