Faculty Development News This Week:

Isn't she lovely?

Guess who did this portrait? (Answer at bottom of this edition. See ***.)

Conferences

--Teaching Professor Conference

The topic this year is "Teaching and Learning: Growth, Resilience, and Change"

May 20-22 2005, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Schaumburg, Illinois.

For more information, see TeachingProfessor

--National University Telecommunications Network, NUTN, 2005: Benchmarking Quality in Distance Learning, Bridging Vision and Practice

June 11-13, San Francisco, California

Presented by NUTN and in cooperation with the University Continuing Education Association and the Sloan Consortium.

Benchmarking Quality

Pedagogy

--Five Personality Dimensions and Their Influence on Information Behavior

Read the abstract for this article:

This article emphasize the importance of considering psychological mechanisms for a thorough understanding of users of information services. The focal point is the relation between personality and information seeking which is explored through a quantitative analysis of 305 university students' personality traits and information habits. It is shown that information behaviour could be connected to all the personality dimensions tested in the study - neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, competitiveness and conscientiousness. Possible explanations for these relations are discussed. It is concluded that inner traits interact with contextual factors in their final impact on information behaviour.

Five Personality Dimensions

Libraries / Knowledge Management

--FRBR: The Bibliographic Universe

Tempting title, yes?

Based on an article originally published in Technicalities (v. 25, no. 5, Sept./Oct. 2003), this pamphlet provides a brief overview of the "Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records" (FRBR) as developed by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). Using full-color graphics, What is FRBR? outlines the background of the development of the Functional Requirements, the concepts involved, and their potential impact on cataloging rules, bibliographic structures, and systems design for cataloging applications.

This document is 8 pages, including color graphics and bibliographic references. Available for free download in PDF format.

The Bibliographic Universe

PDAs / Handheld Computers

--PDAs Make Online Learning Convenient

Handheld computers are ready to deliver robust eLearning like the media-rich learning experiences normally run on powerful desktop computers, and a Canadian company has developed a powerful new technology to bring full-bodied online instruction into the palms of learners everywhere.

Read more:

PDAs and Education

Internet Culture

--Napsterization.org

Read all about it:

Napsterization.org was created as a resource to understand the napsterization by digital media of analog, old economy institutions, frameworks and media.

It is an academic exercise, a opportunity to understand how many people use digital media, a meeting place for people to connect over their experiences with digital media, and a place for others to learn about these issues. This site is also a repository of stories on positive uses of peer-to-peer file sharing as well as a resource of information supporting these principles

Napsterization is a term that comes up repeatedly in everyday usage by those talking about the disintermediation of incumbent media and businesses, systems and people's understanding of culture and information, social networks, political institutions and journalism. But with disintermediation in hierarchical systems by the digital, the interconnectedness of the network also grows. Napsterization encompasses all of these phenomena.

Napsterization.org

Blogging

--Blogging.LA

In this blog, LA City Council member Eric Garcetti engages in dialogue with some of his constituents. This is an interesting socio-political application of blogging.

Blogging.LA

I acquired this resource from BoingBoing,19 October 2004.

--Morgan Stanley Promotes Financial flogging

Read an excerpt from the report:

Despite all the noise and random content in blocs, many bloggers have become sources for breaking news, fresh ideas, and expert commentary. For an example of breaking
news, consider that blogs had pictures of the 9/9/04 Jakarta bombing before the major news organizations, according to The San Jose Mercury News columnist and author Dan Gillmor. As for fresh ideas, bloggers were the first to insist publicly that CBS documents regarding President Bush's National Guard service record may be false,an insistence that ultimately proved true. With this election, blogs have really moved into the mainstream. We believe that some of the best commentary comes from the thought leaders in a given subject matter. Consider Larry Lessigs blog from Stanford Law School. One of the world's foremost experts on cyberlaw, he regularly posts quick opinions and links on a range of topics, mostly centered on his expertise or his personal interests. Because he is considered to be a thought leader in the information flow, one may be able to find your required dose of quick news and opinions on cyberlaw issues more quickly via his blog than you would on a normal mass media site or publication.

Morgan Stanley Blogging

This is a 21-page PDF file.

I acquired this resource from Unmediated

Tools

--Web Design Practices

Web Design Practices is a site devoted to helping designers understand what design practices are currently in use on the Web and aims to gather research about the usability of commonly-employed design practices.

Web Design Practices

--VISION

My newest venture in teaching applications is with VISION5, the computer software that allows the instructor to control what students see on screen and also what they do. VISION5 is available in all computerized classrooms on campus.

Read more about it:

VISION5 (formerly Altiris Vision) is an easy-to-use software solution designed to help teachers manage student computer activity in their classroom or lab. Supervise student computer activity, monitor or prevent web browsing, share any computer screen in the classroom with one student or everyone, remotely control student computers from the teacher's machine, view student screens remotely, and guide student computer work.

Charles Town from IT introduced me to the platform. A virtual tour is available, along with an online training session.

Try it out!


--TopazMoment FE

Enhance image quality, clarity and resolution of captured video frames. Tired of noisy and blur frame grab from video? Topaz Moment uses multiple neighbor frames and advanced spatial-temporal enhancement technology to let you capture a picture, from video, that is cleaner, sharper, and at high resolution. This is the tool for capturing the priceless moments and turning them into photo-quality prints.

TopazMoment

Topaz Moment FE is the Freeware Edition of commercial Topaz Moment(TM).

--IconForge

IconForge is a complete graphics suite for creating, extracting, and modifying icons, cursors, animated icons or cursors and other images. Use for creating bookmark and favorites icons for your web pages, filmstrip animation sequences, stitching together panels of icons, and editing other images. Features: Full set of painting tools; Transparent, Inverse paint; Extract from icon, cursor (including OS2, XP and other icon files), animation, program and image files; Export icon, animation or image formats; Edit icons within programs (EXE, DLL, etc.); Effects filters; Animation tools; Icon or cursor albums; much more...

IconForge

This is Shareware; registration fee required.

--SoThink DHTML Menu

This application allows you to create drop down, pop-up, sliding, or animated menus for Web pages, without knowing a thing about JavaScript. It includes dozens of ready-to-use templates that neophytes can use by just filling in the labels and hyperlinks, but it also offers experienced webmasters enough control to create highly customized menus.

This is Shareware; registration fee required.

DHTML Menu

--How to VideoBlog with Blogger

This is a tutorial on how to add video to Blooger.com, a blog platform.

How to Videoblog with Blogger

--TAO

TAO is a powerful outliner/organizer built for MacOS X. Using TAO, you can efficiently manage and organize plenty of chunks of information. TAO supports basic outliner facilities, such as creating, moving, sorting, grouping and combining items, and the following useful facilities help you organize and classify information.

The developers have future plans for Windows platform.

This is Shareware; registration required.

TAO

--OpenForge

With the largest repository of Open Source code and applications available on the Internet, OpenForge.net provides free services to Open Source developers.

OpenForge

--IP Address Locator

This IP Address Map lookup service is provided for free by Geobytes to assist you in locating the geographical location of an IP.

IP Address Locator

--BigString.com

Bigstring is the sole provider of fully Erasable-Recallable Email. Pioneering the field with our unique patent-pending technology, we empower our users with the ability to take control of their email. The best part is that it is easy to use - in fact there is no difference from regular email. Three years ago, the Bigstring founders set out to build the best spam fighting email system on the planet, and then, quite by accident, they invented the world's first fully erasable email and didn't even realize it.

Free at basic user-level; otherwise, fee for service.

Big String

--SofoText

Software downloads.

SofoText

Trends

--Smart Objects: Spime

What is a spime? Read the article from Wired Magazine Online, October 2004.

Smart Objects

--RoboLawyers

Robolawyers are here to protect you! Read the article.

This article is from Wired Magazine Online, October 2004.

RoboLawyers

Diversity

--DiversityInc.

Although the target audience for this site is senior management at large corporations and owners/partners of women- and minority-owned businesses, it has useful resources for educators and students, such as Resource Guide and Career Center, and Diversity Quotes.

Free newsletter available.

DiversityInc.

--Diversity Database, University of Maryland

This database contains campus, local, national, and international academic material relating to the following areas of diversity as defined by the Office of Human Relations Programs at the University of Maryland: age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion & sexual orientation.

Recommended.

Diversity Database

--Comme un Image

Don't these people look interesting? Click here for a better image of the film marquee.

Agnès Jaoui's wonderful second feature "Comme un Image" opened this year's New York Film Festival. The film won the best screenplay award at Cannes.

C'est l'histoire d'êtres humains qui savent très bien ce qu'ils feraient s'ils étaient à la place des autres mais qui ne se débrouillent pas TRWès bean à la Lear, qua la crescent tout simpleminded.

Excuse moi.... I am brushing up on my French.

Look at Me

Academic Culture

--Despite 9.8 Million Dollar Fine, University of Phoenix Unrepentant

University of Phoenix will still be conducing business as usual, despite the 9.8 million dollar fine imposed by the Department of Education. Here is what a U of P spokesperson had to say:

{The fine} has no effect on any of our business plans, and of course that would include expansions," said Terra Bishop, senior vice president of public affairs for Apollo Group Inc., the Phoenix-based owner of the university.

Read more:

University of Phoenix

This article is from 29 October 2004 issue of Pittsburgh Live.Com.

--Consensus Building

This guide provides an alternative to Roberts Rules of Order.

A Short Guide to Consensus Building

Students

--College Students and American Fly

When Genesis biotech introduced a liquid aphrodisiac called African Fly on the internet four years ago, it was aimed toward older couples who wanted a natural alternative to vigor. They never dreamed Africanize would be all the rage on college campuses.

College Students and American Fly

--The Education Diaries: A British Perspective

This two-part article from The Observer, 5 September 2004, attempts to provide readers a true insight into Britain's education system, along with helping them to understand what it is like to work and study in the nation's schools and universities.

The Education Diaries, Part I and The Education Diaries, Part II

I acquired this resource from Assorted Stuff, 18 October 2004.

--Careers in Physics

This article from Physics World discusses the range of careers available for physics majors: teaching, physical manufacturing, communication industries, energy facilities, to name a few.

Physics Careers

Pedagogy

--Non-formal Learning

Here is one interesting quote from this article:

Learners used to informal learning might be pathologised within more formal educational processes.

Intrigued? Read more:

Non-formal Learning

This resource acquired from OLDAILY28 October 2004.

--Tips and Tricks to Teaching Online Like a Pro

Read the abstract:

This paper summarizes some of the best ideas and practices gathered from successful online instructors and recent literature. Suggestions include good online class design, syllabus development, and online class facilitation offering hints for success for both new and experienced online instructors.

Keywords: online education, distance education, online teaching, online instructor, online faculty training.

Tips and Tricks to Teaching Online Like a Pro

--LoLaExchange

LoLa is an exchange for facilitating the sharing of high-quality learning objects. It contains materials for use across the curriculum, with a particular focus on modules for Information Literacy

LoLExchange

Blog Grab Bag

--The Best Equations of All Time

Physics World in May 2004 asked readers to send their shortlists of great equations. The editors also asked them to explain why their nominations belonged on the list and why, if at all, the topic matters. Read this article for the results.

Best Equations

I acquired this source from Assorted Stuff, October 25, 2004.

--NationMaster

NationMaster is a massive central data source and a handy way to graphically compare nations. NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Resources Institute, UNESCO, UNICEF and OECD. Using the form above, you can generate maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics with ease.

NationMaster

--TomPaine

Progessive news of the day. Free subscription.

TomPaine

--Glad to Be Asexual

Sexual abstinence and celibacy as chosen lifestyles are more common in population than previously supposed.

This article is from The New Scientist, 14 October 2004.

Glad to be Asexual

--Drug Facts

Question: Any idea what pilladies is?

Answer: It's one street name for the drug OxyContin.

This tid-bit of information comes from the United States Office of Drug Control, which, believe it or not, maintains a list of slang terms used in the drug trade.

Interesting insight into a large global subculture.

This resource acquired from my "baby brother," Michael Wanless, FBI, Quantico, Virginia.
Thanks, Mikie!

Drug Facts

--Geostationary Satellite Server, NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service)

NESDIS provides timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life.

Neat site!

Geostationary Satellite Server

--Best Applied Physics

College physics was one of the most difficult courses I ever had as an undergraduate, but I remember how much I enjoyed it--and still do, when someone interprets it for me! This article from Physics World discusses the impact of physics on our daily lives, including areas one normally would not think of, such as finance.

Best of Applied Physics

--Electoral College Calculator

The electoral system, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, forces candidates to carefully allocate their time and money among the states for electoral votes. Each candidate must devise a campaigning strategy which gives him or her the best chance to win at least 270 electoral votes. This site contains a Java applet which allows the user to experiment with different campaign strategies or to track the probable election outcome based on the user's estimate of state-by-state election outcomes.

Electoral College Calculator

--Build Your Own Computer

Looking for a winter project?

This site, KitchenTableComputers, is dedicated to the thousands of ordinary people every year who decide to build their own PC's -- very often, on their kitchen tables. Our goals are to present basic information in simple language to help make your computer-building experience as enjoyable, educational, and rewarding as it can be.

This site also has other interesting resources.

Build Your Own Computer

I acquired this resource from OLDaily, 27 October 2004.

***Answer to question about the portrait: Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). Surprised? I was! I am not familiar with Mondrian's portrait painting.


Until next week!

Blog editor

Image Credits

--"Comme un Image," http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=51309.html
--"The Greatest Equation of All Time," Physics World Magazine http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/17/10/2/1
--"LoLaexchange,"http://www.lolaexchange.org/
--"P.Mondrian, 'Little Girl,'http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/mondrian/p-mondrian3.htm
--"Napsterization.org," http://www.napsterization.org/aboutus.htm
--"PDA," http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/10/emw171001.htm