2015 archive
Will students be wearing their tech in virtual classrooms in five years? Wearable devices, adaptive technologies, and the Internet of Things are just some of the new tech researchers say is shaping the near future of higher education.
In 1 Year or Less: BYOD and the flipped classroom.
“Employers and higher education institutions are finding that when given the opportunity to choose their device, users are saved from the effort and time needed to get accustomed to new devices and can therefore accomplish tasks with more ease and efficiency.”
“Flipped learning is seen as especially suited for higher education because the rearranging of class time gives students in large introductory lecture courses more opportunity to engage and interact with their peers.”
In 2-3 Years: Makerspaces and wearable devices.
Makerspaces have the “benefit of engaging learners in creative, higher-order problem solving through hands-on design, construction and iteration.”
“Wearable technology is poised to see significant growth in the coming years, spurring experimentation in higher education because the demand for wearables is seen to be coming in large part from college-aged students.”
In 4-5 Years: Adaptive technologies and the Internet of Things.
“Adaptive technology is seen as a means to break free of a “one-size-fits-all” approach to education and is suited well for online and hybrid learning environments, “where student activities are conducted virtually and can be monitored by software and tracking applications.”
The Internet of Things pushes information to learners from their surroundings. “For instance, a learner exploring a city with a rich historical past can explore their environment through an architectural, political, or biological lens, depending on how the surroundings are equipped.”
From the NMC Horizon Report 2015: Higher Education Edition
http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2015/02/11/The-6-Technologies-That-Will-Change-the-Face-of-Education.aspx?Page=1
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/staff/resources/tutorials/content/Differences_between_Discussion_Boards__Blogs_and_Wikis.html
Differences
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Discussion Forums are TOPIC centred.
- discussions are organised into topics by ‘threads’
- anyone in the community can start a thread on a topic of their choosing
- all participants have an equal voice
- posts require someone to reply for a discussion to take place
- you can follow through a thread on a particular topic
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Blogs are AUTHOR centred.
- posts are made by the blog’s author only (may be a group)
- posts are usually opinion pieces and written in the authors voice
- readers can add comments to the author’s post
- organised in reverse chronological order so the most recent posts show on the entry page
- reflect the authors identity in the tone, look and feel and content
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Wikis are CONTENT/DOCUMENT centred.
- wikis are for group authoring
- editable website with a complete version history kept
- aim is to reach a consensus or compromise on the content of the page
- the focus is the content produced, not the individual authors
- usually neutral and objective
- discussion/comment is separated from the wiki content
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From: Almond, Emily [mailto:ealmond@georgialibraries.org]
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 6:28 AM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: [lita-l] Re: Re: 3D printing in libraries
Hi guys, we have 21 3D printers in public libraries in GA and we created this resource page to help our libs decide what works for them: http://galibtech.org/?page_id=1052
Also, our system administrator Daniel Zeiger, had these thoughts:
UP mini if you want something cheap and plug and play. ~$600 dollars and doesn’t need much maintenance but its build plate is fairly small (this can be a good thing if you don’t want prints that can run all night).
For a little more you can grab the UP plus 2/Afinia H480 which gives you a larger build plate and allows you to see the print from any angle while printing. The plus 2 also self levels which takes a huge step out of the printing process.
If you want something that requires a bit more maintenance but also gives you much more control over your printer and settings (and a larger build plate) I would go for the FlashForge Creator Pro or the Ultimaker 2. Both of these offer superior print quality and control, but require more tinkering and knowledge to print successfully.
Emily Almond
Director, IT
Georgia Public Library Service
On Feb 6, 2015, at 12:09 PM, Amy Jiang <ajiang@laverne.edu> wrote:
Ajiang@laverne.edu
On Feb 6, 2015, at 8:21 AM, cherie bronkar <cheriebr35@yahoo via <dmarc_fix@lists.ala.org> wrote:
cbronkar@kent.edu
Cherie
On Friday, February 6, 2015 11:12 AM, Janet Ann Crum <Janet.Crum@nau.edu> wrote:
Great idea! I’d be happy to help with that.
Janet
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 6, 2015, at 9:05 AM, Cindi Blyberg <cindiann@gmail.com> wrote:
Hey all!
Is there interest in forming a LITA Interest Group around 3D printing or Makerspaces?
More information about IGs can be found here:
http://www.ala.org/lita/about/manual/litamanualsection6
and the petition to form one is here:
http://www.ala.org/lita/sites/ala.org.lita/files/content/about/manual/forms/E5-IGpetition%20renewa.pdf
Other groups have collected signatures via Google doc, but some have been formed during the middle of a conference.
Have fun! 🙂
On Thu, Feb 5, 2015 at 6:30 PM, Matt Beckstrom <MBeckstrom@lclibrary.org> wrote:
I may not be able to recommend any particular 3D printer model, but I can recommend a service that we use that makes offering 3D printers to my patrons really easy. We use an online system called Skyforge from a company called Element Robot (https://skyforge.co/home/). This system facilitates the uploading of 3d plans, the payment of them, and printing them to the printer. It really is a time saver for me and my staff.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Matt Beckstrom
mbeckstrom@lclibrary.org
Systems Librarian
Lewis & Clark Library
120 S Last Chance Gulch
Helena, MT 59601
http://www.lclibrary.org
(406) 447-1690 x111
>>> John Fitzgibbon <jfitzgibbon@Galwaylibrary.ie> 2/5/2015 3:55 AM >>>
Hi,
We are interested in providing access to 3D printers in our largest library. Our hope is to make the printer available to children between the ages of ten and fifteen so that they would gain experience in designing and creating three dimensional artifacts.
I am not sure if there is a 3D printer that is that user friendly. Is it feasible to provide this service to this target audience? What is the best 3D printer to use?
I would appreciate any advice.
Regards
John
John Fitzgibbon
Executive Librarian
w: http://www.galwaylibrary.ie
Previous IMS posts on 3d printing:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=3d+printing
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/09/385001258/samsungs-privacy-policy-warns-customers-their-smart-tvs-are-listening
All of Samsung’s smart TVs — which take voice commands — come with a warning to consumers that essentially says: Your TV is listening and might be sending what you say to Samsung and a third party responsible for transcribing what you say.
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/11/beyond-minecraft-games-that-inspire-building-and-exploration/
Garry’s Mod (GMod) is a sandbox game like Minecraft but instead of building and exploring, students use a fun physics engine that simulates things like gravity and mass. They also use a virtual toy box of assets from Valve Software’s popular games. The tool is a step up in complexity from the elegant simplicity of Minecraft, but with Garry’s Mod, students are exposed to physics concepts while having madcap fun.
Kerbal Space Program has a robust physics engine too, but it’s more focused than Garry’s Mod. Players purchase rocket parts, put them together, and then see if they can get a ship into orbit, to one of two moons, or even to another planet. These aren’t easy tasks, so play is focused on trial and error testing, and, like Minecraft, seeking help from the community is part of a successful strategy.
Sound Shapes is a visually stunning platform puzzle game set to a rich musical soundscape. Even better: students can create and share their own levels – like interactive sheet music — using sounds and objects unlocked by playing the platform game. It’s an accessible entry point into musical composition as well as game design, and provides an experience that builds on the creativity of Minecraft while offering something wholly unique for music lovers.
For creative kids who want to get their hands dirty, check out DIY, a site where students can find things to build, instructions for how to build them, and ways to share their creations with others. All projects are aligned to 50 skills that run the gamut from outdoors to indoors, and feature various challenges to complete and cool badges to earn and display.
Computer programming is a great next step for students who love to mod Minecraft or toy around with the redstone resource (which simulates basic logic and circuitry). One solid entry-level tool is Stencyl, a game creation program focused on codeless, cross-platform game making. By snapping blocks of code together, students can create games that can be published and played on a variety of platforms including mobile phones.
Codecademy is a web-based, self-paced site that teaches actual industry-standard languages like PHP, Javascript, Python, Ruby, HTML, and CSS. While students don’t create publishable games like they would in Stencyl, their learning is purpose-driven and contextualized, e.g. JavaScript for web development or Ruby for app development. And students do get to see their code’s output directly onscreen.
Minecraft has introduced a lot of youth to games as well as the critical thinking, problem solving, and creation skills necessary for self-motivated learning. The games and sites on this list have the potential to extend that learning, providing fresh outlets for self-expression in the digital world and beyond.
More on gaming in this blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=minecraft
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=games
http://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/tmt-pred-re-enterprization-of-it.html
https://www.facebook.com/help/547448218658012/
—–Original Message—–
From: lkobash88@ucla.edu [mailto:lkobash88@ucla.edu]
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2015 5:34 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: [lita-l] Facebook Boosting
Hello! This is for those of you managing library social media accounts:
Has anyone used the boosting option for posts on Facebook?
https://www.facebook.com/help/547448218658012/
My library is experimenting with this and we are not sure how successful it’s been or will be and are wondering if anyone else had had good/bad results from it or knows of libraries that have. Any input is appreciated! Thanks!
if you’re looking for a more affordable and easier to use Web development system than Dreamweaver, I may have just the thing for you: Xara Web Designer 9.
http://www.cio.com/article/2385755/developer/no-more-adobe-dreamweaver–so-how-about-xara-web-designer-.html
Other IMS blog entries on Web development:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/01/29/dreamweaver-cc/
https://www.libraryjuiceacademy.com/moodle/login/index.php
Eva Dodsworth
Since the emergence of easily accessible dynamic online mapping tools, there has been a drastic increase in geographic interest and awareness. Whether for personal, social, professional or academic uses, people are using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to communicate information in a map format. Whether it’s using Google Earth to study urban change, or creating Google Map Mashups to deliver library resources, more and more members of society are turning to mapping programs for their visualization needs. With so many using GIS technology in their daily lives, library staff are now more than ever assisting library clients with their mapping queries.
This course will introduce students to a variety of mapping tools and GIS technologies such Google Earth and the creation of dynamic KML files; ArcGIS Online and webmap publishing; Google Fusion Tables and geocoding; and GIS fundamentals with geospatial data creation. Students will be able to apply their GIS skills in their reference work, in digitization projects, in webpages, in library instruction, and more. Through hands-on exercises, pre-recorded demonstrations and lectures, students will receive a thorough overview of mapping resources that will enhance and expose their library’s resources.
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/WeekOne_2014.wmv
http://www.placingliterature.com/map?modal=1
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/WeekTwo.wmv
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/WeekThree_Part_One.mov
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/WeekThree_Part2.mov
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/WeekFour.mov
– How to enable offline maps in your Google Maps app – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/map-happy/how-to-enable-offline-maps_b_6525832.html
– Huge news – Google Earth Pro, which used to cost the public $400 is now free! What does that mean for you? Extra features! You can import GIS files, tables, and export animated movie files! http://google-latlong.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/google-earth-pro-is-now-free.html
– Don’t live in Canada? Too bad! Google Maps plots best tobagonning hills in Canada!http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/google-map-plots-canada-s-best-tobogganing-hills-1.2218207
– a map of 19 countries that were named after specific people – http://www.vox.com/2015/2/1/7954179/map-countries-pe
By Paul KerleyBBC News Magazine
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30840318
Content for Week Two – February 9th – February 15th
Week Two:
Podcast includes:
- Citizen Mapping
- OpenStreetMap – crowdsourcing
more heads are better then one
NYPL geomapping volunteers.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/
citizen crime reporting app for NYPD http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/crime_mapping/nyc_crime_map_introduction.shtml
when the jet disappeared, crowdsourcing for parts on the satellite maps of the ocean
potholes map
maps of the threes. emerald bug in Mnpls
http://www.fuf.net/
how does foursquare and checkins in FB and Google +fit it
Podcast and Powerpoint can be accessed from:http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/JuicyLibrarianMaterial.html
Tutorials: Google Earth
Assignments:
1. Discussion question:
Discover some citizen mapping projects that you are interested in OR
Contribute your local knowledge to Google Map Maker AND Share with the class online
2. Google Earth Map
Please complete the tutorial and then create a map in Google Earth with the following components:
- A title
- A written introduction to your project
- At least five placemarks, embedded with html tags, and images, if possible.
- Imported KML file(s) file format by GEarth, but other apps is using it. using notepad or MS Word, one can create KML file.
screen overlay, can be text, image, anything. legend. HTML code.
- A screen overlay (i.e. a legend)
areal photography.
history.
images from the library, Google is willing to buy them. citizen mapping. scanning and uploading.
geographical and societal awareness.
Gallery: 360Cities.
google street view – historical views
Google Earth Mapping
Submit online as a KML/KMZ file
I had the opportunity to experience a gizmo that can be used to display a variety of mapping projects, including citizen mapping: Science on a Sphere. It is a sphere on which you can project static maps or animations. The one I saw, in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s facility on Ford Island in Honolulu, displayed animations showing the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 tsunami in Japan, as well as airline flight paths, ocean currents, polar ice cap change over time, and many other types of geospatial data.
The Great Backyard Bird Count actually starts today and runs through Monday, February 16th. At a minimum, it only requires 15 minutes of observation on any or all the days: http://gbbc.birdcount.org/
Happy Cow is a site well-known to many vegetarians/vegans for finding restaurants which I’ve used when travelling. Users can submit reviews and/or restaurants that they’d like profiled (although the site reserves the right to approve or not the listing). http://www.happycow.net/search.html
———————————–
One of the impediments to citizen mapping is the line-of-sight cell tower limitations of mobile phones, or the wifi requirements for other mobile devices. Citizen mapping in urban and suburban environments is well-served by mobile devices, but what about natural areas, dense leaf cover, or extreme topography? Even if obtaining absolute mapping coordinates isn’t the issue, much crowdsourcing assumes an ability to connect back to a central data repository (e.g., a web database, ‘the cloud’). Equipment that can interact with GPS satellites and support data capture is typically expensive and generally requires proprietary software.
wq (https://wq.io/) is a framework that is ‘device first’ and ‘offline-enabled’. It attempts to leverage several open source technologies to build an entire mobile solution that can support citizen science data collection work, and then synchronize with a central repository once the device (and operator) return to an area served by cellular or wifi networks.
I’m stretching here, so if I get stuff wrong, please don’t yell. Still, I’ll take a pass at generally describing the framework and its related technology stack.
wq relies upon python, and a web framework called django for building offline-capable web apps that can run on iOS and Android devices. These web apps, then, rely very heavily upon javascript, particularly requirejs (http://requirejs.org/) and mustache (https://mustache.github.io/), for the templates that permit quick and (somewhat) painless web application development. Data visualization relies upon d3.js (http://d3js.org/), and geography makes heavy use of Leaflet (http://leafletjs.com/) — maybe the most pertinent layer of the stack for those of us in this course. If you’re not familiar withLeaflet.js, check it out!
Finally, wq extends several other open source technologies to enable synchronizing between a central data repository and multiple mobile devices in the hands of citizen mappers. Lastly, wq employs a set of tools to more easily build and distribute customized mapping apps that can be served from Apple’s app store, Google Play, etc.
What wq intends is to allow highly specialized citizen science/citizen mapping apps to be more easily and quickly built, based upon a solid collection of aligned F/OSS tools. Ideally, an app can spin up quickly to respond to a particular need (e.g., a pipeline spill), or a specialized audience (the run up to a public comment period for a development project), or even something like a high school field trip or higher ed service learning project.
Some examples of citizen mapping projects already built upon wq are here:
https://wq.io/examples/
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Creating a walking tour map with Google Earth_2014
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Week 3
Podcast includes:
- Geocoding
- Georeferencing
- Spatial Data Formats
- Geospatial Data Online
- Discussion Question
Podcast and Powerpoint available from: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/JuicyLibrarianMaterial.html
Tutorials: BatchGeo (optional); Google Fusion (optional)
https://en.batchgeo.com/
enter Xcel data, and export KLM file ready for google map and/or google earth
https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/2571232
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fusion_Tables
store maps online, no latitude needed.
visualize geospatial data by map
spatial analysis by mapping different layers together
showing data by map, graph or chart
e.g. how many cars cross specific point
crowdsourcing: spotting butterflies, using fusion tables to map the spices and sightings
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/mar/31/deprivation-map-indices-multiple
students: journalism, history, geography.
Georeferencing (geocoding – data, geo referencing – image)
historical air maps or photos are much more useful when they are georeferenced.
Photos from different year is difficult to lay over one another without referencing. the only reference might be the river. usually reference the four corners, but sometimes river. Using GIS program to determine the longitute/latitude for each corner. sometimes only farmland and it is impossible
http://elearningindustry.com/using-badges-in-online-learning
greater autonomy for students, greater levels of feedback, and a variety of assignments.
More on badges in this blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=badges
In each of the classes for which I use badges I have 24 different badges that students can earn. Each one is a “micro-assignment” which asks students to apply some concept or set of concepts we are covering in the class. Students submit their responses and if they meet the badge criteria they earn the badge. When they earn a badge they receive the points for that in their grades and also receive a badge graphic uploaded to their own personal profile which only they can see. One feature I would like to incorporate is the ability to share these badges via their social networks but I am not sure about how this would work with regard to FERPA requirements. More research on my part is needed regarding this.
If the student does not earn the badge, they are provided with detailed feedback and allowed to resubmit to try and earn the badge. They can submit as many times as they want or need to in order to earn the badge. Students need to earn a minimum of 14 badges to earn a C in the course and 18 badges to earn an A.