The best of the blogs this week…

Augmented Reality in education: Some ideas on the user of AR in schools and FE institutions.  http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/mlearning/augmented-reality-in-the-library/

dICTatEd: Funding for ICT will be tight in coming years, making it essential that a consensus is reached on its application.  http://flux.futurelab.org.uk/2010/07/05/dictated/

Why email is not good enough for modern communication: Tools like Posterous encourage the sharing of ideas with  a community.  http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2010/07/08/why-email-is-not-good-enough-for-communication-today/

The Periodic Text Message Table: A helpful table to help teachers keep in touch with their students.  http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/07/take-15-years-off-and-understand-your.html

The benefits of online degrees for people with learning difficulties: Online education has clear advantages for many learners.  http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2010/07/benefits-of-online-degrees-for-people.html

augmented reality, blogs, email, ICT, online learning, SMS

We’re into double figures…

Online population rises by 2m users in past year: Numbers boosted by over 50s, particularly men, and women of all age groups. http://www.nma.co.uk/news/online-population-rises-by-2m-users-in-past-year/3015239.article

PSL reveals the latest theory and practice in partnering in education: Discussion on the need for partnerships in education in a time of public sector cuts. http://www.trainingpressreleases.com/newsstory.asp?NewsID=5524

Research shows iPhone users download twice as many paid apps as Android users: article looks at why Android users are less willing to pay for apps. http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-apps-iphone-ipod-android-2010-6

The Great Outdoors: article about using ICT and technology for schools outdoors. http://technostories.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/the-great-outdoors/

Google to challenge Facebook with new social networking service ‘Google Me’: rumours about Google Me came from a now-deleted tweet. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-to-challenge-facebook-with-new-social-networking-service-lsquogoogle-mersquo-2014621.html

apps, blog, blogs, Education, google, iphone. facebook, partnerships, web

More from the blogosphere…

More details of Acer’s tablet emerge. CEO says 7-inch iPad rival will be released in the fourth quarter of this year.  http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/acer-ceo-teases-7-inch-android-tablet-promises-it-for-q4-2010/

Red Letter Day’s launches online community. Gift experience company Red Letter Days is launching its first online community to support a national competition running for its 21st birthday.  http://www.nma.co.uk/news/red-letter-days-launches-online-community/3013956.article

Be Curious Tour 2010 offering digital media masterclasses to anyone on their route. Ewan McIntosh is offering classes to anyone he passes on his road trip of North America.  http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2010/05/becurioustour-us-tour-2010.html

Intercontinental Hotels launches iPhone app. To promote the app, they are offering bonuses for consumers who book rooms using the application.  http://news.carrentals.co.uk/intercontinental-hotels-launches-iphone-app-34211334.html

National Geographic Maps: Tools for adventure making big waves in schools. New e-learning page lets students learn to use maps to find their way, share information, look at patterns, and solve problems in the classroom.  http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=2467

blogs, iPhone, learning, tablet

More juicy titbits…

Amnesty uses social media to fund protest ad: Amnesty International to raise funds using social media platforms for a protest ad targeted at Shell. http://www.nma.co.uk/news/amnesty-uses-social-media-to-fund-protest-ad/3013243.article

Sibblingz launches multi-platform game: Social multi-device game released to the public.
http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/12/sibblingz-launches-multi-platform-social-game-engine-to-the-masses/

Hootcourse – Take your class conversation online: Classroom application uses social media to create a conversation channel for your courses.
http://hootcourse.com/

Channel 4 targets teens via games consoles: Channel 4 Education is to harness games consoles as a core channel to reach teenagers in the next phase of its multi-million-pound online education strategy.  http://www.nma.co.uk/news/channel-4-targets-teens-via-games-consoles/3013310.article

The 21st Century Classroom: An insight into modern teaching by Alfie Kohn.
http://www.openeducation.net/2010/05/03/the-21st-century-classroom-alfie-kohn/

blogs, Charities, cross-platform, Education, Gaming, social media

Round (-up) 3. Fight.

• Mobile phones and literacy in rural communities: MILLEE is studying how underprivileged children can acquire language literacy outside the classroom. http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/mobile-phones-literacy

• Nearly 5 years later, “@gmail” set for a UK comeback: After compulsory switch to cumbersome “@googlemail” because of a legal dispute, “@gmail” to become available again. http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/03/gmail-uk/

• Mozilla gets it right, moves identity management into Firefox: Mozilla puts its browser in charge of your online logins through a new menu item in the main toolbar. http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/04/mozilla-gets-it-right-moves-identity-management-into-firefox/

• Apple iPad to be handled with care, publishers warned: Publishers warned that publishing opportunities for iPad will come with strings attached. http://www.nma.co.uk/news/apple-ipad-to-be-handled-with-care-publishers-warned/3012923.article

• Assessment using technology: BECTA booklet reveals that few teachers are making use of useful technology which can assess and suggest learning tasks. http://blog.core-ed.net/derek/2010/05/assessment-using-technology.html

blogs, Education, email, ipad, literacy, Mobile, Publishing, web

The second instalment…

• Is a new form of digital divide emerging?: What is the relationship between technology use and educational performance in science?
• http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2010/04/interested-in-biggger-picture-take-look.html

• Be the search engine: Geocaching adds an additional physical element to location-based social networking sites like Foursquare and Gowalla. 
• http://jwtto.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/be-the-search-engine/

• ePublish yourself: Not-for-profit website ePad Bud – the YouTube of children’s ebooks – is hugely motivating in the classroom.
• http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=2319

• Spotify takes aim at iTunes, befriends Facebook: Spotify upgraded its service by integrating social features to let users connect with friends and share music.
• http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/04/spotify-takes-aim-at-itunes-befriends-facebook/

• 100-year-old with impaired vision discovers the iPad: The intuitive way in which the iPad works seems to open doors to the elderly.
• http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2010/04/100-year-old-with-impaired-vision-discovers-the-ipad.html

accessibility, blogs, Education, epad, foursquare, ipad, location, spotify, Usability

We at Open CC like to keep abreast of the latest developments in our sector – and one of the ways in which we do this is to keep a keen eye on some blogs that we like.

We have an internal newsletter which features the headlines from these blogs.

We thought it might be nice to share this newsletter with the readers of our own blog.

Simple as that. Enjoy!

Apple’s 4th-generation iPhone revealed: Gizmodo has revealed images of the new iPhone after one of Apple’s engineers left it in a pub.                       http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/19/apples-4th-generation-iphone-revealed/

LinkedIn makes new connections: Following Twitter’s announcement last week, LinkedIn announces new sponsored groups ad model.                                  http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/client/e3i3a5406892176b1a13aebfc0791db3154

Ingenious: Free music if you talk about it on Facebook or Twitter: Tweet-for-Track and FBConnect-to-Track mean artists can encourage their fans to spread the word about them in exchange for free music.                                                                 http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/04/ingenious-free-music-if-you-talk-about-it-on-facebook-or-twitter/#ixzz0leC1eEaY

Twitter’s @Anywhere service goes live: This service allows third-party websites to integrate Twitter functionality and content.                                              http://www.nma.co.uk/news/twitter%E2%80%99s-@anywhere-service-goes-live/3012339.article

iPhone and iPod applications for schools: Useful applications for teachers and schools, ranging from an app for managing timetables to a curious ‘PhoneBook’. http://www.teachingnews.co.uk/2010/02/iphone-and-ipod-apps-for-schools/

blogs, iPhone, iPod, LinkedIn, social media, Twitter