Twitter as "Social Bookmarking"

The more I participate on Twitter and see how others are using it, the more I am coming to realize that the professional use of the tool is not to tell others when you are in the bathroom, or which cab you entered, but rather to share links to interesting articles and stories you've read.

This "social bookmarking" use of Twitter is something that will likely grow -- since it becomes a useful informational resource (rather than simply a "social status" tool to let your fans know "here's what I'm doing and where I'm at").

When you are following someone, you can get a quick and instant digest of the links they've been sharing. This makes it easy to catch up on your reading in a controlled and thoughtful manner.
James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Fake Office

Zoho.com was recently panned by Microsoft as the free "Fake Office" program.
Hmmm....
Marketing never came so easy. Now Zoho has registered the domain name for
"FakeOffice.org" and has taken a bit more control over the publicity machine.
James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Fake Office

Zoho.com was recently panned by Microsoft as the free "Fake Office" program.
Hmmm....
Marketing never came so easy. Now Zoho has registered the domain name for
"FakeOffice.org" and has taken a bit more control over the publicity machine.
James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Course Evaluations

A faculty member recently asked what should be done in online course sites about course evaluations (when students provide feedback about a course after grades are posted).

Most Instructional Management Systems allow the construction of surveys which can collect results anonymously.

Here are some questions I would consider as part of a course evaluation in an online course site.

(Likert scale – from Never to Sometimes to Frequently to Always)

  1. The course topics and learning objectives matched those found in the college catalog.
  2. The course content was delivered in an organized and structured manner.
  3. The course resources (textbooks, online articles, media resources) were appropriate for a college-level course.
  4. The assignment instructions and grading criteria were clearly stated.
  5. The instructor was respectful toward me and other students in the class.
  6. The instructor was knowledgeable about the content and its related applications.
  7. The instructor was willing to answer questions within a reasonable timeframe.
  8. (Open ended questions / essay style)
    The part of this course I enjoyed the most was…
  9. The part of this course which was most difficult was…
  10. This course could be improved by…
  11. (Self reporting)
    On average, the number of hours I spent studying and completing assignments for this course was ___.
  12. I feel the grades I received on assignments fairly reflected the amount of effort I put into those assignments. (Never Sometimes Mostly Always)
  13. This class had been a good investment of my time and my tuition dollars. (Agree / Disagree)

James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Course Evaluations

A faculty member recently asked what should be done in online course sites about course evaluations (when students provide feedback about a course after grades are posted).

Most Instructional Management Systems allow the construction of surveys which can collect results anonymously.

Here are some questions I would consider as part of a course evaluation in an online course site.

(Likert scale – from Never to Sometimes to Frequently to Always)

  1. The course topics and learning objectives matched those found in the college catalog.
  2. The course content was delivered in an organized and structured manner.
  3. The course resources (textbooks, online articles, media resources) were appropriate for a college-level course.
  4. The assignment instructions and grading criteria were clearly stated.
  5. The instructor was respectful toward me and other students in the class.
  6. The instructor was knowledgeable about the content and its related applications.
  7. The instructor was willing to answer questions within a reasonable timeframe.
  8. (Open ended questions / essay style)
    The part of this course I enjoyed the most was…
  9. The part of this course which was most difficult was…
  10. This course could be improved by…
  11. (Self reporting)
    On average, the number of hours I spent studying and completing assignments for this course was ___.
  12. I feel the grades I received on assignments fairly reflected the amount of effort I put into those assignments. (Never Sometimes Mostly Always)
  13. This class had been a good investment of my time and my tuition dollars. (Agree / Disagree)

James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Marco Images in Webcamera


There are lots of web-cameras on the market, but I was able to find a bunch of Hue webcams on clearance, and I grabbed a bunch.

The camera has a manual-focus ring, and I tried dialing it all the way out (for closest focus). I found that I could get it into a "super-macro" distance (within 1/2 cm of the item). Here is an example of my F1-Help key on my keyboard.

The application is that the lens of the web camera could be mounted into a telescope or microscope to capture the images for those optics.
James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Marco Images in Webcamera


There are lots of web-cameras on the market, but I was able to find a bunch of Hue webcams on clearance, and I grabbed a bunch.

The camera has a manual-focus ring, and I tried dialing it all the way out (for closest focus). I found that I could get it into a "super-macro" distance (within 1/2 cm of the item). Here is an example of my F1-Help key on my keyboard.

The application is that the lens of the web camera could be mounted into a telescope or microscope to capture the images for those optics.
James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

More Free Tools for Educators and Students

I've received a link to a site which provides a new list of free tools and websites for educators and students.

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/09/100-free-productivity-tools-to-get-you-through-school/

The categories include:

  • Class Helpers (study tools and resources)
  • Time Management (advice and tools)
  • Shortcuts for forms, passwords, and hotkeys
  • Organization
  • Networking
  • Workplace Success
  • Blogs with Advice
  • Money Matters
  • Unwinding (fun and entertainment)
  • Personal Wellness

James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

More Free Tools for Educators and Students

I've received a link to a site which provides a new list of free tools and websites for educators and students.

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2009/09/100-free-productivity-tools-to-get-you-through-school/

The categories include:

  • Class Helpers (study tools and resources)
  • Time Management (advice and tools)
  • Shortcuts for forms, passwords, and hotkeys
  • Organization
  • Networking
  • Workplace Success
  • Blogs with Advice
  • Money Matters
  • Unwinding (fun and entertainment)
  • Personal Wellness

James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

Up Your Productivity with Twice the Desktop

In the market for an LCD television? Make sure that you get one which has computer inputs (VGA/PC or DVI). Run a cable from the TV to your laptop and work on a second desktop.

According to an article in USA Today, having the second monitor increases your work productivity by as much as 50%.

I've used dual monitors for almost a decade, and I can really feel the slowdown when I have to work on one screen.

If you would like to try using a dual screen with your laptop - simply borrow any LCD monitor and connect it to the external video port. On my campus website I have added a link to provide instructions.

James Falkofske - TechnologyBites.blogspot.com

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