A new way to view documents online

I came across this article on CNet about a new flash-based document viewer/editor ThinkFree...

Twouble with Twitters

A little Twitter humor... (but even in satire there's a bit of truth...)

Blackboard... on the go?

Another interesting article/blog post...

This one is about Blackboard, that service we all love to hate, and the iPhone.

And twain shall meet... NY Times Article

Is Facebook Growing Up Too Fast?

An interesting article on Facebook's rapid growth:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/internet/29face.html?_r=1&ref=technology


UPDATE: Something new...

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/who-needs-a-college-reunion-ive-got-facebook/

An interesting new service... Moontoast

A guy I grew up with just launched a service at South by Southwest (SXSW) called Moontoast. I know that this may be off of our topic stream but it does fall under the list of education and technology. Here is an excerpt from Forbes Online about it...

Nashville-based Moontoast announced today the launch of moontoast.com, the content company's new web-based knowledge marketplace at South by Southwest's Accelerator event in Austin, Texas.

Moontoast is building a global community of experts and enabling them to share their knowledge live, at a scheduled time, via moontoast.com's unique face-to-face video player. Out to disrupt the web and the world by democratizing knowledge and linking those who know with those who want to know, moontoast.com launches as a beta site and is currently enlisting early adopters.

Moontoast is opening a new channel for the world, where anyone who seeks knowledge can find it. Simply search the profiles for an expert of any kind, establish a live connection with that expert and speak directly for a determined price using Moontoast's unique two-way video player. The next evolutionary step in the online space, Moontoast takes us from information and data retrieval to sharing human knowledge and expertise in real time.

The Moontoast technology combines:

-- The Moontoast Session Player: A live video interface designed to enable people to share their knowledge from anywhere in the world with a Web browser and a Webcam. The Session Player supports multiple cameras and microphones, as well as real time file transfer between people while they are talking live. -- The Moontoast Calendar: A Rich Internet Application which allows Moontoast experts to present their availability to the world. Those seeking knowledge can view a provider's calendar, and choose a convenient time to request a Moontoast session. -- The Moontoast Message Center: An email like system that facilitates all communication and purchases between experts and buyers.

A new Twitter service...

Internet celebrity/wunderkid Kevin Rose (founder of Digg) launched his Twitter directory service WeFollow at SXSW. Interesting. Link to original article here.

Who be me?

Hello people of Earth...

I am here to declare myself as your ruler!

Here are my qualifications:

I have live in Brooklyn all my life. I am a product of Brooklyn public schools (including Brooklyn Tech "Go Engineers"). I work in a Brooklyn public school. I am Brooklyn... (LOL)

Seriously...

I am a student in the Intensive Summer M.A. Program (hoping to graduate this semester!) working on my second graduate degree. My first masters degree is in Elementary Science and Environmental Education from Brooklyn College.

My primary job is a an elementary school science teacher and I am a second semester science education adjunct at Brooklyn College.

I was always exposed to technology in school as a student and I want to bring that to my students. I want to make my students as literate and comfortable with the tools that will make them

I find that with all of the "social distractions" that student have these days we as teachers need to find ways to integrate those things into instruction and pedagogical practice.

I am not saying that digital media is a actual distraction, I use some of the services we will discuss throughout the semester. I do understand that how information and interests are exchanged have shifted to the digital world. We, like some of our students, are fascinated (if not obsessed), with keeping up to date with the comings-and-goings of the people in our lives.

I would like to use this shift in the classroom. How can we move with the shift instead of being pulverized by it or retreat from it. In many cases education is either the leader in shifting trends or the last on board. I wish to be one of the former and not the latter.

And so here I am... I look forward to meeting and exchanging information with you all