Widgets

Widgets??? What and Why

• wxWidgets — Free, extensible, cross-platform UI toolkit with a dockable user interface extension
• Juce — An extensive cross-platform UI toolkit
• FLTK — A light, cross platform, non-native widget toolkit
• FOX toolkit — A fast, open source, cross-platform widget toolkit
• FrugalWidgets - A minimalistic widget set for Win32
• GTK+ — The GIMP toolkit, a widget toolkit used by GNOME applications
• IUP_(software) -- IUP cross platform static/dynamic library C/Lua, Lua (MIT) licence
• JX Application Framework
• Microsoft Foundation Classes - The most commonly used widgeting toolkit for Windows.
• Motif
• Object Windows Library & OWLNext
• Qt — A widget toolkit used by KDE
• Standard Widget Toolkit — SWT for Java
• Swing — Java widget toolkit
• Tk — Toolkit part of the Tcl - project and often used by Perl and Python programmers
• Ultimate++
• Visual Component Library
• XForms

Sharing of Web Information

Sharing of web based information:

http://www.diigo.com/ (Diigo.com):

               -allows taking of personal notes or highlighting text information on web pages

-allows the bookmarking of this information for further review

-it adds tags to keep everything organized

-it allows the sharing of information with colleagues and friends through access to a web page

-allows viewers to add their own annotations.

View my bookmarks at http://www.diigo.com/user/rapm2020

Virtual Classroom (Synchronous interact) and Scheduling Software

Virtual Classroom software:

-Allows online synchronous class room sessions where participants can communicate through a microphone, writing on a white board, or preset response buttons.  This can be used for study groups or to handle problems or questions.   

www.elluminate.com  (used by ION)

www.BigBlueButton.org

www.dmdm.com (free)

Scheduling Software:

Allows individuals to view a calendar of your appointments and schedule themselves into an open spot.  So if students need one-on-one interaction, you can provide it easier.

 www.doodle.com : free

www.TimeTrade.com

Surveys and Polls

Surveys & Polls:

Feedback is important for understanding how well a certain type of media is working in the classroom environment and can be an invaluable resource in meeting the needs of each classroom style or student base.  These websites allow you to create polls and surveys centered around your needs. 

Survey:

www.surveymonkey.com or

www.zoomerang.com

               -free software services that allow users to create their own surveys

               -surveys can be linked to URL, twitter, or facebook

               -respondents can be provided with a URL to view the overall results

               -the creator can see individual responses and can remove blank or unwanted responses

               -provides for a wide variety of questions: open ended, multiple choice, ranking etc.

Polling:

http://www.polleverywhere.com/

-allows the gathering of live responses anywhere

-allows individuals to respond by text messaging or a URL

-allows creator to review poll results by individual and group

Sites for Wikis or Blogs

Wiki and Blog information

Wiki: collaboration websites-anyone with password can add content or edit content

-can use for group work or projects: everyone adds on to ideas

      (creator can see who added what)

Listing of Wiki Service options

http://pbwiki.com

www.wikispaces.com

www.wetpaint.com

Blogs: personal website similar to journal-only you can add information but others can access it to read if given the password

-most recent information at the top

Blog services:

Extensive list at http://supportblogging.com (also includes RSS services: pageflakes; reader.google.com; bloglines.com)

LiveJournal

WordPress

Blogger.com (google)

Typepad.com

Edublogs.com

Ways to use 'Twitter' in classroom

Ways to use Twitter in classes

twitter.com: standard app on many cell phones (bird symbol)

Ways to use it in classroom:

-To reinforce connect to real world: share daily interactions that link to class materials

-Create more productive classroom by forming links to other participants: share personal experiences

-Understand what people around the world are interested in: sports, political issues, holidays, etc

-Track a word, event, person: links student to any site using that word

-Track a conference

-Instant feedback on questions or concerns

-Select Teaching Moments based on current events

Information from “Twitter for Academia” found at http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/

Preventing Cheating in On-line Classes

How to prevent cheating in online classes

** Develop a plan, outline the plan in the syllabus, and require students to sign a contract that the read and understood the assessment plan**

Monitoring who is really participating:

-Keep and monitor computer logs:

                -Who logs in when and where

                -How frequently

-Ask for writing sample to compare structure overtime

-Require use of camera:  for visual image of participant

-Collect data on each student’s interest and create individual formats based on each student

-Require some face-to-face contact throughout the class

Monitoring Testing:

-Give a few proctored exams: at university, libraries, or other joint communication facilities

-Give oral exams or quizzes: call and ask questions

-Give each student their own version of the exam or make sure to randomize the questions

-Place time limits on exams or quizzes: must complete in given timeframe

-Schedule specific dates and time for exams to be done in online chat or discussion formats

-Set specific date and time and require use of camera: monitor each feed

-Do not allow retakes or retries on exams or quizzes

-Use non-traditional teaching styles: video, projects, presentations, podcast, etc.

Ideas developed from “Tips, Tricks and How to Prevent Cheating in Distance Education” by Kathy Cercone of Housatonic Community College and located at http://web-pt.net/wyoming/online_testing.htm

Signs of Cheating in On-line classes

-Formatting issues: mixed or does not match with requirements (font, margins, tables, bibliography, etc)

-Check labels on documents: URLs, Website names, name of preparation services or individuals

-Grammar issues: wrong verbs, pronouns, etc (outdated paper)

-Wording structure does not match previous submissions

-Bibliography does not match paper or can not be verified

-Bibliography uses only old references: nothing new used

-Rhetorical style writing

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) information

Data obtained from http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html by softwaregarden inc.

What is RSS?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is a way to easily distribute a list of headlines, update notices, and sometimes content to a wide number of people. It is used by computer programs that organize those headlines and notices for easy reading.  It repeatedly checks each website to see if there is any new content to save you time and stress.

RSS is a better way than e-mail to be notified of new and changed content. Notifications of changes to multiple websites are handled easily, and the results are presented to you well organized and distinct from email.

How does RSS work?  RSS works by having the website author maintain a list of notifications on their website in a standard way. This list of notifications is called an "RSS Feed". Special computer programs called "RSS aggregators" have been developed that automatically access the RSS feeds of websites you care about on your behalf and organize the results for you. Think of an RSS aggregator as just a web browser for RSS content. (RSS feeds and aggregators are also sometimes called "RSS Channels" and "RSS Readers".) They detect the additions and present them all together to you in a compact and useful manner. If the title and description of an item are of interest, the link can be used to quickly bring the related web page up for reading.

How do I find out if a website has an RSS feed?  It is usually indicated on the home page or main news page with a link to "RSS", or sometimes by displaying an orange button with the letters "XML" or "RSS". Once you know the URL of an RSS feed, you can provide that address to an RSS aggregator program and have the aggregator monitor the feed for you. Many RSS aggregators come preconfigured with a list to choose from of RSS feed URLs for popular news websites.

Sponsored Links

Feedster: A search engine for public RSS feeds that can also provide the results of a search as an ongoing RSS feed.

ListGarden: An open source program from Software Garden to create RSS feeds. For Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Considerations for persons with disabilities in on-line technologies

What are some of the considerations you should keep in mind for persons with disabilities using these different technologies for delivering content?

http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web/#onlinestudent

Blindness: Examples of barriers that people with blindness may encounter on the Web can include:

• images that do not have alternative text
• complex images (e.g., graphs or charts) that are not adequately described
• video that is not described in text or audio
• tables that do not make sense when read serially (in a cell-by-cell or "linearized" mode)
• frames that do not have "NOFRAME" alternatives, or that do not have meaningful names
• forms that cannot be tabbed through in a logical sequence or that are poorly labelled
• browsers and authoring tools that lack keyboard support for all commands
• browsers and authoring tools that do not use standard applications programmer interfaces for the operating system they are based in
• non-standard document formats that may be difficult for their screen reader to interpret

Low vision: Barriers that people with low vision may encounter on the Web can include:

• Web pages with absolute font sizes that do not change (enlarge or reduce) easily
• Web pages that, because of inconsistent layout, are difficult to navigate when enlarged, due to loss of surrounding context
• Web pages, or images on Web pages, that have poor contrast, and whose contrast cannot be easily changed through user override of author style sheets
• text presented as images, which prevents wrapping to the next line when enlarged
• also many of the barriers listed for blindness, above, depending on the type and extent of visual limitation

Color blindness:  Barriers that people with color blindness may encounter on the Web can include:

• color that is used as a unique marker to emphasize text on a Web site
• text that inadequately contrasts with background color or patterns
• browsers that do not support user override of authors' style sheets

Deafness:  Barriers that people who are deaf may encounter on the Web can include:

• lack of captions or transcripts of audio on the Web, including webcasts
• lack of content-related images in pages full of text, which can slow comprehension for people whose first language may be a sign language instead of a written/spoken language
• lack of clear and simple language
• requirements for voice input on Web sites

Hard of hearing:  Barriers encountered on the Web can include:

• lack of captions or transcripts for audio on the Web, including webcasts

Motor disabilities:  Barriers that people with motor disabilities affecting the hands or arms may encounter include:

• time-limited response options on Web pages
• browsers and authoring tools that do not support keyboard alternatives for mouse commands
• forms that cannot be tabbed through in a logical order 

Visual and Auditory Perception: Barriers that people with visual and auditory perceptual disabilities may encounter on the Web can include:

• lack of alternative modalities for information on Web sites, for instance lack of alternative text that can be converted to audio to supplement visuals, or the lack of captions for audio

Attention deficit disorder: Barriers that people with attention deficit disorder may encounter on the Web can include:

• distracting visual or audio elements that cannot easily be turned off
• lack of clear and consistent organization of Web sites

Intellectual disabilities: Barriers can include:

• use of unnecessarily complex language on Web sites
• lack of graphics on Web sites
• lack of clear or consistent organization of Web sites

Memory impairments: Barriers can include:

• lack of clear or consistent organization of Web sites

Mental health disabilities: To Barriers can include:

• distracting visual or audio elements that cannot easily be turned off
• Web pages with absolute font sizes that do not enlarge easily

How People with Disabilities Use the Web.  http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web/#onlinestudent. W3C,  5 May 2005.  

Learning Objects sites

Learning Objects sites:

A learning object is a granular piece of content that could be repurposed across a variety of settings.
Merlot http://www.merlot.org/Home.po;
National Science Digital Library http://nsdl.org/ ;
Wisc-Online http://www.wisc-online.com/

Ways to create own media

Creating own media:
Creating your own media can be more time consuming but will be more linked or structured around your needs.  Ways of creating your own data include video, audio, or presentations. 

Instructions to create podcast: need download Audacity and MP3 Encoder.  Use plug ins option to extract the file.  Then record, cut, paste, remove noise, normalize, export and tag it.  http://www.podango.com/  can be used to upload and distribute the files.  http://www.easypodcast.com/  can be used to distribute.  Or, http://www.podcast.com/ can be used to record, publish and upload a file.
Other content creation options:
http://www.prezi.com/: account is free. Click on create to start new project. Double Click on screen to add text.  If click once will get Zebra which allows you to move, enlarge or shrink image, or rotate image.  The plus sign on the zebra provides more options.  At top left of screen is menu bubble to allow to insert image.  Click image to get the zebra.  Bubble also allows you to select the path or order of showing.  Click path and then click on images or text in order wish to show.  To add video, copy url and double click on prezi screen to add url. 
http://www.jingproject.com/: free download provides you with sun icon which allows you to capture an image on your screen, add history, and more includes help, done, and setup.  Make sure setup is on SWF for video type.  After capture image, in bottom left add file name to save as.
Things to remember when making a video: make it simple and to the point, in small segments, include instructor in picture, prepare script and other equip needed ahead of time, preview for sound, light, and picture quality.

Resources for obtaining media created by others

Using media produced by others:
Don't reinvent the wheel.  First search for ready available material (video or audio format) from the websites below.  This material can be used to enhance the students understand of a topic or to introduce a discussion topic.  If this material does not meet your needs, then review the post for creating your own media.

Video Search Areas:

YouTube, Google Video, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, BBC News: Video and Audio, CNN Video, MIT World, SciVee, Yahoo! Video, Google Video, MSNBC Video, Current TV, NASA TV, Discovery Channel Videos, National Geographic Video, Hulu, TeacherTube, Link TV, NomadsLand, SciTalks

Websites for podcast media: 

on a PC <http://www.sonicspot.com/guide/

voicerecording.html>;   http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/How-to-Podcast.html;  <http://radio.about.com/od/

podcastin1/a/aa030805a.htm>;  set of guidelines - http://www.itconversations.com/wikis/itc/pmwiki.php; <http://www.transom.org/tools/index.php>.

Content Creation Video

Purpose of Blog

The purpose of my blog is to learn, grow and succeed in my chosen profession of undergraduate teaching.  I have been teaching in community colleges in Illinois since 1993.  The student body has changed greatly during this timeframe.  This change demands that educators attempt to incorporate new tools and innovations into the classroom environment.  I hope that this blog will assist me in my desire to enhance student learning at multiple levels.