The World Is Changing Part 03- E-Learning and Web Accessibility: A Primer

Introduction

With the mainstreaming of the Internet within curriculum there is a growing interest in Web Accessibility. Web accessibility means that people with various disabilities can use the web. (Education and Outreach Working Group, 2005) Back when the Internet was new there were no web browsers, everything was text, and only geeks could access information. Mosaic began a revolution; it was the first web browser that could support graphics. With that one invention the world saw the Internet explode in popularity in the 90’s. No longer did individuals need to read boring black and white text files.

Early pioneers in online education did not have to worry about web accessibility; it simply was not an option. As the Internet becomes more and more ubiquitous in our society and education, we must start to look at not just how to make it work, but how to make it work more efficiently and for all learners. While this is still relatively new, curriculum designers and educational institutions must start to look at how to make e-learning more accessibly to all.
It has been my experience that most of the general discussion and exposure to web accessibility focus on individuals with visual impairments. This assumption was incorrect. Web Accessibility is for anyone who has a learning disability.

Classification of Disabilities

This is by no means an attempt to lump people into well-defined boxes or categories. It is meant to provide a starting ground for individuals who are interested in pursing more information.
There are several classification of disabilities that are of concern for web accessibility. (W3C, 2005)

• Visual disabilities
  • Blindness
  • Low vision
  • Color blindness
  • Disabled in the Digital Age: Web accessibility for the blind and visually impaired

• Hearing impairments
  • Deafness
  • Hard of hearing
  • Disabled in the Digital Age: Web accessibility for the deaf and hearing impaired

• Physical disabilities
• Speech disabilities
• Cognitive and neurological disabilities
  • Dyslexia and dyscalculia
  • Attention deficit disorder
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Memory impairments
  • Mental health disabilitiesSeizure disorders

• Aging-related conditions

Adaptive Technology

There are various tools that a person could use to help address their specific area of need. Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and Mac operating systems include some basic programs that can help some individuals with disabilities, mainly magnification of screen, high contrast, Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text. There are other more powerful tools available, these tools are collectively known as Adaptive Technology(W3C, 2005)

• Alternative keyboards or switches
  • Highlight text and hit the control and “C” button, move the cursor somewhere else and hit the control and “V” button. Most veteran computer users know that you have just performed the keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste.
  • Alternative Keyboards allow individuals who could not hold the control button and the “C” or “V” button alternative methods of accessing not just that shortcut but also other combination keyboard commands.
  • In Windows this is known as Sticky Keys
    • In Windows press the Shift key five times.
    • A dialog box opens with instructions on how to set up the StickyKeys feature.
    • Click OK, an icon (a group of squares) appears in the notification area.

    

  • Alternative keyboards can also be used for people who are visually impaired. One example of a keyboard that utilize large keys with special coloration is the Big Keys Keyboard

• Braille and refreshable Braille
  • Braille is a text system that uses 6-8 raised dots that represent letters and numbers. People training in the use of Braille can use these bumps to read.
  • A refreshable Braille display is a device that will take dynamic text, as opposed to using a Braille machine and turning text on a page or in a book to Braille. The Refreshable Braille display can take text being displayed and turn it into brail that runs along the person’s fingers.
• Scanning software
  • This highlights or announces choices on a webpage: menus, links, anything that can be selected to change what is being displayed on the webpage
  • The user can click on the highlighted area
  • Disabled in the Digital Age: Mr. Roboto
• Screen magnifiers
  • Increases the size of portions of the screen
  • Microsoft Windows has a free version of this called Magnifier
    • In Windows XP: Start → All Programs → Accessories → Magnifier
• Screen readers
  • It reads what is on the screen
  • The computer can either output the information via speech or through a Refreshable Braille Reader
  • The more powerful screen readers are:
    • JAWS from Freedom Scientific
    • Window-Eyes from GW Micro
  • Newer versions of MS Windows come with Narrator, Apple’s Mac OS X includes VoiceOver
    • Enterprising students can also use this built in feature to proof read papers.
• Speech recognition
  • These programs will take what the user says and translate it to either text or computer commands
  • A popular Speech recognition program is Dragon Naturally Speaking

This is not a complete list. For more information on Adaptive Technology check out this excellent resource from MIT’s Information Services & Technology: http://web.mit.edu/atic/www/tools/index.html

How to design your online courses

E-Learning is still in it infancy. Too many educators think by putting their existing course material online that they are now online instructors. This is in error. What works in the classroom does not always translate well to the digital-room. This is not to point an accusing finger at educators who are embracing this new frontier of education. Educators who embrace this new method of instruction should be appreciated for utilizing this new technology. The startling truth to e-learning is that it has over a 65% mortality rate amongst students. With such a horrible attrition rate some would argue that we should focus on the basic of online instruction before we worry about trying to strive for inclusion. While a valid argument could be made for this, we must keep in mind that once we start to ignore special populations of people, it becomes easier to keep ignoring them. It is better to embrace web accessibility now while we all feel the growing plans of e-learning. By doing so we not only prevent the marginalization of students with special needs but also create better content that helps not only the special needs population but also the “average” student.

Here are some basic tips to keep in mind when creating online curriculum, many of which is just good design (Weir, 2005):

• Make alternative text for all pictures
  • Especially when the picture conveys a concept
• Be aware that Java pictures do not use alternative text
• Use descriptive names for your links, not just “click here”
• Organize curriculum into manageable units or topics, do not overwhelm the students
• State learning objective, learning goals, and performance outcomes for each topic, unit, lesson
• Use multiple methods of instruction, that embrace multiple learning styles
• When given a choice adopt electronic texts that have both visual and audio formats
• Eliminate unneeded text, menus and distracters from the website
• Do not use folders, within folders, within folders, within folders
• Use consistent color themes
• Avoid excess color and use a color scheme that make the text stand out from the background
• When making PowerPoints, make them available as webpage’s so screen readers interpret them
• Use closed captioning when possible for audio and video presentations
• Do not use frames in your web design

Need more information:

• Dragon Naturally Speaking: http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/
• Education and Outreach Working Group. (2005, Sep). Introduction to Web Accessibility. (S. L. Henry, Editor) Retrieved April 28, 2008, from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php
• Education and Outreach Working Group. (2008, Feb 05). Quick Tips to Make Accessible Web Sites. Retrieved April 28, 2008, from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: http://www.w3.org/WAI/quicktips/Overview.php
• GW Micro: http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/
• JAWS for Windows: http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/JAWS_HQ.asp
• MIT Information Services & Technology: Adaptive Technology Tools: http://web.mit.edu/atic/www/tools/index.html
• Rose, D. H., & Wasson, J. (n.d.). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines - Version 1.0. Retrieved April 28, 2008, from CAST Universal Design for Learning: http://www.cast.org/publications/UDLguidelines/version1.html
• W3C. (2005, May 5). How People with Disabilities Use the Web. (J. Brewer, Ed.) Retrieved April 28, 2008, from W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web/#diff
• Weir, L. (2005, May 01). Raising the Awareness of Online Accessibility. Retrieved April 28, 2008, from T.H.E. Journal: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/17291_5
• Screen reader. (2008, March 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:21, April 28, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Screen_reader&oldid=201656269

The World Is Changing Part 02- Course Management Systems

Course Management Systems

In the continuation of the series, “The World Is Changing” we will now take a look at Course Management Systems (CMS).

This article was a collaboration between Brynn Spillar & Scott Ford

---

Introduction

Course Management Systems (CMS) is a suite of software programs and tools that allow instructors to communicate with students and conduct many traditionally in-class activities on-line. Components of CMS typically include gradebooks, student activity logs, online lessons, and assessments. In short, it is a virtual environment for learning.

There is a variety of course management systems available today. A widely used commercial course management program is Blackboard/WebCT, and a popular open-source version is Moodle. A common concern for all course management systems is how well they incorporate collaboration and conversation. Are students connected to and involved in their learning community? This paper will explore the benefits and pitfalls associated with Blackboard/WebCT and Moodle, from the student perspective; as well as the issue of collaboration in all course management systems.

History of Blackboard

Blackboard and WebCT are commercially available course management systems. These are the two large commercial course management systems currently on the market.
Blackboard was founded in 1997. In 1998 it released its first program, an online learning application developed at Cornell University. Recently, Blackboard purchased WebCT. “Blackboard is used by more than 70% of the U.S. colleges and universities named to the Forbes.com Most Connected Campuses’ List. As of June 2006, the Blackboard empire includes over 12 million users in over 60 countries (Bradford et al, 2007).”

Benefits of Blackboard

Blackboard provides a portal for students and professors to communicate and transfer information in a variety of ways. Blackboard also offers flexibility; students and professors can work and communicate from different locations at different times. Some of the features available in Blackboard are:

• Support for Multiple Courses with One Log-In
• General Announcements
• Built-In Email Client
• Automatic Calendar and Reminders
• Discussion Boards or Forums
• Chat Rooms
• Assignment Drop Boxes
• Feedback for Assignments
• Tracking of Student Progress

Blackboard Difficulties

Three difficulties facing Blackboard today are the learning curve for new users, the ability of the program to work on many different computer systems, and the cost to Universities and in-turn to students.
Although the program is user-friendly, the learning curve is probably the biggest challenge facing new users of Blackboard. Becoming familiar with the layout and design of a new program can take time and patience, especially for those who are not particularly comfortable with new technology. If a student does not know a feature is available or does not know where to look for a specific item, learning and communication can be greatly diminished.
Another common difficulty associated with Blackboard, as with most software, is the struggle for the program to work seamlessly across platforms and on a multitude of systems. The equipment students and faculty use varies greatly and maintaining a program that can satisfactorily work on a wide array of systems can be difficult.
Cost is also a major concern associated with Blackboard. With concerns of rising tuition costs, how much are universities willing to spend on technology? As these technologies begin to appear in K-12 education, they will certainly not be able to afford the high-cost software. New open-source technologies are emerging and, as this paper will demonstrate, may offer a lower-cost alternative.

---

What is Moodle?

Moodle is both an acronym as well as a verb all on its own. Moodle stands for “Modular Object-Orientated Dynamic Learning Environment”, as a verb it means to lazily wander/meander through something, doing things as it occurs to the individual(Cole & Foster, 2007). Both descriptions are perfect to describe Moodle, and as will be discovered later on in this essay is something that makes Moodle different then other Course Management software programs a on the market.

History

Moodle’s creator was an Australian named Martin Dougiamas, a computer scientist and educator. Having been a WebCT administrator, Dr. Dougiamas felt that there was something missing in current CMS. He planted the seeds of Moodle. There were two main ideas that would lead Moodle down a path untaken by any CMS. The first principle was to keep Moodle open source, the second was to base Moodle on Social Constructivist pedagogical principles.
A quick explaining of the term open source might be needed at this point. Open source software means: it is free to use, it can be modified and redistributed. In order to redistribute the software the user must 1) provide the same license to others 2) cannot remove or modify the original licenses or copyrights 3) must apply the same license to all children of the original code.

Why it is different than the other types of CMS

The two main key differences between Moodle and other CMS, like WebCT and Blackboard is that Moodle is open source. Anyone can use the software, and if they have the required technical know-how, can modify the programming code to personalize it for their needs. The second main difference between Moodle and WebCT/Blackboard is that Moodle is based on a teaching pedagogy: Social Constructivist. Because WebCT/Blackboard and other commercial CMS software are built by engineers, there is a tendency to design to programs around the tools as opposed to teaching pedagogy.

Features of Moodle

Moodle is easy to learn, but can take years and lots of course design experience to master. There are many features for designers, teachers, students, and technology support personnel to experience. As this is not meant to be a comprehensive how-to on Moodle, this rest of this paper will focus on the general features available to the instructor and course designer.
There are two main areas which teachers/designers would use to add content to their course. Both of these areas can be accessed via the drop down menus: resources and activities.

Resource Options

The primary purpose of the resource area is to add materials to the course.
There are several options within the resource drop down:

• Insert Label
  • This feature allows the designer to insert text, or images that can be used to help explain or break up an area.
• Compose a text page
  • The course designer does not want to list all the instructional or materials on the front page of the Moodle course. With this feature the designer can create separate text pages that students can use.
• Compose a web page
  • The designer can create web pages designed with HTML. The designer can embed videos as well as any other functionality commonly found on a webpage
• Link to file or web site
  • There is nothing worse then recreating the wheel. With this option the designer can link to preexisting materials or store files on the Moodle serve and have students access the resource through this link
• Display a directory
  • This allows the designer to not only insert content into the Moodle site through out the course, but also allows the designer to put a central storage area in a place where the student can access resources in one central area
• Add an IMS Content Package
  • IMS packages are resources packages that are can be universally traded between online courses

---

Activity Options

Activity options allow the designer to incorporate activities, course work into their curriculum. There are several options within the resource drop down:

• Assignments
  • This allows the instructor to assign and collect student work. Work can either be done off line and submitted, or within the Moodle lesson
• Chat
  • In some instance the students and instructor may want to communicate in real time. With the chat feature the participants within the course can hold real time conversations
• Choice
  • This creates a simple poll
• Database
  • Although it creates a basic database, the uses within the course are only limited by the imagination of the course designer.
• Forum
  • Instructors can post questions and allow students to answer. This is the most common form of asynchronous communication used in distance education courses
• Glossary
  • This feature lets the teachers or students design their own course specific dictionary. In addition this feature can also be used to provide term definitions within the course itself.
• Lesson
  • With some patience and creativity the designer can create online lessons.
• Quiz
  • Quizzes can be used for online quizzes, exam reviews, online worksheets and even exams
• Survey
  • Unlike the Choice feature, with this option the designer can create simple or complex surveys for students to answer
• Wiki
  • Wikis are collaborative documents. Depending on the setting employed by the instructor the entire class, groups or single individuals can create online documents on any topic
• Workshop
  • This is almost a collection of all the types of activities within one category. Although complicated to set up, when it works, workshops are a powerful Moodle tool.

---

Collaborative Learning and Course Management Systems

A common concern for all course management systems is how well they incorporate collaboration and conversation. Some researchers argue that course management systems limit the instructor because they provide a template for course development. This in turn limits the quality and quantity of collaboration an instructor can incorporate into a course. However, proponents of course management systems argue that much of the quality and quantity of interaction can be determined by the instructor’s layout of the course. According to Blackboard, instructors can incorporate forums in any area of the course they choose, as well as determine the different access students can have to modify or create forums (Payne & Reinhart, 2008).
It is also a concern to many constructivists that course management systems are too instructor-driven, rather than learner-driven. Thus, inhibiting the opportunities for learners to contribute, work collaboratively, and regularly interact with fellow students. A point made by Carla R. Payne and Cornel J. Reinhart in their paper, “Can we talk? Course management software and the construction of knowledge”, is that “BB (Blackboard) has created just about all the possible manipulations of student discussion data/postings possible.
While the quality and quantity of collaboration in a course management system is largely determined by the instructor, it certainly may be useful for instructors to be able to analyze how much collaborative learning students are engaging in and how connected their learning environment is.

Conclusion

Online learning has advanced dramatically within the last few years. While this dramatic growth and change has occurred, the world of e-learning, and distance education has still not reached it fullest potential. As broadband and high-speed Internet connections have penetrated more and more of the average consumers’ homes, the integration of live chat, video conferencing and multimedia is still in its infancy. Distance education and technology on its own is not a panacea for education. Designers must still rely on strong instructional design principles; otherwise, regardless of the mode of instruction, learning is doomed.
It is an exciting time for educational technologists and those who use distance education tools. With the advent of Web 2.0 where content is more important than coding web pages, and streaming media is no longer solely within the domains of large companies, the field of e-learning and distance education is ready to mature and cause a revolution in how we learn.

Need more information:

• Bradford, P., Porciello, M., Balkron, N., & Backus, D. (2007). The blackboard learning system: the be all and end all in educational instruction?. J. Educational Technology Systems, 35(3), 301-314.
• Cole, J., & Foster, H. (2007). Using Moodle: Teaching with the Popular Open Source Course Management System (2nd Edition ed.). Cambridge: O’Reilly.
• Payne, C.R.,& Reinhart, C.J. (2008). Can we talk? Course management software and the construction of knowledge. On The Horizon. 16, 34-43.
• Roach, R. (2006). Higher education software giants merge in multimillion-dollar deal. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. 23, 28-30.
• Blackboard
• Moodle
• Martin Dougiamas
• SiteGrounds (an excellent Moodle hosting company)
• Moodle tutorials
• Moodle takes center stage as the white knight of course delivery

EndNote

Just installed endnote, now begins the fun of trying to figure it out.  See, even us tech geeks have to learn new software.

Teacher of the year question-Technology Integration

For those of you out there who have not heard, I won the teacher of the year for Humble ISD’s Career and Technology Center. The question was: “What do you consider to be the major issues in public education today? Address one in depth, outlining possible causes, effects and resolutions.” As you will see my issue (and I have lots of them, lol) deals with the lack of technology integration in schools. What follows bellow is my write up plus some enhancements that could only be found on a blog site. I would really like feedback on this.

---

There is an alarming lack of technology integration across this country’s public schools. It is wrongly assumed that the kids of today know how to use computers. This is false, the children of today know how to use the programs they like, but once they leave the comforts of MySpace they are as ignorant as the rest of the general populace. Anyone who has been keeping track of the increasing globalization knows that today’s students are facing more competition for higher skilled positions then ever before in the history of this planet. While the typical American school is falling behind in this revolution; the rest of the world is passionately trying to get ahead. One only has to look at the OLPC program (One Laptop Per Child) to understand the scope of the coming competition.

What could have caused the country that invented the Internet and the personal computer to fall behind the rest of the world? One word “complacency.” Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Google all became the companies they are today by adopting open door policies between those who make administrative decisions and those who are in the know about technology. It is imposable, nor should we expect our superintendents, principles or directors to be current about every educationally relevant technological break through. I teach computers and am completing a master’s degree in Educational Technology and even I have to work on keeping up. What needs to happen in our schools is a re-thinking of technology in education. Those that know about technology must have direct and unobstructed access to those who are in charge. Bill Gates the founder of Microsoft, the richest man in the world, knows how fast technology moves. He knows he cannot keep current on all facets of technology, so he hires those who can. In the computer world if a company has a block between the decision makers and those with knowledge that company dies. Here is the catch; schools and education are in the computer world. We are preparing students for a future were computers will be an every day tool.

My micro-solutions. In my classroom I have put my entire course online: lessons, videos, quizzes, notes, and exams. More and more universities are requiring students to take at least one online course. My class prepares them for that future. They are able to listen to podcasts by others and myself in the industry. The course materials in my class are immaterial to the lessons they learn on how to find, access and learn from the new technology medium.

My macro-solution for American school districts. Open the lines of communication between those who know technology and are up on current and possible future trends, and the top-level administrators. Reexamine computer use and electronic policies. Banning electronic devices is not always in the best interest of the students or the schools. No reasonable person would argue the need to filter web access, but why should school districts ban YouTube when CNN, FoxNews, Political Candidates, and Universities are using it to distribute information?

Lastly, to attract and keep experts in the field of educational technology, school districts across the USA must be prepared to pay them what they could make in the corporate setting, or at the very least pay them more then schools in other countries.

Here is my last thought: If we truly were embracing technology why are you reading this on a piece of paper and not on a computer monitor. For the digital copy as well as the podcast go to http://edtechguy.wordpress.com/

• Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?
• Renaissance To Roll Out Laptops to Africa

Podcast:Ep 02 Teacher of the Year Question

Twitter

I am now on Twitter.  Twitter is hard to explain so I will let this cool video show you what it is all about.  I will say this, it is addictive.  My name is mrfordsclass

Twitter video from Common Craft: http://www.commoncraft.com/Twitter

Behaviorism in Today’s Schools-part 02 Classical Conditioning

In part 01 we took a look at the basic concepts of behaviorism. In part 02 we examine Classical Conditioning.

Types of Behaviorism

There are two basic schools within behaviorism: Classical, and Operant.

Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning (think dogs) was first purposed by Dr. Ivan Pavlov. He found that by pairing unconditional stimuli with conditioned stimuli he could cause changes in behaviors. Classical Conditioning, also known as Pavlovian Conditioning, is defined as the “association of automatic responses with new stimuli”. (O’Donnell, Reeve, & Smith, 2007

Why think dogs?

Ivan Pavlov was a physiologist by trade (he studied how the body works). While doing research on the digestive system of dogs he noticed that the dogs would begin to salivate (drool) when they heard the research assistance walk down the hall with food powder. He then deducted that somehow the footsteps took the place of the food power to cause a physiological reaction. Later experiments paired/combined the food powder with a bell.

There are four key terms to know when dealing with Classical Condition:

• Unconditional stimuli
• Conditional stimuli
• Unconditional response
• Conditioned response.

Unconditional Stimuli (US):

“A stimuli that, without prior learning, produces an automatic physiological response. (O’Donnell, Reeve, & Smith, 2007)

When broken down to every day language this means that this stimuli, change in the environment, will cause the critter to have a reaction, a response. There is no training required.
For example a puff of air in the eyes will cause a person to blink. The person does not need to learn to blink when getting air in the eye.

Conditioned Stimuli (CS):

“In classical conditioning, the stimulus that is paired with the unconditioned stimulus (US) and eventually comes to elicit the conditioned response (CR) (Crider, Goethals, Kavanaugh, & Solomon, 1989)

On its own this stimuli does nothing or does not cause what the unconditional stimuli causes. For example a click sound does not cause a person to blink their eyes. What will eventually happen is the Conditioned Stimuli will be paired/combined with the Unconditional Stimuli to cause the person to blink their eye. We will see how this works is further along this essay.

Unconditioned Response (UR):

A behavior that is produced in response to a stimulus without prior learning. It is typically an automatic physiological response. (O’Donnell, Reeve, & Smith, 2007)

This is the repose; the outcome that the organism will show when presented with the Unconditioned Stimulus, meaning it comes natural to the organism.
Going example the puff of air to the eyes will cause the person to blink. The blinking is the UR.

Conditioned Response (CR):

A response that is linked to a particular stimulus through conditioning by being paired with the stimulus. (O’Donnell, Reeve, & Smith, 2007)

Here is where the confusion sets in for freshman psychology students. The response is the same thing as the Unconditioned Response, but because it is happening due to something that would not cause it on its own, we give it a special name.

Other resources:

• Behaviorisms
• Learning Theories
• Behaviorisms-Earthpages

Behaviorism in Today’s Schools-part 01 What is Behaviorism

This is part one in the series Behaviorism in Today’s Schools, as well as the first posting within the Education Pedagogy section of the Ed Tech Guy blog. This site is not just about the tech toys in education and training it is also about building curriculum and strong educational values.

As most educators who have been in the profession can attest to, behaviorism has been a dominant force in thoughts and policies. Before a person can decide if a school of thought is for them, it is important to understand the underlying ideology of that school. In this essay we will take a closer look at what behaviorism is, what are some of the basic tenants, and is it still a viable school of thought in today’s educational world.

What is Behaviorism?

While this term is well known in the education world, what does it actually mean? Behaviorism is a school within psychological that deals with learning and personality.
When dealing with an organism, be it human, monkey, pigeon, rat, lawyer, etc…there are three components:

• The stimulus
• The brain
• The outcomes

The Stimulus

This is any change in the environment. It is something that causes the organism to leave a state of equilibrium and seeks to once again regain a stable relation with its environment.
The environment can be both internal and external. The external environment is what is around us. Hot, cold, bright, dark, loud, quite, anything we find ourselves immersed in outside the body. The internal environment is what is going on inside our bodies. Are we tired, hungry, under stress, etc…
So a stimulus is any change in our internal and/or external environments.

The Brain

Behaviorism was developed in part as a reaction to the then pervasive introspective ideas of psychology. Behaviorist holds dear the idea that the brain and thoughts cannot be directly observed and therefore are not part of the overall equation of behavior. This is a polar opposite of introspective psychology. Introspective is when the individual thinks about their thinking. They self report on their own thoughts, desires and sensations. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2008)
The term observable is a sacred word in behavioral psychology. All stimuli, and outcome must be observable. Thoughts are subjective, they cannot be objectively studied therefore are inconsequential to the true behaviorist.
Keep in mind as the discussion continues that observable is a key term in behaviorism. If it is not observable, and cannot be objectively measured then behaviorists do not sully themselves with it.

Outcomes

This is the organism’s response to the stimuli. This is the component of the equation that behaviorist are interested it. It is by manipulating the stimulus that outcomes should change

Join us for Part 02 Classical Conditioning

First netcast

Ok it took awhile but Ep 00, the Welcome episode is in the can. I have submitted the feed to iTunes so they should be carrying it within the week.

Listen here: Ed Tech Guy Ep 01 Intro

The World Is Changing Part 01- Desktop Publishing

The world is changing, how are you keeping up?

---

The world is changing. With the Internet, Web 2.0, Netcasts and all the wonderful technologies available to the educator to integrate into the course, were is a teacher to start.

In this article you will learn about some of the latest tools you can use to help deliver you curriculum to your students in the most effective and efficient methods possible.

This is the first part is a series of posting and discussing about some of the tools available to the teacher/student/ and designer in this new world of education. Our first posting will look at Desktop Publishing.

Part 01 Desktop Publishing

---

What is Desktop Publishing?

Desktop publishing or “DTP” traces it origins back to 1985 with the creation of two very important products:

1. LaserWriter printer from Apple Computer
2. PageMaker software from Aldus

The combination of these two herald in desktop publishing, and for only $10,000 anyone could be their own publisher. Since 1985 the technology allowing desktop publishing has become much more mainstream. Now anyone can create anything from a book layout to a Gala flyer. It give the user the ability to create page layouts, enter text, pictures, and any other multimedia that the user thinks would be aesthetically pleasing.

Why should I care?

Desktop publishing much like a lot of the other tools that will be discussed is only limited by the users imagination.

Here are some links for lesson plans:

• Business Card Lessons-About.com
• Brochure Lesson Plans-About.com
• Resume Lesson Plans-About.com

Desktop Publishing Software & Requirements

There are currently several products that a user could use to meet their desktop publishing needs. Some of the more well knows DTP software solutions are:

• QuarkXPress
• Adobe InDesign
• Scribus
• Microsoft Publisher
• Word 2008 for Mac (this is a new feature within the Mac Office 2008 edition)

While all these products are good, let us focus on what many consider the industry standard: InDesign® CS3.

InDesign System Requirements

Apple System Requirements	PC System Requirements
PowerPC ® G4 or G4 or multicore Intel processor Mac OS X 512MB recommend for PowerPC based systems 1GB for Intel based systems 1.6GB of available hard drive space 1,024×768 resolution with at least a 16-bit video card DVD-ROM QuickTime 7 Internet of phone connections for registration Broadband connection to access Adobe stock Photos	Intel® Pentium® 4 or better Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 better 512MB recommended for Windows XP 1GB recommended for Windows Vista 1.8GB of available hard-disk space 1,024×768 resolution with at least a 16-bit video card DVD-ROM QuickTime 7 Internet of phone connections for registration Broadband connection to access Adobe stock Photos

Features of InDesign®CS3

• InDesign has a very user centered workspace. While it does take time to familiarize oneself with the layout of the tools, this program allows the user to move the controls to almost any were the user wants to. Because of that it is extremely customizable.
• With Adobe acquiring Macromedia, the entire Adobe product line (Adobe® Photoshop®, Illustrator®, Acrobat®, InCopy®, and Dreamweaver®) has almost seamless integration.
• Work done within InDesign is “nondestructive”. This is a term that means the original word can be edited, ad changed but the original remains untouched. This is excellent in case something bad happens and the person needs to start over again.
• Accurate representation from the monitor to the final output. To many times user will create something on the computer only to be disappointed when the final product is printed out. With the new InDesign, what you see, is darn close to what you get.
• With more and more integration of the web to what we produce on a daily basis, the new XHTML exporting feature allows complete integration into web design via Dreamweaver®. Professional typographical controls, this is specialist speak for getting the type just the way you want it.
• There are tons of other feature in addition to the ones already presented. Such as full table support like Excel, long document support, no longer does the document need to be one or tow pages, in fact a person could use InDesign® to create an entire novel.

Review of InDesign®CS3

InDesign® ® upon first glance can appear very intimidating. The powerful tools that InDesign® boasts can scare aware the novice user. Once the initial scare fades the user will discover a very intuitive and user centered program. In addition if the user purchase InDesign® there is a plethora of video help, both provided by Adobe on a companion CD as well as the Adobe netcasts found within iTunes.

The sticker price for just the program (not the entire Adobe suite) is $ 699.00 for the full version, $199.00 to upgrade from previous versions. Adobe also sells the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium package which includes Adobe InDesign® ® CS3, Photoshop® CS3 Extended, Illustrator® CS3, Flash® CS3 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS3, Acrobat® 8 Professional, Bridge CS3, Version Cue® CS3, and Device Central CS3. The suite costs 1,799.00 for the full copy, $599.00 for the update.

Mr Ford’s Final Thoughts

InDesign is the InDustry standard. If you need to work in the design world buy and learn InDesign If you are a classroom teacher or someone who just occasionally needs to do DTP, think Microsoft Word or Scribus.

I want more information

• Lynda.com: Adobe InDesign CS3: Video Training Book
• Lynda.com (trail area) on line video training-CS3 Essentials Training
• Adobe Creative Studio Video Podcasts
• InDesign® Secretes Podcasts
• The InDesigner Podcasts
• Adobe InDesign Basic Tasks-Animations

Woot!

Congratulation to Mr. Ford for winning the 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year for Humble ISD’s CATE Center.