Tertiary Education

SOBCon08 Lessons to review with JJL

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:38:00 +0000

for loading into the VoiceThread on SOBCon08

MP3 File

Blogging changes: simplicity desired

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:00:00 +0000

I will stop updating this blog and continue writing on life long learning at Steve's 2 Cents. The full reasoning and explanation behind this change can be found here.

I thank you for your readership and conversations.

I hope you'll continue the conversation at Steve's 2 Cents.

Subscribe to Steve's 2 Cents here for RSS

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Life long learning doesn't end. It just evolves and adapts to the world!

reading declines, amazon introduces new device

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:34:00 +0000

On the day when the Boston Globe article digests a report on how reading is declining amongst the nation's youth, Amazon introduces a new reading device.

The report incorporates national studies that have been carried out since the NEA's 2004 report, "Reading at Risk," found that literary reading - fiction, poetry, and plays - had crashed over 20 years among adult Americans. The new report, titled "To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence," focuses on reading in general, and it reaches down to younger age levels. While not all studies are exactly comparable in some details (such as time spans), overall they trend in the same direction.

To obtain the full report or executive summary, go here.

I won't rehash the basic features of Kindle, but I will try to compare it with the Sony Reader--now in its second generation and Kindle's primary competition. I will also talk about what I see as the strong and weak points of the Kindle design.
Disclaimer: This is all based on what I've seen and read. I haven't seen a Kindle in person. Yet.

Read CNet's review by Peter Glaskowsky comparing the Kindle and the Sony Reader here.

Will Amazon's device help increase readership?

How can we help increase reading?

Updated:

Forbes has a good article here

Seth Godin has his reasons

Free Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:42:00 +0000

Via a Reuters item on InformationWeek's IWDaily, I heard of this cool fund raiser.

Free Rice

You build your vocabulary and generate grains of rice to be donated to some one.

I must caution you that I found this to be an addicting game for wordsmiths!

Self-conscious

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:54:00 +0000

When we are self-conscious, we cannot be wholly aware; we must throw ourselves out first. This throwing ourselves away is the first act of creativity. So, when we wholly concentrate, like a child in play, or an artist at work, then we share in the act of creating. We not only escape time, we also escape our self-conscious selves.

From Madeleine L'Engle in A Circle of Quiet.

Bronwen Clune on Heutagogy

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:02:00 +0000

Heutagogy is the process of allowing learners to decide what they want to learn, how they want to learn it and when they want to learn it. It enables the students to become responsible for their own learning. The project aims to use Web 2.0 technologies to engage and motivate the students and then mentor and support them while they complete a project based outcome.

The word for today is heutagogy. Read more about this from Bronwen Clune!

FreeConference - new service

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:22:00 +0000

As a FreeConference user, I received notice about their new service.

Why use InstantConference?

Enjoy features not included with FreeConference reservationless service

»	Multiple access codes all under one dial-in number
»	Free Recording
»	Post conference summary reports

Just like FreeConference, we don´t bill you anything for conferencing

New features coming soon!

» Outlook Conference Manager
» Instant Web Conferencing

InstantConference Overview

Instant dial-in number and access codes
No online scheduling or reservations needed
Dedicated number; your account never expires
Additional access codes available under the same dial-in number
Up to 150 callers

Questions?

How It Works

Tools & Tips

Have a question?

PodCamp Boston 2 - October 26-28, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:36:00 +0000

PodCamp Boston 2 is rapidly approaching. We are into August and October 26-28 feels like it is just around the corner.

It was a great event last year and I expect this year to be even more so.

There are already 290 registered for this event.

Are you in New England? You should consider participating!

Even if you are outside the Boston metro area, this should be a good excuse to get here and participate!

The PodCamp website with additional info can be found here:

Register here:

Technorati Tags: podcamp, PodCamp Boston, podcast

Boston Media Makers: Halley, Steve, and John listening

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:20:00 +0000

Boston Media Makers: Halley, Steve, and John listening
Originally uploaded by shersteve

Part of learning is listening. The sharing that took place today at the Boston Media Makers monthly meeting was insightful as proved by the intent listening looks on Halley, Steve and John's faces.

Do you have your listening look ready to learn?

leadership thrust upon them

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 11:25:00 +0000

It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.

Dumbledore to Harry, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Main St Construction

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 14:59:00 +0000

Main St Construction
Originally uploaded by shersteve

The walls are rising
Straight clean lines
Steel and wood
Angled support
Extra angles critical until complete
The building will then stand on it's own
Angles hidden within

What angles for support do you have?

Are they exterior or interior?

what you bring forth will save you

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:18:00 +0000

"If you bring forth what is within you", Jesus says in the Gospel of Thomas, "what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is in you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." Sounds like a riddle right? But it's actually pretty simple. The potential to free yourself --- or ruin yourself--- is entirely up to you. And just maybe instead of focusing on the destination, we ought to look at the journey.

Jodi Picoult - from the interview with the author at the end of The Tenth Circle.

14,000 Pages of Harry

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:47:00 +0000

With Harry Potter 7 coming out in July, I started re-reading books 1-6 in preparation at the beginning of June. I got off schedule during my vacation week and just completed #6 on Tuesday so I get to start the final today.

I got to thinking, how many pages would it be to have read each book like I did, re-reading the ones prior. The first three books are relatively normal size (3-400) pages. The last four books are much larger (7-800 pages).

Almost 14,000 pages!

Page totals by Book	HP 1	HP 2	HP 3	HP 4	HP 5	HP 6	HP 7	Totals
HP 1	309							309
HP 2	309	341						650
HP 3	309	341	435					1085
HP 4	309	341	435	734				1819
HP 5	309	341	435	734	870			2689
HP 6	309	341	435	734	870	652		3341
HP 7	309	341	435	734	870	652	759	4100
Totals	2163	2046	2175	2936	2610	1304	759	13993

That's a lot of reading!

Rapid Fire Learning for July

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:37:00 +0000

The Lowell Folk Festival introduced me to five new groups but more importantly, to 3 new types of music, hence my Rapid Fire Learning for this month will be dominated by the Lowell Folk Festival.

1 - "sacred steel"

The Lee Boys is one of the country's most exciting groups playing "Sacred Steel," a music unique to House of God churches, where the steel guitar has been the driving musical force for spirit-filled church services for over 75 years. Rarely heard and largely unknown outside the church until recently, the Sacred Steel is now gaining a national following. While the Lee Boys' music is rooted in the church's gospel tradition, it is infused with elements of R&B, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and world music to produce a unique and powerful sound.

I think it is fitting that the "sacred steel" music introduced to the festival for the first time, actually came to mainland USA from Hawaii in the 1930's. Aloha, Rosa!

2 - "Gypsy jazz"

"Gypsy jazz" or "hot jazz" is the explosive, thrilling genre created from a melding of American jazz and Gypsy folk melodies. Almost since its inception, Gypsy jazz has been associated with its greatest exponent, Manouche Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. His musical legacy has been reverently kept, passed from father to son by fellow Manouche musicians, with each generation expanding the repertoire and adding new influences tot to the genre. Because many of today’s finest Gypsy musicians prefer to perform close to home, the opportunity for U.S. audiences to experience their live performances has been extremely rare. This 2007 Lowell Folk Festival is honored to present Reinhardt’s rightful heir, the brilliant and charismatic Manouche guitarist, violinist and composer Dorado Schmitt leading an all-star ensemble of Gypsy musicians from France.

3 - "forró pé de serra"

The sounds of Brazil’s lilting, romantic bossa novas and swaying sambas are known throughout the world, but in the dry northeast interior of Brazil there is a different musical force. Forró for All is dedicated to a distinctive music of the Northeast, traditional forró pé de serra, performed with a sensibility born of New York City’s diverse and dynamic musical culture. Forró’s members are not all from the northeast interior, but represent the amalgamation of styles and sounds that make up the Brazilian-American experience. Many nights of the week in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, Forró For All can be found playing for Brazilians and non-Brazilians alike, continuing the centuries-old tradition of creating an celebration for all to enjoy.

4 - With no RSS feed reader to distract. With no email to keep checking. With a stream meandering along just over the bank. With stars in the sky just like on the charts in the books. With time on one's hands to just sit and be. The sherku flowed. I am sure you noticed. Almost 20 sherku completed with more in draft. It was a productive time. And in case it needed to be reinforced, on how to induce such a productive time, look at the ingredients for stepping back and away from it all in your life. Then do so.

5 - The Cracker Jack prize has to be included. The return from the wilderness was made doubly good when the prize was discovered! Thanks again to Rosa for inspiring so many visitors and wonderful comments. The blogosphere is a great place to live and learn in!

What's above the fold?

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:07:00 +0000

Another item from today's InformationWeek Daily Newsletter that caught my eye today:

Where Is 'Above The Fold' In A Web 2.0 World?
Blogger Milissa Tarquini at Boxes and Arrows questions the nature of the so-called "fold" in a Web 2.0 world. Tarquini asks a really great question: Where is the fold?

Thought provoking!

Franklin: Summer St fountain

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 09:45:00 +0000

Franklin_SummerStFountain
Originally uploaded by shersteve

When you learn something new, do you share it?

Franklin: Water Cell

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:59:00 +0000

Franklin_WaterCell
Originally uploaded by shersteve

Yes, this Franklin water tower also serves as a mount for cell phone service.

Smart dual purpose use.

What can you leverage to help yourself or someone else?

International Day of Peace - 9/21/07

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:03:00 +0000

Please consider accepting the challenge as outlined by LJCohen

I have been giving a lot of thought to my place in the world. I am so fortunate--I was born in a time and place in which I have the gifts of food, shelter, clothing, and basic safety. And I can pass these gifts on to my children.

I believe that because of the accident of birth and the advantages I was given, unearned, that I have an obligation to give back to society. We do that as a family in the form of charity, volunteer work, and lifestyle choices.

In a few weeks, the world will be celebrating an International Day of Peace (September 21).

In honor of that day, I would like to challenge bloggers around the world to write a blog post titled: Giving Back, talking about what you are able to do in order to give back the world. This can include organizations you personally support, though I really want to showcase actions. Do you volunteer in community organizations? Your local school district? Regional, national, or international organizations? Do you maintain a community garden? How about simple things in your neighborhood like shoveling your neighbor's walkway when it snows because you know she can't? Picking up bottles and cans along the bike path to recycle?

Big or small, what do you do for your world? Every action has an impact. Let's show the world how much a group of regular individuals can do.

If you would like to participate in the Blogger Giving Back Challenge, leave a comment here in this post with a link back to your blog, or send me an email. I'll work out the details of sharing all the blog links in preparation of post day, September 21st.

Please spread the word. You can make a difference. We can all make a difference.

-- Posted By LJCohen to Once in a Blue Muse: A poet's journal at 7/21/2007 02:39:00 PM

I have accepted this challenge.

Will you?

Go to Once in a Blue Muse and let LJ know!

sherku: surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 10:16:00 +0000

Sometimes when I work smart
Hard, I surprise myself
That it all comes out okay

What is a sherku?

Weikert: Happy frog

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:58:00 +0000

Weikert: Happy frog
Originally uploaded by shersteve

Are you sitting happy like this frog?
Content to be where you are.

There maybe something preparing to disturb the water and rock that leaf that is so comfortable.

What have you learned today to prepare you for the new world?

Jump over to the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog and see what is happening there.

Milwaukee skyline - rear view

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:02:00 +0000

Milwaukee skyline - rear view
Originally uploaded by shersteve

As we drove out of Milwaukee, this was our rear view. Not an overly impressive skyline compared to some but the city was nice and a comfortable visit.

Once home to four major breweries, only one (Miller) is left operating. Schlitz, Pabst, and Blatz have closed.

We'll come back to explore the galleries of the Art Museum and more of the city.

Milwaukee Art Museum - floor reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:47:00 +0000

Milwaukee Art Museum - floor reflection
Originally uploaded by shersteve

light from the ceiling
light from the walls
play on the floor

Milwaukee Art Museum - window wall

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:45:00 +0000

Milwaukee Art Museum - window wall
Originally uploaded by shersteve

windows let light in
windows provide a view out

Phil Gerbyshak & I

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:21:00 +0000

Phil Gerbyshak & I
Originally uploaded by shersteve

What defines a great vacation?

For me:
1 - some time reading (in this case on the plane)
2 - some time writing (here and elsewhere, of course!)
3 - some time with family (my brother Bob's in this case)
4 - some exercise (how about those long walks, Lisa?)
5 - exploring new places (Milwaukee, WI)
6 - meeting good friends (Phil Gerbyshak and his wife, Kim in this case)

Yes, Phil and I got to take the "blog off the blog" again when we managed to rendezvous with his wife at Alterra's along the Milwaukee waterfront on Sunday.

There was some trepidation about taking my wife, brother and his wife to meet with Phil and his wife; but I already knew enough of Phil that I KNEW it was going to be a good time. As short as the time was together, there were very little breaks in the conversation as we discussed gardening, solved half the world's problems, and oh, yes spent a little time talking about blogging and this Web 2.0 thing.

Making connections, extending the relationships, sharing and exploring, all goodness.

Kim and Phil, thanks for taking time from your Sunday to meet with us. It was a pleasure!

Live on Sirius Satellite Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Sherlock) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:55:00 +0000

Live on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 114 from 8 AM until 9 AM (Eastern time) on Monday July 16th Benjamin Bach, Greg Balanko-Dickson, Phil Gerbyshak, EM Sky and Steve Sherlock will join host Karen Salmansohn on the the Be Happy, Dammit! show for what is sure to be a fast and furious 60 minutes of conversation.

Can't catch it live? Don't worry, check out the Be Happy Dammit archives, especially this great show with Keith Ferrazzi, and soon, you'll see the JJLN show there too!

We'll be talking about all things learning, and no doubt learn a thing or two from Karen! Hope you can hear us soon!