All About Learning

Toddler-Proof Your Computer part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:17:45 PST

Get a Small Mouse.

Remove Desktop Clutter.

http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/delnethd.htm

http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/962/

Make Things Bigger and Bolder.

Right-click the desktop and choose properties. This takes you to the “Display Properties” window. Select “Appearance.” Select various “Items.” and choose a bigger size than normal, and for text-based items, choose “B” for bold. Please note that the above recommendation is different than changing the screen resolution. Try to keep the screen resolution at the highest setting. When you choose a lower setting for screen resolution, it appears to make everything bigger, but the quality is much much worse. The above suggestion is the way to make things bigger but keep the image quality high.

Program the Mouse for “One-Click” Operation.

-Windows classic -Open in own window -For all folders -Single click -Underline icons when I point

Get an Internet Filter if the Computer is Connected to the Internet.

must

CyberPatrol's

Get an LCD Monitor, If Possible.

Buy.com

Get a “Toddler Desk and Chair.”

The height that you see in pre-school and kindergarten is what I’m talking about here. It’s not an exact height, but the combination of the lower table and lower chair make it so much more comfortable for your toddler to use. If you look for them, you can find them made of plastic, wood or metal. It’s important that they be sturdy.

Get a Windows Protection Program.

http://www.childlock.com/

Add a New Drive or Create a Partition.

Partition Magic

Recommended Software.

This is absolutely THE best software program you can buy for your toddler! Buddy Brush gives kids, aged 2 years and growing, a truly interactive CD-ROM adventure. This award-winning software provides hours of fun from two playful titles Buddy Brush and the Painted Circus, and Buddy Brush and the Painted Playhouse.

Disney Learning Toddler

Reader Rabbit Toddler

AlphaBaby

Other Sites We Recommend.

IamBigBrother Spy Software 9.0

Toddler-Proof Your Computer . part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:18:31 PST

Oliver

—

Howard Richman

Create Shortcuts for Commonly Used Programs.

Create shortcuts for programs that toddlers will frequently use and place these shortcuts on the desktop. To create a shortcut, find the icon that starts the program itself. Right-click it and choose “create shortcut.” This saves the shortcut icon in the same folder as wherever the program icon is located. Then drag this new shortcut icon to the desktop. Repeat this process on all programs that you want him or her to have access to. By the way, of course you can purchase “toddler software,” but right on the system are two great programs that you already have, that you should make shortcuts to: “word pad” and “paint.”

Create a Shutdown Shortcut.

In your goal of creating self-sufficiency, a one-click icon will safely turn off the computer. Most two-year-olds can easily turn the computer on, but turning it off requires advanced mousing technique and is unlikely. Here are some simple tutorials on how to do it:For Windows XP:
|http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=316
For Windows 95 & 98:
http://www.mindconnection.com/library/cheaptricks/shutdownfast.htm

Get a Large-Key Keyboard.

The toddler keyboards. There are many companies that produce large-key keyboards. The one that I recommend the most is called BigKeys, from AllegroMedical.com. The reason I feel that they are the best is that they have eliminated a lot of the keys that would only confuse the young person. Also, they give you the option of traditional “qwerty” layout or “abc” layout. (You can switch the configuration later if you change your mind.) They have many different variations, including plain and colored. Make sure you select the “pull-down” menu on their site to see all the product options.
For a lower priced option, please try the “Learning Board.” It’s not a large key keyboard, but it’s an excellent way for your elementary-aged student to master keyboarding and computer skills, and phonics.

Creating your own classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:30:29 PDT

Research shows that having a wide range of quality books in the classroom contributes to students' reading success. The following "5 Steps to Creating Your Own Classroom Library" will help you get started with planning, organizing, and sustaining your collection.

Classroom Libraries Give Students Access to Books!
5 Steps to Creating Your Own Classroom Library:
1.Understand How Classroom Libraries Work: Research & Results.
2.Plan Your Classroom Library.
3.Set-up & Organize Your Classroom Library for Success.
4.Sustain Your Classroom Library with Skill Building
Collections & Professional teacher resources.
5.Teach With Your Library — Provide Structure and Guidence
for Independent Reading.

5 Amazing Things You Can Learn from a Toddler

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:20:45 PST

If you are having a hard time getting motivated to eat right and exercise, take note of how a toddler goes about their day.

They are in motion all day long.
My son is in constant motion from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep. He is a calorie burning machine that runs, jumps, hops, and skips everywhere he goes. He crawls around on the floor and does somersaults for no apparent reason. Take a lesson from your kids---the more you move, the more energy you have, and the more fit you will become.

They stop eating when they are full.
Kids can resist that last bite of food because they don't feel the need to clean their plate. They can have one bite of a cookie and walk away. When was the last time you turned away the last bite of food, despite the fact that you were already full? Try it out today, you will probably find you need less food than you realize.

They love to see themselves naked.
They are so proud of their bodies and embrace every single imperfection, scratch, and bruise. If you find yourself constantly criticizing your body, take a moment to thank it for all it does for you. Without our bodies, we would have a tough time getting round!

They are very flexible!
Children are like pretzels, they can bend, twist, and reach in every direction. Why? Because they practice it everyday (see #1). As adults, we lose our flexibility because we do not stretch our muscles enough. Take a few minutes out of each day to do some much needed stretching or yoga.

They get their sleep.
Children stay on top of their game by napping during the day and going to bed early at night.Their batteries are fresh and charged each morning. When was the last time you can say that about yourself? Turn off the TV, computer, and phone and get yourself a solids night sleep.

Computer and Young Children

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:39:59 PDT

Overview

Whether we use technology with young children--and if so, how-are critical issues facing early childhood educators and parents. This Digest discusses questions about when children should start using computers; developmentally appropriate computer activities in preschool, kindergarten, and early primary classrooms; benefits of computer use; integration of computers into classrooms; and teacher training.

When to Introduce Children to Computers

Many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers (e.g., Hohman, 1998). Computers simply do not match their learning style. Children younger than 3 learn through their bodies: their eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs. Although they may return over and over again to an activity, they are full of movement, changing focus frequently. Computers are not a good choice for the developmental skills these children are learning to master: crawling, walking, talking, and making friends.

Developmentally Appropriate Computer Activities

Unfortunately, computers are used all too often in ways that are developmentally inappropriate. One study (U.S. Congress, 1995) found that while "schools are steadily increasing their access to new technologies . . . most teachers use these technologies in traditional ways, including drills in basic skills and instructional games" (p. 103). Clements (1994) makes a similar point, noting, "What we as early childhood educators are presently doing most often with computers is what research and NAEYC guidelines say we should be doing least often" (p. 33). Papert (1998) stresses that computers have an impact on children when the computer provides concrete experiences, children have free access and control the learning experience, children and teachers learn together, teachers encourage peer tutoring, and teachers use computers to teach powerful ideas. Developmentally appropriate ways to use computers with 3- and 4-year-olds are different from the ways we use computers in kindergarten and the primary grades.

Computers and Preschoolers

Children 3 and 4 years of age are developmentally ready to explore computers, and most early childhood educators see the computer center as a valuable activity center for learning. Timing is crucial. Children need plenty of time to experiment and explore. Young children are comfortable clicking various options to see what is going to happen next. Teachers may want to intervene when children appear frustrated or when nothing seems to be happening. Frequently, just a quick word or two, even from across the room, reminds children what they need to do next to reach their desired goal. Providing children with minimal help teaches them they can operate the computer successfully. In addition, by observing what children are doing, the teacher can ask probing questions or propose problems to enhance and expand children's computer experiences.

Computers for Kindergartners and Early Primary Children

As children enter kindergarten and the primary grades, it is important that they continue to have access to a computer center with a library of developmentally appropriate software. Children need opportunities to make choices about some of their computer experiences. In addition, kindergarten or primary-grade teachers will want to use the computer for more directed activities that match their learning objectives. For example, to enhance language skills, children can compose a letter to a friend or relative using the template provided in ClarisWorks for Kids or similar software. Children could also work in small groups using software such as Scholastic's Magic School Bus Explores the Rainforest to compare two of the seven ecozones in the program. Using software such as Edmark's Kids' Desk: Internet Safe, other small groups can investigate these two ecozones on Internet Web sites selected by the teacher. The groups then merge to share their discoveries and write a report on the ecozones, illustrating each with pictures drawn by members of the group or downloaded from the Internet sites. Through exploring computer experiences, these children build memory skills, learn how to seek out information, use knowledge until they have a clear understanding from multiple sources, and integrate their knowledge of how each ecosystem functions. In the process, they learn to delegate responsibility, interact with others, solve problems, and cooperate to reach a goal.

Benefits of Computer Use

Research has shown that 3- and 4-year-old children who use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains when compared to children without computer experiences in similar classrooms-gains in intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills (Haugland, 1992). The benefits of providing computers to kindergarten and primary-grade children vary depending upon the kind of computer experiences offered and how frequently children have access to computers. The potential gains for kindergarten and primary children are tremendous, including improved motor skills, enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher scores on tests of critical thinking and problem solving, higher levels of what Nastasi and Clements (1994) term effectance motivation (the belief that they can change or affect their environment), and increased scores on standardized language assessments. In addition, computers enhance children's self-concept, and children demonstrate increasing levels of spoken communication and cooperation. Children share leadership roles more frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning (Clements, 1994; Cardelle-Elawar & Wetzel, 1995; Adams, 1996; Denning & Smith, 1997; Haugland & Wright, 1997; Matthew, 1997).

Integration of Computers Into the Classroom

Early childhood programs serve diverse populations and have different schedules, curriculums, staffing patterns, resources, and so on. Goals for computer use and the steps that schools take to integrate computers into their classrooms may be completely different but equally successful. A viable beginning is for teachers, administrators, and parents to share magazine, journal, and newspaper articles they have seen regarding children using computers. A study group of all the individuals who have expressed interest in children using computers can then be organized. The next step is to summarize the benefits of using computers with young children and to discuss goals for the year, including the cost of computers and teacher training. A first goal may be obtaining computers. The ratio of computers to young children is important--at most 1 to 7, preferably 1 to 5. If this ratio cannot be met with the resources available, it is far better to use a set of computers in a classroom for a month, quarter, or semester and then rotate them to another classroom. Equal access for children is essential; even the most talented teacher will have difficulty integrating computers into his or her classroom with only one computer. To help in computer selection, the study group can seek out mentors who have expertise using computers. These mentors might be teachers currently using computers, a professor at a college, or leaders in business. The study group may also want to brainstorm possible fund-raising activities and explore the possibility of obtaining used computers from businesses-making sure the computers have the capacity to run software that is currently being marketed for young children.

Teacher Training

Teacher training is essential for computers to be an effective teaching tool. A recent report reveals that only a few teachers in a relatively small number of schools have been trained to maximize technology use in classrooms (Gatewood & Conrad, 1997). Training opportunities enable teachers to build skills and confidence and learn strategies to integrate computers into their curriculum. Epstein (1993) identified four critical components of training: practical experience, workshops, models and mentors, and supervisory follow-up. As a first step, teachers can explore software that is developmentally appropriate for their classrooms. Teachers can then discuss the potential learning objectives of the programs and activities they could use to integrate particular software in their classrooms. Teachers can also participate in workshops that integrate the developmental theory and research regarding computer use with hands-on experiences. Mentors can also provide teachers with affirmation, support, and suggestions for classroom use. As teachers implement technology into the classroom, their vision of the role of technology in teaching and learning will undoubtedly change. Administrators need to continually support teachers in their quest to discover how technology can best enhance children's learning.

Computer for kids

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:41:35 PST

Computers have become a common and needed part of life in today’s society, making computer education imperative for children. Young children will typically begin to show an interest in the home PC by their toddler years. While it is may be a good idea to begin introducing your toddler to the computer in very short sessions, most children can began to learn and understand a computer’s functionality by preschool age.

Preschool age children can learn to turn the computer on by themselves and will quickly learn to operate the mouse. Simple games that teach and reinforce basic school readiness skills are great for this age. Computer education for preschool age children should be limited to short sessions of about 30 minutes a few times a week.

Many childcare facilities offer computer time as part of their weekly curriculum for preschoolers. Structured games and activities give young children an opportunity to explore the way a computer works. Games that require dragging objects across the screen are excellent for building mouse skills in beginner users. Chose age-appropriate software and websites that involve alphabet and color recognition, shapes, counting, or short stories that are read aloud. Activities that feature music are also enjoyable for a preschooler's computer time.

Kindergartners are normally still exploring the basics of computer use and will probably do best with activities that reinforce simple skills. As children become more comfortable with the computer, more complex games and activities can be introduced. Computer education for kindergartners typically consists of short sessions of no more than an hour, playing games that correlate with their classroom learning material.

By first grade, children have usually gained a good understanding of how to use a mouse and they are learning to use keyboard letters to type. Games like Typing Instructor for Kids can help young children become fast and efficient computer users. Early elementary age children are ready to move beyond simple reinforcement and skill drill activities to the many different functions of a computer.

First through third graders should use the computer as a supplement for their classroom work. A student studying about stars and planets can use the internet to search for pictures and information about constellations. An assignment about Africa can include a search for videos of African animals. Allow your child to work on his own, but stay close by to prevent access to inappropriate content and to answer any questions.

Software programs that allow children to create, like an art or publishing suite designed specifically for kids, can boost creativity along with providing exposure to technology. Grade level skills can also be practiced and enhanced with math, reading, and spelling computer games. There are a number of kid-friendly websites that provide search engines, games, and interaction opportunities.

Computer education for children should also include writing and creative writing activities. First graders are beginning to familiarize themselves with the keyboard and can write short letters or emails. By second and third grade, children can use word processor programs or writing software designed for children to write and publish their own short stories and poems, as well as use email to write to relatives.

Computer Education for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:11:09 PST

Computers have become a common and needed part of life in today’s society, making computer education imperative for children. Young children will typically begin to show an interest in the home PC by their toddler years. While it is may be a good idea to begin introducing your toddler to the computer in very short sessions, most children can began to learn and understand a computer’s functionality by preschool age.

Preschool age children can learn to turn the computer on by themselves and will quickly learn to operate the mouse. Simple games that teach and reinforce basic school readiness skills are great for this age. Computer education for preschool age children should be limited to short sessions of about 30 minutes a few times a week.

Many childcare facilities offer computer time as part of their weekly curriculum for preschoolers. Structured games and activities give young children an opportunity to explore the way a computer works. Games that require dragging objects across the screen are excellent for building mouse skills in beginner users. Chose age-appropriate software and websites that involve alphabet and color recognition, shapes, counting, or short stories that are read aloud. Activities that feature music are also enjoyable for a preschooler’s computer
time.

Kindergartners are normally still exploring the basics of computer use and will probably do best with activities that reinforce simple skills. As children become more comfortable with the computer, more complex games and activities can be introduced. Computer education for kindergartners typically consists of short sessions of no more than an hour, playing games that correlate with their classroom learning material.

By first grade, children have usually gained a good understanding of how to use a mouse and they are learning to use keyboard letters to type. Games like Typing Instructor for Kids can help young children become fast and efficient computer users. Early elementary age children are ready to move beyond simple reinforcement and skill drill activities to the many different functions of a computer.

First through third graders should use the computer as a supplement for their classroom work. A student studying about stars and planets can use the internet to search for pictures and information about constellations. An assignment about Africa can include a search for videos of African animals. Allow your child to work on his own, but stay close by to prevent access to inappropriate content and to answer
any questions.

Software programs that allow children to create, like an art or publishing suite designed specifically for kids, can boost creativity along with providing exposure to technology. Grade level skills can also be practiced
and enhanced with math, reading, and spelling computer games. There are a number of kid-friendly websites that provide search engines, games, and interaction opportunities.

Computer education for children should also include writing and creative writing activities. First graders are beginning to familiarize themselves with the keyboard and can write short letters or emails. By second and third grade, children can use word processor programs or writing software designed for children to write and publish their own short stories and poems, as well as use email to write to relatives.

7 Action Steps to Positive Thinking...

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:42:22 PDT

I'm sure you have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. Of course you're not the only one with the bright idea. So what motivates you to churn those creative or even inspiring juices to its utmost flavour?

It's always best to set up a personal goal where you can accomplish the most in record time, maybe like mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable...

I'm sure you have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. Of course you're not the only one with the bright idea. So what motivates you to churn those creative or even inspiring juices to its utmost flavour?

It's always best to set up a personal goal where you can accomplish the most in record time, maybe like mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.

Here are some tips to make it through the week even if you're just sitting in your favourite couch. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work while you are busy sitting.

Having a bit of positive thinking can help you realise the things that you never thought possible.

Step 1: Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = success of a passionately authentic future. Successful People turn their dreams into reality by Taking Action

Step 2: Commit to yourself to create successful life you can be proud of Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. Your dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without your commitment. Take action with commitment and be amazed as the transformation begins.

Step 3: Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work. You will be surprised to see of there are other ways to get the task done in time. If you are not pleased with the outcome, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate shift.

Step 4:Dwell completely in a place of gratitude Learn to utilise what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude, away from poverty consciousness.

Step 5: Use a Passion Formula of Recognise Re-evaluate and Restore In place of I should have / I would have /I could have done it this way. The former is based on increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. When something goes wrong don't sit down and mope about, recognise your mistakes and learn from them for the next time

Step 6: Keep humour at the forefront of thought Laughing at and with your self when possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I am yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has so much to offer to allow you to mope around in self pity. Humour is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

Step 7: Believe that you are the architect of your destiny No one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Create your life authentically. As long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. The concept of thinking big is all about enjoying your work, which would lead to celebrate a discovery that is born within your hands. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

CREATING YOUR E-LEARNING STRATEGY

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:23:36 PDT

E-learning continues to grow at a tremendous rate. Brandon Hall, editor of elearning
magazine predicts that by the year 2003, half of all training may be
online. E-learning companies are springing up everywhere. It seems as though
you can’t pick up a business or training magazine without seeing articles about
the benefits or the problems that are a result of e-learning. The field is growing at
an amazing rate and its standards have yet to be developed or even agreed
upon. So how in the world does a training department go about implementing an
e-learning program in an organization? One way is to develop a strategy for
creating e-learning courses that can serve as a guide or road map as you are
working your way through the chaos.

To create your e-learning strategy, you need to:
· Link e-learning goals with business goals
· Ensure support from top management
· Work with your IT Department to develop an understanding of your
baseline technologies
· Work with your IT Department to establish standards for working together
· Create a plan to help your training department handle the change
· Determine e-learning specifications
· Determine how you will measure the results
· Prepare a rollout plan

LINK E-LEARNING GOALS WITH BUSINESS GOALS

Training efforts are frequently questioned—do they add value to the organization
or are they simply a cost? These questions have resulted in a shift from training
for training’s sake to training for performance. Training professionals who want to
be seen as providing value to an organization must create programs that are tied
to business problems and opportunities, and these links must be understood and
supported by management.
By linking the e-learning strategy to business strategy, you strengthen the
training department’s position in the organization and the perception of the value
of the training that is provided. It is essential to link e-learning goals to business goals to ensure the ultimate success of the entire e-learning program.

In order to link the e-learning goals with business goals, you must first look at
your business goals. It is probable that your organization is dealing with one or
more of these pressures:
· Global employees
· Global competition
· Speed to market with new products
· An effort to implement cost savings
· The exponential rate of change in technology
· Demand for exemplary customer service
· Demand for high quality goods and services
Many of the advantages of e-learning offer support in alleviating these pressures.
For example, there can be significant cost savings when implementing an elearning
program, especially when travel of trainees is involved. IT departments
have already made the leap to e-learning, with many departments relying on
courses that are available over the Internet to keep their employees up-to-speed
with the rapid pace of changing technology.
E-learning courses are available at any time, for employees working different
shifts, or on other sides of the globe.
It is important to keep in mind that e-learning is not an absolute solution. Elearning should be integrated into ongoing training programs and should be
viewed as a supplement to face-to-face instruction. This is called blended
learning.

ENSURE SUPPORT FROM TOP MANAGEMENT
Without support from top management, an e-learning program will probably not
survive. E-learning programs require significant resources for development and support and the cooperation of several departments within the organization. If the support from top management isn’t there, it needs to be developed.
Aligning your elearning strategy with business goals can be an important first step in gaining support from top management.
Do your homework to ensure that the development of the e-learning program
isn’t sabotaged. Prepare a project plan that includes a budget and a schedule, as
well as any unusual resource needs and the assumptions that were used to
develop the plan.

WORK WITH YOUR IT DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR
BASELINE TECHNOLOGIES
There are two environments that you need to gather information about. One is
the authoring environment, or the hardware and software that is required to
create the e-learning course. Before selecting an authoring software, check with
your IT department to make certain that it is consistent with company standards,
such as programming language, and browsers and plug-ins that are supported.
Other issues to consider include:
· Does the software accept the word processing and presentation software
that your IT department supports?
· Does the software use a different graphics or database package than
those that are currently supported in your organization?
· Will the purchase of this software require the upgrading of the computer
systems that your training developers currently use?
· Will the purchase of this software require additional hardware, such as a
zip drive or CD-ROM or a DVD drive?

The other environment is the delivery environment—the hardware and software
that is needed to actually take an online course. Some of the issues to consider
are:
· What are the minimum system requirements of the viewing equipment?
· What are the hardware and software platform requirements?
· What browsers will be used? Will there be multiple versions and which
ones will be supported?
· Will any type of plug-ins be required, and if so, how will users obtain the
plug-ins?
These are just some of the issues that you will need to make decisions about
before you can move ahead with implementing an e-learning program.

WORK WITH YOUR IT DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR WORKING
TOGETHER
It is critical to include your IT department early in the development of an elearning
strategy. Often IT is not included until the actual implementation and this
can lead to the failure of the e-learning program. You will need to partner with IT
because your e-learning initiative may require:
· Software installation
· Server space
· Customization
· Application development
· Maintenance
· Ongoing support
· Legacy system interface
· Help Desk Services
The implementation of an e-learning program will require collaboration between
the training department and the IT department. This collaboration will most likely
be new to both departments, hence the need for establishing standards for
working together. The standards should be established jointly, with both
departments agreeing to expectations and roles. Many organizations already
have well-staffed IT departments and contact centers to provide technical
support for computers and software. However, those centers are not generally
organized, staffed or trained to address the complex issues of e-
Learning systems. The service level requirements for supporting users, and
trainers should be outlined in detail to avoid complaints that the e-learning
system “doesn’t work,” when it is actually a customer service issue. The e-
Learning Help Desk should be equipped and trained to address issues that
involve a wide array of hardware, internet and knowledge management software,
and web delivery technologies. The end result for users will be increased system
reliability, more course completions, and effective knowledge management.

CREATE A PLAN TO HELP YOUR TRAINING DEPARTMENT HANDLE THE CHANGE
When delivering e-learning courses, the locus of control shifts from the instructor
to the learners. Training departments that are converting from instructor-led
courses to interactive online courses will face the following issues:
· Level of effort. If the online course is truly a student-centered learning
event, rather than a form of teaching media, it will take more time on the
part of the trainer. There will be e-mail messages from students to answer
on a regular basis and the course may need to be monitored in order to
encourage all of the learners to participate.
· Role shift. The trainers will need to become comfortable making the shift
from being the expert or the "sage on the stage" to facilitating the learning
process or being the "guide on the side." Instead of relying on lectures,
trainers will need to provide examples, demonstrations, and written
materials.
· New techniques and instruction methods. A powerful instructional method
is the asynchronous discussion. Asynchronous discussions between
teachers and learners take place intermittently, not simultaneously,
through links to HTML content or email, news, or discussion groups.
Instructors need to provide insight, motivate learners, summarize
discussions, keep the discussion on track, and coach learners.
· Evaluation tools. While many online courses include standard tests, these
tests do not show if a participant has integrated the concepts and skills
and is using this new knowledge on the job. If you require special projects
to show this level of learning or enhanced performance, your trainers will
need to provide facilitator support during the project, and assessment and
feedback when the project is complete.

DETERMINE E-LEARNING SPECIFICATIONS
If your organization does not currently maintain standards or guidelines for
training materials and written documentation, this would be an excellent time to
begin to establish those standards. Your guidelines should include:
· Style guidelines for headings, numbers, names, punctuation, and
capitalization
· Corporate identity
· Graphics guidelines
· Screen designs
· Page layouts
In addition, you may want to consider these specifications for e-learning
technologies in your organization:
· Quality or design requirements for new applications
· Maximum time that a web page takes to load
· Maximum graphic size per web page

DETERMINE HOW YOU WILL MEASURE THE RESULTS
Ask management what measurements they expect before you expend a lot of
resources collecting evaluative data. Some management teams expect very little
in terms of metrics. This may be especially true for management teams that
value education and training, because they feel that what is important is
providing training opportunities for employees and they are not as concerned
about results. Be aware that this attitude can change with the addition of new
members to the management team, changes in the financial position of the
organization, or any number of other business factors, and be prepared to
establish measurements very quickly.
If you decide to measure results, think about the current methods that you are
using to measure training results. If you are currently using participant
evaluations or standardized tests to measure training results, these methods are
easily incorporated in e-learning programs. Some training departments measure
the number of hours of training that each employee receives and report that
metric to management. One of the problems with using such a metric is that
when e-learning is introduced, the number of hours of training per employee is
likely to go down. Unfortunately, that may lead some managers to believe that
the training department can be streamlined, when in actuality trainers are
spending more time per program than they did when the course was delivered
using conventional methods.
Some companies, like Verizon, IBM, and Ernst and Young, are measuring
performance, competencies, and intellectual capital. The tools that they are using
include certification programs, portfolio assessments, and online job
assessments by supervisors.
It is important to measure business results such as gains in productivity or the
shortening of a learning curve. For example, perhaps after implementing an elearning
course, a production worker learns how to use a new piece of equipment
in a week, compared to the month that it took using the previous method. The
productivity gains that are a result should be measured and reported to
management.

PREPARE A ROLLOUT PLAN
Choose carefully the courses that you will convert from traditional delivery
methods to online delivery. The first courses must be successful, or the entire
program may suffer. When selecting a course, consider these issues:
· Is the subject matter objective, or does it require judgment or subjectivity?
Objective subject matter is a better candidate for e-learning.
· Have training materials been developed? If so, are those materials already
divided into sections or chunks of information? Does it incorporate
multimedia? These types of programs don’t take as long to convert to elearning.
· How quickly does the subject matter change? There is an advantage to
using e-learning when the subject matter changes often because updates
are quicker to implement.
· What size is the intended audience? Small audiences generally are not
cost-effective.
· Does the intended audience have the necessary technical skills? One of
the major hurdles in implementing an e-learning program is getting
learners accustomed to technology if they are not already technically
adept.

Start with a small number of courses and create a plan for integrating e-learning
into your current training programs.

Marketing your e-learning program should also be a part of your rollout plan.
Marketing includes introducing the e-learning program, promoting it, and
maintaining and increasing usage over time. Some ways to accomplish the
marketing of your e-learning program include:
· Integrating e-learning programs into new employee orientation programs
· Incorporating e-learning programs into employee development plans and
performance improvement initiatives.
· Educating managers and supervisors about the program and how they
can incorporate it in employee development and performance
improvement.
· Using e-mail to promote e-learning and its benefits by promoting specific
courses and providing information about the benefits of e-learning
programs.
· Providing for recognition of employees who take e-learning courses.
· Evaluating your e-learning programs so that you can improve the areas
that are weak.
There are many issues to consider when you begin thinking about creating an elearning
strategy. This article should help you start creating a strategy that is
customized for your organization’s needs.

Managing a Moodle Site

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:38:01 PDT

* A site is managed by an admin user, defined during setup
* Plug-in "themes" allow the admin to customise the site colours, fonts,
layout etc to suit local needs
* Plug-in activity modules can be added to existing Moodle installations
* Plug-in language packs allow full localisation to any language.
These can be edited using a built-in web-based editor. Currently there are
about 40 language packs.
* The code is clearly-written PHP under a GPL license - easy to modify to
suit your needs

Some overall design features (moodle)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:28:00 PDT

Moodle is a course management system (CMS) - a software package designed to help educators easily create quality online courses. Such e-learning systems are sometimes also called Learning Management Systems (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)

Some general features that would interest a system administrator:

* Moodle runs without modification on Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac OS X,
Netware and any other system that supports PHP
(which includes almost every webhosting provider).
* Moodle is designed in a modular way, and allows a great deal of flexibility
to add (and remove) functionality at many leveles.
* Moodle upgrades very easily from one version to the next - it has an
internal system to upgrade it's own databases and repair itself over time.
* Moodle requires only one database (and can share it with other applications
if necessary).
* Moodle includes comprehensive database abstraction that supports
many major brands of database.
* Emphasis on strong security throughout. Forms are all checked,
data validated, cookies encrypted etc

Some other features that would interest an educator.

* Moodle promotes a social constructionist pedagogy (which includes
collaboration, activity-based learning, critical reflection, etc)
* Moodle is suitable for 100% online classes as well as supplementing
face-to-face learning
* Moodle has a simple, lightweight, efficient, compatible, low-tech browser
interface
* Course listings show descriptions for every course on the server, including
accessibility to guests.
* Courses can be categorised and searched - one Moodle site can support
thousands of courses
* Most text entry areas (resources, forum postings, journal entries etc)
can be edited using a capable, embedded WYSIWYG HTML editor

MOODLE (Course Management System)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:13:31 PDT

Software package for producing internet-based courses and web sites. It's an ongoing development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education.

Moodle is provided freely as Open Source software (under the GNU Public License). Basically this means Moodle is copyrighted, but that you have additional freedoms. You are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not modify or remove the original license and copyrights, and apply this same license to any derivative work. Read the license for full details and please contact the copyright holder directly if you have any questions.

Moodle can be installed on any computer that can run PHP, and can support a SQL type database (for example MySQL). It can be run on Windows and Mac operating systems and many flavors of linux (for example Red Hat or Debian GNU). There are many knowledgable Moodle Partners to assist you, even host your Moodle site.

The word Moodle was originally an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, which is mostly useful to programmers and education theorists. It's also a verb that describes the process of lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often leads to insight and creativity. As such it applies both to the way Moodle was developed, and to the way a student or teacher might approach studying or teaching an online course. Anyone who uses Moodle is a Moodler.

Come moodle with us

LMS Characteristics

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:37:12 PDT

As previously mentioned, LMSs can cater to different educational, administrative, and deployment requirements. While an LMS for corporate learning, for example, may share many characteristics with an LMS, or Virtual learning environment, used by educational institutions, they each meet unique needs. The Virtual learning environment used by universities and colleges allow instructors to manage their courses and exchange information with students for a course that in most cases will last several weeks and will meet several times during those weeks. In the corporate setting a course may be much shorter, completed in single instructor-led or online session.

The characteristics shared by both types of LMSs include:

* Manage users, roles, courses, instructors, and facilities
and generate reports
* Course calendar
* Learner messaging and notifications
* Assessment/testing capable of handling student pre/post testing
* Display scores and transcripts
* Grading of coursework and roster processing, including waitlisting
* Web-based or blended course delivery

Characteristics more specific to corporate learning, which sometimes includes franchisees or other business partners, include:

* Autoenrollment (enrolling learners in courses when required
according to predefined criteria, such as job title or work location)
* Manager enrollment and approval
* Boolean definitions for prerequisites or equivalencies
* Integration with performance tracking and management systems
* Planning tools to identify skill gaps at departmental and individual level
* Curriculum, required and elective training requirements at an individual
and organizational level
* Grouping learners according to demographic units (geographic region,
product line, business size, etc.)
* Assign corporate and partner employees to more than one job title at more
than one demographic unit

Learning Content Management System

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:21:06 PDT

A learning content management system or LCMS is a further development of the learning management system (e.g. WebCT), in that it is a multi-user environment where learning developers may create, store, reuse, manage, and deliver digital learning content from a central object repository. LCMS applications allow users to create and reuse small units or 'chunks' of digital learning content/assets, commonly referred to as learning objects. An LCMS manages the process of creating, editing, storing and delivering e-learning content.

The components of an LCMS are:

* a content authoring/editing application
* a learning object repository
* a dynamic delivery interface; and,
* learner administration tools.

Mutated learning objects (MLO) and contextual learning objects (CLO) are variations of learning objects associated with newer Web 2.0 technologies and LCMS's, where objects can be modified to meet the specific needs of different learners. The LMCS is ideally positioned to leverage knowledge management strategies in both academia and industry, through applications of advanced learning technology (ALT) methodologies.

Learning Management Systems vs. Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:36:50 PDT

In addition to managing the administrative functions of online learning, some systems also provide tools to deliver and manage instructor-led synchronous and asynchronous online training based on learning object methodology. These systems are called Learning content management systems or LCMSs. An LCMS provides tools for authoring and re-using or re-purposing content (mutated learning objects) MLO as well as virtual spaces for learner interaction (such as discussion forums and live chat rooms). Despite this distinction, the terms LMS is often used to refer to both an LMS and an LCMS, although the LCMS is a further development of the LMS. Due to this conformity issue, the acronym Clcims is now widely used to create a uniform phonetic way of referencing any learning system software based on advanced learning technology methodology.

In essence, an LMS is a high-level, strategic solution for planning, delivering, and managing most learning events within an organization, including online, virtual classroom, and instructor-led courses. The primary solution is replacing isolated and fragmented learning programs with a systematic means of assessing and raising competency and performance levels throughout a learning enterprise. For example, an LMS can simplify global certification efforts, enable entities to align learning initiatives with strategic goals, and provide a viable means of enterprise-level skills management. The focus of an LMS is to manage learners, keeping track of their progress and performance across all types of training activities. It performs heavy-duty administrative tasks, such as reporting to intructors, HR and other ERP systems but isn’t generally used to create course content.

In contrast, the focus of an LCMS is on learning content. It gives authors, instructional designers, and subject matter experts the means to create and re-use e-learning content more efficiently. The primary business problem an LCMS solves is to create just enough content just in time to meet the needs of individual learners or groups of learners. Rather than developing entire courses and adapting them to multiple audiences, instructional designers create reusable content chunks or learning objects and make them available to course developers and content experts throughout the organization. This eliminates duplicate development efforts and allows for the rapid assembly of customized content.

Learning Management System

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 06:50:13 PDT

A Learning Management System (or LMS) is a software package that enables the management and delivery of online content to learners. Most LMSs are web-based to facilitate "anytime, any place, any pace" access to learning content and administration.

Typically an LMS allows for learner registration, delivery of learning activities, and learner assessment in an online environment. More comprehensive LMSs often include tools such as competency management, skills-gap analysis, succession planning, professional certifications, and resource allocation (venues, rooms, textbooks, instructors, etc.).

LMSs are based on a variety of development platforms, from Java EE based architectures to Microsoft .NET, and usually employ the use of a robust database back-end. While most systems are commercially developed and frequently have non free software|free licences or restrict access to their source code, free and open-source models do exist. Other than the most simple, basic functionality, all LMSs cater to, and focus on different educational, administrative, and deployment requirements.

Left or Right Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 06:46:09 PDT

copy from admin edan

Try this to identify yourself as a right or left brain person:

1. Hold your hands together, as if you were praying. Look at your hands. If you see
Left thumb is below the right thumb ---> left brain
Right thumb is below the left thumb ---> right brain

2. Fold your arms in front of you (as if you are angry)
Right arm above left arm ---> left brain
Left arm above right arm ---> right brain

Based on 1+2 (order important), below is the
interpretation of your personality:
Right-Left
==========
Considerate, traditional, indirect type

can instantly read other's emotion, and respond friendly by natures. Although not very into taking initiatives in moving forward, but this person will always take a step back in supporting others. Stable personality and considerate, give others a being protected feeling. But the weakness is they cannot say no; regardless how unwilling they are, they will take care of others.

Right-Right
===========
Loves challenges type

Straight forward. Once they decided on one thing, will take action right away. Very curious, and love challenges. Dare to face dangers without thinking through (sometimes foolishly). Their weakness is they don't want to listen to others, will filter in only what whey want to hear in a conversation, and very subjective. However, because of their straightforward attitude, they tend to be fairly popular.

Left-Left
=========
Dedicated, cold, perfectionist

Very logical in all aspects. The only way to defeat (or win over) him/her is through reasons. Has a lot of prides, and feeling strongly about doing the right thing. If they are your friends, they are very trustworthy. However, if they are your opponents, they will be very tough to deal with. Because they can be very "anal" as a perfectionist, they usually leave a bad impression of being hard to deal with when first met.

Left-Right
==========
Likes to take care of others, leader type

Has a cool and keen observation ability to see through situations, yet still can be considerate in others needs. Because of their cool and calm nature, and strong sense of responsibility, they tend to become head of a group. Popular among people. However, they may not be able to help themselves in meddling because they want to take care of others too much. Very concerned about how others view them, and always on alert.

Creating Effective Assessments

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 06:06:36 PDT

Creating questions and test items might seem easy on the surface, but a lot of thought must go into test creation to make it effective. Many times teachers test things that they never meant to assess. For example, a math teacher might have a question worded in such a way that language arts skills are being tested more than math skills. Multiple choice test item creation should be broken up into the following steps:
:.Goal of test items
:.Stem of each question
:.Responses for each question
:.Overall test construction

Goal of Test Items

Test items should:
Measure the required skill or information
Focus on important, not trivial, subject area content
Contain accurate information (including correct spelling)
Be written an an appropriate level of difficulty
Be clear and concise
Be bias free

Stem of Each Question

Stems should:
Provide sufficient information
Avoid extra information
Be gramatically correct
Avoid clues that help give away answers
Avoid negatives and absolutes
Avoid second person

Responses for Each Question

Responses should:
Be plausible
Be grammatically consistent with the stem
Be of approximately the same length
Be structurally parallel
Provide only one correct answer
Avoid all or none of the above
Incorrect answers called distractors should not be too obvious
Distractors should point out errors in thinking along the levels of bloom's taxonomy

Test Construction

Tests should:
Avoid similar items
Avoid items that help answer other items

Primary education

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:15:04 PDT

Primary or elementary education consists of the first years of formal, structured education that occur during childhood. In most countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education (though in many jurisdictions it is permissible for parents to provide it). Primary education generally begins when children are four to eight years of age. The division between primary and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally occurs at about eleven or twelve years of age (adolescence); some educational systems have separate middle schools with the transition to the final stage of secondary education taking place at around the age of fourteen. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, etc., schools which provide primary education are referred to as primary schools. Primary schools in these countries are often subdivided into infant schools and junior schools.

Education ???

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Purwadinata) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:13:52 PDT

Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgement and well-developed wisdom. Education has as one of its fundamental aspects the imparting of culture from generation to generation (see socialization). Education means 'to draw out', facilitating realisation of self-potential and latent talents of an individual. It is an application of pedagogy, a body of theoretical and applied research relating to teaching and learning and draws on many disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, sociology and anthropology. [1]

The education of an individual human begins at birth and continues throughout life. (Some believe that education begins even before birth, as evidenced by some parents' playing music or reading to the baby in the womb in the hope it will influence the child's development.) For some, the struggles and triumphs of daily life provide far more instruction than does formal schooling (thus Mark Twain's admonition to "never let school interfere with your education"). Family members may have a profound educational effect — often more profound than they realize — though family teaching may function very informally.