Category: ETEC 522 Posts

I loved the opportunity to try out building an app. Last year some colleagues were talking about how easy it can be, but I seriously thought it would be way beyond me. Just for fun, I started an app for my town (unpublished) that allows people to follow and comment on food trucks. You never know where they are, or what they have to offer here in town. We were at a wine festival last weekend and I couldn’t believe the array of food trucks that must of have been hiding in some food truck forest I didn’t know about. And I was thinking how great it would be if there was a means for them to let it be known where they are and what’s on the menu.

The affordances are endless!

I was wondering if anyone has found any apps that are specific for schools or teacher’s classrooms? What I would have liked to see would have been some more examples of what people have built in appshed. If there was page on their site specific to this I missed it. Great job OER apps group.

PC

The year was 1977 – three young and upcoming programmers from Ampex (producers of digital storage systems) took a risk and branched off to start their own company. One of them was Lawrence J. Ellison

Serving as Chief executive officer from the beginning, Larry Ellison has been a man with far reaching dreams. When the company was awarded a contract from the CIA to produce a program allowing “relational database management” they developed a revolutionary software – code name Oracle.

Oracle has since been integrated into IBM operating systems and made available for public consumers. They have also become the overseers of the open source Java programming script. The recent launch of their Oracle Academy has provided a means for students, both secondary and tertiary, to be exposed to the Java fundamentals and programming for no cost or a nominal yearly fee. Fostering early student interest in computer science and programming in over forty countries. The company has come a long ways, and surpassed expectations, as has it’s founder.

Born to a single mother in the Bronx, he was subsequently adopted by family. His Uncle and Aunt raised him in a very modest, lower-income environment. And although his natural aptitude for science and math was identified early, he clashed with formal education dropping out of both the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. Like many other successful entrepreneurs, Larry emerged from a disadvantaged background and was decidedly rebellious as a youngster. As an adult he openly seeks the thrill of physical adventures.

Research into Oracle Academy has brought to light the altruistic aspects and community-minded commitments of this software giant. Their team seems genuinely interested in promoting ways for computing to be brought to the next generation by producing savvy and relative educational opportunities. It is also a good marketing strategy, ensuring that future leaders in the tech field have a familiarity with the company’s software platform.