ETEC 522 – May 2012

Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp Page 2RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  maybacon 2:56 pm on May 31, 2012

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  Richard Ludlow and Academic Earth 

  Venture: Academic Earth Founder/CEO: Richard Ludlow Richard Ludlow is the founder and CEO of Academic Earth, a website dedicated to offering free access to university-level lectures and other educational videos and content from several prominent post-secondary institutions in the United States. The site offers lectures on several topics. While several lectures are available free of charge […]

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    gillian 9:44 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Despite the fact that sites such as Academic Earth cannot provide accreditation, I do love the idea that the halls of acedemia are being opened to those who may never get a chance to experience them directly. It truly supports the value of lifelong learning.

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    Denise 3:16 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    It is great to have access to the videos, but I do wonder if they really can claim that they are “Offering free online classes and in-depth online learning,”
    denise

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  Allan Cho 2:53 pm on May 31, 2012

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  Layar Founders Trio 

  Layar is my technology company of choice to examine.   A trio of tech experts in 2007 Raimo van der Klein, Maarten Lens-FitzGerald and Claire Boonstra founded Mobile Monday in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  They did this during their free time as a hobby in order to connect people who shared their enthusiasm for mobile technological innovation.  This is a strong cast of […]

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    Denise 3:29 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    HI Allan,
    The concept of seeing what the placec looked 10 or more years ago was fascinating and there certainly seems lot of options for the future.
    I did watch a yuotube recent video of the potential of Layar and the one thing I noticed was that everyone was intent on their screens and not on the world they were in and interacting with. I think there will be some tensions with reality and augmented reality!

    Denise

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  Kenton Hemsing 2:14 pm on May 31, 2012

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  DYMO/Mimio co-founder Manny Perez 

    Manny Perez holds a Masters of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1997, while attending MIT, Perez and four of his classmates founded a company called Virtual Ink and entered the annual MIT $50K Competition. The business plan they entered centered around a device called Mimio which was […]

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    Denise 3:40 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Interesting ‘exit strategy” for Manny Perez. Company bought out after 9 years, and he has worked as director of research and development and now General Manager. Not a CEO but in the positions that allow him to continue to be innovative.
    I wonder – is he an innovator or entrepreneur? Or unusually both?

    Denise

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      Yves Mainville 11:06 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      I would think pretty well timed too… with the onslaught of ‘whteboard’/’mimio’-like apps on the iPad, android, etc., it would appear that the mimio is in a shrinking market, no? I know in my board, we are phasing them out in favor of tablet solutions that can essentially do the same and so much more. Not always good to have a multi-faceted device as it can lead to distraction and such, however, in a time where budgets are tightening, it is pretty typical to want to ‘maximize’ the investment.

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  unclereg 10:10 am on May 31, 2012

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  ‘Wowzers’ and the Howard Family…. 

   Hey all, I chose the Wowzers company for my Entrepreneur Bootcamp Bio. founder-leader name, title & photograph Reed Howard, Chief Executive Office, Owner, Founder of Wowzers (and Brain Hurricane).   From left to right: TJ, Reed, Paige, Andrew a single paragraph description of the venture, its primary products or services, and its original value proposition. […]

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  vawells 9:40 am on May 31, 2012

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  Tags: desire2learn   

  Desire2Learn – A Growing Canadian Tech Company 

    John Baker, founder and CEO of Desire2Learn founded the company in 1999 at the age of 22. Baker’s privately owned, independent e learning company is headquartered in Kitchener, Waterloo with offices in New Brunswick and British Columbia. Desire2Learn has staff in Canada, United States, Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.       Desire2Learn […]

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    Danielle 3:55 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Valerie,

    This is a very interesting read! Coming up with D2L at the age of 22 just goes to show that some were born to innovate! And thanks for sharing the “LMS Market Share” chart – very interesting statistics. I had not heard of Sakai before and I see that it is fairly new. It will be interesting to follow these statistics over the next couple of years to see if any innovative and new (as well as old) open source LMS software will ever give Blackboard a run for its money!

    Danielle

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    karonw 3:20 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Valerie,

    This is an awesome post, thanks for sharing! I based mine on Desire2Learn’s competitor. Like Daniele, I am very amazed that John has founded Desire2Learn at age 22. It was a smart move for Desire2Learn to form partnerships in adding more to their portfolio rather than trying to create it themselves to add more work to their workload.

    Karon

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      karonw 3:22 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Oops, sorry Danielle I didn’t mean to misspell your name in my previous post!

      Karon

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  shawn harris 6:04 am on May 31, 2012

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  Blackboard Inc: Founders and CEO Michael Chasen and Matthew Pittinsky   Co-founders and Co-CEO’s of Blackboard Inc., Michael Chasen, and Matthew Pittinsky, have recognized and delivered on the demand for a high-quality, easy-to-use, and cost-effective online educational software platform. Formed with their combined vision of transforming the Internet into a powerful environment for teaching and learning, […]

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    gillian 10:10 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Shawn,
    Thank you for your review. I had no idea that Blackboard was THAT big. The team’s awards are impressive and demonstrate that they aren’t simply a profitable company, but an innovative one that is fun to work for. Very important in my opinion.

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    shawn harris 11:27 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Thanks for your response Gillian! Blackboard has a wonderful team and I do believe innovation is one of the key aspects prospective investors do look for in a company when investing. The Blackboard story does speak to that!

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    Dennis Pratt 6:31 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    I am impressed by the number of young entrepreneurs/inventors/innovators that are making a big difference in our world right now. It gives me hope.

    I did not know that Blackboard has been around that long. I like the work they are doing.

    Dennis

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    shawn harris 3:41 pm on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Dennis, may I just add too that having gotten the opportunity to review several companies in this course that I only heard of, now gives me much hope as many of them are young founders and CEO’s. Quite an interesting take!

    ~Shawn

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  Hussain Luaibi 1:01 am on May 31, 2012

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  (Note: I was unable to get a photo of the CEO) Smart is a famous company in the sphere of the educational technology that is used in schools and in places not related to education as well. Smart  (or Smarttech) was founded in 1987 and was and still is based in Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Thomas […]

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  Dennis Pratt 9:33 pm on May 30, 2012

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  David Martin- SMART Technologies Co-Founder and Chairman 

    *picture from Forbes Magazine October 05, 2009 I chose to look at David Martin as he invented a learning tool that I use every day but do not know the history behind it. The invention worked by using resistive technology to manipulate a board hooked up to a projector. They have now moved on […]

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    vawells 10:01 am on May 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Dennis
    Thanks for for this informative piece. Schools in NL have also invested heavily in Smart Technology products. Unfortunately when the tender ran its course and it was re-tendered Team Boards were awarded the contract. Team Boards are approximately half the cost of a Smart Board. However I now have one of each in my classroom and the Smart Board far out performs the Team Board.

    Valerie

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      Dennis Pratt 8:17 pm on May 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Valerie;

      Good to know as we continue to use SMART Boards in all our classrooms. I don’t love Notebook but everything seems to work just fine. I am glad we are not juggling different types of boards as that would be a struggle to learn a new system for every classroom I might be in. I was at a PD where one teacher was quite bothered that the Calgary school board had an exclusive licence with Smart Technologies while he wanted to run a Promethean board in his room. He was not allowed by the agreement. I hope we are not in an agreement like that, especially as better technology comes along.

      Dennis

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    chrisaitken 10:26 am on May 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    SMART Technologies has been quite successful in securing large portions of educational technology budgets in Canada. They somehow marketed their interactive whiteboard to be an essential piece of equipment and even a symbol of the modern school.

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    shawn harris 10:30 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Good summary Dennis,
    Having viewed the SMART site, it has further enlightened me about the essential use in the field of education and likewise businesses. It certainly has its place and plays a significant role in this growing technological era.
    SMART is the world’s leading provider of interactive whiteboard. However it is quite unfortunate that it is not a low cost learning technology. I personally like SMART as it is quite interactive and user friendly and it also gives me the tools for effective collaboration. It has a universal appeal and is indeed a great choice for virtually any environment.
    From viewing the site, David Martin and Nancy Knowles seem to have a passion for children and education and have pulled it together as a great team. Other team members also oversee the success of the product since its inception. Innovation and commitment to excellence have been at the core of the SMART board business.
    The product has a great reputation and is spreading very fast in developing countries as well. I am impressed by their idea or their mission to help educators achieve better results with technology products that support student-centered learning. In addition they also help business become more productive with easy-to-use collaboration solutions that enable better results. They are committed in that aspect, hence the success of the product as they are moving in the right direction.

    ~ Shawn

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      Dennis Pratt 1:36 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Shawn;

      I have heard from many sources that there are cheaper and better interactive whiteboards available but they have not corned the market like SMART Technologies has. I have found in teaching and in construction that paying for quality pays off in the long run. If we invest wisely in quality products the time that they serve us well is increased. There is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with technological glitches when trying to deliver content. We have all been there, though.

      I also like that SMART Technologies is a Canadian company and succeeds in the global market.

      Dennis

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        Denise 3:54 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

        HI Dennis,

        Many of those cheaper alternatives are also offering more transportable options eg Mimio, eBeam. Just recently we purchased eBeam and someone who came along for the visit convinced their company to change from Smartboard to this technology.
        I gues SMART created the disruptive innovation and other companies are developing more sustaining innovations based on this.

        Denise

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    gillian 10:21 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    It is unfortunate that sales have dropped with the recent economic downturn – especially in the US. When will the holders of the purse strings learn that is in times of economic troubles that investment in education is all the more important?
    gillian

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      Dennis Pratt 6:27 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Yes, through the reading I was doing on the company I found that SMART Tech’s stock has dropped about 90% in the last 2 years, since it went public, even with huge sales. With that and Facebook’s flop I would be quite hesitant to invest in any software company. Things change so fast in the tech market.

      Dennis

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    Bridget 7:22 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Dennis,
    Thanks for a great review.
    Mrs. Knowlton is from a beautiful town of Quebec…..interestingly enough named Knowlton. In 2006 she showed support of her alma mater and donated $66 000 to technology enhancement in the region. She designated Four SMART Board interactive whiteboards to Knowlton Academy (365 students) , her old elementary school. They were the envy of the area:) We had 1 for 1000 students at the time and it was allocated to the special ed class…and the teacher didn’t want to use it. The rest of us weren’t allowed….love the bureaucracy.
    The Quebec government recently earmarked over $200 Million (over 5 years) for SMART Boards in the last budget. I heard the many needed to be installed by June ……the rush is on.
    Bridget

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  janetbar 7:45 pm on May 30, 2012

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  Tags: Founder Parade ( 4 ), personalized learning ( 5 )   

  Salman Khan and the Khan Academy 

    Salman (Sal) Khan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Khan Academy, an online personalized learning site that began with mathematics and has spread to sciences and humanities.  The Khan Academy is a non-profit organization with the fundamental goal of providing “free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere”.   Students, parents, and teachers are all […]

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    Dave Horn 8:12 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Janet,

    Well I definitely feel like a bit of slacker compared to Sal, I’ve only got two and half degrees and no MBA. I do really like the mantra behind Khan Academy and I do have several students who make use of the videos. The videos can be a bit dry, but I think they can serve as useful tool for creating flipped classrooms, which will engage students better than sending them home to read notes.

    Dave

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    vawells 1:24 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Janet
    The Khan Academy is an interesting study. It truly illustrates how entrepreneurs need to be able to recognize the the market for their idea. What started out as helping a relative has turned into a venture with growth potential.

    Thanks for sharing
    Valerie

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    Allan 3:42 pm on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Great person to examine and profile, Janet. I have followed Salman Khan’s academy for a while now. I’m really impressed by the resume Salman has; more impressed, however, with his acumen and foresight for open education. He is certainly one of the people who is trying to make a push for revolutionizing education through the social web.

    Allan

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    Bridget 4:36 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Janet,
    I use Khan Academy frequently with my grade 7 students, especially for practicing operations with fractions and integers. We watched with excitement when we heard about the donations by both Google and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations. It was interesting what happened post-donation. The format for earning badges changed and it lost what students thought was one of the most challenging and fun aspects…the streak bar. With streak bar challenged students to answer as many questions as they can in a row (speed earned badges). I wonder if it will get too big too fast and lose its focus. I certainly hope that it does not become only a repository for videos since it was on its way to becoming more powerful than that. I have (and still have) students addicted to it and learning well above their years.
    Bridget

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      janetb 12:33 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Hi Bridget,
      It certainly has grown quickly. I have used it a few times – often for students who have been away or who need extra help/instruction beyond what I can provide. Some like it, some don’t, but it is a great resource. I haven’t had students sign up, specifically, so I am not familiar with the “streak bar”, but I share your concern. A repository for videos isn’t a bad thing in itself, but certainly nothing like what the site has the potential to become.
      Janet

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    gillian 10:25 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Janet,
    I have used the Khan Academy videos as additional links when appropriate for my courses. I agree with Dave that they can be a bit on the dry side, but they do hit the salient points for review puposes. I certainly respect the goals of the company and like Bridget, I hope it stays true to its original values.
    gillian

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    mackenzie 1:16 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Janet,
    Very engaging and well written post! Thanks for the introduction into Khan academy, I wish I had heard about them earlier. I like how you recognized the qualities of a great venture capitalist, one that takes opportunities when they arise and surrounds themselves with great team members. Sal’s humble beginnings are inspiration to all of us as potential venture capitalists. I will be looking into this venture to gain further insight into his success and look for ways to leverage the affordances of his videos in my classroom. Presently my students are doing review and this may prove to be a great resource for them.
    Thanks, Steve

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      janetb 2:00 pm on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Thanks, Steve. And yes, the videos can be very helpful for review – if students are willing to take the time and watch them. They are also great for enrichment. I have a very gifted student in Calculus 12 and he watches them for fun!

      Janet

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    Dennis Pratt 1:45 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Janet;

    Thanks for bring up the Khan Academy as it is one resource that I have recently started using in my classes. I plan to model some of my teachings after the setup of the Khan Academy. Free, quality education is something that we should strive for. I know some people fight desperately to protect what they have developed which leads to it never being shared beyond a certain small and qualified audience. With modern technology I think we can do better at sharing ideas and teachings than we currently do. I see the infrastructure in place and a tipping point close at hand for even more open sharing of resources.

    Dennis

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    dubiend 6:13 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Janet,
    Great description of Khan Academy! I didn’t know that he was living off his savings for a while to focus on this project. I wonder whether he had any plans for financing at that point or whether he knew how big this would become. When a product is good enough and fills a great need, sometimes the project speaks for itself!

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    Denise 4:06 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    HI,
    it is an amazing site and all based on donations and some vounteers.
    Denise

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  Leonora Zefi 6:46 pm on May 30, 2012

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  Tags: innovation, strategic technologies ( 2 ), successful ventures, Week 04: Entrepreneur Boot Camp ( 4 )   

  Ektron’s CEO and founder 

  I chose to look at the growth of EKTRON and particularly focus on the entrepreneurial abilities of its CEO and founder Bill Rogers. Rogers founded Ektron in 1998 and at that time sparked a technology revolution with his first product eWebEditPro which enabled users to easily author and publish content on websites. Ektron’s vision today is to […]

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    Deborah S 5:41 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Leonora,
    It’s interesting that this company has been able to raise so much capital in a short period of time! It seems as if their strategy of diversifying into different continents (and taking advantage of emerging markets in developing countries) is certainly paying off.

    Deborah

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    Leonora Zefi 3:46 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    You make a very good point Deborah – diversification and target market seem to be making a difference in Ektron’s growth. Another success factor according to Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management (August 2010) is that Ektron utilizes .NET architecture really well which is a priority choice for online community.
    Thanks,
    Leonora

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  mariefrancehetu 4:29 pm on May 30, 2012

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  HCD Global – Entrepreneur critique 

  HCD Global – The Chinese name, 合得, means ‘winning together’, Description of venture HCD Global is a young company that promotes collaborative, interactive learning and teaching. They offer learning programs and tools that provide students with skills adapted to 21st century technological needs. They have really revolutionized China’s corporate training, for example they were the […]

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    gillian 7:57 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Marie,
    It sounds as though the company has been quite successful in the corporate world. Was there much information on the company’s role in formal education (K-12 or tertiary)?
    gillian

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  HJDeW 7:27 am on May 30, 2012

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  VocaLinks Inc., established in 1998 by Peter Butler and Phil Huffman, is a small, privately owned, service driven company providing speech to text and text to speech training, product sales and technical support. It is located in Toronto, yet provides service across Canada with a team of 50 full and part-time employees. The company’s signature […]

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    Deborah S 9:39 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Great post, Helen! Your discussion about authentic leadership reminded me of the characteristics of authentic leadership by Robin Sharma (author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, and The Saint, The Surfer and the CEO). He postulated that authentic leaders: speak their truth, lead from the heart, have rich moral fiber, are courageous, build teams and create communities, deepen themselves, are dreamers, care for themselves, commit to excellence rather than perfection and leave a legacy. I think the ability to lead often makes or breaks a venture.

    Deborah

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      HJDeW 11:01 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Deborah, you hit on the one thing that really became obvious for me during this investigation – the impact of the leadership style and presence of the individual and team. It is very evident in their communications, relationship with the public and their customers, and in how they ‘sell’ their service or product. Helen

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    Claire Burgoyne 12:27 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Helen, your personal reflection with its focus on storytelling and open leadership serves as an excellent resource to those about to step into the role of entrepreneur. I’m reminded of J.E. Chamberlin’s “If This is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?” The ability to tell our stories shapes us, defines our direction, and determines our successes or failures. As Chamberlin says: “We need to understand our stories because our lives depend upon it.”
    Thanks for sharing.

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    Leonora Zefi 7:15 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Helen,
    As usual, a very insightful analysis and a particularly thoughtful reflection. In addition to all the attributes you have pointed out and we have seen in many entrepreneurs, I would say that the ability to identify that niche market/client base and be responsive, innovative in the approach but also having that freedom to take risks and make decisions fast without having to go through the layers of “red tape” are factors for success with those ventures.
    Thanks.
    Leonora

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    dubiend 5:20 pm on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    It’s great to see a Canadian company offering services and products in assistive and general education technology. I’ve just learned in EPSE 410 how important it is to use products that are research-based in assistive technology. While these products often cost much more than those available on tablets, the educational value is much greater. Unfortunately, not enough people know this, and the spread of tablets and their convenience is chipping away at the assistive technology market while offering a learning experience that may not be up to par.

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    gillian 8:06 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Helen,
    I particularly enjoyed reading the reflection on your post. I commented on another post that it is the story behind each venture that I found the most interesting when doing my own research and then reading the posts of others in this activity. I wonder how many investors look beyond the numbers to the inspiration or the ‘narrative’ as you call it when deciding whether or not to open their wallets?
    Putting yourself ‘out there’ certainly has new meaning in the digital world!
    gillian

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  Danielle 7:15 am on May 30, 2012

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  MOODLE 

    Martin Dougiamas 43,  is the founder and lead developer of Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment), open-source software project that is a free course management system.  The company is based in Perth, Australia and not only manages the Moodle software but also manages Moodle Headquarters, the Moodle Community and the Moodle Partner Network. Moodle […]

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    HJDeW 11:15 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Danielle, this was an interesting summary. After recently reading an article written by Dougiamas for another course, it brings to light the importance of the underlying philosophies and values of the leader (see some of his writing http://dougiamas.com/writing/) when working in an educational marketplace.
    Helen

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      Danielle 3:19 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Hi Helen,

      Thanks for the link! I actually have this one bookmarked from past courses. It is interesting to read his thoughts on constructivism and connectivism and how these learning theories have played a role in the development of Moodle. He is certainly an innovator worth following!

      Danielle

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    Claire Burgoyne 12:05 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Danielle, an interesting fact you include is that Dougiamas was educated by correspondence. I wonder how much that childhood experience contributed to his determination to create an LMS designed with social constructionism principles at its core. I teach online courses and have created all my courses in Moodle. I’m moving more and more toward activities that allow students to interact with one another and appreciate the fourms, chats, glossaries, and wikis. While I’m beginning to include other tools that exist outside of Moodle such as WordPress I appreciate that I can create social experiences for students within Moodle rather than being restricted to creating course that are little more than online texts.

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      Danielle 3:30 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Hi Claire,

      I have no doubt that Dougiamas’s early learning experiences played a role in the creation of Moodle. I have only used Moodle for ETEC 565 and I find it interesting that while Moodle has millions of users, most of the institutions I have been connected with continue to be more interested in the more expensive, commercial software for learning management. I suppose “free” learning does not appeal to everyone!

      Danielle

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    mariefrancehetu 6:51 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hello Danielle,

    I too noted that passion is an important element to make an idea fly. Hard work also seems to be an essential ingredient in implementing and marketing the idea!

    As Claire mentions, I do believe having been educated by correspondence could have influenced Dougiamas’ educational venture. Following his own experience he found a problem and looked for a solution. This is often how great ideas come to be.

    Marie-France

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      Danielle 3:35 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Hi Marie-France,

      I agree. Dougiamas has experienced the “pain point” first hand. I think this has given him a competitive edge, both personally and in terms of product championship. He certainly knows what he is talking about!

      Danielle

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    gregcamp 10:12 am on May 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Great post Danielle, having used Moodle to teach online I can say that Martin has put alot of thought into the design and functionality of the site. I am sure growing up in a small rural community and studying by correspondence has played a significant role in the development of this company as he knows first hand what methods work and don’t work.

    Greg

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      Danielle 3:38 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Hi Greg,

      Thanks for your comments. Have you ever used enterprise eLearning environments? I have only used Blackboard Vista and it would be interesting to hear one’s thoughts on the differences.

      Danielle

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        gregcamp 8:32 am on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

        No I haven’t.

        Greg

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        Denise 4:28 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

        I have expereinced Vista, used a product called Docent and currently an LMS ekp Net Dimensions. In 565 we used Moodle. It had a lot of excellent collaborative tools, but it native user interface is very limited.

        Moodle certainly didn’t have the breadth of offerings a few years ago, but over time has really increased its functionality to the point where Unis and other organisations have seriously considered it when looking at LMS change overs.

        I work for a small organisation and Moodle would offer an inexpensive option, but there woudl be a lot of training for educaotrs, and we would need to have some robust IT support for customisation that we would want.

        denise

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    gillian 8:12 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Danielle,
    Once again, I find myself thinking about how the story behind the venture is the most interesting part of this activity. As you state in your final paragraph it is ‘passion’ and the ‘will’ of the innovator that seems essential in success.
    gillian

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  Dave Horn 9:57 pm on May 29, 2012

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  Tags: CEO & Founder, Quest Visual, World App   

  Quest Visual 

  Otavio Goood is the founder and CEO of Quest Visual, which developed “World Lens.” His partner in the venture is John DeWeese. World Lens is an smart-technology application, which can be used to convert foreign languages and objects into familiar content for the user. Their goal is to help the people of the world communicate, […]

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    Deborah S 6:06 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Dave,
    This is certainly an interesting app. I have many international students in my classes who would benefit from it, especially since it doesn’t require the user to be connected to the Internet (and we cannot get Wi-Fi connections consistently through the concrete walls of the computer labs). I checked out the website and liked the fact that you can simply point your phone at text and have it translated instantly. This would certainly help students in a test situation where they need to know the translation of a question very quickly.

    Deborah

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      Dave Horn 8:08 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      I suppose the trick would be guiding students how to use it appropriately so that it was used to build their skills rather than permitting them to bypass having to learn the language or concepts.

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    mariefrancehetu 7:00 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Dave,

    As a second language teacher I think this app has much potential. You are right, this type of venture would not have been possible 10 years ago . . . just imagine what apps folks will be able to come up with in another 5 years or so! The possibilities are unlimited!

    Marie-France

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    janetb 7:54 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    So, the sci-fi geek in me harkens back to the Star Trek Universal Translator. Not the first sci-fi gizmo to make it into the real world and undoubtedly not the last! If only transporters were coming soon …

    Thanks for the summary!
    Janet

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      Dave Horn 8:07 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      interesting to see what types of new products are going to be produced in the future. It’s interesting that many of the research into a technology for one purpose are often then producing spin-off applications (research into cloaking technology is better refining use of light in optics and computing power).

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  gregcamp 9:33 am on May 29, 2012

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  Tags: elearning ( 3 )   

  Bluedrop Performance Learning 

  Emad RizkallaPresident & CEO, Co-founder Bluedrop Performance Learning Emad is recognized as one of North America’s pioneers and leaders in eLearning, entrepreneurship and corporate leadership. He co-founded Bluedrop (formerly ZeddComm) in 1992 as a young engineering student, has been honoured as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40? and was featured in a TIME Magazine […]

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    Leonora Zefi 6:28 pm on May 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Greg,
    I had the chance to hear Emad speak here in Toronto and what struck me the most about his presentation was his passion about the product and the people he works with. It was refreshing to hear a presentation about a highly technical topic (promoting Bluedrop’s Coursepack) in a clear language which of course in my opinion reflects the company’s initial mission “to simplify and humanize the concept of synthetic learning and make it accessible to corporations and individuals.”

    Leonora

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  chrisaitken 7:42 am on May 29, 2012

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  Tags: elearning ( 3 ), instructional design ( 2 )   

  Ian Huckabee, Co-founder of WeeJee Learning 

  Ian Huckabee, Co-founder and CEO of WeejeeLearning. Weejeelearning provides corporate instructional design services in elearning, social learning, and mobile learning. Weejee learning is a relatively small and young consultancy company but have already developed a marketable portfolio. Developing  and maintaining an elearning department  in-house is a costly practice.  Weejee relies on the strategic decision to […]

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• 

  Claire Burgoyne 1:06 am on May 29, 2012

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  Tags: Edmodo, social learning, Virtual classroom   

  Edmodo: Founders Nicolas Borg and Jeff O’Hara 

  Nicolas Borg is co-founder and CEO of Edmodo. He and Jeff O’Hara are former Chicago area schools IT support technicians. The two recognized the obstacles teachers face in attempting to incorporate technology for learning in their classrooms. With their ideas and in response to teacher feedback the two developed Edmodo to meet the needs of […]

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    Deborah S 7:18 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Claire,
    Great summary! I’m always amazed at the ventures that spring out of people recognizing a gap or a problem in the way something is currently being done. The real challenge is being able to follow through on it. It seems as if they have solid board members who should be able to leverage their past experience with LinkedIn and Facebook to take the company to the next level.

    Deborah

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      Claire Burgoyne 11:32 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Deborah, I agree with you. It’s not too uncommon to share great ideas but its far less common to hear about people taking their ideas to the next level. I think it requires passion, courage and a great deal of stamina to move past the idea stage. That, and of course support from experienced individuals.

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    HJDeW 8:27 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Thanks for providing this background information. I had heard about this venture but didn’t take the time to learn more. Based on this summary, I took the plunge and have established an account. If it’s coming from the ground roots of an education technology need, it’s GOT to have benefit for educators, because education (teachers and leaders) are frequently left without sufficient or effective tools to face the challenges in the job.

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      Claire Burgoyne 11:43 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      You’re welcome Helen. Completing this assignment was valuable for me too. I’ve had an Edmodo account for some time but haven’t used it yet. Now that I know more about Edmodo I can see advantages to using it with students rather than always working in Moodle. It’s a format students who use Facebook are familiar with which could encourage more participation in discussions. A user friendly way for them to share photos and videos as well as text.

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    janetb 8:00 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Claire,

    Thanks for the summary. I had heard about Edmodo recently but haven’t used it myself and after reading your summary I am going to look into it. I have been trying different venues for online asynchronous class discussions and haven’t quite found the perfect fit yet.

    I appreciated your comment about the founder being an IT guy for a school district – certainly someone who would have heard a great deal about what teachers are looking for!

    Thanks,
    Janet

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      Claire Burgoyne 12:10 pm on June 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Janet, I hear what you’re saying about finding the right venue to encourage asynchronous class discussions. This year for the first time I’ve had some success with that in Moodle forums but as I said earlier, I wonder if using a format more familiar to students would encourage greater participation.

      Did you know that Edmodo recently added Google docs integration? That’s got me very interested as it could prove helpful during group projects. For more ways to use Edmodo you might want to take a look at: http://www.slideshare.net/seyfert6/20-ways-to-use-edmodo

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  Yves Mainville 9:57 pm on May 28, 2012

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  CURT RICHARDSON, OTTERBOX FOUNDER & CEO 

  Curt Richardson is the founder and CEO of ‘OtterBox’, a company founded in 1998 and currently headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. A life-long entrepreneur, Curt has been involved with many business startups, all starting from a very young age where he always proven to be of ‘innovative spirit’. From his ‘management’ of yard sales in […]

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    Dave Horn 11:23 pm on May 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    HI Yves,
    I thought this was an interesting profile on Curt, and I happen to think that Otterbox makes some great products. I’d agree at a glance that they just look like plastic, but really they are very well made and I know a lot people who use them for storing and transporting expensive/breakable gear.
    I’d agree that his picture does provide a semblance of “genuine” and his approach to provide credit to others and promote people who have worked their way up and demonstrated skill is a trait one would like in a boss/ venture leader. These mean that people will want to work for them and feel like they will get credit for their insights and thus are likely to produce more novel products or ideas.

    Dave

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  Deborah S 1:33 pm on May 28, 2012

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  Introducing John Baker 

  John Baker is the founder, president and CEO of Kitchener, Ontario company Desire2Learn.  John founded the company in 1999 when he was still an engineering student at the University of Waterloo. Desire2Learn is a company that provides a learning management system (LMS) to K to 12 and post-secondary institutions, corporations, government and healthcare organizations.  Major […]

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    HJDeW 5:07 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Deb, this is a well written bio and venture presentation. I spent several hours reviewing this company as well, since it is located in Ontario and provides essential service to the Education Ministry for blended and online learning. I was particularly interested in John Baker’s reflections and response to the patent infringement litigation he has successfully fought as shared in the Communitech interview. He shared his response to the challenge by being open and honest in his communication strategy, which certainly helped build a stronger brand support from employees and customers. With a growing workforce and a vision of global service provision, this is certainly one venture to watch.

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      Deborah S 7:14 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

      Thanks, Helen. I was interested in the company because of their link to the Ministry and they were recently chosen as the LMS provider for the University of Waterloo. Until I researched the company in more detail, I had no idea they were so diversified in terms of the products and services they offer.

      Deborah

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        HJDeW 8:45 am on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

        Now that I have reviewed and investigated other ventures, I realize how polished and user centered their website information is, in terms of the visual images, vocabulary choices, and readily accessible links to important information. I was struck by the current and future vision for this company and sent the job posting link to a few people I know. I am interested in seeing how the LMS works, in comparison to Moodle or WebCT, as well as the co-ordination of the e-portfolio component, since this is an area of current research for me. Have you (or any others) used this product or know more about it?

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    Deborah S 5:49 am on May 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Helen,
    I would agree with you about the website. Not only is it easy to navigate, but I like how they split the customer base into K-12, higher education, corporate and government so you can easily see the services available.

    My daughter completed several online courses with school boards that used the LMS. I really liked the way it was set up and navigation was very intuitive. I personally haven’t used the e-portfolio component, so I can’t offer any assistance.

    Deborah

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  Ronna Hoglund 11:34 am on May 28, 2012

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  Pathbrite 

  Heather Hiles is the founder and current CEO of Pathbrite™, formerly called Ripplesend.              Pathbrite™ provides an e-Portfolio platform in which users can build and create a masterpiece of their personal data like school projects, performance video clips, and resumes – the usual stuff.  Pathbrite™ differentiates itself from others by […]

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    janetb 8:08 pm on May 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply

    Hi Ronna,

    I agree with your comment about difficulties with academic institution e-Folios. I have wondered about access to the e-Folios I have built in ETEC courses and how long I would have access to them after I am done my degree. As they are in a WordPress format, I plan to move them to a public WordPress location so I can keep access to them, but a site like Pathbrite looks interesting.

    Janet