David Berljawsky
Hi All, For my Assignment # 3 I have examined cloud computing in schools, concentrating mainly on a small independant venture by a small company nobody has every head of, the Apple iCloud. The reason I chose this is that I am not a proponent of cloud computing and wanted to put myself into another […]
Continue reading A3 – Looking at the cloud Posted in: Week 13: Venture Forum Thank you for participating in our activity this week. We hope that you now have a stronger understanding of social analytics and how they are used in education. Of course, since our project was about social analytics, we have been tracking our website over the past week (Nov-21st – 27th), and thanks to Google Analytics, […]
Continue reading Week 12 Analytics Roundup – You’ve been tracked! Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 12: Social Analytics
This is phenomenal!!! I am going to investigate doing this for our board website as we are in the process of changing it dramatically – we will need this type of analytics to review what is viewed most and least. Thanks so much Week 12 team!!
Awesome wrap-up! This was a challenging topic, and you have done some great work with it.
Thanks,
Emily
Wow… amazing and kind of scary the level of information that you can access.
Great Presentation! The amount of information you can get is pretty cool!! I’m going to talk to our programer and see what he can do about implementing these in our schools website!! Thanks for the great info.
I think it’s funny how I can pinpoint myself on this… I was personally responsible for 10.58% of your presentation’s visits! 😀
Wow, this is amazing!
I’m surprised that Internet Explorer is the browser that was used the least. It’s quite exciting to see these results.
Thanks, Week 12 team, for your great effort and work!
Deb
Nice job with clear benefits obvious for the budding entrepreneur who is trying to get a handle on the effectiveness of his/her online marketing efforts.
E-Portfolios Wow, I would like to congratulate the group for your excellent project. Very well done and packed with a ton of information. I’ve used project based assessment many time in my teaching career with ultimately good results. I worked at an alternative school and we charted student analysis through e-portfolios. Now, these were informal, […]
Continue reading SWOT and E-Portfolios Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Hi David. You make a very good point about templates. Mahara does offer a great template, but it is restrictive…..however, I imagine that you could always link or connect other artifacts to Mahara to offer a larger perspective? I need to play with Mahara more to fully undertsand its capabilities….
Thanks for your post,
Verena:)
Hi David,
Mahara is a nice (free) product, and you are welcome to test it out on my server at your leisure. Please contact me privately if you would like to keep using it for an extended period of time for experimentation.
Mahara is very much for institutional e-portfolio use, and it ties in pretty well with Moodle installations. You can set it up to use a single sign-on for both products. If a person has time and a web server, individuals can install their own Mahara and create their own e-portfolio. Or they can take it a step further and use Mahara for their own teaching. And it extends onwards from there…
Hi David,
I like the idea of using a SWOT analysis in evaluating tools. It is so often used in corporate settings but here it proves to be a very effective method of analysis across sectors and instruments.
Kerry-Ann
Is the iPad a game changer? I would have to say yes. Now the sci-fi nerd in me thinks back to the original Star Trek (I’m going somewhere here!) where they utilized an instrument called the tricorder. Now what this instrument did was act as a fancy computer that basically gave the user the answer […]
Continue reading Is the iPad a game changer? Possibly. Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
I agree David – I think the ipad has not reached its potential yet – although like I said in other posts – can’t wait till ipad 50! May be I will be able to afford it by that time! I think there are some great apps ( ever tried glass towers?!) As far as educational ones – I have not really tried them out – particularly in a classroom setting. I think we have only begun to scratch the surface as far as potential goes – the sky is the limit. As far as owning one – I have not found good enough reasons to open up my wallet that far.
As far as Star Trek – I am guessing they were ahead of their time!
Hi Deb & David – I agree that iPad and other tablets have yet to really change education. Yes, they’re portable and that is very handy. Yes, touch-screen technologies do allow people to interact differently with the content. However, are students learning differently yet? Are they creating content in ways they couldn’t before? I liked the component of the presentation this week that looked at the true cost of the iPad, because I think in a cash-strapped environment like today, a new tool needs to either be an amazing price or it needs to do amazing things, and the iPad hasn’t delivered either of those yet.
Well, I feel that I’m being repetitive in my opinion, but privacy is a huge concern of mine, but I will save that for another time. My concern with blogs is honesty. I have used blogs in classes before with overall positive results. However, I have come across some issues that need to be addressed, […]
Continue reading Blogging Concerns in Education Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 07: Blogs
Hi David,
Thank you for your post and I agree that privacy, honesty and civility are major concerns when it comes to blogging. I think students do need supervision as we all know face-to-face is not the same as hiding behind a computer, so I agree that cyber-bullying and other kinds of “free thought” are things we as educators, parents and adults should be aware of.
You pose a good question, how are we supposed to know that others opinions are genuine? As it is always hard to tell through text and text alone. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Jenaca
Dear David,
I think the problem is that when your students are posting replies to your posts or creating their own is that everyone knows who they are. It would be a form of social inhibition. A factor you should consider is the size of your classes. How big are they? Big enough to fill a lecture theatre or just enough for a small classroom in Buchanan?
A solution (albeit unwieldy) is to let students create their own pseudonyms and email/private message you them and their real counterparts. They won’t feel as pressured by their peers to conform to any ideas the majority may agree on. However, they may feel that there is a certain answer that you want to hear from them.
If you’re looking for answers as truthful as possible, you may want to consider anonymity. Although the disadvantage (not knowing who’s contributing what) is obvious, there is a lower probability of retracting one’s statements and being truthful.
Take me, for instance. I’m a student, though not one of yours, which is why I’m being as frank as I possibly can with you. If you were one of my current instructors, I would most certainly think of what I’m saying before posting it on the Net, because as everyone knows, once it’s on the Net, it’s out there for good. Unless you delete right after you post it (and even then), you’ll have no choice but to watch as your post gets bombarded by replies that will embarrass you and make you retract into a figurative shell.
Cyberbullying… well, that’s the downside of the anonymity solution I posted above, the GIFT. While not exactly inversely proportional, there is a somewhat negative correlation between truthfulness and civility. Best to consider the options you have and what you’d prefer.
Thanks David for bringing this subject up – there is indeed a risk that students will not express their opinions honestly because they may worry about what others might think…but this does not just pertain to online blogging. Think of the number of times in regular classrooms (I am thinking of K-12 here) that student work is posted for all to see – students are expected to express their opinions and present arguments with evidence to back up their stance all the time. So I am not sure that a blog would be a scarier place for expressing opinions – we teach our students to always express their opinions (even when they are expressing a strong disagreement-or giving peer feedback) in a respectful but honest manner – it takes a long time for students to get used to this, but it does work. I know that we often use anonymous surveys as a means to get feedback from a group, but we should teach our students to stand up for themselves, be advocates – and also be gracious when on the receiving end of criticism or an opposing view.
I have the same concerns. Honesty though, in a blog takes on a different meaning- I think we can be dishonest in all our endeavors and not just blogging. However, it is far more challenging to be honest if you are writing your classmates and everyone in the world, or just your educator. Bullying and civility are major issues – and can always be a bit stressful in dealing with the consequences of having public spheres.
In pointing out that students need supervision, you point to something important about using blogs in education – it takes a *lot* of time to monitor online activity. I’m lucky that with my university students (I’ve used wikis, not blogs – but similar deal), I merely need to let them know that I expect them to be kind, cool and respectful. I imagine that with younger students, there’s a lot more behaviour modification – esp online behaviour- that one would have to engage in.
This is a funny topic for me. I am an Education Technology student, an Open Source advocate, been previously employed in IT and computer troubleshooting, I carry an iPhone yet in terms of e-books I am a total Luddite. This is not to say that I don’t like or appreciate e-books. I have read them […]
Continue reading Ebooks in Education Posted in: Uncategorized
Yes, I think that will be challenging – getting the education institutions ( and some educators) on board with thinking differently about personally owned technology. The other part of that is not everyone ones their own portable devices.
I had a teacher who taught from the same set of notes for over 20 years.The notes were now yellow (previously white). I cannot imagine him ever wanting to move to another source of ‘technology’.
David,
Thanks for sharing. There are many of us who still prefer tangible books, but we must face the reality that one day very soon, students will start seeing electronic books on their curriculum that must be purchased for class. A major challenge I think would face students is the cost of ereaders. Can students afford to purchase these?
I make no qualms about it, I was a huge gamer in my youth, probably all the way until my early 20’s. Most games have little to no educational value, yes they may help with special awareness and some hand eye coordination, but in reality, most were, well, games. Now this is not to say […]
Continue reading A Couple of Games From my Youth Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 05: Game-Based Learning
Hi David,
I liked how you brought up “disguised education”. I think it is quite amazing what we learn, when we have no intention of learning and good educational games have a way of exploiting this.
Great post!
Juliana.
Adding to what you both said, I really liked the way you identified the learning without really even knowing it- “disguised education”. I think this is a great way to help kids have fun and actually enjoy learning.
Jen
Hi David. I remember “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego” and was glued to that game as a child. I am sure it spawned my love and curiousity for other countries, travel and culture and as a kid I lived virtual adventures and exotic trips to places around the world through that game.
As to tetris, was terrible at that game and never had the patience (or spacial awareness) to stack awkwardly shaped blocks together. Felt too much like work more than play. Never really was a puzzle person.
David,
Good job! Would you classify all games as being educational since they elicit thinking and awareness? Shouldn’t we redefine educational and incorporate features that are required for one to function successfully in educational settings?
Everton
Hi Everton,
I believe that some redefinition or redesign would be highly beneficial. The reading on Prensky’s Digital Natives (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf) is interesting regarding a redefinition of education and instructional design.
Kerry-Ann
I enjoyed reading your post. I remember playing TETRIS, it is a wonderful game and useful one for mathematics and science students. It can be used to teach shapes and patterns.
Hi David,
I remember Tetris but was not as hooked, funnily Conroy since I like Math and Science. User Interface design I wonder? But I did enjoy ‘Where in the World is Carmen San Diego’. Like Everton I also wonder at the educational aspects of gaming from what they elicit.
Kerry-Ann
Read Naturally was founded in 1991 by Candyce Ihnot. The program is meant to help students become better readers by building their proficiency through five essential components of reading, Phenomic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension. It uses three main strategies to achieve this, Teacher Modelling, Repeated Reading and Progress Monitoring. There is a large […]
Continue reading Read Naturally Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Hi David,
Thank you for your post. It shows how ventures can arise through courses of study and research, for example at masters and doctoral levels, and are somewhat attainable. Many of the ventures I looked at are a lot more complex and seem to have founders and CEOs with many years of research and development as well as held CEO/head positions in other firms, departments, et al. prior to their venture.
This type of venture seems more practical to the educator and new and/or ‘small-time’ entrepreneur. That being said I would like more info on her partners if any, advisors if any and just how her venture is being sustained. On a side note, please include a link to the site.
Kerry-Ann
This venture is right up my street. I get really excited whenever I see anything about literacy. However, I need more information about this venture. Does it work with all age group and spans all the major languages? How long should a student be exposed to this technique before competence is usually developed? Is it more suitable for beginning readers?
This is an excellent innovation. It seems very practical and caters to the needs of almost every learner. Reading is an essential part of one’s life and any innovation that attempts to help people to become better readers is an excellent one and is sure to be successful.
Keisha
Although I am aware that this is an elevator pitch there are a few issues that I need to address before I would consider investing in this product. The idea is good. It makes excellent use of cloud storage and internet access to provide what in theory is an excellent product. I do not believe […]
Continue reading Evernote Critique Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp
I agree that he does a good presentation..As a user of Evernote, I have not run into any software glitches (although I realize there may be some potential at the other end) My only negative so far has been the too-frequent update offers – much like iTunes – I am forever upgrading on either by blackberry or my various computers…I find that quite a pain.
Ahh nothing more annoying (well maybe an overstatement) than the constant update. On a side note, what kind of glitches have you run into?
Dave
“Without advertising I do not see how a free storage service could possibly be profitable, especially if the paid subscription is only 5 dollars per month.” Good point, David. It seems that on the Internet things can be “successful” but not “profitable” (I’m thinking of Skype here, and no doubt there are other examples).
Couldn’t agree with you more Andrea. Profitable is not always what online ventures are about. Skype is not almost (if not is) an institution and a notable brand which I suppose it worth quite a bit. They have also expanded and sold their product to devices as well. Perhaps this is the model that Evernote should follow.
Dave
David,
Very good and valid points. Probably there is a hidden agenda in the fine-print which is not presented. I too like the idea and will research it some more but I also think presenters should present the venture just the way it is rather than the high level of sensationalism.
Everton
Hi David,
Good points. I also had questions on profitability and also on partnerships and functionality. I also would have liked more information as an EVA but it made me wonder just how much and to how many target audiences one can satisfy in an elevator pitch.
Kerry-Ann
David, I once saw a projected revenue breakdown for Dropbox. Although they serve vastly different services, both Dropbox and Evernote are very similar: they offer cloud storage for a monthly fee. The numbers were very interesting. By looking at the user base and knowing the current number of premium Dropbox members, the analysis was able to estimate revenues against estimated server costs. It appeared that Dropbox could be very profitable if they were able to maintain a certain (small) number of premium customers. I would expect the same to be true with Evernote. Combined with some improved branding and possible strategic partnerships with large corporations, Evernote could have significant profits.
It has been a year or two since I read the Dropbox analysis, so my memory could be distorted. I imagine it wouldn’t be too hard to find the website via google, if you are interested in finding out more about it.
cheers
Doug
Doug,
thanks for the heads up. I am unfamiliar with the pricing of dropbox and cloud services. Food for though, I’ll have to give it a google look.
David.
Hey Doug,
Interesting points. It would be great to see what proportion of paid-vs-free subscriptions would be required to turn a profit. Interestingly enough, the whole foot-in-the-door strategy employed by offering free services is a well-documented psychological phenomenon. Apparently, once we take something for free, we are much more inclined to consider the next step up (paying for it plus something else) then we would be without the initial free incentive. Apparently we should remember that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” and recall the lyrics to the 80s song, “the best things in life are free… but you can give them to the birds and bees… I want money.. that’s what I want…”
Good points about strategic partnerships. We should also remember that our info is generally up for grabs once we sign up for a free service. Even with the disclaimers, it usually says that it may be shared with some ‘approved’ third parties… hmmm.
Check out:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/06/19/how-the-foot-in-the-door-technique-costs-you-money/
Emily
Gartner’s article about the top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011 has some very intriguing points. The article states “Gartner defines a strategic technology as one with the potential for significant impact on the enterprise in the next three years.” This is important to keep in mind because even though some of the strategic technologies that […]
Continue reading David’s Critique on Gartner’s Article Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
David…
I totally agree with the “mobile” mania phenomena…..As a teacher I am so excited that
1) students already have the hardware and we don’t have to pay for it…..and Apps are beginning to be accessible on all phones
2) The “unlimited” Apps offer teachers an amazing source of new ideas/content
3) The comfort level of learning at your own time, in your own space, in your own way is something face to face classrooms cannot offer
However…mobile options are at risk when so many schools ban cel phones.
Using Gartner’s ” 3 year” cycle theory….what will the “cel phone” rules be in 3 years?
Comparing the mobile phenomena to the SMARTboard phenomena – what intrigues me most is the fact that mobiles are “owned and operated” by the students. SMARTboards are “owned by the school and most often operated” by teachers. How will the “change in power and control” over tech tools influence student learning? How will teachers react to the aspect of “losing control?”
I think the “power and influence” in learning is shifting…and that’s where we will see the biggest “issues” with mobile use in the years to come….
That’s why if I had money….I would invest in software with mobile options….
Verena:)
That’s a great point about the ownership, control and ubiquity of a technology. I have never seen anyone use a SMARTboard in my classes in the faculty of education. THey seem to hang on the walls like some kind of expensive decoration with notes posted on the wall saying “Don’t use dry erase markers on the SMARTboards”.
On the other hand, many of us (including the profs) are using laptops and iPads in classes and checking things the prof says and sharing in real-time. We’re able to add to the class with our tech (vs. expecting the prof to entertain us with the SMARTboard tech with whatever limited access, time, experience etc. he/she may have)
The cell phone rules in schools need to be enforced. Students with video cameras on them is not a great ides personally. Perhaps the future is supplying cell phones to students (or tablets) with certain features turned off? Maybe a dummied down iPhone without features that are not relevent (or useful) for education? Of course, we would all have to switch over to Linux for that, somehow I doubt that Apple would let schools boards modify their product.
Sorry about the rant…:)
Thanks for the comments.
Dave
I believe that there’s a market for Cloud Computing. But, I also have some concerns …
a) security
b) backup
c) reliability
I couldn’t agree more, the privacy issues are scary with cloud computing, which is the main reason that I personally do not use the technology. Although I can certainly see the upside.
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
jarvise 10:21 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
your icloud pitch doesn’t feel like a pitch; it feels like a well-researched background document from a consultant who has been asked to look into it. I don’t know whether this is a good or a bad thing. You have provided a description of the pain and solution, as well as barriers and financial ramifications; it is all there. You didn’t seem overly passionate about this solution, but you did give the disclaimer that you were trying to convince yourself of the merits. You are right to point out that iCloud has its weakness in being stuck with macs. This in and of itself does not support school and district-wide adoption. Especially if students are bringing in their own devices. Cloud-based networking that is available to more than macs seems to make a lot more sense. Good overview!
Emily
ashleyross 4:14 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Nice elevator pitch David! You managed to include a lot of facts into one minute, and it seemed very well researched. One suggestion I would make is to reduce the amount of text on your slides. Some of them are really text-heavy and it takes away from your narration since the listener is trying to read as opposed to listening to your explanation (which is really good!). Instead, I would suggest using a graphic or just having the slide say “For Students”, “For Teachers”, etc. while you’re explaining.
andrea 8:13 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello David,
I agree with Emily’s comments about your pitches, but after reading your full venture pitch document I was definitely convince of the value of switching to cloud computing. However, I still have a lot of questions about how this would be done – what steps would school or district administrators, support staff, and teachers need to take to make this happen? What is the initial investment of time required to make this switch? What are the costs associated with this time, and would staff training be required? I think there’s an interesting venture in helping schools make the transition to cloud computing – become the guru who works out all the details and supports the local team to make the changes.
Thanks for presenting such an informative piece on cloud computer. You’ve convinced me of it’s value!
Andrea
mcquaid 2:15 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi, David.
I liked the music, graphics, and voice in your pitch. For reasons similar to Ashley, I found it frustrating to watch – the timing of the voice and slides with text didn’t match. I found myself either closing my eyes to listen or watching it while trying to ignore what you said.
You’re right in that assessments in the cloud reduces student excuses, but there are still students (at least in my school) with no computer, a broken computer, limited Internet access, or no access at all. Also, when you mentioned the lack of need for powerful computers, I assume you meant just within schools? With my EVA hat on, I was looking more for original / new ideas to invest in. You pitched the idea well, though – there are clear benefits. Some may still have questions about where to go from “here”, though / how to implement it.
Cheers!
Stephen
Angela Novoa 10:55 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
As Stephen mentions, your pitch has a good combination of music, graphics and voice. Your pitch certainly has a market to cover. Maybe I am wrong, but I feel that it is more a rich and detailed research about the product than a pitch. I do agree that we are at a changing phase regarding to technologies and education. I also agree with your idea that we must go with the flow of technological innovation. Your venture offers an innovative concept and your market will increasingly grow over time.
Cheers,
Angela.
David William Price 10:58 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Elevator pitch assessment
Dbertjaw – iCloud
First Impression: no face, voiceover and music with slides, too fast to read slides, appears to be a sales pitch rather than an investment pitch
CEO Credibility: The CEO does not appear as an image or video although there is a voiceover all the way through. I have the voiceover to judge CEO credibility. The voice has no passion. I might take a negative inference based on the fact the CEO is unwilling to appear.
Management Team: No team is mentioned, so I have no way to judge. I might take a negative inference based on the fact the CEO is unwilling to talk about the team.
Venture Concept: Apparently the icloud is about collaborative writing, realtime communication, anywhere access, marking, getting assignments, e-portoflios, and saves money. There’s no description of what icloud is or how it works.
Opportunity Space: There’s no description of the intended market although the first slide mentions school boards, or what the market size is, or the target market or revenue this venture can capture.
Market Readiness: No description of how this will be marketed or distributed, how to enter the market or how to grow presence.
Competitive Edge: Claims to save money but doesn’t explain how. Doesn’t explain current costs of existing systems or projected costs of cloud systems. Doesn’t explain how it is different from other cloud approaches. Doesn’t explain what the venture does. Is iCloud the Apple offering? Who is behind this venture?
Exit Strategy: No indication of their target market, its size, or how they will capture it. No indication of what investment is wanted or how it will be repaid.
Overall Investment Status: I don’t see the CEO or the team, I don’t know who the targeted market is. I don’t know how my investment will be repaid. I don’t know how this will be marketed. I consider this high risk and would not pursue.
Jay 9:26 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
I liked that you chose to critique an existing technology (icloud) and its benefits schools. What I find more interesting is your approach to the assignment; taking something you have never supported, further assessing it and that you “grudgingly” observed that the benefits outweigh the costs. 🙂
I too am often worry about privacy and while Apple may argue this is wholly overstated (though have a slight bias in their opinion) I find the idea of being tracked and monitored a little unnerving. But your argument about the ability to remove potentially privacy-invading software such as back-ups put this to ease for those that worry about this.
I share the concern with Stephen that while the cloud allows access from any location there are many students that do not have access to computers from home.
Thanks for providing this venture critique and the benefits that potentials it has for schools.
Jay
Deb Kim 11:19 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
You did an excellent job on catching people’s attention (or at least mine). Your elevator pitch had clear explanation on what your venture is. I especially liked how you used a point form to explain why iCloud is working for teachers, students, and school boards. Graphics were great and your voice was also clear.
As for the venture pitch, it would’ve been a lot easier for me to read if you could divide your paragraphs into sub-sections (e.g. What is iCloud?, Marketing, How it works, etc.). Adding some images could also help catching readers’ attention.
iCloud is a venture that I’d like to know more about as I was recently introduced to iCloud but still have no idea when and how to use it. You did a good job explaining how teachers can implement it to teaching.
Deb
David Berljawsky 7:20 am on December 3, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’d just like to thank eveyone for the comments. I am aware that this may be seen as more of a research pitch then a venture pitch (if that is possible). My reasoning for completing the project this way is that, quite frankly I do not particularly like cloud computing and wanted to convince myself. I almost did.
Criticisms accepted, I am always guilty of trying to cram as much information as possible into anything, including pitches. This may come across as confusing, agreed. Although trying to fit what you want into a pitch is tough. I had to cut down on what I wanted to include.
However, I do need to comment on not using my face, or likeness in the video. This is me defending my project. I am aware that this is an elevator pitch, and we only have a short amount of time to promote our product. I am not comfortable using my likeness on screen, and on the internet. This is my choice, and I respectfully understand that perhaps some people do not agree with this choice and thus do not consider this an proper elevator pitch. However, the course description clearly states that we are required to “Create a short, media-rich “elevator pitch” (1 minute maximum, using any medium or tools that most persuasively conveys the essence of your venture)”. This is my medium of choice, and one that I believe conveys the essence of my venture. I can accept and respect criticisms of my content. However I respectfully disagre with those that are criticising my pitch because I chose a different medium that is percieved as untrustworthy and improper. I chose this medium because I believe that it best conveys the approach of a large (now) faceless corporation.
Thank you all for a great semester.
David Berljawsky