tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56779783916961798582011-08-21T10:13:31.320-04:00Like a fine single malt or a robust cuppa joe, meandering thoughts about the "IT" world need to carefully percolate and mellow before reaching the "act on it" stage. If thoughtful education & information technology support is where you also explore and dream of possibilities, then read on...windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-87524070857477536972010-06-18T20:00:00.005-04:002010-06-18T22:00:18.812-04:00

... many miles over a short time, with lots of good conversations! I always find it amazing that when you go in simple faith that things will just work out and relax... things just work. The past two days have been a great example... I knew I needed to attend and present at a TALCO meeting up at the Durham Board of Education in Whitby on the Friday. This presented on opportunity to slate a

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-83889564738542327782010-04-18T20:08:00.003-04:002010-04-18T20:20:47.224-04:00

2010 Enviro-Expo I went to the 2010 Enviro-Expo which highlights some of the best new ideas and gadgets in the environment and "green" field of thought… Many of the innovative designs come right out of our local tool & die shops as they refocus energies on more than just the automotive industry. Here are some of my favs... I expect you may see these enter the consumer market soon...

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-65822243988510369122009-11-06T12:26:00.003-05:002009-11-06T12:35:05.518-05:00

Google Wave has now become a part of my daily toolset. The newness and giddy experimental phase has passed and now the "is it good-enough" functionality assessment is settling in.Those who know me well have experienced my dance through applications and utilities… at any given time there can be hundreds apps on my laptop and another thousand or so on the towers…. and I prune them regularly when

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-58408060224573370632009-10-21T20:36:00.017-04:002009-10-21T21:31:43.739-04:00

"Hi - I'm diane.bedard@googlewave.comand I'd like to wave with you! "As one of the lucky ones to gain an invitation to Google Wave, I'd like to document some of the possibilities and curiosities discovered in the first few days of being immersed. It's a whole new mindset folks - some of the expectations brought forward from previous social media tools like Twitter, IM and Skype still apply, but

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-87042098867005015452009-09-27T14:18:00.037-04:002009-09-27T18:26:32.481-04:00

Ontario school boards have been recently informed that they face huge retroactive copyright bills following Access Copyright Board's decision. (read the news coverage of this story ) This average 6-figure $$ charge per board covers the retroactive copyright charges for photocopying texts in schools...While this comes at a time that many boards are struggling to balance budgets, it should come as

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-28186238110775978512009-07-18T10:35:00.013-04:002009-07-18T20:19:41.025-04:00

I've updated the information for "Personal Identity and Online Persona - Using an OpenID" and enriched it with additional links as part of the presentation I offered as online session for my colleagues in Australia.The updated posting can be found over on their Edublogs Live PD site.The Live Recording (60 minutes) of the session can also be played back. It was a fun session, with lots of good

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-43599524333514713732009-05-19T08:46:00.004-04:002009-05-19T08:54:43.127-04:00

"The Dam Just Broke: Facebook Opens Up to OpenIDFacebook has become the biggest example of a social network that allows users to log-in with OpenID credentials granted to them by other companies' websites. Major networks have said for months that their ID could be used as OpenID, but becoming "relying parties" that accepted OpenID from elsewhere was the step everyone was waiting for. The dam has

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-22307567815655374352009-04-28T17:33:00.030-04:002009-05-09T22:41:11.329-04:00

... a journey through digital personas and reputationsI'm starting with some basic assumptions...• you are online• you have an email account• you may use online conveniences [banking, income tax, savings bonds, pension plan, OCT, benefit inquiries, passport]• you may use online services [paypal, ebay, iTunes]• you may engage socially [twitter, facebook, skype, chat, wiki, blog]• someone you

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-13548242492974492902009-04-14T16:32:00.013-04:002009-05-09T22:11:54.225-04:00

The game of school: game theory has something to say about educationThere's a think-tank session coming up in mid-May on this topic (more on this later), and in advance I'm really digging into current theory and controversy in this area - and there's a lot!Let's start:Getting your head around a more expansive understanding of serious gaming and its implications for the future of learning and

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-49398181094906321962009-02-10T23:36:00.013-05:002009-05-09T21:56:10.341-04:00

Dave Payne (1945 - 2009)Dave Inverarity (1977 - 2009)Lost two friends this weekend - both named David... both an integral part of my personal community. Complete opposites to each other, and so representational of the yin & yang of my life.Both highly skilled with their hands and their minds... one in the ages-old craft of woodworking;the other in the bleeding-edge design of the web 2.0

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-50079325738016640152009-01-02T19:09:00.002-05:002009-01-02T19:40:27.560-05:00

A simply explained piece touching on what "free" really is, and what the nuances of using Creative Commons images are - very useful as an introductory article for K-12 classes (and for the rest of us too!).Links are provided for more detail on the finer points, and for a number of sources of free images.read the full article

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-67676838499841871962009-01-02T00:36:00.012-05:002009-01-02T12:24:56.834-05:00

I've always loved to shoot photos - won't say that I'm that great... but I like to catch the details and the quirky things that catch my attention. (Like a clever squirrel who defeated my "squirrel proof" bird feeder, then boldly stared me in the eyes to have the last laugh!)There's been a healthy round of discussion during this past week in my Personal Learning Network (PLN) group on Twitter as

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-83606017413804799822008-12-12T22:13:00.007-05:002008-12-12T22:36:09.869-05:00

2D Coding - it's the new format of condensed information, and you'll start to see these patterned tiles everywhere... Think of them as condensed barcodes, with the ability to embed up to 160 characters of text, web links, phone numbers, skype contact names... any key information snippet that you want to share. Anyone with the decoder (which runs on any camera-equipped cell phone or mobile

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-69259949175009896682008-11-23T10:43:00.002-05:002009-05-09T22:12:29.483-04:00

Okay... so when every web 2.0 site you engage in wants an image of you, you may as well have some fun! Build yourself a simple fun avatar.. if you feel really creative, pull it over into your fav online image editor and add a few personal details... and away you go... http://www.buildyourwildself.com/read more | digg story

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-43977998612064484072008-11-23T10:41:00.002-05:002009-05-09T22:10:12.529-04:00

Converged Devices, Barcodes & the Future"2D Codes identify an object uniquely... big difference is that 2D Codes can be used to virtually identify anything! Just create a 2D Code and put it on something - Like a shirt, a flyer or a business card." Michael Stephens gives a clear summary of possibilities using 2D codes with converged devices.read more | digg story

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-72956735385712064262008-11-07T20:53:00.006-05:002008-11-07T21:15:09.974-05:00

Why is it that *really* good ideas and concepts come into my sphere of possible actions when I am already more than busy enough with other projects?Is it a test to see if the new idea is truly that good? ... worthy even, of bumping something else apparently not quite worthwhile enough out of my priority list?I think so - either that, or my mind is simply too prone to scope creep as new

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-4523553984401391822008-10-31T19:46:00.008-04:002008-10-31T20:01:42.779-04:00

Had a fun day today in a future-thinking, strategic planning exercise held in a beautiful space with clerestory windows and internal glass half-walls that flooded a totally internal 2nd story conference room with glorious sunlight!The day was an open, flexible, unstructured approach with points of thoughtful discussion, reinforcement and confirmation of previous planning, and threads & new

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-61145229627619069302008-10-22T21:28:00.015-04:002008-10-23T00:18:57.765-04:00

What does it mean when you realize you've reached a stage in life where you simply expect connectivity to be there - just like the air you breath? ... and that one common OpenID will seamlessly hand you off from one wi-fi zone to the next, without a hiccup in the open SaaS apps you are working in and editing? Or that you just expect to close the laptop, get off the train and into the station,

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-63172126074147602592008-09-28T19:21:00.009-04:002009-05-09T22:01:03.635-04:00

We all know about FAQ files... and the need to read them. Somehow, your approach is just so much smarter when you take the time to read the FAQ file *FIRST*.A while ago I ran across something even better - The FUQ file.These would be the Frequently Unasked Questions!.... those things that are really important or confusing, but nobody thinks to ask them about until after the problem/damage has

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-86563688009190369262008-09-18T02:30:00.006-04:002008-09-18T02:46:36.417-04:00

I have found a CEO of a large corporation who has a great message she lives by and works with.Indra Nooyi has been CEO of PepsiCo Inc. for just under two years and is a lady to watch. A dynamic CEO, she's already having impact on the bottom line and stock margins there. More importantly, she is a well spoken, interesting person with a clarity of focus that shapes her approach to life...Here's a

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-82896971537407003312008-09-06T00:46:00.005-04:002008-09-06T01:36:06.789-04:00

Dennis Carter, an Assistant Editor at eSchool News recently posted an article that resonated with me....Four-day week on the rise in education:High gas prices, long commutes have colleges and K-12 schools taking a close look at longer days, shorter weeks (posted Thu, Aug 14, 2008)School districts and universities are taking cues from the business world and instituting four-day weeks, a trend that

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-20642410025348767152008-09-01T13:12:00.005-04:002008-09-06T01:39:11.966-04:00

Recently an editor from a big-name computer magazine wrote comment which disquieted me.It's not that it was offensive or anything, but rather that it reflected a couple of disturbing attitudes I've noticed in education.K.Turner (in the article 'Airing Out Our Bookmarks') said:"At the moment, my Inspiration folder contains almost 40 sites, andit's one of about 30 folders sitting in my bookmark

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-83859973258894163612008-08-27T23:17:00.001-04:002008-08-28T21:25:09.157-04:00

Exploring Web 2.0 in just under 5 minutes ( The machine is Us/Using Us ) ....was done as an amazing video back in early 2007 by Dr. Michael Wesch, who is dedicated to exploring and extending the possibilities of digital ethnography.That video stands on its own a a brilliant piece of work... but the thought process continued ... and this prof has gone on to do fascinating exploration of digital

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677978391696179858.post-16623679253997699292006-12-15T01:03:00.000-05:002006-12-15T01:11:06.601-05:00

Interesting concept.....technology installations as "periods of organizational change". [Article in the Executive Briefing section of the Economist Intelligence Unit titled “Mastering the three worlds of information technology”]The author, Andrew McAfee, states that“executives need to stop looking at IT projects as technology installations and start looking at them as periods of organizational

windsordihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18169492779433009343noreply@blogger.com0