Frank's place

Stanford and ITunes

2005-10-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Stanford has just announced a new service for its alumni that utilizes a link to ITunes.

"Stanford Report, October 20, 2005
Stanford, Apple team up to offer audio content through iTunes
Today, the university will publicly debut a project called Stanford on iTunes, providing Stanford-related audio content via the iTunes Music Store, Apple's popular music jukebox and online music store. Stanford on iTunes will give alumni and the general public free access to a wide range of Stanford-specific digital audio content.
Stanford's project—developed with Apple and led by staff from the Stanford Alumni Association, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Office of University Communications—focuses on providing Stanford-specific content on the iTunes Music Store. Among other features, the service gives visitors the ability to listen to audio content on a computer or an iPod.
Stanford on iTunes will provide alumni—as well as the general public—with a new and versatile way of staying connected to the university through downloads of faculty lectures, campus events, performances, book readings, music recorded by Stanford students and even podcasts of Stanford football games. At launch, the service will contain close to 400 distinct audio programs, and the university will continue to add new content as it becomes available.
"Stanford has been fortunate to partner with Apple in a project that allows us to share the intellectual and cultural life of the university with our alumni," said Howard Wolf, vice president for alumni affairs and president of the Stanford Alumni Association. "We are especially pleased that the project's focus is to deliver substantive content that so clearly supports the university's mission of teaching, learning and research both in the classroom and to our thousands of alumni around the world."
In addition to content targeted at alumni, the project includes audio related to academic courses exclusively for Stanford faculty and students. Instructors in Stanford's Introduction to the Humanities program began using the tool last spring to distribute course audio such as lectures, music and readings to students. Since then, academic computing specialists have made a number of improvements to integrate Stanford's online course management system, CourseWork, with iTunes so that access to content can be restricted only to registered students in a course. If results are successful, the university will broaden support for use of the tool in courses starting in 2006.
"I think it will be a truly valuable resource," said Victoria Szabo, academic technology specialist manager for the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and a key member of the project team. "It's really about being able to engage more in-depth with different media types than we can now."
The Alumni Association will debut Stanford on iTunes as part of the kickoff of Stanford's annual Reunion Homecoming Weekend, which begins today. The association will have a table set up at the Ford Center where returning alumni can try out the service for themselves. Also starting today, the general public will have free access to the same audio content at http://itunes.stanford.edu."

How did we all survive without all of this technology???

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Fear of giving a speech

2005-10-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

During last night's session we briefly mentioned that many have a fear of giving a speech. In an article on today's MSN.com, Rich Maloof states, "You are not alone (does that scare you?)The most common phobias are zoophobias, which are anxieties about animals. Bats, rats, dogs and cats all make the list. The general fear of insects is very common, as is fear of mice. The two animals most likely to give the willies, though, are spiders and snakes. Seven percent of the population has a zoophobia, and women are three times more likely to be afflicted.
The five most common phobias are:
1. Fear of snakes (ophidiophobia)
2. Fear of giving a speech (glossophobia)
3. Fear of heights (acrophobia)
4. Fear of rodents (musophobia)
5. Fear of flying (aviophobia)"

I didn't realize that fear of giving a speech was so common.

Frank

More on Blogs

2005-10-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Well this subject of blogs is getting more interesting. While initially questioning their value, I'm getting to appreciate them some more. I still think that many bloggers create blogs just for ego enhancement,but there are many that are valuable tools. Attached is an artilce form Distance-Educator.com that you might find interesting

"Blog On: Building Communication And Collaboration Among Staff And StudentsSource: Education Resources Information CenterAbstract: Weblogs, or blogs, are springing up all over the Internet, but their introduction into the educational arena affords this communication tool a new format and set of users. Generally, blogs have been considered a personal online journal where outside users can comment on an individual's postings. Blogging as a classroom application allows for enhanced comprehension and communication among student...http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/Article14515.phtml "

2005-10-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Teaching on line session 3:

Read and reflecting on this recent article from Wired: Blogging + Video = Vlogging , and write a post about any aspect of the article.

Maybe it’s my age showing, but I think I can do without “vlogging. I’m not even sure I’m ready for blogging,but I’ll let you all know at the end of this course. A case in point, as stated in the article, “In the same list as CNN and the BBC is Steve Garfield's Video Blog. Everything is equal," said Steve Garfield, who runs his own vlog and put together a vlog reality show with his wife called The Carol and Steve Show. ‘It's so exciting.’” Who cares to see the Carol and Steve Show? Do we really think this vlog is right there with CNN and BBC? Or is someone just trying to achieve his/her 15 minutes of fame? Is this like watching my vacation videos????
I do agree with the first part of the following comments, “And although some viewers might find the videos dull as cardboard, Olsen said some vloggers rally 'round the motto, ‘Mundane is the new punk rock.’”, I think videos are dull as cardboard. I can’t however say I agree with the “Mundane is the new punk rock” comment, but then again I never got into the punk rock scene. I tend to like opera or the Stones.

Reflections on challenges to On line course Facilitation

2005-10-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well I've only taken the first class of a course in On Line Teaching and I've quickly come to the conclusion that teaching a course on line is no simple task. Subject knowledge is a given in either an On Line or In class environment,but On line courses add demands in technology and greater Session planning and preparation.

Each day as I dig deeper into the subject I find myself:

More comfortable that I will succeed, but at the same time
Increasing aware of the demands that an On line course place on the facilitator.

Frank's Place

2005-09-27T03:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if the world or I am ready to "go on the web" ,but here it is !!!!