As you know I regularly write for Interface Magazine and my latest article in the latest issue has just been published and by pure serendipity, Apple have also published their newest advert for the iPad at the same time.  The article I wrote focuses on the iPad (not sure I like the name) and its potential (and all the touch screen cloners to follow) to be THE education tool for e-learning.  Not that it was designed for that purpose, but it is so obviously a winner concept in the classroom that this technology is sure to revolutionise the e-learning landscape for the years to come.  Roll on the roll out in New Zealand.

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I have received a couple of mails from Slideshare today saying that my slideshare “90 Tools in 90 minutes” presentation is ‘Hot on Twitter” at the moment.  The presentation at Learning at Schools was over subscribed again and was also beamed via Skype to the UK.  You can check out the presentation yourself at the following link: http://www.slideshare.net/dakinane/90tools90minutes-lats10

I met with the RAW cluster principals after my breakout 5 presentation.  I introduced Ian, who if we are successful will be their facilitator.  This will be an interesting cluster to work for.  It will enable us to start to implement some of the tools that I have been developing to ensure that expertise stays in school and not the brains of those who have been the recipients of facilitation.

I have just run my 90 tools in 90 minutes presentation again, with added tools.  This is the second time that I have done this presentation.  I had a couple of moments of brain freeze where I muddled up tools.  It is such a high energy presentation it leaves me exhausted!  I actually delivered 94 tools in 84 minutes.  The response from the delegates was overwhelmingly positive, the gratifying thing is that 55 people completed their forms and submitted them.  I will run it again if there is interest in me doing so.  I am currently working on a presentation for Ulearn in Christchurch, but this one is more aimed at school leadership and systems analysis.  I am now working on tomorrows far more practical session.

I have spent the last couple of days, three actually, creating training videos for a client.  In total I have created 11 tutorials, covering 8 skill sets necessary for their staff to master the basics of the software programme they have invested in.  The structure of each tutorial is the same.  In the first instance the skill is demonstrated with an audio track and on screen prompts.  Then the tutorial becomes interactive, it is a complete repeat of the first half  but the audio track, mouse animation and onscreen prompts disappear.  The user has to move stepwise through the video emulating what has just been shown to them.  All correct moves are confirmed and all incorrect moves are supported with prompts.

I departed the supertanker in August of 2009 and joined Team Solutions on 6 month contract.  That short but happy and productive contract has now ended and I am now out on my own as in independent facilitator.  Next year is already looking to be a full and productive year.  I will be working in many schools and also for some commercial clients too. I am spending the summer organising my computers and resources to meet the needs of the many different schools that I am scheduled to be working in.  I am blocked out for specific schools on specific days for all but a few days of the entire academic year.

I will be at Learning @ Schools 10 and have submitted a couple of proposals to the organisers and am waiting to hear if I have been successful again.  I am also intending to go to Ulearn10 in Christchurch, but that is much later in the year.

I am looking back at the last year and am very pleased with the journey that has brought me this far.  As the year closes, I am now eagerly anticipating the challenges of the coming weeks and months.

With the leas of my new MacBookPro, I have created the perfect facilitator toolbox.  I have just spent the morning installing Sun’s Virtual Box onto the machine.  I have created a 50GB partition and have allocated 1GB of RAM to a Windows virtual machine.  I am now able to work in any environment and work on the OS that the client is familiar with.  I now have to install the Windows based Open Source programs that I want to work with as well as install the Mac variants.  One thing that I do have to find are the Windows drivers for the Mac’s wireless adapter, at the moment I am ‘blind’ on the Windows partition unless I am connected to the Internet via a LAN cable.

These guys used to be prime time Saturday night entertainment….  This clip is an instant classic.  Just think of all the claymation etc spin offs you could have in your classroom from this.

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I am sure many of you already know about Tokbox, it is like Skype, but on steroids.  It is a great tool for collaboration if you are not in the same building, town, country etc.  Check it out.

TokBox - Free Video Chat and Video Messaging

ToonDoo a cloud cartooning utility which I was singing the prasies of at Ulearn09 and have been using in classes here and in the UK for the last couple of years has just added a new service, specifically aimed at educational institutions who want to use the site but are concerned about privacy etc.  The new service is called ToonDooSpaces.  It is free to sign up and trial for 15 days, but after that and if you want to continue, there is a charge.  However as the books in and cartoon strips are embedable and always have been in ToonDoo then maybe your blog or Wiki will offer you the walled garden security that some are seeking.  For those of you that want ToonDoo and privacy, this new variant offers you a wider range of privacy but it will cost.