If you are looking for the chance to understand and develop skills using wikis in education, here’s your chance.
Wikis are shared workspace in which you can co-develop almost anything, a great way for you and your students to create study guides, “chapters” which focus on something you need to have but isn’t in the textbook your school provides, etc.
Enrol now for the “WIkiEducator Gives Back” free online workshop – 21 July – 4 August 2010.
This free wiki workshop is presented online over 10 working days and requires approximately 15 – 20 minutes per day. The course is presented asynchronously — so you can work at times which fit your own schedule. Join educators around the world who are returning to the core values of sharing knowledge freely.
http://wikieducator.org/Learning4Content/Workshops/eL4C41/About
I use the Kubuntu distribution of GNU/Linux every day. BUT, my primary computer (a laptop) is a few years old and I’m running the old long term support (LTS) version, Hardy Heron.
I did install Kubuntu 10.04 (the latest version) on my netbook, and I am using it frequently, but I think I’m waiting to make the switch on my primary laptop. I think I’m doing that because I’d prefer to do a fresh install. Fresh installs have been good to me.
On one of my servers, I have done regular version upgrades. My experience with version upgrades has been mixed. Mostly, they have gone well, I think, because I’ve done them on a 6 month cycle. Jumping from Hardy Heron (8.04) to Lucid Lynx (10.04) seems more tricky since it involves a complete switchover from the trusty, familiar KDE 3.5 to the shiny new, and very different KDE 4.3.
(I think the most difficult thing about Ubuntu is remembering the match of the numbering system [easy] with the names [difficult!])
I am sure I’m an adopter. I want to be able to help others by being at least a little bit ahead. My feeling is that I am an early adopter. I’m just not sure which side of Geoffrey Moore’s “chasm” I’m on.
All of this brings me to the question of the day: Where do you fall on the bell curve of adopting new technology?
Diagram source: Craig Chelius (cc-by license) from Wikimedia Commons
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” (Has that snip of lyric been over-blogged?)
What will you do with your hiatus from school? A trip to the beach for sure; maybe a little vacation trip; how about a new experience?
Will you seek out a new open source program? Will you go for a non-open game?
Do games have a place in your computer lab or classroom computers?
Does having them be open make it easier to justify?
What is their educational role?
What is your favorite? Why
Do you applaud when you read a blog post like this next one?
http://www.hemispheregames.com/2010/06/23/linux-the-numbers/
Will you download Osmos ($10 for all three: Linux, Mac and Windows) as a chance for some summer fun?
Moving to Open Source Software in Schools 
