Reading 04/28/2009

• The eLearning Coach » Blog Archive » Podcasts for Learning

  • A podcast is a digital media recording distributed across the Internet. Most podcasts to date are audio, but they can include images and video too. Podcasts can be played on a computer or any mobile device that plays .mp3 files, a common audio format. This includes ipods and other audio players, some PDAs and some cell phones. What a great way for your organization to distribute content that people can listen to in their cars and at the gym.

  • Because podcasts are generally in an audio format, the content or information you choose to teach through podcasting must not require a visual component.
  • • Orientation to an organization, such as its mission and philosophy
    • Foreign language basics
    • Soft skills, such as how to improve listening or conflict resolution
    • Recordings of live presentations
  • That is, anyone with a microphone and a way to digitize their audio can create a podcast. This approach to learning can enable various experts throughout your organization to share their skills and knowledge.

  • There are several compelling reasons to try podcasting.

  • The number of people using portable .mp3 players is growing
  • Of course, the same sound principles of instructional design that you apply to all your training development should go into your podcast script
  • The flow should be organized and logical. The writing should be clear and concise
  • Terms should be defined.

tags: informal learning, social media, podcastPosted from Diigo.

• 100+ Sites for Learning about Business

  tags: resources, learning, education, e-learning

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

How To Make E-Learning Work

It is a good slideshow to take a look at. Ms. Jane Hart gives an ideal and concise definition of e-learning. She also provides the information regarding the essentials tools for us to manage learning.

How To Make E Learning Work

View more presentations from Jane Hart.

Reading 04/23/2009

• 10 Simple and Impressive Design Techniques | How-To | Smashing Magazine

  tags: Web design, Graphic design

  • Some of these advanced effects can add plenty of depth to designs, but when used in the wrong place, they do little more than distract viewers from the project’s intended focus. These effects may be precisely what a design needs to have the impact it requires, but even in these cases, they should be complemented by simpler effects.
  • Color

  • With a “less is more” mentality, we’ve selected 10 very simple and impressive design techniques that can drastically improve the performance and appearance of your designs.

  • Add Contrast
  • Gradients
  • moderation and subtlety are the keys to the design’s success. The logo, headlines, buttons and backgrounds all have subtle or minor gradients to emphasize their content. The most complex gradients on the website are found on simple 120 pixel-wide buttons that are intended to grab attention.
  • Much like choosing a sensible color palette, designers should carefully choose only a few types of gradient for each project.

  • When working with gradients, it is important to keep a nice visual flow: use gradients sparingly or subtly. And most importantly, use them only when they complement the overall feel of the project.

  • Stick to simple four-color palettes unless you’re really confident the design calls for more.
  • Letter Spacing
  • As in uppercase and lowercase. Changing case requires nothing more than pressing the Shift or Caps Lock key, and yet so few designers take advantage of this technique’s potential.
  • Anti-Aliasing

  • Though technically a much more complicated process, anti-aliasing can be summarized as the smoothing out of edges, and it applies to all aspects of design. In the world of Web design, anti-aliasing is partially determined by whether the text will be in HTML or shown as an image. Complicating things a little more, some Web browsers and operating systems automatically smooth out HTML text a bit, but as a general rule, HTML text has no anti-aliasing.

  • Imperfection
  • If you’ve ever been stumped with the predicament of how to make something stand out more, stand out less, or nearly disappear, take a look at using blurs in different ways. By blurring objects in the foreground, background or by blurring the entire design, you can dramatically increase the impact of your project. Focus is, at least in part, relative
  • Blurs can also be used to give a sense of depth or layering.
  • Alignment
  • Altering the alignment of design elements can make them more memorable, more talked about and, consequently, much more effective.
  • This can greatly increase the speed with which concepts are turned over to clients; but all too often, it also restricts creativity — especially with regard to alignment.
  • Trim Fat
  • Perhaps the most important and under-appreciated design technique, trimming unnecessary parts of a project, is also one of the hardest to do.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Reading 04/21/2009

• 100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter | Online College Degree

  tags: social media, twitter, teacher, education, web2.0, teaching

  • The idea of writing small blog posts of 140 characters or less to a group of your followers is actually a revolutionary new way to bring communities together, learn from each other, and keep updated with all that is happening.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

一個溫馨的小故事

今天是美國H1B申請截止日期，回想一個月以前，我也曾經試圖請律師還有我的公司幫我申請工作簽證，沒想到景氣差，導致公司無法決定下一個會計年度能否再聘用我，於是只好放棄了。雖然結果是這樣的讓人失望，但是在這過程中，有一件事情讓我覺得很溫馨。我的一位同事H.R Steward，他的Cubicle剛好在我旁邊，他理解我的困境，他也很希望我可以繼續留下來工作，因為我們相處的很愉快；我們時常利用工作閒暇時間聊天或是一起吃午飯。他幫我想到辦法，他認識一位印度同事，自己在加州開個小公司，以前曾經一起工作過，也認識我們部門的老闆，他幫我聯絡這位印度同事，我便很順利地和他通上電話，主要是希望透過他的公司來幫我申請工作簽證，但是我現在工作的公司也能外包業務給他讓我繼續做相同的工作。H.R.甚至願意陪我去老闆那裡解釋這件事情，希望老闆可以了解進而支持我。我當下真的很感激他的幫忙，我欣賞他勇於嘗試，即使他並非很知道外國人工作簽證申請的事情，他仍然願意替我想辦法，向我老闆說明一切。我覺得他不像一般的白人，只是表面上裝做很難過，很遺憾，其實我知道他們根本不在意。整件事情在某一個星期五下午發生，事情進行的非常順利，那位印度同事也欣然同意幫忙。然而，我感覺到當時我的老闆表面上非常樂意，但是他應該不想自找麻煩，把事情搞得更複雜，所以我到現在都沒有聽到任何回應。
從這件小事情，我感受到在我週遭還是有真誠的白人，而且覺得他們勇於嘗試創新；就算對於他們不清楚的事情，也會想辦法去試試看。因此，我今天送他一張寫滿感激的生日卡片和一盒White Windmill Bakery 的餅乾。