Speed tests for Internet connections

Hmm, not so fast today (2015.03.30) compared to last week (2015.03.24-26).

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4242315478

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4239010192

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4236864186

If you're talking 'bout a learning revolution, count Steve in!

A Learning Revolution Project is underway, as is–or soon will be The Learning Revolution Conference (April 21-24, 2014), one of many organised or supported by Steve Hargadon. 

Steve announces these projects and programs in a rack of newsletters and blog posts bursting with information and inspiration with regard to both education and educational uses of technology. For example, the snippets below about risk-taking resonated with concepts of learned helplessness (Maier, Peterson, and Schwartz, 2000) and growth mindsets (Dweck, 2006) that have bubbled up in consciousness as a new semester gets underway.

In follow-up remarks about risk-taking as a fundamental component of proactive learning, Hargadon argued, "Failure is a one of the natural outcomes of risk, but we're not striving for failure--instead, we are encouraging risk and acknowledging that failure will often be the result. / Without risk, there is no progress" (Hargadon, 2014, Final Notes, ¶¶2-3). Yet in contrast, Hargadon observed, "… A high-stakes, test-driven education environment induces the opposite of risk-taking, it creates fear, and so results in little intellectual progress" (Hargadon, 2014, Final Notes, ¶4).

Celebrating failure itself, of course, makes no sense; nor does never allowing for it. Education is a choice we make in how we think about learners. If we want learners who will take risk, build their skills and talents, and then learn to live their lives fully as contributors and creators, we'll recognize that they need to learn to prepare [for] and take risks, and that failures are an inevitable part of that process. 

(Hargadon, 2014, Final Notes, ¶7).

For more about about Steve's work across the field of education, I recommend browsing through the projects and labs he features on his blog (Steve Hargadon: Projects), and checking out the communities he supports in various other venues (Web 2.0 Labs: Communities). You may well find one or more to suit your own needs. For a bit of follow-up reading on mindsets, I suggest you check out Tomorrow's Professor, post 1324, Mindsets for Learning (April 18, 2014 [JST]), and the list of references included there.

References

Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House. 

Hargadon, Steve. (2014, April 15). Learning Revolution Free Events - GREAT Keynotes - MiniCon - ISTEUnplugged! - Striving for Failure? [blog post]. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.stevehargadon.com/2014/04/learning-revolution-free-events-great.html

Maier, Steven; Peterson, Christopher; & Schwartz, Barry. (2000). From helplessness to hope: The seminal career of Martin Seligman. In J. Gillham (Ed.). The science of optimism and hope (pp. 11-37). Radnor, PA: Templeton Foundation Press.

[420 words]

European etymology maps of common words

Check out this colorful album!

[Sorry, the embedding code from Europe etymology maps 1 - Imgur doesn't seem to work here; try viewing it at the source.] Album source: http://imgur.com/a/iVK8a/all

[30 words]

After Google Reader: Getting organized in Feedly

The transition into Feedly from Google Reader is seamless, and what you can do there is amazing! Once you have your feeds in Feedly, you can add them to new categories, and reorganize them into multiple categories.  All will backwash to Google Reader, till it goes belly up on the first of July:

We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. (Official Blog, A second spring of cleaning, 2013.03.13)

For example, in the screenshot below, there is a Language . . . feed in a topic grouping (Languages and Learning), as well as in another source grouping (Facebook). Likewise, there are social groupings, such as KGUW_13-14, new mash-ups for an instructional cohort, and Learning with Computers, connections from a series of professional development workshops.

It is also possible to rename feeds in Feedly displays. For example, in the Wikispaces (source) category feed  listing above, all five current items look the same. The feed names need to be trimmed back to the essential wiki titles, for ease of reading at a glance in Feedly displays.

[212 words]

My Startup Labels

books, brainstorms, drafts, essay prep., essays, free-writing, graphics, links, media, movies, outlines, quickposts, reviews, revisions, typing, websites

Space Weather Warnings Currently in Effect

There appears to have been concern emanating from the UK regarding impacts on communication satellites:

• UK Satellite Broadband ISP Services Under Threat... (ISPreview, 2010.08.04).

Check out this NOAA Alerts and Warnings Timeline, and think about putting on a foil suit!-)

• Space Weather Warnings Currently in Effect (NOAA)

Thanks to Bill G. for pointing out these interesting sites on the jalt-call mailing list.

Outline for Essay 1-02a: Curling

Introduction

• What sites are about; curling
• How I found them; searched for rules and federations
• Why I chose the one(s) I did: 
• One on Canadian and one on the world associations, plus
• A grab-bag of pre-reviewed sites

Canadian Curling Association

• (Site map: FreeMind [export as JPEG or PNG])
• History
• Rules
• News

World Curling Federation

• (Site map: FreeMind)
• History
• Rules
• News

Other websites of interest about curling

• List
• Features
• Sections
• Highlights

Conclusion

• Summary of selections
• Summary of highlights
• Recommendations to readers

[100 words]

Outline for Essay 1-02a: Curling

Introduction

• What sites are about
• How you found them
• Why you chose the one(s) you did

Canadian Curling Association

• Map of site (optional)
• Features
• Sections
• Highlights

World Curling Federation

• Map of site (optional)
• Features
• Sections
• Highlights

Other websites of interest

• Features
• Sections
• Highlights

Conclusion

• Summary of selections
• Summary of highlights
• Recommendations

[43 {+ 8} words]

Curling: search terms and short list of possible sites for review

Search terms

curling, associations, rules, Canada, Japan

Short list of possible sites (3+)

1. Canadian Curling Association
2. World Curling Federation
3. Top Curling Sites Reviewed – The 10 Best Curling Websites

[28 words]