RFID Learning Table

RFID Learning TableOriginally uploaded by st0nemas0nry

Learning Table 1.03
It’s been a while coming, but finally Learning Table is set up in the stonemasonry classroom. Daniel Dacey sorted the problem with roaming profile in the institute network, and Learning Table 1.03 is working well.

Marketing the institute
The institute marketing section helped with the Learning Table Reader card design, so that other teaching teams could one day develop asset cards like in the photo. The cards could also be useful at a marketing event, triggering promotional displays at a kiosk.

Organising assets
The business card holder is a convenient way to organise RFID tags stuck to the back of an asset card. Swiping the RFID tag in the card holder activates a pre-set learning object, making it easy for teachers or students to choose a lesson.

Developing assets
Assets are developed according to need, that is, knowing whether video, PowerPoint, audio or image files or a combination are best. For instance, a drawing task might just require a simple PowerPoint slideshow but a safety issue may need video to explain things a little better. I am currently developing 25 separate learning objects ready for the next block release class beginning in two weeks. I don’t expect to complete them all by then, but at least students will benefit from what I manage to get done.

Exploring online blended and flexible delivery

quatrefoil_p8Originally uploaded by st0nemas0nry

Needing to develop copyright-free accessible resources for my students, I created a process activity in images and stored each step in an online photo sharing database. I shared the images in a PowerPoint presentation (uploaded and converted to a Flash file), and then embedded it in an online social network.

Applications and platforms

Microsoft Word
CorelDraw 11
Flickr
Microsoft Office PowerPoint
Slideshare
Ning

Additionally, these resources will be used with the Learning Table tool developed by New England Computer Solutions

This is an exercise in manipulating image-based instructional resources, providing student access via classroom computer, Internet and mobile phone.

Description
The exercise is a geometrical drawing activity, one of a series of architectural decoration construction. Titled “Drawing a quatrefoil”, it is a step-by-step process that seeks to provide students with enough information to carry out a task independently in a classroom setting. The Learning Table is used in the classroom to easily locate the specific audio, image, PowerPoint or video file. Accessing the PowerPoint presentation via the Internet supports classroom instruction when the students return to work and require the knowledge in their workplace. Accessing the image files via mobile phone provides a timely reminder of the classroom learning experience.

Method
A Microsoft Word document set out the process, briefly describing the activity and then explaining it step-by-step. The MS Word document was saved to a new folder named after the drawing activity title.

In CorelDraw, the finished drawing was created and copied to several separate pages. Returning to the first page, sequential steps were removed so that each page represented a successive step in the drawing’s development. After checking that the steps in the MS Word document accurately described the steps in the CorelDraw pages, each page was then exported to the drawing folder as Bitmap images, naming each file by its page number i.e. “quatrefoil p1” etc. This naming convention assisted with later placement in the PowerPoint file as well as the Flickr.com taxonomy.

I found that for the drawings to be visible on my mobile phone screen, each line width had to be set to 4 points, much thicker than I would normally use.

Opening the SkillsTech Australia PowerPoint template, the Title was copied to the first slide, the Method to the second file, and then each Bitmap image was inserted to successive slides. Each image size was then reduced to 50% in size so that it would fit the viewing screen. The last image (the completed drawing) was then copied to the first slide and reduced to 25% of the original size so that it appeared as a large thumbnail beside the title.

After saving the PowerPoint presentation to the file folder, it was uploaded to Slideshare. While it was uploading, all of the image files were uploaded to a set in Flickr.com. A series of tags identified the individual files in the context of the project.

When the Slideshare site had received the Powerpoint slideshow and automatically converted it to Flash format, the “embed” html code was copied and added to a widget in the stonemasonry Ning site. This was done by editing the Ning widget and pasting the html code to the end of the existing text. Thus, students logging in to the stonemasonry Ning can scroll back and forth through the presentation on the same page, or they may choose to view a larger version at the Slideshare site. Alternatively, they may view individual images in Flickr via computer or mobile phone.

It will be interesting to watch the comments on each of the public files mentioned above, for interest from the online stonemasonry community.

Mobile in Melbourne

Mobile in Melbourne
Originally uploaded by st0nemas0nry

This week I spent four nights in Melbourne with my wife and daughter. With no computer, I used my mobile phone to access the Internet so I didn’t have to call at Internet cafes and spend time away from my family. Forced to rely on my phone, I learned a few things about websites fashioned to suit mobile phones.

Twitter
Twitter was my lifeline to the virtual world. I was able to keep in touch with my Twitter friends at Twitter Mobile. Unfortunately, I couldn’t access most URLs that were posted because my phone’s memory is not large enough to download complex sites. So I got to appreciate what websites would be accessible to my students on their phones, and determined that my future online resources should be easily viewable in this way.

Twiddeo
While I’ve been enjoying Seesmic, it is not accessible on my phone. Undoubtedly this feature will appear in future iterations (Seesmic as well as my phone). Thanks to Duncan Riley, I found Twiddeo and was able to post a few videos directly from my phone. Poor quality, but eminently accessible. Saved as video MMS (mobile messaging service) each clip runs for 15 seconds and is approximately 250kb in size. This application will be useful in my teaching practice.

Camera upgrade
My 3.2MB camera finally died and I was able to replace it. Janet got me a $124 7.1 MB Olympus camera from Dick Smith Electronics, and I added a 1GB memory card for $49. I had fun playing with the settings, especially at night. I used my phone to record video (for uploading) and audio, and kept the camera for images. The card will store at 1142 images at 2048 x 1536 resolution, and the camera is a handy size to fit in my pocket. It’s heavier on batteries (probably because I was previewing quite a bit) so I had to buy disposable batteries until I learned to keep a pocket full of loaded rechargeable batteries. Now I’ve just caught up on the five days I’ve missed posting to the 366photos project

A cool website for mobile phones
Sitting on the train to the Dandenongs after a visit to the Museum of Victoria, I googled “Phar Lap” and found an informative site about Phar Lap that displayed beautifully on my phone. I decided that all of my future resources should work like this one does.

Viewing Julie’s films at an iHub
I was thrilled to find Julie Woodlock’s students’ work at an iHub in Southgate. It is the only one still displaying Kamilya Digital Mini Film Fest videos and there are two of Julie’s students’ clips: “One minute making of Rap” and “Table Talk on Palm”. Julie won the award for her students’ videos, not bad for a first time effort.

City hotel – idea for RFID cards
We stayed at the Hotel Causeway http://www.causeway.com.au/ right on Bourke St and each time we walked through the hotel I passed a carousel of cards positioned at the lift doors. Each card (sized as a business card, 50mm x 80mm) advertised a tourist service and was meant to be taken as a keepsake reminder. I thought it would be an excellent way to present Learning Table learning objects, and so I bought a business card holder and placed a few mini cards inside. I plan to represent each learning topic on a double sided card with an RFID tag embedded, accessing PowerPoint presentations and videoclips with a swipe of a card in the holder.

Jewish Museum
We visited the Jewish Museum at St Kilda to learn about Jewish culture. It featured skillfully designed interactive media displays addressing all senses, and was well worth the visit.

Australian Centre for the Moving Image
We watched several short films while sitting in 3-seat cocoons at ACMI in Federation Square

Mobile phone Internet browser
Although my phone has a Three mobile phone browser, RocketShotz looks useful too. It is customisable to a degree, and settings are adjusted on a computer.

Uploading video from mobile phone to YouTube
This morning I received notification that a video I attempted to upload from my mobile phone to YouTube was now ready for viewing. Two weeks later. Nice work, YouTube.

Flickr 366photos project
Although I tried various ways to upload images from my phone to Flickr, I have only succeeded once and have not been able to repeat the feat. Hence, I returned home five days behind with posting to the 366photos project Additionally, when my camera died, the photos I had taken for posting were inaccessible until I returned home and paid Rabbit Photo $10 to copy from data card to CDROM.

So the lessons I learned this week will be useful when I develop more mlearning resources to effectively engage my students, particularly using their own phones.