Thursday, 27 October 2011

week 3: getting resources/content on line for student access

Having just spent 3 hours writing this blog to then have it disappear (I somehow deleted everything then in a panic exited the site!!!!!!!), I am now going for a more brief version of what was summarised here!


This week we looked at how to get our resources/content on line so that students can access them.  In particular, we are looking at:  Slideshare, Wikispaces, Dropbox and GoogleDocs.  This data is from our course notes at 23+, and from notes taken from the lecture.






Slideshare
www.slideshare.net




A site where you can upload and share our presentation (Open Office Impress, Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple keynote).  It will also let yu upload Word & PDF documents.  For extra zest, you can add audio to make a webinar.

Interesting/useful resources

Other useful information (from lecture notes, etc)
  • Some of the "stuff" you can do with Slideshare:
    • Upload your own Powerpoints/Word documents
    • Embed slideshows into your own blog, LMS or website
    • Share slideshows publicly or privately
    • Sync audio to your slides
    • Join groups to connect with Slideshare members who share your interests
    • Download many other presentations to your computer
  • Check out the Top 100 Tools for 2010 on Slideshare
  • Use screenr.com/ZHBs to learn how to embed Powerpoint exactly where you want it (thanks to Steph)
  • If you use a lot of images, would be good to add audio
  • Check out PresenterMedia who offer free downloads of PowerPoint templates, animated clipart, presentation graphics and HD video backgrounds. 
  • To create "game-changing presentations on line", check out Prezi 

A summary of Death By Powerpoint (thanks to Alexei Kapterev)
  • Bad presentations - bad communication - bad relations - less sales - less money - less training
  • Bad presentations are mainly due to:
    • A lack of significance or meaning
    • Poor structure
    • Too complicated
    • Lack of rehearsal
  • SIGNIFICANCE
    • What's the subject matter and why does it matter?
    • How do I grab their attention?
    • What do I want them to do?
    • Presentations work because significance creates passion, passion attracts attention, attention leads to action.  Therefore, if you can't find a meaning to your subject, don't present it!!
  • STRUCTURE
    • Any structure is ok, but the presentation must be memorable, convincing and scalable
    • Structure choices are:
      • Problem - pathway - solution
      • Problem - solution - reasoning
      • Fancy stuff (if it makes sense)
    • Give 3-4 reasons supporting your presentation, they will not remember more than this:
      • Memorable opening
      • Argument 1:  more details A, B and C
      • Argument 2:  more details A, B and C
      • Argument 3:  more details A, B and C
      • Memorable closing
  • SIMPLICITY
    • Einstein - everything should be made as simple as possible, not simpler
    • Powerpoint helps to:
      • Visualise ideas
      • Create key points
      • Impress
    • Too much information on a slide must be avoided at all costs.  This is used when the presenter is using the slides as a prompter, handout or data dump!
    • Simple design rules:
      • 1 point per slide
      • Few matching colours
      • Very few fonts
      • Photos not clipart
      • I.E.  less text, more imagery, WILD imagery
    • What if I need to send or print slides?
      • Write a document
      • Make 2 sets of slides
      • print with notes
  • REHEARSAL
    • Feedback
    • Practice out loud

Scribd

  • The "YouTube for documents" - world's largest social publishing and reading site
  • Enables you to upload documents of varied formats (including PDFs, PowerPoints, Word docs and EPUB) and make these documents searchable (across the web and within documents themselves), social and embeddabel tube for documents in "websites and blogs"
  • Interesting video - more with respect to its use in business

Wikispaces








"A wiki is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor.  Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking (as here!!), in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems."  Wikipedia

Interesting/useful resources
Other useful information (from lecture notes, etc)


Dropbox








Dropbox is an application that allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically.  It gives you 2GB of online storage for free, and shared folders allow several people to collaborate on the same files.

Interesting/useful resources
Other useful information (including from the lecture)
  • Simple, secure, sharing
  • Accessible from home PC, work PC, laptop and smartphone - although you need an account for each
  • Synchs updated versions of your documents to all machines/accounts
  • PROs
    • No more need for USB or emailing of documents
    • Don't need to decide which is the old version, and which is the updated version as updates automatic across all accounts
    • Safety net - 
      • Tracking area - can share files with particular people
      • Can restore files that have been deleted as there is access to who last accessed the file and when
    • Increased GB access if more "friends" joined up
  • CONs
    • Costs
    • Not designed originally as a collaborative tool - consequently, it will save only 1 Powerpoint presentation per person (i.e. it will delete any other versions).  This is one of the main differences between GoodleDocs and Dropbox.
    • You can sync Dropbox with GoogleDocs
  • Check out the Dropbox Ultimate Toolkit Guide
  • box.net is another similar tool.  "Box provides a secure, easy way for businesses to manage content, share large files and collaborate online from anywhere.


Googledocs








"GoogleDocs is a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form and data storage service offered by Google.  It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time iwth other users."  Wikipedia

Interesting/useful resources
Other interesting information (including from the lecture)
  • You can create and share your work online
  • You can upload from and save to your desktop
  • Edit anytime from anywhere
  • Pick who can access your documents
  • Share changes in real time
  • Files are stored securely online
  • It's free (unlike Dropbox!!)
  • If the document is made public, anyone on the web can open the document

















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