Converting your posts to a podcast

Talkr converts your (text only) posts into a podcast. For Blogger users, first convert your feed using Feedburner then use Talkr to provide the RSS feed and the custom chicklet to allow users to easily subscribe to your 'podcast'.
After embedding and testing the chicklet and code in my blog, I subscribed via iTunes and listened to a voice reading my posts.
What potential for increasing accessibility for so little effort!
A little extra editing of the template with additional code adds an instant audio link for each post.
Talkr also enables some reporting functionality and subscriptions to other feeds in the free service.

Top 10 posts of an insightful blogger

Checked my aggregator tonight and just couldn't resist Graham's "My Top Ten Posts… For What They’re Worth!" from his 'Teaching Generation Z" blog. Graham's insightful reflections cover a range of issues including models of PD, trends in using ICT in Primary School classrooms, mobile learning, the value of IWBs, Creative Commons and "learning objects," thoughts on e-Portfolios as well as a blog he posted during a workshop (almost a year ago - how time flies!) which I had named "The Magic of RSS."
Graham's story of his own learning journey "a story I’ve wanted to tell for a while because of its relevance to the evolution of the internet" struck a chord as I harked back to my early days of connecting up via e-mail (Nexus) and online messaging, using a slow, dialup modem and searching online databases for up-to-date and interesting news and case studies to integrate into classroom activities (senior secondary).
The early web browsers, the joys of creating webpages in Netscape Communicator, before Front Page and Dreamweaver, and using ICQ and list servs to communicate and collaborate and so on ... up to the present world of the blogosphere, rss, social bookmarking, tagging, social networking, wikis, podcasting and more.
Web2.0 or the next generation of the web is the most exciting, empowering collaborative phase for teachers, students and professionals. My own professional learning has been significantly enhanced in this increasingly connected world. As Graham wrote, "technology has the power to connect people in a meaningful way and that perhaps is its highest purpose."
For those "who have the time" (a reference to one post) to read Graham's blog, check out the 10 top post gems he has personally selected from his prolific writings and add your comments.

Bite-sized on the web

Ellyssa Kroski (InfoTangle blog) highlights the trend towards microcontent and empowerment of the user, as "co-creator of their own online experiences ... (able to) dictate exactly how they prefer to consume their content" in a Web2.0 world.
Microcontent refers to structured, bite-sized chunks better suited to creative re-mixing and aggregation and personalisation which meets the needs of time-poor users in an information rich society where "attention is scarce and choices are immense."
Personal start pages, blogs, aggregators, mashups and widgets are all part of this world.
Ellysa's Sayonaro Super-Size - It's Bite-Sized on The Web" documents this bite-size trend, and its potential for transition to the Mobile Web as its "tightly targeted ... microchunked format is perfect for display on the small screen."
Some educators are beginning to explore the potential of Web2.0 in supporting personalised learning experiences and also experimenting with opportunities in the field of mobile learning.
Sayonara to Super-Size has extensive supporting links and follows another excellent earlier post by Ellysa about Community2.0.

Social software for learning (Futurelab)

The "Social software for learning" report (Martin Owen, Lyndsay Grant, Steve Sayers and Keri Facer) is now available for download from Futurelab.
"This report explores the relationship between the emergence of social software and the personalisation of education."
Excellent timing to support educators engaging in debate around social software, organisational barriers, teacher pedagogy, personalised learning etc.

Blogging Masterclass

James Farmer (incsub and edublogs) and Barbara Ganley (bgblogging) are guest presenters, via video conference, at a 'Blogging - exciting learning' Masterclass in Adelaide next week. This coincides with the e-Learning Event next week with numerous events, many via CENTRA technology, and a week long asynchronous 'e-Learning sampler' event using Moodle.
Blogging, wikis and Web2.0 in education feature in the upcoming CEGSA 2006 Conference. Graham Wegner (Teaching Generation Z) and Al Upton (Mini Legends) are two leading South Australian educators who will be running workshops at the conference, as well as a joint presentation, Blogging - 21st Century Learning Is Now!
There is growing interest in South Australia in the potential of the Read/Write Web, blogging and podcasting in particular. The masterclass, conference, e-Learning events and an upcoming Apple podcasting seminar will raise the interest even further and provide opportunities to discuss issues, share ideas, skills and strategies.
Reading James' blog tonight, he is starting his new position at 'The Age' tomorrow.
Good luck, James!

Rise of Virtual Desktop?

Exploring open source eyeOS Virtual Desktop which caught my attention on web2logo popular sites. Customisable, lots of tools and offers access to your data and a range of applications via a cool web interface. Very Web2.0.
More about eyeOS on Wikipedia.

Banning social software sites

I was alerted to this CNN news story about a US Congress proposal to ban social software sites in schools and libraries from a post on Will Richardson's Weblogg-ed.
A proposed Federal Law would "effectively require most schools and libraries to render those Web sites" such as MySpaces and other social software and interactive websites "inaccessible to minors."
It's part of the 'Deleting Online Predators Act' (DOPA) bill from a group of conservatives aiming to ramp up Internet censorship and protect children who would otherwise be "... unattended on the Internet through the course of the day" (at libraries and schools).
Will feels insulted that he is not trusted to make professional decisions about technologies in his school nor trusted "to teach my students what they need to know to be safe (online)."
It's a duty of educators and parents to provide guidance on internet safety. We expect schools to play a role in so many other life skills and experiences providing education around nutrition and obesity, budgeting, road safety, driver education etc.
The American Libraries Association (ALA) acknowledges there are legitimate uses (of social-networking sites) and supports education on safe use of the Internet and web tools, where an "informed user ... knows the risks, how to avoid them and how to keep oneself safe."
If the DOPA bill is successful, it would kill off the emerging use of Web2.0 technologies, empowering, engaging and connecting 21st century learners, with ultra restrictive filtering.
Blocking and filtering is a current hot topic with Australian and New Zealand blogger/educators.