Tapped In Newsletter: November 2004
...On the Tapis
November 2004
Issue 84
In This Issue
[1] Member Perspective: Cynthia Alvarado
[2] Tapped In Goes Open Source
[3] Quick Poll: Tapped in Donations?
[4] TI Community Volunteers Donate TIME
[5] Tapped In Technology Tips
[6] News Nuggets
[7] Tips and Comments From the Experts
[8] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness." - Carl Rogers
[1] Member Perspective: Cynthia Alvarado
Cynthia Alvarado is a school media specialist in Dearborn, Michigan, a doctoral candidate and a sometimes adjunct professor at Wayne State University. [Ed. Note: I've often seen 20-25 people logged in to Cynthia's Tapped In office. Out of curiosity about how a large group like this was working, I asked for permission to join a class in progress. The dialogue was fast paced, articulate and well moderated. Wanting to share this exciting experience with the Tapped In community, I asked Cynthia to write this month's Perspective.]
Cynthia's Perspective
I have had an interest in computers since the early eighties. In fact, when I decided to stay home with baby number four (I now have 5 grown children), I purchased a home computer to program and play a bit to keep me sane. In the early nineties my children were in school, the PTA was providing computers and parents to help supervise the computer lab and I had found myself a new job. I went back to college to get a masters degree in school media just in time to be one of the first to use the new graphic interface to the World Wide Web. I was working as a grad assistant in the library science computer lab the day they installed it. It was SOOOO Exciting. I could sit at my desk at work and see things put up by my old buddies at the Technologico in Monterrey, Mexico, where we had lived a few years earlier. It was great.
Obviously, when I became employed in the school system, I was an early adopter and all around technology cheerleader for my building and my district.
Read all of Cynthia's Perspective online.
If you or someone you know is doing great things in Tapped In, send this community leader's name to BJ Berquist (bjb@tappedin.org) and maybe their perspective will be included in an issue of ...On the Tapis.
[2] Tapped In Goes Open Source
The software that underlies Tapped In is now available under an open source GNU Public License (GPL). This system called, OpenTap was developed by the Tapped In team at SRI International with funding from the National Science Foundation. The release of OpenTap was motivated by requests by third parties who expressed interest in the platform for their own communities. It demonstrates SRI's commitment to using federal research funds to benefit society, and may attract other researchers and developers to build on our code base. Optionally, SRI offers support packages for initial setup and ongoing support, with fees directly benefiting the Tappedin/OpenTap infrastructure and software.
[3] Quick Poll: Tapped in Donations?
Tapped In is considering setting up a web page to accept donations from our members and philanthropic individuals. We could do this because we are run by a non-profit organization. As is our custom, we would like to receive feedback on the idea from our members to determine if it is viable. First, let us assure you that Tapped In is NOT in financial distress or in danger of closing (we know how rumors can spread). Our goal is to use the extra funds to build new features and provide new services that Tapped In members have suggested to us but we have not been able to build. We have a very long list of good ideas and we would love to implement them. Second, donations would not affect your membership in any way. Tapped In membership will remain free. Finally, we will not spam you with donation solicitations. (Nobody needs more spam email!)
The donation model we are considering is similar to the Public Radio and Television model. Members who feel that they benefit from Tapped In or want to say "thanks" for the help they receive from BJ or one of the many volunteer help desk staff members can give back to the community in whatever amount they think appropriate. Did you know that Tapped In boasts more than 21,000 members? If, for example, every member gave $1 dollar, we would be able to add a 1/4 time community support person for a year and two weeks of programmer time, which would translate into several new features for the community.
Please let us know what you think of this idea by taking our anonymous one-minute survey.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tapped In's director, Mark Schlager, at mark.schlager @ tappedin.org
[4] TI Community Volunteers Donate TIME
A donation that is as valuable as your donation of dollars is the donation of your Time. Tapped In Volunteers donate their time to lead calendar events, serve on helpdesk to greet new members and guests, and lead Tips and Tricks tours of the Tapped In interface. The newest Tips and Tricks leader is Venny Su, a TI member in Taiwan who is interested in getting more of the 300+ registered Asian members active in the TI Community. He will be starting a regular Tips and Tricks every Friday in December at 5am PST.
Another important way to donate your time to the TI Community is to serve as a mentor. During a recent Pre-service (Student) Teachers Forum, Steve Manns (SteveLM) offered to mentor pre-service teachers during his office hours on Mondays at 9pm EST. Steve had originally established the office hours to help those who had attended his presentation at a technology conference the day before. Marianne Handler, one of the leaders of the Pre-service Teachers Forum appreciated Steve's generous offer, "that is what we hope this group can do as it grows. Support each other."
As mentioned in the previous article we know that not every Tapped In member will be able to donate dollars, but don't forget that a little can go a long way. If you're not able to donate dollars, please think about how you can donate your valuable time. Just an hour a week can go a long way!
[5] Tapped In Technology Tips
Group Search by Topic
We have a wonderful new addition to our TI database! You can now search the Groups by topic as well as the group name. Owners of groups can select topics for their group in much the same way you enter your discipline when you get your TI membership. This will facilitate searches for your group especially if the group name is hard to remember. For new groups this option will be offered when the group is created. If you already have a group and would like to add up to three topics, go to your group room and click on Settings. Then go to Group Configuration and Edit Group Identity.
Another new feature that has been added to the Tapped In interface is that members can now log in by using their e-mail address or their username.
[6] News Nuggets
Knowplace Online Conference - Tapped In Member Frances Long and her Knowplace Team are developing their first Online Conference, knowTIPS, February 23-27, 2005, and would like you to be involved. The call for presenters has been issued and is posted in the 'JOBS' section in TI and online at the http://knowtips.ca site. If you're able to provide a presentation and lead a discussion about your ideas and experiences in the online world, TIPsy (the knowTIPS mascot) will be delighted to welcome you on board. Deadline to submit is Friday, November 25, 2004.
Knowplace works with facilitators to take their face-to-face skills into the online world. This application of theory into practice also applies to the conference planning as Knowmates are using their new skills to assist with its' creation. The conference theme is surviving and thriving online by putting Theory into Practice (TIPs). This conference emphasizes the practical aspects of working online. In particular we are looking for presentations and discussions about the technical, social, intellectual and organizational aspects of working online with others. Proposals that emphasize the use of open source and freeware are encouraged. To find out more about this fun and exciting opportunity, visit http://knowtips.ca.
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Thanks to alert Tapped In member Barbara Muller-Ackerman, leader of the monthly TI School Counselors Forum for pointing out this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer by Tapped In member Joyce Kasman Valenza. The article quotes Tapped In member Nancy Willard who leads the monthly TI Internet Safety and Cyberbullying event.
While our schools tackle bullying on playgrounds, buses, school halls and classrooms, a more insidious brand is taking place beneath the radar of teachers, parents and administrators. The aggression has migrated to Web sites, cell and camera phones, blogs, e-mail, and instant messages.
"Internet and mobile communication technologies have raised the potential impact of social communications and cruelty to a much higher level," Nancy Willard said.
Read the complete article at http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/10034094.htm?1c (free registration).
Joyce's article about Nancy also was mentioned in an ASCD SmartBrief newsletter. "Nancy Willard, the executive director of http://Cyberbully.org, says students can play three roles in a bullying situation: bully, victim or bystander. Willard urges schools to appeal to bystanders to become part of the solution by objecting to the torment, helping the victim and reporting the harassment to adults. Philadelphia Inquirer, The (10/28)"
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Virtual worlds for learning: Exploring the future of the "Alice in Wonderland" interface by Tapped In members Chris Dede and Marielle Palombo was published in Threshold: Exploring the Future of Education, Summer: 16-20 (accessed June 9, 2004)
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Tapped In member Karen Fletcher included an article on Tapped In for the University of Wisconsin - Stout newsletter on professional learning communities.
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The current issue of ENC Focus (Helping Parents) is one that Tapped In member Gail Hoskins worked on. The math help page is by Gail, and the jokes on that index page were her touch. :-)
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Do you have a News Nugget about yourself or another member of the Tapped In Community? Send your News Nugget to BJ Berquist at bjb@tappedin.org.
[6] About ...On the Tapis
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