I am going to discuss context and concerns I have thought about in a online learning environment. To narrow that down even further I would like to ponder external context in particular. Context being the environment in which learning takes place. An example of this could be a baseball game. The large cheering crowd, the yelling, smells of hotdogs and peanuts in the air, the hard benches that we place our rumps upon. Those things are the context in which I am speaking of.
In a online learning environment the contexts can be limited to: the desktop, the source of learning (chatroom, cbt, interactive classroom, etc), the screen size, the location of the computer that is being used or other variables that one acclimates to when the learning occurs. My concern, or question develops when recall comes into play. Is it more likely that one will be able to recall more effectively only when in front of the learning media? One could argue the same thing in a classroom environment, but I believe there is a significant difference in real life interaction of a classroom and the learning that takes place in a digital format.
In a class room setting, the context can and do change. The professor moves, the students move, there is more contextual change over the learning period. Whereas with computer based learning, I believe, there is less of a chance for contextual change and that may lead to less recall at a later point in time. Due to state dependent retention. One of the ways I have pondered to compensate for this is change of location every time one sits down to learn. This way there is always a change of context and the student may be more apt to encode and recall the information presented to them more effectively. This would be an easy task to the person who uses a laptop for their main means of learning but it may offer some difficulties to a person that is limited to a desktop computer. There are things that a person with a desktop unit can do to change the context of the learning environment, such as changing the time of day learning takes place, moving items daily on the desk, even positioning of the monitor. Laptop users would have a major advantage with this hurdle more than a stationary user. I wonder if there has been studies done to see a difference in active recall of laptop vs. desktop learners.
Archive for February, 2009
Billy, Dustin and Frank all know Jesus.
Jesus just left Chicago and he’s bound for New Orleans.
Well now, Jesus just left Chicago and he’s bound for New Orleans.
Yeah, yeah.
Workin’ from one end to the other and all points in between.
Took a jump through Mississippi, well, muddy water turned to wine.
Took a jump through Mississippi, muddy water turned to wine.
Yeah, yeah.
Then out to California through the forests and the pines.
Ah, take me with you, Jesus.
You might not see him in person but he’ll see you just the same.
You might not see him in person but he’ll see you just the same.
Yeah, yeah.
You don’t have to worry ’cause takin’ care of business is his name.
Switching to a Linux / Unix environmnt, for some, can be a daunting task. I presently use linux and have tinkered with it for some years. There are all kinds of gui based programs that closely resemble a Windows environment. There are others though that confuse the user to no end. The gui environment can be viewed from many different website and from Google images. What I would like to share are some of the shell commands that make linux a easier place to play. First off the shell is what most Windows users recognize as a prompt or DOS prompt. this is the most powerful part of the Linux machine. Without access to the shell, Linux may be useless.
There are a vast amount of shell commands in the Linux environment here are just a few of the basic ones:
ls = list the directory.
There are options that one can add onto the ls, and other commands, to give them more power in their inquisitions. An example would be
ls-
ls -
ls -a -
ls -l -
ls -lR
The -a tells the machine to show the list with both the normal files one would see, as well as the hidden files in that directory. The -l added to the ls command extends the information about the files on the list. Things like when last modified, size and other useful information is added there. Adding the R to the -l shows all of the subfolders also in the directory one is hunting through.
chmod = change mode.
This option basically is just changing of permissions of the file by the owner. An example would be, if Joe made a file that Jane couldn’t access then Joe could chmod xxx filename to change the permissions so that others could access, use or change them around.
chown = owner of the file.
This command is used for changing the owndership for the file in question. Once again if Joe make a file and is the owner of it, he can transfer ownership of that file to someone other than himself. This is mainly used in cases of root (administrator) owning a file that other users cannot access or modify.
The above shell commands are just a few examples of the many hundred commands available for Linux users.
This post and a few other that will follow are dedicated to my boy Thor. Stop pissing on the floor little trinket.
Potty training a puppy
Many owners take potty training a puppy as the most important thing to teach a doggie, so that there is no discomfort around the house. What most people don’t know is that when it comes to potty training a puppy, there are various differences between breeds, some being easier to train than others. So, if you haven’t made up your mind yet about which breed to choose, this aspect really needs to be taken into consideration. How difficult could potty training a puppy be? If you have the answer to this question, then you’re on the great way to a wonderful friendship.
When you’re potty training a puppy, you have to be reasonable with the very young ones. They simply have very little control of their bladders and bowels, so as soon as they realize they have to go, it is almost always too late to hold it. Therefore, potty training a puppy may be a patience exercise for you too, don’t get angry at it, since sometimes it is beyond control. Keep it off your carpets until you’re sure it is reliable. Now, let’s have a look at some basic tips for potty training a puppy. First of all, it is best to train the pup so as it works both indoors and outdoors.
The key to successful potty training a puppy is to take it to potty after every meal; make it a routine to take the pup out first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If you want to apply some general type of potty training for puppies, take the doggie on a leash to the spot you want it to use. After it potties, play with it for a while or offer it a reward so that the pup may grow up with a clear idea of what pleases you or not. Try to feed your puppy on dry food and at the same hour every day, this will give regularity to the animal’s bowel movements too.
Young animals need lots of water, so you may consider that when you’re potty training a puppy. Make sure it has a water bowl at day time, but take it away two hours at least before bedtime. This will allow you the chance of potty training the puppy more efficiently and also saves you the risk of nasty accidents over night. Make sure the spot where it potties is clean all the time, as dogs are very clean animals and they truly want to stay that way. For those of you who don’t feel like potty training a puppy the best solution is to buy an older dog that is trained for the matter.
Dog behavior training
Dog behavior training is more than making your dog all obedient and safe to leave home alone, process is to complex to reduce it to this. Since dog owners have to be an active part involved in dog behavior training, they come to learn and discover the unexpressed sides of their pets. In a nut shell, dog behavior training is about getting an obedient animal around the house while also getting more familiar with the needs and expectations of a close friend that doesn’t speak the same language. You should be ready to learn about the drives behind your dog’s behavior.
The drives or instincts that make your animal react in a certain way to specific stimuli are the main focus of dog behavior training. The explanation for low sociability may be rooted in the animal’s genes or in its close environment, once you get to manipulate these drives by dog behavior training, spectacular changes are not short to appear. Therefore special institutions and centres that provide assistance for dog behavior training have a scientific background of tests and studies about the nature and flexibility of the canine drives.
Probably the most significant part of dog training behavior lies in understanding the way you can encourage or discourage certain drives, and the skills of a trainer are best reflected here. The main instincts that are targeted by dog behavior training are: prey, play, pack, defense and food. The order is not relevant for their importance, since each plays an important part in the dog’s life determining the relationships with their masters and with other dogs. However, mention should be made that the domination of a certain instinct varies from one breed to another, and dog behavior training also tackles with breed specificity in the context.
Many people are surprised to learn that dog behavior training implies teaching the animal how to play. This special drive seems to be the one that is not inherent to the genetic structure of your pet. In order to learn how to jump and wrestle it is essential that the owners help the puppy acquire the skills, normally they would be the responsibility of the mother and the brothers as its true pack, but in their absence, you need to do it. The educational side is an essential part of dog behavior training, since it actually shapes the future relationship you develop with your pet in the future.
Dog training at home
When we talk about dog training at home we think of the rewarding feeling of being able to develop an animal’s skills, but there is a lot of work and effort involved in the process too. Dog training at home begins with potty training and continues with complex tasks and commands. However, before you start dog training at home you’ll have to find some professional information on dog health and care. The very basic “sit” and “hello” are among the first tricks of dog training at home, followed by the leash walk as an essential part of the process of dog socializing.
Many pet owners choose to turn to professional videos that teach them dog training at home. There are usually two types of approaches to dog training at home and in general: the collar treatment and the reward-based program. Studies conducted in recent years have shown that dog training at home by using very positive methods is likely to create social and highly reliable animals, that not only will listen to your commands but will always been on guard when it comes to the safety of your family. Dog training at home may not have the professional background but it surely has an emotional touch.
Once you start dog training at home don’t limit to teaching the dog how to raise the paw or sit when ordered. You can take dog training at home a little further and show the animal how to play “fetch”. It begins by using one of the pet’s favorite toys, but it has to result in the animal’s ability to bring any object. No matter the purpose of dog training at home, keep in mind that reward is the magic key to get to your dog’s mind. Every time it performs an action, the dog will need encouragement to continue; therefore an affectionate moment is welcome and appreciated as much as some goodie treat.
Dog training at home takes a lot of time and energy, and many people find it a true challenge. However, time should not be a problem as long as you can turn to your animal and lavish a little attention on it. You can even practice fetch during a commercial just like any other commands learned during dog training at home. If you don’t want to have your dog on the sofa with you, you can always order it to move, and the animal would respond. This is the very practical side of dog training at home. By all means avoid bullying the dog or raising your voice, as such manifestations develop aggression or fear.
cloud computing is a concept out of the computer technology. The users of a software operate the software applications and the hardware (server etc.) necessary in addition no longer even, but rather these relate over a supplier, that operates both for it and other users. Uses and data are no longer on the local computer, but rather – metaphorically spoken – in a cloud (Cloud) over a number of removed systems distributed. The basis for the access to this systems removed places a very efficient network there, which enables the connection between instances of the draft of different service supplier (therefore different Clouds). The access itself takes place via a general available standard use, mostly a web browser.
Cloud Computing can follow defined become how: Cloud Computing is the utilization of software and hardware as a service over the Internet of suppliers, that can sit somewhere (therefore in the Cloud hidden are).
Consequently Cloud Computing over other presently discussed extensions (software ace a service – SaaS, Organic Computing, Iceland Computing) and drafts (virtualized) goes out.
A dynamic procedure exists in the course adjustment of the IP ADDRESSES with so named Blacklists and the analysis and filtration of the detailed data traffic through the worst router of the provider. Data packages of well known IP addresses are rejected. Just as a dynamic filtration can have reference to amounts of data. The access can deny every IP ADDRESS, that exceeds an adjustable limit (volume of data per time), completely or the bandwidth restricted become.
In smaller DDoS attacks, that cause no considerable data traffics and unnecessarily burden solely the server, the blocking can be even meaningful on basis of the origin-IP-address through the server.
In the complete barrier of the detailed data traffic, all data packages detailed on the concerned goal-IP-address are rejected at the worst router of the provider. That means in the return end that also legitimate inquiries are rejected at the IP ADDRESS and the behind it lying server. The server is then in reality no longer attainable wherewith the attack reached its goal. This measure can be used therefore only short-termed. If the attacks appear repeats, the possibility exists to change the IP ADDRESS of the server or to use a dynamic filtration.
E-learning, like I mentioned previously, has flourished and become a common entity within our society. E-learning is not limited to higher education though. There are programs throughout the internet that offer education through the computer. Most of these schools are public,private and charter schools. Some of which financed through the state of origination. Although some of the public schools are jumping on the bandwagon and increasing their enrollment. Spokane has picked up NovaNET computer-based education and is implementing this within their system. Chicago school systems are now beginning to follow suit.
Most of these entities do not work from within physical based school systems. They are a separate entity that resides in a building (most of which close to the state’s capital) and run their day-to-day operation from there. This is done with a fraction of the administrative members, staff members and faculty that we are accustomed to seeing.
These schools are reputable and do everything they can to make sure the student is succeeding in their course work. Most of the schools give the student a new computer every two years, brand new text books every year and there is interaction between the assigned teacher and the student at least once a week. Some of the schools are specific to the state where the child is residing while others are nationwide with chapters in each state they support.
Above are just a few of the very successful online schools. Connectionsacademy is presently used in my home with our fifth grader. Could we ask for more? Of course the answer would be, yes. Every parent wants better things for their child. Albeit, as far as up to date texts and accessibility to resources to make the most of the experience, we couldn’t ask for any more.
In this day and age with technology so prevalent in everything we do
and that so many people are so busy we have come up with different
modes of delivery for education and training. Within the last ten
years e-learning has blossomed as an answer to people’s busy and
hectic lives. What started out as a trend that many thought would
never amount to anything has become a main player in the education
arena.
There are two main modes of delivery with regards to e-learning
asynchronous and synchronous. “Asynchronous learning is a
student-centered teaching method that uses online learning resources
to facilitate information sharing outside the constraints of time and
place among a network of people” according to Mayadas, F. (1997,
March). Some examples of asynchronous learning are wikis, blogs, websites,whitepapers,webcasts,digital video resources, such as youtube,
brainpop(Which is presently used by my 10 year old son’s online public
school) and PBS.
With Asynchronous learning there is usually not instant interaction
or communication between two or more people. It is self directed
learning. The learner has the ability and convenience to move at a
pace that they are comfortable with and time tables that amend to
one’s schedule. This method of delivery it may require a higher
commitment of time management and organizational skills by the
student.
Synchronous learning includes ‘real time’ interaction between
one or more participants. Interactions could include but are not
limited to chat rooms, instant messaging, shared applications, shared
whiteboard, video and audio conferencing. These ‘real time’
interactions allow students to ask questions and receive instant
answer promoting a traditional connection between students and
instructor. This type of e-learning is more structured and offers
less flexibility for the student for scheduled interactions.
E-learning courses may be exclusively synchronous, exclusively
asynchronous, or a combination of synchronous and asynchronous
delivery. Many studies show no difference in learning outcomes, often
measured by exams and final grades, of students in traditional or
e-learning class settings. These findings increase the importance and
potential uses for e-learning both synchronous and asynchronous.