Visit by Swedish Educational Minister Mr Jan Björklund

Here's a shot of the Minister with Eva.

Cooliris (Piclens)

As I have always shared with people, there are just so much information on the internet that any one person can use in many lifetime, the problem is, getting to the right stuff that you are looking for. Search engines are a huge help when it comes to making sense of information in the cloud. With the addition of tons of multimedia content, some search engines are being fine tuned to search for music, photos etc. And when you throw in social network tools such as wiki, facebook, flickr, etc; the amount of multimedia content just explodes. I really don't know where to start searching.

Luckily for me, developers like Cooliris is making picture searching across different social network sites (including the good old webpages) a breeze (and lots of fun). What's more important, the search results are presented in an intuitive visualisation that encourages discovery and exploration. Cooliris (formerly PicLens) is such a tool, and is available for Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. The installation file has a small profile and it creates a small CoolIris icon in your Internet Explorer's toolbar. Click on this and it launches the Cooliris interface, type in your search criteria and off you go. Simple as that.

dabbleBOARD

Thanks to Zohair (www.dabbleboard.com) for introducing to me his excellent online application, the dabbleBOARD. While on the search for a useful online collaborative shared space, dabbleBOARD will go into my arsenal of useful tools. 

dabbleBOARD is already packed with useful collaborative features even in BETA. For example, you can create shapes easily using your tablet's stylus, draw free hand and sharing is as simple as copying an unique web adress and pasting this into your friend's browser. 

Check out the side bar on the left, this area allows your SAVE your sketches and if you have diligently named your work, you can SEARCH them easily by typing in the search box. I like this type of search filter where the search engine starts to filter after you type individual characters. 

Check this out, the teacher can prepare multiple worksheets and save them to the side bar. During lesson, double click to call out the slide, copy and send the share link to a selected group of students for instant group work. 

Zohair mentioned VoIP for his dabbleBOARD soon, so we will be watching this space. 

COTF welcomes our new teaching staff!

We had a group of new professors to NIE today. They paid a visit to COTF as part of their orientation tour in NIE. Welcome!

Online Collaborative Whiteboards

A lot of collaboration can be on done the internet today. The internet was intended to diversify the risk involved in keeping data in one place, but we have since realised that the net itself is a wonderful collaboration tool.

This simple tool called ScribLINK is available free for anyone who need a scratch pad to doodle a few ideas while on your phone/VoIP (built in to the app by the way) / IM etc. Simply launch the application online and send your buddies the unique link to your session, no registeration required.

Where or where is everyone else?

Ok, I am really getting carried away with this where oh where issue. Anyway, the web is great for learning about where we are. I came across this tool called VoiceThread, and it's a great tool for learning as well.

You can use pictures and videos as the base content, talk about it by recording your voice, and even invite people around the world to comment on your post! It's pretty much like leaving comments on blogs, but using recorded voices brings about a more personal touch to the messages. 

In the above example, you add a voice comment, telling the author which part of the world you're from. The the best things is, show everyone where your country is by drawing an arrow right on the map. Have fun!

Where oh where is Microsoft Redmond?

As much as I would like to visit Microsoft Home & Center for Information Worker, the nearest I will get to Redmond is perhaps virtually online. And its not even going into the showcase, but I am just going to find out where IS Redmond.

Lets fire up my Microsoft Live Maps.

Type in my search criteria.

Here I am, lets zoom in, and look, each building is neatly labelled. I wonder which building Bill Gates used to be in.

I am now going to fire up the 3D view, and tilt the map while zooming in. Look there is a huge paying field, parade square of some sort.

To find out what it really is, I am going to use the Bird's eye feature. The Bird's eye feature uses Microsoft's Photosync technology to map camera taken pictures geographically on to the map. This allows you to search a database of picture that are related by location.

So now I have a few choices to learn about a certain location.

1. Locate it on the map, look at it from the satellite

2. Check out the shape and size of the buildings, using 3D models

3. Get a clear view of the location, not from satellites, but from anyone who have taken a picture in the vicinity.

And look, you can even tell that the traffic is smooth around Redmond! (hint, look at the green coloured overlay on the road)

Studying Tablet PC use in Singapore Schools

During the course of the BackPack.NET Initiative, Stanford Research Institute was commissioned to conduct a research on the use of Tablet PCs in Singapore schools. For those of you looking for this paper, here is the link http://ctl.sri.com/projects/displayProject.jsp?Nick=tabletpc.

How to Mo-Blog?

Peter asked me recently, How to Mo-Blog? So here is my attempt at Mo-Blogging.

I'll like to find a simple and sure way of blogging from my PDA (Windows Mobile Phone Edition), and able to capture and blog any pictures as well.

Send via MMS
Perhaps the most straight forward method would be to send an MMS to the blogging service.
On Blogger, this would be MMS to go@blogger.com, but I don't have any idea how do you send an MMS to something that looks like an email account. And I don't think you would want to send an MMS overseas to an US based number.
For a local service, take a look at MoBlog. Create a mo-blogging account and you can MMS to a local number.

Send via Email
Another easy way is to compose an email from your PDA and send to your blog service's special email address. For Blogger, look under your Settings > Email > Mail-to-Blogger Address and key in a 'secret word'. You can then simply send any formatted email to username.secretword@blogger.com.

Use a helper tool
Or, you can use a helper tool installed on your PDA. For example:
1. PocketBlog
2. The Diarist

Of course, there are still many ways of blogging from your PDAs or mobile phones. This guide is not comprehensive but provides a quick and easy start for your Mo-Blogging experience.

MotionX Dice Game

As a follow-up to my post on Accelerometers and PDAs, I really have to put up this cool application by MotionX that uses motions sensors (eg. accelerometers). This simple game showcases the possibility of replication real world physical environments with-in a virtual one. Imagine playing popular Maths games such as 'Maths Warriors' off your mobile phone, and linking up via Wireless@SG with a couple of classmates for online challenges.

Where oh where am I?

In response to Eva's post, Where oh where is COTF?, I am sharing with you a new tool, and one to learn more about your world.

Launched in 2007, Street View is a feature of Google Maps that provides a 360° panoramic street-level view of certain cities in the world. Most of the cities available are in the United States, France, Italy, Australia and Japan. (Hopefully Singapore will be covered soon)

What's really cool is that you can use a view port to literaly 'walk' or rather 'drive' along streets that has been captured. Using the mouse, you can pan and tilt the view port to 'look' at the different features along the street. I am quite surprised to see the amount of streets that was covered in each city, it's pretty comprehensive.

I've always been a travel bug (a really really small bug that is, don't have the time and money to visit all the places I've wanted), but how about travelling to many cities in one hour? All in the comfort of your chair? Of course nothing beats being there, but I will settle for second best now.

Such tools are great to arouse the curiosity of children, and to allow them to roam in a virtual environment to learn more about a particular place. Imagine merging 2nd Life and this technology to allow virutal communication

I've always wanted to visit Tokyo's Odaiba district and take a look at the Tokyo Ferris Wheel in Japan. Here is the poor man's version of travelling there:

I did a quick search on 'Tokyo Odaiba' and quickly learnt that 'Daiba' means 'fort', and also noted many interesting sites such as the 'Rainbow Bridge' around this area.


The Statue of Liberty replica with the Rainbow Bridge behind it.


Where is this statue located? Let's get back to looking for the ferris wheel.


I did the same search in Google Maps and noticed that some one has already placed a marker there.


Let's zoom in, oh look, here it is.


Ok, found it, but the view from this street is blocked by the highway. Let me move to another street.


Here it is! Finally! I'm going to take this chance to walk around and look for the other point of interests as well.

bubbl.us : Collaborative Online Mindmaps

This is a tool that I usually introduces in the Classroom of the Future. Tools such as this just opens a variety of possibilities in collaborative learning online. As the technology advances and allows better bandwidth access to the cloud, learning could take place in an even more interactive and collaborative manner.

bubbl.us is free for use (please read their terms and conditions) but more importantly, enables you to share and collaboratively create ideas and knowledge. Mindmaps could be shared with groups of team mates, and each are able to contribute to the same map. The maps could then be published on blogs (such as the example here) and this poses a powerful idea on content and knowledge syndication. Using the web not just for content sharing, but applications sharing as well.

Digital natives are already well versed in this technology, peppering their personal blog sites with a variety of widgets and gadgets to add-on new features. But using this 'plug-in' methodology will also means learning could leverage on different tools available (polls, picture gallery, interactive maps, collaborative mindmaps), but presented in a single document (blog).

Accelerometers and PDAs

Tilt Sensors

If you think that the accelerometers that comes with the latest PDAs are cool and high tech, think again. Accelerometers and tilt-sensors has been around for a while (think Nintendoo Wii). However, accelerometers are finding themselves in many consumer electronic products nowadays.

An accelerometer measures acceleration and gravity induced reaction forces, while a tilt sensor usually deploys an encapsulated fluid to measure, well, tilt.

The earlier orientation sensing technology was first used in aircrafts. Gryoscopes was installed to allow pilots to know their orientation (so that they are not flying upside down) in zero visibility conditions.

Patented by Gyration, miniature gyroscopes was then introduced into the humble computer mouse. This allows the mouse to be used in mid air (usually wireless) and interact with the PC. And these, for obvious reasons, are called gyromouses.

According to an internet article, Samsung may be the first to introduce accelerometers into mobile phones back in 2005. But the technology used is slightly different from gyroscopes. The accelerometer was used, which provides tri-axis (X, Y and Z axis) sensing. This technology was also announced by Nintendo in the same year as they released the Wii Remote (or 'Wiimote'), and thus introduced orientation sensing into the world of gaming.

Either the accelerometer or tilt sensor are commonly used nowadays in laptops and tablets such as the Fujitsu T4020 Table PC as a shock sensor to protect the harddisk. And not to forget the latest cameras (Canon Powershot SD750) to provide automated screen orientation rotation. (Perhaps I should install a tilt sensor to my coffee cup to minimize spilling... )

Here is a video of a simple game on an accelerometer enabled PDA.


HTC Diamond's Teeter Game


Due to the accelerometer's ability to detech and emulate physical motion, this technology may be useful in encouraging students to explore physics related topics through interaction and games. Here's an article from Physorg.com showing how the Nintendo Wii was rigged to teach stuents mechanics.

NeuroSky - Control Input via Brainwaves

I have been following this company for a while. They seems to be the few (or only) commercial companies that is taking alternative computer input into our everyday lifestyles. What better than to introduce this to gaming? This concept is not entirely new, Dr Guan Cuntai from Singapore's Institute for Infocomm Research has much experience in this arena since I first met him in 2004. What excites me is seeing futuristic technologies made available to the general public.

Using alternative inputs provides an assistive technology that allows children with physical challenges to extend learning. This will encourage them to be independent learners, enabling them to access online content and multimedia libraries, interact with people using the power of the thought.

May the force be with you.

Ink Squared Express (BackPack.NET Version)

BackPack.NET has released (with the good folks over at EyePower Games) a lite version of the on-screen annotation software, Ink Squared Express (by EyePower Games). This little tool allows anyone with a Tablet PC (or a desktop, if you are very very good with drawing using a mouse) to annotate on any content. Well strictly speaking, it creates a virtual canvas on top of any content, and inks on it. The cool thing about this is that you can play a video in the background, and ink while the video is still playing!

It's free for all educators in Singapore. Please download here, and install.

For those of you on the look out for cool, innovative educational usages with webcams, head over to EyePower Games to check out their wares.

Building Schools for the Future (UK)

Video: BSF Showcase Trailer

I had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Poole from Microsoft UK recently. He shared with me the exciting events that is happening in the UK that is enabling students to learn in a 'learner-led, technology-enabled' environment. You can find out more about the BSF project on their website, and learn more about some powerful ideas on re-thinking just what defines a 'school'.

What I am also keen to learn is the design of the interfaces proposed for this project.

For those of you with a bit more time on your hand, here's the full video focusing on the interfaces.


Video: Microsoft UK's Building Schools for the Future Showcase

Microsoft Surface at Sheraton (NY) Hotel & Resorts

Video: Microsoft Surface at Sheraton Hotel & Resorts

My oh my, the reality of commercially available interactive tables is pushing nearer. In a recent news article, MS Surface will be made available in the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers. In this news article, it says that 'Sheraton will begin rolling out Surface in key hotels within the United States by the end of the year. '. Gosh, when is this coming to Singapore?

A carefully designed interface on the Surface will allow students to hold discussion in an interactive manner where they can pull and more importantly, manipulate learning objects right off the table surface. Connected to the internet, such interactions can be extended to include collaborations by expertise and peers worldwide.

More information (and lots more video) about the Microsoft Surface at their official website.

Where oh where is COTF?

A good number of visitors to COTF have difficulties in finding National Institute of Education (NIE). Nope, NIE is no longer in Bt Timah, we have been in NTU campus in Jalan Bahar for several good years!

I visit this website - skypigeon frequently for driving directions (good for checking mileage for claims too!). You may want to check it out lest you find yourself ending up at the Tuas checkpoint without a passport :p

Finding your way around NTU to locate NIE is another feat, we have a campus map on our main website. We recommend visitors who are coming by cabs to alight at our Admin Building - Blk 1. Visitors who drives are recommended to park at Car Park 1, its the most convenient but parking is chargeable. (There are free parking at Car Park 4 & 5, at the Library but be prepared to take a long climb up the stairs and a long walk). Should you still get lost within NIE, ask any of our friendly security guards, they will be able to direct you.

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COTF's new blog!

This post is to commemorate the birth of our new blog site. (Some of the earlier entries you notice are actually back-dated entries). Although we have an announcement area in our previous home, we have always wanted to have a proper blog where we can post all the nice photos from COTF. Along with this, we have also designed a new COTF website. It is meant to be simple and serves the purpose of allowing COTF visitors to make an online booking. All these should be up really soon. There is so much wonderful things you can do with blogs these days. - Chris

Visit by Mr Somchai Wongsawat, Education Minister of Thailand

We had a distinguished guest to COTF NIE today. The Education Minister of Thailand, Mr Wongsawat visited NIE and we had the opportunity to show him around the COTF.

Visit by Headmasters from the Independent Schools of Queensland, Australia

We had a wonderful group of visitors from Queensland, Australia this morning. They are here as part of a study trip organized by our long time partner, HeuLabs Pte Ltd. There were lots of noise, chatter, and sharing of ideas.

Friends from King Saud University

These are some friends of our Director who dropped by COTF for a visit on the 14th May 2008.

Director General of Education, Malaysia visits COTF!

Our guests having an online discussion on the Collaborative Table.

Visitors from the Omani Ministry of Education.

Dr Thomas Flock with his delagation from the Aspire Academy, Qatar.

Ms Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili

Ms Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, Regional Vice President, Africa, World Bank

Educators from North Carolina

We had some nice folks from North Carolina visiting COTF today.