Channel 8?

Thanks to Steven Audis:

Microsoft just opened in new web site/community site for student technology enthusiasts called Channel 8.

Channel 8 is THE place to be for STUDENTS who want to code, connect and create technology. Stay plugged into tech news and share in the experience with students around the world just like you who want to see their creations come to life. This is also a back door directly into Microsoft just like Channel 9 but from a student point of view. This means access to the inside scoop about our products and life working inside Microsoft and information on cool things coming out. This is your community – a place for you to share your tips and tricks and even your problems. Go check out what others are doing and talk about what you think is cool.

It's new and content is just starting to roll out but it looks like it is going to be quite the place.

Link: http://channel8.msdn.com/

SharePoint Learning Kit, VLE for SharePoint

This is the SharePoint Learning Kit, which is a SCORM 2004-conformant e-learning delivery and tracking application. It works on Microsoft Office SharePoint server (you have to buy this one), or Windows SharePoint services (Free version!). Basically, it's a kit for you to build your own VLE, and like Moodle it's free...

It supports SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and Class Server content and allows assignment, tracking and grading of both e-learning and non-e-learning content. It is really the first step with this product to a VLE, if you use the SharePoint Server, you can use mysites, to tell something about yourselves and share documents with your class or teachers.

You can download it from the Codeplex website too

Grava authoring tool

From the UK team:

"Grava" is the code name for a new set of tools from the Microsoft Education Products Group (based over in Redmond in the States) that is designed to allow the education community to create and assemble interactive materials that will increase discovery and allow learners to go at their own pace and learning style.

It's a great thing to go with your virtual learning environment (whichever one you choose), and the reason I thought I'd mention it now is that I've heard that you can sign yourself up for the early adopter programme (the CTP programme) on the Connect.microsoft.com website. This means you can play around with it, see what it does, and decide whether it's going to be something that will help your students and staff.

The "Grava" tools that are scheduled for release later in 2007:

• "Grava" Player—The "Grava" player enables users to view the rich interactive content created in "Grava" Authoring.
  
• Developer Tools—The "Grava" SDK is built on Silverlight (aah, not a code word but a real name - the code word for Silverlight was WPF/E) and provides a programming model and tools for building rich educational experiences.
  
• Authoring—"Grava" Authoring allows users to create interactive and stimulating non-linear projects to view in the "Grava" player.
  
• Services—"Grava" provides an array of services which complement the authoring, SDK and player components. These services include the ability to do assessments, log results, and create intelligent learning solutions.
  

Windows SkyDrive, free online storage

500MB of free online storage that can be private, shared or public.

This has been coming for a little while, and then when it arrived, it was initially only for users in the US. But now, it has been activated for customers in the UK. And this has some really useful applications in education. SkyDrive gives users 500MB of free online file storage - password protected by their Windows Live ID. And they can be stored in private, shared or public folders - allowing you to decide who has access to each folder.

What could you do with it? Well, things like...

• Backup up important files, using personal folders.
  
• Access files from any PC with Internet access - making it easy for students or staff to move files between a personal PC and a shared or personal college PC.
  
• Work on a project with colleagues or amongst students, using shared folders.
  
• Publish files, so that students can read them, but control their access so that they cannot add files or delete them - useful for assignments?
  

Some of the features added to this Beta version are:

• An upgraded look and feel – new graphics to go along with your new features!
  
• "Also on SkyDrive" – easily get back to the SkyDrives you've recently visited
  
• You can see thumbnails of your image files
  
• Drag and drop your files right onto your SkyDrive, using the handy applet
  
• Embed your stuff anywhere – with just a few clicks, post your files and folders anywhere you can post html
  

Sign up for your personal SkyDrive here

Creating interactive content with eXe learning

Source: http://www.exelearing.org

The eXe project is developing a freely available Open Source authoring application to assist teachers and academics in the publishing of web content without the need to become proficient in HTML or XML markup. eXe can export content as self-contained web pages or as SCORM 1.2 or IMS Content Packages.

This project has been funded by a grant from the New Zealand Government and led by the University of Auckland, The Auckland University of Technology, and Tairawhiti Polytechnic.It has also been greatly assisted by a global group of participants and contributors.

I really love this product. It works really simple.

You can run it directly from an USB stick without installing it. It supports standard SCORM 1.2 so you can use it in the SharePoint Learning Kit, Moodle etc etc.

In your learning products you can add a lot of functionality, like:

• RSS feeds
  
• Multi-choise answers
  
• Free text
  
• Objectives
  
• Reflection
  
• SCORM Quiz
  
• Wiki article
  
• And much more
  

The program works together with Firefox, that is already included in the program (it doesn't install Firefox, but just use the files)

So give it a try on http://www.exelearning.org !

How to use Microsoft software in education

Today at the Microsoft Worldwide partner conference a video is showed about Microsoft product in the education market, with me also in the video :)


Video: Case study for using Microsoft Information Worker technology in education

Digital Portfolio for Microsoft SharePoint 2007

Winvision, the company I work for, has developed a new digital portfolio for Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server.

It's a competence based system totally integrated in SharePoint. So you have all the benefits of SharePoint in your portfolio!

For more information:

http://www.winvision.nl/Products/EN/Products/Digital+Portfolio.htm