e-Clippings (Learning As Art)

Must-have Firefox Entensions and Fixes

Everybody knows that the entire staff here at e-Clippings World Headquarters uses Firefox. I run mine off my U3 USB drive. That being said, Lifehacker has a point when they point out that we have all woken up after some all-night extension/add-on bender with a browser that runs somewhat slower than syrup going uphill.

So the first step, if you find yourself in this position, is to go through the diagnostics steps laid out for your in this article. Now, once you have your browser all clean and shiny again, be sure and review this list which lays out the top ten features of Firefox that don't require an extension.

Once you have worked through that list, very carefully start taking sips from this article on the top ten extensions for Firefox.Then be sure to look over all four parts of Lifehacker's  great series on "Show Us Your Firefox" for some  really interesting ideas on what you can do with this super-flexible browser.

Then, if you are still doubting the worthiness of Firefox, check out this screen cap from a recent visit to Chipotle's site.

My Definition of Collaboration....

...is stolen from Ryan Freitas. I just thought of this because I saw some posts in the 'ole RSS reader tonight talking about "collaboration." I have found this definition to be most helpful.

The Google Cheat Sheet

This is nifty...someone has taken the time to assemble a ton o' facts and figures related to the Big G on two handy sheets. It lists the calculator operators, the advanced search operators, all the official blog and tools and much more more!

eLearn Magazine's Predictions for 2007

This is a post co-sponsored by the Departments of Shameless Promotion and the Office of LinkBaiting...eLearn Magazine has once again published its annual predictions for e-learning. Once again, editor Lisa Neal has managed to assemble a veritable constellation of star thinkers including Don Norman, Richard Mayer, Stephen Downes, Allison Rossett, and Jay Cross.  Shockingly, one Mark Oehlert also managed to slip through the cracks yet again as well.

The Education Map of the Decade Called on the Carpet

Tom Hoffman over at the Ed-Tech Insider rightly brings up a criticism of the Education Map of the Decade developed by the Knowledge Works Foundation. He points to my comment that I made regarding how the use of visual maps tends to make holes more obvious than text-based narrative and then he kind of proves the point by highlighting the glaring omission of open source software from any locale on the map.

#1 Tom is dead-on. No map of the educational vista for the next decade can be considered fully credible without acknowledging a place for open source software especially given the potential downstream effects of the Blackboard patent action. Oh yeah...intellectual property battles and knuckleheaded copyright laws should be on there somewhere as well. 

#2 Tom's site needs to calm down on the registration process. I'm with you about the open source stuff but I'm also not about to give the Ed-Tech Insider my life history for the privilege of leaving a comment on your site.

#3 Stephen's critique is also dead on about the map and its relation to copyright. Why not use a Creative Commons license?  I think it is highly ironic that the map itself gives you guidelines (foresight,insight,action) that are intended to help people "pull threads from the future into the present in meaningful and actionable ways." Right. As long as you do it with the physical copy of the map and don't do anything digital that would help foster an interaction of the kind the map professes to want to encourage. What if the map were posted to flickr as an image and the authors allowed visitors to highlight and comment on sections. That would be useful.

Ever had to explain RSS, Wikis or Blogs to those Neo-Luddites you're so unfairly forced to share an office with?

...well David Carter-Tod has done you and I a great service. He has created a series of one-page
handouts explaining that trinity of wonderful technologies. Thanks David!

Wikipedia on Learning

Wikipedia entries for "learning"

Mark's Quote File

Just a little Word document that I use to store some of my fav quotes in.
Download file