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February 2000
Last Thursday (24th) I visited Oracle in the City and saw Paul Holden and Professor Stephen Heppell preview Scoop 2 aka Think.Com. this is the release we have all been waiting for so anxiously and believe me, it is excellent! Some of the goodies include much improved debating and brainstorming tools and image handling (scaling for example). The improved email tool allows attachments and distribution lists - this means that from April when the new version goes active I may put the Newsletter out through Think. Com. as well as through our usual route.
The new front end is much less confusing and more powerful. You can create really interesting page layouts and mix text and graphics. You can also provide long lists of URLs. There is now a conversation and hotseat facility, both of which promise to be most useful. There is also now a logout button and a timeout facility so there should be fewer instances of students getting into each others pages. Also in development is a bulk loading tool to make setting up I.Ds and communities simpler.
All in all it is clear that the Oracle team have listened to the views of the users and have come up with what we asked for. The future looks exciting!
Notschool This was also demoed at Oracle and looks most interesting. The DfEE has put serious money into empowering the dispossessed. Basically this project is aimed at school refusers, excluded and long term sick students. I will not go into details of the goodies put in place by the Government but I reckon it's worth getting excluded to get your hands on it (damn - they don't exclude teachers - they sack them). Notschool is on Scoop as well so take a look.
Another Scoop outfit are New Generations - part of the Learning Circuit - and again, there are wonderful goodies available for any Scoop people who want to get involved. Jane has already flagged this up. It really is good. they provide the opportunity for you to obtain theatre and sports event tickets for free - and all they want is feedback!!
Tina passed the following items on for me to post.
Due to the lack of advanced training opportunities currently available to key members of 'Network development and Support' Departments, Salford Software has come to a unique deal with Novell to offer their program of high level, hands on sessions known as ATT's (Advanced Technical Training) to Universities and Colleges, at preferential rates. The training sessions themselves will be held at their UK headquarters in Bracknell and will be delivered by staff from the Development and For news letter Consultancy divisions of Novell.
There will be two sessions:
- Session 1 - ZenWorks 2.0 - 2 Days - £650
- Session 2 - NDS - 3 Days - £700
Further Information on these courses can be found at:
support.novell.com/additional/advtt/emea/conf.htm
You can find these courses online at:
www.suns.salford.ac.uk/training
any future queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
James Blake
This looks interesting for some of you. Regards, Tina
Ginn Publishers are looking to develop a Key Stage 2 ICT course based on the new IT orders/ QCA scheme of work. We are looking for people who can write lesson plans, and pupils materials (both print and CD based). The writing will be fee based, and we are looking for people who can write from mid March - July.
For more information please contact Jill Duffy - jill.duffy@repp.co.uk. Tel 01865 314151
Sometimes the stuff Tina sends in is cryptic to say the least......
It seemed a roundabout way of getting the information - going to Wollongong - but Barry tells me the Nardoo River simulation can be bought from www.impty.com.au - and StageStruck from www.nida.unsw.edu.au
The Internet: A Writer's Guide at www.internetwriter.co.uk
A page of new links for March is now on the website open to all without a password. Every two months (or so) new URLs will be posted up and I'll be sending a brief circular about it. Some of the book's reviews are also onsite.
Jane's bit
New on the MirandaNet Site
- Think.com is the new name for Scoop - so now we're thinkers not poop scoopers. The new 'skin' - that's to say the look-and-feel -- is about to appear any day now. Keep looking. It's all been redesigned too, with different functions. So anyone who did not like it enough to run an early adopter trial might like to see if the improvements will change your mind. More at: www.mirandanet.ac.uk/Scoop/think_com.htm
- Fellows on Oracle
Some of you may be confused - we said we were going to remove people from the Oracle Online community who did not appear to wish to be active. It doesn't now look as if it is technically possible to take names off the system So what as happened is that those of you who are not participating have been demoted to Readers. This means you can still enter the community and browse the system, but you cannot actively participate. If anyone changes their minds about this, email your (email no longer valid) who will reinstate you as a Reporter. - Diary 2000 - seminars for the year are online and starting soon. Check
out the details on:
1. Online Communities
2. Developing Software Evaluation Skills
3. Educating for the 3rd Millennium
New information and a Registration form online: www.mirandanet.org.uk/news/diary.php - February MirandaRose Awards
The Educational-site-of-the-Month has been awarded to Oneworld - a very thorough portal for all kinds of educational requirements. www.oneworld.net
The Help-for-Educational-site-of-the-Month MirandaRose Award goes to The 24 hour museum - excellent museum site giving the latest museum and gallery news, openings and exhibitions and a wide range of ideas www.24hourmuseum.org.uk
We have been asked what our criteria for judging these awards is and are developing our evaluation checklist. If you would like to contribute to this, go direct to www.mirandanet.org.uk/links/criteria.htm and send any thoughts to the web editor.
Visit Prague : 29th May - 2nd June 2000
There was I, planning a quiet Whit week in Prague when.....
Opportunity for MirandaNet Fellows/Scholars to participate and present at a seminar with Czech Miranda on the 31st May in Prague. The seminar will be based on teachers sharing their classroom activities and experiences. This trip is unfunded so those interested in going to Prague will have to pay for themselves. There are now flights to Prague from Stanstead with GO for £70 and Boba Mannova is able to get hotel rooms for participants for approx £20 per night. Anyone interested in this trip needs to get in touch with Tina quickly.
Presentations can be on power-point, on-line or just eye-balling!
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