Jane's Pick of the Day

The 2011 Top 100 Tools for Learning is emerging

This is the 5th year I am building a Top 100 Tools for Learning.

As in previous years, this list is compiled from the Top 10 Tools contributions of learning professionals worldwide (teachers, educators, instructional/learning designers, trainers, analysts, consultants etc).

At the time of writing this posting there have already been 60 contributions and the Top 100 Tools list is beginning to take shape HERE.

If you would like to contribute to the list, please visit THIS PAGE where you will find full details of how to share your Top 10 Tools.

WhatsApp – cross platform mobile messenger

This week I’m in Johannesburg with a client.  Here in South Africa mobile technology and smartphones are very important

I’ve just been introduced to  a new cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia – which means that these phones can all message each other!   In addition to basic messaging  WhatsApp Messenger users can send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages.

I’ve just downloaded it for my iPhone to try it out!

WhatsApp

(Thanks Rob and Hannes)

C4LPT blog

Wow!  Slideshare has just released Zipcast for 1-click meetings (public or private) on the Web – and it’s very simple!

1. Click Zipcast on any presentation
2. Select Public or Private
3. Start Zipcast & enable live video
4. Invite friends on Facebook & Twitter
5. Your Zipcast is ON

Find out more at http://www.slideshare.net/zipcast

A new approach to workplace learning

Just in case you haven’t seen this promotional slideset for my Social Learning Handbook …

View more presentations from Jane Hart.

Social Learning = working smarter with social media

How to use social media to work and learn smarter – in 30 days

The next intensive 30-day programme will take place 1-30 March 2011.  Every day for 30 days we will focus on a different social technology or tool for working and learning smarter in your organization.

The programme is intended for those working in L&D in organizations, and is free to purchasers of the Social Learning Handbook. Although the programme appears in Part 2 of the Handbook, the online, social version  is the place to share your thoughts and experiences with others.  I will provide some lite-touch support as well.

You can sign up for the March programme on the Handbook Support Site – details of how to access the Support Site appear in the Handbook itself.

If you haven’t yet got a copy of the Handbook, you can find out more about the Handbook here, and details of the 30-day programme are here – together with other coaching and workshops options for individuals and groups who would like more support.

Kindle app for iPhone and iPad

Got an iPhone , iPad or iTouch and want to read Kindle books on it? Then the free Amazon Kindle app is what you need.You’ll have access to over 810,000 books in the Kindle Store, including best sellers and new releases. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights.You can get start reading immediately with three free books: Pride and Prejudice, Treasure Island, and Aesop’s Fables. Thousands more free classics are available in the Kindle StoreKindle App

via www.c4lpt.co.uk

Twitter as a learning tool for surgeons

For those of you who didn’t see the episode of Grey’s Anatomy that showed the use of Twitter as a learning tool for surgeons, here are some clips on YouTube.Doctor Bailey introduces Twitter as a learning tool to broadcast surgeries over the internet. The chief on the other hand, is not very happy about the idea. At least not at first.

via www.c4lpt.co.uk

SimplyBox – the future of organizational collaboration?

When I was updating the Directory of Learning Tools for 2011, I reviewed each and everyone of the 2,000+ tools in the list.  But there was one tool that jumped out at me as being importantly different:  SimplyBox - described as “the only decentralized and contextual enterprise communication solution” .

via C4LPT Blog

The Horizon Report 2011

Each year, the Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education and creative expression over the next one to five years. The areas of emerging technology cited for 2011 are:

Time to adoption: One Year or Less

Electronic Books
Mobiles

Time to adoption: Two to Three Years

Augmented Reality
Game-based Learning

Time to adoption: Four to Five Years

• Gesture-based Computing
• Learning Analytics

The Horizon Report 2011 (PDF)

Learning Tools Directory 2011

I’ve just spent the last few days overhauling the Learning  Tools Directory.  Over the last year there has been quite a lot of change one way or another in terms of tools.

Some tools have disappeared or died (eg gnolia), others have been acquired (eg Dimdim), some have changed their name (eg twine to evri), and some have changed focus and no longer offer what they once did.

In terms of pricing, others have changed their pricing models, with some now only providing a “lite” version for free with pricing plans for more functionality, whereas others are offering free, open source versions – notably a couple of the LMS vendors.

Others have gone from strength to strength, building on their functionality and sophistication. Many have become much more social, e.g. with links to Twitter, Facebook or using their own social features.

So I’ve just rebuilt this year’s Directory – which still lists well over 2,00o tools.  I’ve kept the same structure – with the main 12 categories, but I’ve reorganised the items by sub-category (rather than alphabetically) this time, to make it easier to find tools.  However, as some tools do fall into a number of categories, I’ve also added links across the  Directory to help users find similar, related tools.

Take a look at the 2011 Learning Tools Directory here ...  and if you want to recommend any tool/s, just add them in the Comments of the relevant page/s and I’ll add them in.