August 20th, 2010
Edublogger Review
A "mash-up" of postings from nine engaging educational
and e-learning bloggers.
Saving Stimulus
Source: http://suburbdad.blogspot.com/2010/08/saving-stimulus.html
By Dean Dad on August 20th, 2010
This is one of those “individually rational, collectively insane”
moments.
The New York Times reported that some of the federal
stimulus money that was supposed to save the jobs of teachers,
police officers, and other public employees is instead being
squirreled away by states and school districts, in anticipation
of even lower tax revenues next year. The quote that jumped
off the screen for me was:
“We’re a little wary about hiring people if we only have
money for a year, but we know that’s the intent of this
bill,” said Jeff Weiler, chief financial officer for Clark County
schools.
Exactly so. And yet, the whole point of a stimulus is to be spent
quickly for maximum impact.
We’re facing something similar here. We have some ARRA
money for this year, and it has certainly helped us deal
with the fallout from disappointing state revenues. But the
ARRA (stimulus) funding will go away next year, whether the
recession goes away or not. (Even if it does, education funding
typically lags recoveries by a year or two.) Given that the
federal fiscal year overshoots the state fiscal year -- don’t get
me started -- there’s a pretty good argument to the effect that
it’s prudent for the college to save what it can, while it can; if
we’re going over a cliff a year from now, any cushion is better
than none.
Short-term funding can work when the emergency itself is
short-term, or when the projects being funded are short-term.
It’s great for abrupt emergencies, like natural disasters, or for
one-off tasks, like replacing a furnace. But it’s a terrible fit for
staffing, and a ridiculously terrible fit for tenured staffing.
If you have a realistic expectation of having to let somebody go
next year, how eager will you be to hire this year? Especially
in cases in which they get tenure this year? The termination
costs alone...
I don’t mean this as an anti-stimulus argument. I’m convinced
that it has made things somewhat less bad than they otherwise
would have been, and to the extent that we’re able to buy
time, it’s at least possible that revenues will rebound enough
(and quickly enough) to avoid catastrophe. If it tides us over,
Published by: philosophyandrew
great. And it has allowed us to address some lingering capital
needs on campus that probably would have gone neglected
even longer than they already have. In some cases, replacing
old and inefficient equipment with new and more efficient
equipment may even redound to some savings in ongoing
energy expenses, which is all to the good.
But saving permanent staff requires long-term money. It
requires sustained, predictable, don’t-mess-with-it, long-term
money. For colleges without huge endowments -- that is, for
every community college I’ve ever seen -- that makes short-
term infusions look like good candidates for saving.
If we really want to save permanent jobs -- and I absolutely
believe we should -- we need a structural change. We need
dedicated, long-term, predictable, don’t-mess-with-it funding
that the institutions themselves control. Right now, by default,
that usually means tuition. This is actually one of the drivers
of the cost-shift to students: tuition is much less subject to the
whims of state legislators than state aid is. When your costs are
mostly fixed and your funding maddeningly variable, you’re
up against it any time the state has an issue. Cost-shifting
to students equates to sustainability, from the institution’s
perspective, even if it’s severely damaging from a social justice
perspective. If we want permanent staffing and low tuition
at the same time, we need a hugely different funding model.
Stimuli are great, but on the ground, institutions will do what
they need to do. If you want to change what they do, change
their needs.
To play by the intended rules of the stimulus -- that is, to blow
it all quickly in the name of ginning up local demand -- would
be institutionally suicidal. Yes, it would (at least arguably) be
of great collective benefit, at least in the very short term, but it
would require a level of denial bordering on negligence.
I’m only surprised that this is news.
Reflections on Open Courses
Source: http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2010/08/19/reflections-on-open-
courses/
By gsiemens on August 20th, 2010
I’ve posted an article about my experiences with open courses
and their role in knowledge growth: Reflections on Open
Courses
Marketing for Free Agents
redux
Source: http://www.jarche.com/2010/08/marketing-for-free-agents-redux/
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August 20th, 2010 Published by: philosophyandrew
By Harold Jarche on August 20th, 2010

Tweet
I’ve often said that learning and working are becoming the
same thing in our hyper-connected workplaces. As a free-agent
there are great opportunities to integrate work and learning
and that is by thinking of marketing as education, both for
you and your clients. Since a one-person business doesn’t
have separate marketing and training departments, there’s no
need to worry about any turf wars. Marketing is the same as
Learning & Development.
Marketing and education have certain similarities – gaining
attention; getting your message across; and changing
behaviour. Much of our learning is through conversations with
others, as is marketing, or as the Cluetrain Manifesto states in
Thesis #1 – Markets are conversation.
Without conversation (oral, written, graphical, physical) there
are no social transactions. This has been the key aspect of
the un-marketing approach for my own consulting business. Posting questions on blogs, Twitter or social networks usually
Learning and working are mostly conversation as well. To results in a lot of good advice. I revamped my website in 2007
market yourself as a free-agent online, start by giving. That after asking advice from readers, which increased traffic to
means be a valued contributor to conversations with your my consulting section. Once you go online, you are no longer
professional community. Helping to educate potential clients alone, for better or worse.
is an excellent path to develop relationships
We now have many tools to engage in conversation and to
The Cluetrain’s Thesis #6 is that the Internet is enabling create some wealth along the way, without giving up our rights
conversations among human beings that were simply not in indentured servitude as salaried workers.
possible in the era of mass media. I started blogging here in
2004, and my blog is my pervasive presence on the Web. This
is where you can find me as well as links to other things I may
be doing. It has now become my knowledge base and provides
fodder for articles and presentations. My blog enables me to
have conversations with other professionals about things that
matter to us. I’ve said many times that my blog doesn’t get me
clients but, using a baseball metaphor, it gets me from 1st base
onward. It’s also my business card that tells more about what
I think than any interview ever could.
Cluetrain Thesis #7 is that hyperlinks subvert hierarchy. The
Cluetrain Thesis #10 concludes that markets are getting
advantage of being a free-agent today is that you can use
smarter, more informed, more organized. I have found
the Internet to get around most hierarchies. Information on
that participation in a networked market changes people
almost any field is available for free. Tools like Twitter let you
fundamentally. This is supported by Jeff Jarvis:
“follow” people in fields that interest you; making it excellent
for competitive intelligence. Checking out “crowd-sourced” To make the money I don’t make teaching, I consult
tags on Delicious lets you see what others find important. You and speak for various media companies and brands.
can connect with people on Facebook or on Linked-In, with The only reason I get those gigs is because companies
its discussion groups. Personally, I use Linked-In for business read the ideas I discuss at Buzzmachine and ask me
and Facebook for friends & colleagues. Both networks, as well to come and repeat them in PowerPoint form and
as Twitter, have connected me to paid work. explore them with their staff. I’ve also been asked to
teach executives how to blog (a class that should, by
Cluetrain Thesis #9 says that networked conversations are
rights, take about two minutes). That work and the
enabling powerful new forms of social organization and
teaching get me to a nice income in six figures. So I’m
knowledge exchange to emerge. It still requires hard work,
not looking quite as idiotic now, I hope.
perseverance, skill and knowledge but you can get recognized
for your expertise. Kathy Sierra has an excellent graph showing Rob Paterson explains how important blogging is for his work:
the work required, but the tools to disseminate your expertise NPR, all my work in New Media, Blackwater,
are here now: Education – all my paying gigs have come through
this medium [blogging].
Some Quick Start Tips to market yourself online:

1. Get your own domain name

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August 20th, 2010
2. Free your Bookmarks and start sharing what you do
3. Read blogs & make comments and don’t forget to
Aggregate before you’re swamped
4. Establish a consistent presence on Linked-In, Facebook,
etc.
5. Start your blog (WordPress, Typepad) without any
fanfare
6. Check out other social media like Twitter or what others
are talking about
7. Watch for patterns and see what makes sense for you
These Small Business Blogs may give some inspiration.
After several years of blogging and engaging in educational
(un-marketing) conversations online, here are some of the
tangible benefits to my business. Many of these practices
are interwoven with my personal knowledge management
processes as well.
• Using a feed reader (via RSS), saves a lot of time and
bookmarking.
• The information I get from blogs and Twitter is usually
weeks ahead of the mainstream press. This is competitive
intelligence.
• By blogging and tweeting I have raised my profile on the
web, which is cheap, but time-consuming, marketing.
• I use my knowledge base of blogs posts when preparing
reports, proposals and presentations. WordPress is an
excellent tool and has become much easier to use with
version 3.0.
• Blogging forces me to think and reflect in order to write,
so that what was just an idea in my mind becomes more
concrete. I am better prepared when asked questions by
potential clients.
• Through blogging and Twitter I have met a number of
business partners.
• Online writing keeps me in touch with a lot of interesting
people and expands my view of the world, providing new
ideas for my business.
• When I have a problem, especially a technical one, I post
it on Twitter and usually get an informed answer within
24 hours. It’s like a large performance support system.
• My web presence allows people to get to know my
opinions before they engage me as a consultant; saving
time and potential frustrations.
Most User-Friendly Dorm For
Disabled Students
Source: http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/08/most-userfriendly-
dorm-for-disabled-students-.html
By StevenB on August 20th, 2010
It helped that she moved into the university's first new
residence hall in 44 years and the most user-friendly dorm
in the country for students with severe physical disabilities.
Published by: philosophyandrew
As Rozema wheeled into her single room for the first time
Tuesday, a disability advocate showed off the features: a
wireless pager that will call for help 24 hours a day and a
remote-controlled ceiling lift system to transport her from her
bed to the in-room bathroom. the U. of I. dorm will allow
students with the most severe disabilities — all use motorized
wheelchairs or scooters — to get the personalized care they
need while being integrated with typical students. Read more
at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-u-
of-i-disability-dorm-20100818,0,796860.story
Achieving Operational
Excellence at University of
California, Berkeley Final
Diagnostic Report – Complete
Version
Source: http://www.educause.edu/node/211820
By ckeller on August 20th, 2010
This UC Berkeley report gathered and analyzed data from
across the campus and identified several key areas that
offer significant opportunities to improve campus operational
effectiveness and reduce the costs of campus operations that
support Berkeley's teaching and research mission. In addition,
the report recommended that a program office be established
to oversee and guide the work of design and implementation.
Restructured relationships:
the theatrics of social media
Source: http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2010/08/19/restructured-
relationships-the-theatrics-of-social-media/
By gsiemens on August 20th, 2010
Relationships are changing, driven largely by social media, for
editors and readers, teachers and learners, politicians and the
electorate. The “audience” has changed in most sectors. Even
traditional disciplines like acting and theatre are impacted.
A recent event in Edmonton demonstrates the dimensions of
that relationship (power?) shift and the difficulty many people
have in coming to grips with the scope of change. Mack Male
provides detailed description , but here’s my short version:
theatre attendee routinely blogs her opinions and experiences
with a local theatre…a prominent actor at that theatre (Jeff
Haslam) decides, after five years of reviews, to provide a
(very sharp) rebuke to the blogger. With this scene queued,
the curtain rises as bloggers/twitters/traditional media try
to make sense of hurt feelings and how an actor/actress is
to relate to an audience when the audience has a voice and
forum for broadcasting their views – a reality not that different
from what is happening in higher education. At stake: the
role of expertise (does one need to be trained theatre reviewer
to express opinions?), civility, and the value of social media
in traditional disciplines. This an outstanding study of the
growing influence of social media and the need for greater
awareness of the power shift it’s creating.
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August 20th, 2010
Crazy Stuff Students Try To
Move Into Their Dorm Rooms
Source: http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/08/crazy-stuff-
students-try-to-move-into-their-dorm-rooms.html
By StevenB on August 20th, 2010
This is the week when thousands of college students move
into the dorms. Most of them show up with a moderate car
full (or two) of stuff. But then there are the epic mover-inners
-- college students who bring stuff that surprises residence
hall directors and staffers who think they have already seen it
all. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune had a story this weekend
about a frosh who showed up to his Minnesota college (that
went unnamed) with a semi. This was the same student whose
parents asked if they could send an interior designer to take
measurements of the room and do a complete makeover --
without asking for the roommate's opinion.It's not the only
odd move-in. Read more at:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-
overload/2010/08/overdoing_the_dorm_move-in.html?
wprss=campus-overload
IT Accessibility Center
Source: http://www.educause.edu/node/211818
By drupal on August 20th, 2010
Are your websites and applications accessible to people with
disabilities? How do you verify the accessibility claims of
vendors? How does universal design support the diverse
learning styles of students? Are Section 508 and W3C
WCAG requirements confusing? Stop by the IT Accessibility
Center and learn what universal design really means, how
much it costs, and how you can be a part of making the
resources of your campus more universally accessible to
everyone, including people with disabilities. Participate in a
miniseminar, try a disability simulation, get a free accessibility
evaluation, share a story, and ask your burning questions.
Number Of Campus
Bookstores Offering Rentals
Skyrockets
Source: http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/08/number-of-
campus-bookstores-offering-rentals-skyrockets.html
By StevenB on August 20th, 2010
College students will be able to shop early and save hundreds
of dollars on textbooks as more than 1,000 campus bookstores
nationwide launch discounted rental programs this fall. The
rise of rentals means students can see substantial upfront cost
savings without having to gamble on buying a used book and
hoping the bookstore will buy it back, Allen says. Students
can highlight and write in the rentals; normal wear and
tear is expected. The country's two largest college bookstore
companies, Follett and Barnes & Noble, embraced the rental
option after successful pilot programs last fall. Just 250 college
campuses nationwide offered some textbook rental program
during the 2009-10 school year, according to the National
Published by: philosophyandrew
Association of College Stores. This fall, some 1,300 campuses
will offer textbooks for rent. Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-08-17-
RentingTextbooks17_ST_N.htm
University of Kansas Medical
Center Operational Protocol:
Mobile Device Security
Source: http://www.educause.edu/node/211800
By ckeller on August 20th, 2010
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for
the appropriate use and configuration of mobile devices as
necessary to protect the KUMC network and\or information
from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Conservative Watchdog Group
Claims IHEs Suffer From
Administrative Bloat
Source: http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/08/conservative-
watchdog-group-claims-ihes-suffer-from-administrative-bloat.html
By StevenB on August 20th, 2010
A new report by a conservative watchdog group concludes
the nation's universities have become less efficient over the
years by dramatically increasing the number of administrators
they hire per student. The Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute
contends the rapid increase in administrative expenses is a big
part of the rising cost of higher education. The organization
calls for a reduction in government subsidies as a way to
force universities to become more efficient. Officials at three
Arizona universities mentioned in the report say they haven't
read the study, which is being released today. But they
said they are familiar with its methodology and believe the
conclusions are seriously flawed. Read more at:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/
articles/2010/08/17/20100817collegeadministration0817.html#ixzz
E-Science and Data Support
Services
Source: http://www.educause.edu/node/211799
By ckeller on August 20th, 2010
This study draws on data from 57 of 123 ARL member libraries
(a 46% response rate for the survey). Over 75% of survey
respondents reported that their institution either provides
infrastructure or support services for e-science or is planning
infrastructure for such activities. This finding demonstrates
research libraries’ rapid engagement in e-science in recent
years. Both the survey and the authors’ interviews detail
how institutions are quickly rising to meet the challenge of
managing data and their diverse strategies for doing so in
the face of significant challenges regarding infrastructure,
funding, and staff resources.
The report presents the findings of the survey of ARL
member libraries and also includes six case studies compiled
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August 20th, 2010
by the authors to elaborate library e-science activities and
collaborations. Strategies for resourcing e-science services,
staffing patterns, and the influence of institutional culture
are explored. In addition to the case studies and survey
findings, the report includes a bibliography of related articles,
reports, and Web sites, along with the survey instrument and a
selection of recent research library position descriptions with
significant e-science support components.
CampusEAI Consortium
Partners With ITS to Bring
myCampus to Middle Eastern
and North African Colleges
and Universities
Source: http://www.educause.edu/node/211793
By Hollie Rybak on August 20th, 2010
CampusEAI Consortium Partners with ITSL to Bring
myCampus to Middle Eastern and North African Colleges and
Universities
Cleveland - August, 18, 2010 - CampusEAI Consortium
today announced their new partnership with International
Turnkey Systems (ITS) Group to deliver myCampus, the
most widely deployed campus portal and web content
management solution in higher education to Middle Eastern
and North African colleges and universities. Utilizing
myCampus will help ITS clients improve personalization
and the overall quality of campus communications and
collaboration.
ITS is a principal supplier of innovative integrated information
technology solutions, serving several industries across the
Middle East, Asia and Africa. ITS delivers superior, end-to-end
solutions that assist organizations reach their full potential.
ITS continuously develops partnerships with prominent
international companies in the industries that it currently
serves; investing in research and development in order to
determine the best products and customizing them to fit
specific client requirements.
myCampus is a Software-as-a-Service Web 2.0 campus
portal solution that provides prospective and current
students, alumni, faculty and staff with access to their
academic and social information all in one place.
CampusEAI Consortium provides myCampus via the
CampusEAI Consortium's Private Cloud, a 24x7x365 high-
performance computer cluster, designed to eliminate up front
capital expenditures to reduce the utilization of technical
resources and to ensure high performance, availability,
stability and security.
The ITS and CampusEAI partnership will empower
institutions to construct and employ an entirely digital campus
through a fused suite of myCampus software applications.
myCampus will be available to current ITS clients; extending
the portal's superior functionality benefits, which include:
• Identity Management Integrations
Published by: philosophyandrew
• Enterprise Resource Planning Single Sign-On
• Learning Management System Single Sign-On
• Email and Calendaring System Single Sign-On
• Library Database Integrations
• Web Content Management
• Targeted Alerts
• Web 2.0 Social Networking
"We are happy to announce our partnership with International
Turnkey Systems," said Anjli Jain, Executive Director of
the CampusEAI Consortium, "We look forward to providing
beneficial and cost-effective solutions to institutions in the
Middle East and North Africa through myCampus."
Hanny Alshazly, Senior Manager, Business Development -
Education at ITS added, "The myCampus solution offers
our clients access to a reputed SaaS portal service and
allows them to enjoy the many benefits that social networks
have to offer. We look forward to a fruitful relationship
with CampusEAI Consortium that will bring great value to
customers across MEA regions."
For further information, members can contact their
CampusEAI Account Manager. Non-members seeking
further information can contact Hollie Rybak at
hollie_rybak@campuseai.org or visit the CampusEAI website
www.CampusEAI.org.
About International Turnkey Systems
Established in 1981, International Turnkey Systems (ITS) is
a leading integrated information technology solution provider
that offers superior products and services to enable its
customers to keep pace with today's continuously evolving and
competitive business environment while preparing them to
meet future challenges and opportunities in their respective
markets. Catering to the Banking, Telecommunication and
Education industries, ITS takes pride in its proven track
record having implemented cutting edge solutions for
numerous clients throughout the Middle East, Africa,
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Malaysia. ITS supports its clients
with an extensive and ever-expanding network of regional
offices employing a team of more than 3,000 skilled
professionals across its 24 offices who have the passion,
enthusiasm and commitment to deliver required services
efficiently. ITS Education works with corporation and
educational institutions to tackle the challenges they face
in this knowledge-driven economy. By facilitating the
centralized deployment of disparate solutions, ITS offers
clients comprehensive and seamless solutions that are stable,
secure and scalable, ensuring their success is an effortless and
immediate process. For more information, visit www.its.ws.
About CampusEAI Consortium
CampusEAI Consortium is a global information technology
services and consulting provider focused on helping its
members implement enterprise IT solutions cost-effectively
and timely. More than 260 members belong to the
CampusEAI Consortium, including University of Arizona,
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August 20th, 2010 Published by: philosophyandrew
Albany State University, Curry College, University of Maine
at Farmington, University of North Carolina Wilmington,
Staffordshire University and The Australian National
University. For more information, visit www.CampusEAI.org
About myCampus
myCampus, the most widely deployed campus portal and web
content management solution in higher education provides
prospective and current students, alumni, faculty and staff
with single sign-on access to their academic and social
information. For more information on myCampus, visit
http://www.campuseai.org/mycampus-campus-portal.