Next Generation Investment
February 11, 2010 by Cath · Leave a Comment
In the UK there is a new grant scheme available for low-income families with children aged 3-9, to get access to a computer and the internet to get online at home.
If you are a low income family in receipt of certain benefits you could qualify for a grant to buy a computer and/or a minimum of one years’ internet access. The programme is aimed at those that need it most and targets families that do not have access to a computer or the internet at home.
Depending on what you need, the grant allows eligible applicants to buy one of the following packages:
1. Full package (a computer, one year’s internet access, service and support)
2. A computer with service and support only
3. One year’s internet access only
I am pleased to see that parents will be allowed to purchase their own choice of pc and software, and that there is telephone support for those who are not familiar with using the internet. I think that this type of investment in children is so important, and will help to reduce inequalities in the education system and motivate children to learn.
MobilizeThis09
October 27, 2009 by Cath · Leave a Comment
Mobilize This09 being held on Friday the 30th of October, brings together those pursuing the active use of mobile technologies and associated digital literacy in their daily lives, teaching and work related duties. The event will be held at Charles Darwin University, Australia – Google map, in the ‘Mal Nairn’ Auditorium. In attendance will be invited guests, Charles Darwin University staff and students and many registered community representatives.
The focus of this years events are on the showcasing of examples of where mobile related learning concepts interface with popular learning design. There will be ample opportunity for online participants to connect with physical activities happening.
As this has both interactive and broadcast free / live to air components to the program there is expected to be a large online audience also.
Please feel free to join in uStream and tell others about the Friday 30th event.
Jokaydia’s New Outpost
October 11, 2009 by Cath · Leave a Comment
I am pleased to see that the community of Jokaydia have embraced and developed a new outpost on Reaction Grid, which is run on the OpenSimulator platform. Jo Kay reports on her blog that the community of educators will be meeting up on Sunday evenings;
To visit jokaydia @ Reaction Grid, simply sign up here and follow the instructions here. When you arrive, you’ll find us either by searching the map for jokaydia, or look for a blue landmark button that the Reaction Team have kindly added at Core 1 (the Reaction Grid landing point) t0 direct visitors to our new space.
Whilst Jokaydia will continue to have its main headquarters in second life, the plans to diversify will continue, spurred on by recent events which have caused a stir within the virtual world community.
Making sculpted chair for secondlife part 2
Following on from part 1, in this episode we finish modeling our chair, then bake the sculptmap, texture and preview them in opensim.
Watch it below or watch it on youtube.
Visit Archive.org and download the Ogg video or Avi.
Download Making sculpted chair for secondlife files (133) - 621.52 KB , it contains the blend file, sculptmap and texture used in the tutorial.
![[Attribution 2.5 Australia]](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/2.5/au/88x31.png "[Attribution 2.5 Australia]")
All files and video released under CC-BY2.5-AU license.
Make sure you visit Teachers Without Borders space on Secondlife to check for upcoming events.
Teachers Without Borders on Secondlife
July 28, 2009 by Chris · 2 Comments
I wandered around Teachers Without Borders space on Secondlife and recorded a video of it that you can watch below or watch on youtube. You can also download it from internet archive.
Read more about Teachers Without Borders.
I hope Konrad Glogowski doesn’t mind quoting some of his email but heres part of what he told me about Teachers Without Borders and Secondlife.
The mission of Teachers Without Borders is to support teachers from around the world with professional development opportunities and tools that connect them with information and each other so that they may play more vital roles in their communities. We currently work with several governments and Ministries of Education around the world, including Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Peru, and China just to name a few.
The goal of the SL presence is to provide a platform for teachers in industrialized nations to discuss teacher professional development as an important factor in international development, to help raise awareness of issues affecting teachers in developing nations, and to work towards increased empowerment and change.
The space will be used to host a discussion series open to all on some of the above topics. As a long-time jokaydian, I also hope to use this space to continue to contribute to the island’s growth and profile.
Konrad contacted me about making some furniture for that space and I’m really keen to contribute. I think perhaps he saw my sculpture and and work flow from my screenshots on flickr. Over the last few days I’ve been experimenting with chairs. To be continued…
The music I used in the video is “Confrontation, Le Gardien” by Grégoire Lourme.
Linux Educational Comicbooks
April 25, 2009 by Cath · Leave a Comment
Hackett and Bankwell is an educational comic/cartoon manual designed to teach readers how to get started with Linux-based operating systems. You can download copies of the ebooks here.
New users often feel overwhelmed by all of the new information they need to digest in order to confidently use Linux, and Hackett and Bankwell provides them a quicker way to get familiar with using Linux-based operating systems and master the material.
The publication is available to purchase here or you can make a donation which will help them to publish futher material, the comic is also available with Ubuntu on cd. This comic is suitable for all ages and has real educational value so by all means download the pdf and pass it on to younger readers, the illustrations are really fun.
Hackett and Bankwell can be instrumental in helping new users understand the various elements that comprise the operating system and how they work together.
Cyberpsychology
September 12, 2008 by Cath · Leave a Comment
Nottingham Trent University have introduced a Cyberpsychology masters degree, the first of its kind in the UK. The course is open to postgraduates and will look at online gaming and gambling, social networking as well as online dating.
Dr Monica Whitty, who’s running the course said that:
“As well as being academically challenging, with the possibility of students going on to do a PhD, the course has been designed with the needs of industry firmly in mind.”
The course has been designed to be academically challenging but also attuned to the needs of the industry. As a result the academic team have incorporated a work-based module in the curriculum.
This module will allow students to experience an intensive period of work over a three week period. The work will be within industry (e.g., online dating and online gaming companies) and will:
- enable students to display a comprehensive understanding of key theoretical, philosophical, and methodological issues, debates and initiatives that lie at the forefront of research in cyberpsychology
- develop students’ understanding and skills in a range of research methods and techniques applicable to advanced scholarship in cyberpsychology
- enable students to conduct ethically sensitive research in the area of cyberpsychology
- enable students to apply theory and research in the field of cyberpsychology to practical contexts.
This sounds like a really interesting course, I am tempted to apply. I think one MA degree is enough to be going on with though!
Makehuman and Blender using Ubuntu Hardy
August 26, 2008 by Chris · 2 Comments
MakeHuman is a software application that generates 3D humanoids; similar to Poser or DAZ Studio. It is written in C++ and Aqsis is necessary to produce a render. The MakeHuman team work towards correctness both in programming (using common file formats) and anatomy. MakeHuman makes extensive use of university research in accurately modelling the human form.
I’ve been learning character animation with Blender and found Makehuman. Here’s the MakeHuman to Blender Part I tutorial on Blender Underground, follow the links to part 2 and 3. Also check out the Blender Underground video tutorials. The videos and tutorials are awesome.
There was one problem I had installing Makehuman and that was with Aqsis.
The MakeHuman project uses Aqsis to produce realistic renderings of the human body.
I stuffed around trying to compile from source then found that the problem was a bug with Ubuntu Hardy, Aqsis fix on Ubuntu Hardy.
It is a lot of fun playing with settings. Watch this makehuman video on youtube.
What I found really interesting was when you import your model to blender, I did this using the collada import plugin. I’ll try to explain a little using the screenshot below.
By default the skeleton and armature are placed inside the body, I moved them out of the body to show you. Im sure having the armature already set up will save a lot of time, armature is kind of skeletal structure used for animation. Watch Super3boy’s 20th Blender Tutorial(Using Armatures) on youtube for a good introduction to armatures. The other at the back is the human skeleton. The other thing you can’t see here is the skin, I still have a lot to learn and texturing/skinning the meshes looks difficult. On top of all the 3d stuff theres so much I’m learning about the human body.
The other thing I’m enjoying about learning Blender this time around is the community at blenderartists.org. The way the more experienced guys explain things, the terminology they use is really helping me along and of course being able to use some of their source files is incredibly useful.
Checkout this forum post “Skin with multilayered sss experiments” by Pixelvore, he’s 16 and been using blender for around 3 years, look at all the things he knows and what he can do.
Another gem I found in the forums was “2008 Adelaide Uni Short Film Festival Entry *Winner*“.
I use Blender for making sculpties for secondlife, mainly my gnu head and horns and a few other things. Useful links:
I recently noticed Blender to SL BVH Animation Exporter. Looks really good. Read the tutorial, here’s the update.
I almost forgot, hopefully I can get one of my mates over so we can strap bra’s to our heads and create our perfect woman.
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