Email Address Change Please note: the University of Alberta appears to have terminated by email account sdownes@ualberta.ca - at least, it doesn't like my password any more, which is generally a bad sign (on the bright side - I'll get less spam). So if you are trying to contact me, please use stephen@downes.ca - an email address that, I promise, will never change even if my employment or my residence does. By , , .[Refer]

Edumed News Launched yesterday (January 13), Edumed News is a free on-line newsletter for news and events on distance education and information technology in medicine and health. It is an official publication of the Edumed Institute for Education in Medicine and Health. The newsletter (it is not a discussion group) is based in Yahoo Groups, but you do not need to register to view the messages. By Renato M.E. Sabbatini and Silvia Helena Cardoso, Edumed Institution for Education in Medicine and Health, January 13, 2002.[Refer]

Teacher Focus A new online resource for educators, Teacher Focus includes a teacher forum, a calendar with incoming professional conferences and other events, and a resource directory with links to educational topics, professional development, grant opportunities, and more. By , , .[Refer]

Very Big Pipes Even after the demise of Napster, file sgaring continues to be a major activity among college and university students. Fle sharing and the many other activities that make up educational internet traffic are clogging university internet connections. " Clearly... students were more eager to go online than even he, a longtime fan of the Internet, had expected. Even with limits on bandwidth use, the network pipes were still vulnerable to bursting." By Lisa Guernsey, New York Times, January 13, 2002.[Refer]

Specifying Requirements With a Wall of Wonder A good piece for people developing online courses and educational software, this article recommends the use of a 'Wall of Wonder' as a tool to facilitate collaboration. Having worked with similar 'walls' on various projects in the past, I can personally attest to its usefulness in creating an open and collaborative atmosphere. This article expands on the concept, lists tools and processes, and provides a good example of the wall in use. By Ellen Gottesdiener, The Rational Edge, January, 2002.[Refer]

$1B US for Education? Commentary on the US vs Microsoft Settlement Failure Schools may not be getting a billion dollars worth of software, writes the author, but as a result they may be better off. Microsoft software would have come with Microsoft licenses, meaning that schools would have been looking at leasing their software in the future rather than owning it outright. "Leasing software may make sense for a large corporation due to its favorable tax treatment in the US, however it is not an alternative for schools." By Wade Hampton, Open Source Schools, January 14, 2002.[Refer]

SchoolForge Coalition Formed to Advance Open Resources in Education Patterned on the open source software initiative called SourceForge, SchoolForge, founded January 8, is intended to be a central repository for open source projects related to education. SchoolForge provides open source resources, fosters the development of new resources, and serves as a focal point for people interested in free and open source educational solutions. By Press Release, SchoolForge, January 8, 2002.[Refer]

The Teachers' Place Sponsored by UNICEF, The Teachers' Place provides resources and discussion for teachers interested in learning about and teaching interdependence, peace, social justice and the rights of young people. The resources on the page encourage students to take action on global issues. Not surprisingly, the site attracts a more global audience than most, so be prepared for some views that might not be expressed in your own country. In English, French and Spanish. By , UNICEF, .[Refer]

Babel and the Vintage Selection: Libraries in the Digital Age While computers are not new to the library, the author asserts, the advent of electronic textx and internet connectivity create a new reality for the librarian. Their very means of interacting with the text has changed. This article is in French but you can obtain a rough translation working with Google - http://www.google.com/language_tools - and while the words don't always come out right, the flavour of this innovative and Biblical look at the library shines through. By Bernard Huchet and Emmanučle Payen, text-e.org, January 14, 2002.[Refer]

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