[ED-TECH] MS Office Compatibility Pack

Ed-Tech list members,

 

If you are using Microsoft Office 2003 under Windows, be sure to go to http://snipurl.com/compat in order to download and install the Compatibility Pack.  This will allow you to open and write the files that are compatible with Office 2007.  For example, Office 2007 uses .docx for the Word file type while Office 2003 uses .doc. 

 

If someone with 2007 sends a .docx file to someone with 2003, the person with 2003 will need the Compatibility Pack in order to open the .docx file.

 

If there is someone who manages your computer for you, I recommend, as always, not doing this yourself, but rather checking with them so that it can be done to their specifications.  If you are working on your own computer, say at home, you can easily download and install the Compatibility Pack yourself.

 

Bill Vilberg

 

[ED-TECH] Grant: Integrating teaching and learning with virtual worlds

Here is the announcement:

 

Virtual World, Real Money

Blackboard Inc. has announced that it is offering a $25,000 grant for colleges to integrate teaching and learning with virtual worlds, such as Second Life. Called the Greenhouse Grant for Virtual Worlds, the program is meant to find ways to enhance student experience through the three-dimensional realm of computer-generated worlds. The deadline for submission is September 24, and winners will be announced at Educause's annual conference, in October.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

I can’t see any advantage to Second Life as a learning platform.  It seems to me it adds a level of separation between the participants that isn’t present in a real classroom.  Perhaps as an alternative to text messages, in distance learning, it can be valuable.  But it isn’t easy to learn to move or do things in Second Life. 

 

Anyway, if anyone is interested in participating, I will be happy to assist and turn a number of individual projects into one institutional grant request.  Let me know if you are interested.

 

Bill Vilberg