Short Course on Structured Course Development, LOs, and Standards

Short Course on Structured Course Development, LOs, and Standards

This excellent online course is available for free from CAREO (a Wiki version of the course is also provided for readers who might like to contribute to the presentation). The course was developed by the Resource Pool Project. The topics covered should be of especial value to developers of educational resources and resource repositories.
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Course Overview

This short course is intended to provide a basic overview of structured course development, learning objects, and e-learning standards and specifications. This course is meant to be non-technical in nature, although it is hard to make it so.

Course Goal

A Short Course on Structured Course Development, Learning Objects, and E-Learning standards will provide an introduction to using a structured language such as Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) or eXtensible Markup Language (XML) as a basis for producing a learning design and describing course content, activities, and assignments. The course will tell you what SGML and XML are and distinguish them from HyperText Markup Language. You will understand the concept of learning objects and the issues related to their use in e-learning, and you will learn about the standards and specifications initiatives that are shaping the e-learning world.

Key Concepts

• Semantic markup languages
• Instructional design using a structured approach
• Characteristics of learning objects
• Learning objects and metadata
• The difference between a standard and a specification
• Why standards and specifications are important
• E-learning standards and specifications initiatives

Finland can provide education for provincial school boards

Finland can provide education for provincial school boards

Teachers' opposition to standardized testing relates more to the method of administration than the use of such assessments.

New California law protects school journalism advisors

New California law protects school journalism advisors
The act, said to be the nation's most stringent, prohibits school administrators from retaliating against advisors for trying to protect student press freedoms.

When California public schools resume classes Monday, high school and college journalism advisors will be protected by a new state law designed to promote 1st Amendment freedoms.

Learn To Rock Like A Star

Learn To Rock Like A Star
There’s still hope for students whose school music programs have gone the way of the buffalo (or who would prefer rocking out as opposed to Little League or soccer practice). The Paul Green School of Rock Music teaches kids not only music theory and how to play their instruments, it also teaches kids the [...]

There’s still hope for students whose school music programs have gone the way of the buffalo (or who would prefer rocking out as opposed to Little League or soccer practice). The Paul Green School of Rock Music teaches kids not only music theory and how to play their instruments, it also teaches kids the fundamentals of performing in front of a live audience. The idea being, you can’t have a rock show without (a) an audience, and (b) crazy lights and a fog machine.

And, really, most kids are learning to play an instrument for only one of three reasons:

(1) Their parents are making them.

(2) They hope someday to perform with a world-renowned symphony and maybe have a stunning violin solo.

(3) They are biding their time learning guitar in the standard guitar-learning setting until they can absorb enough guitar knowledge and gather enough of their middle school friends to finally get their band going so they can be ass-kicking rock stars on tour with roadies and groupies by the age of 21.

From the CS Monitor article:

Aspiring rockers can enroll in any of the three semesters throughout the year. Students can learn how to play the keyboard, guitar, drums, or bass, and take voice instruction. Every week, students participate in a 45-minute lesson and a three-hour group rehearsal. The school also offers summer camp sessions where students get lessons in recording their own music and marketing.

Mr. Green grew up playing guitar and bass. He taught music lessons and played gigs to pay his way through college. Ultimately, his lessons turned into jam sessions when he asked his students to collaborate with him – and play the music they were individually learning. That’s when the idea for the school emerged. In 1998, Mr. Green opened up the first School of Rock in Philadelphia.

Now, 10 years later, there are 45 schools across the country, with 20 more schools set to open.

Seattle has a School of Rock should my kiddos ever want to test their rock-star mettle.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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