An experimental site (credited to christian langreiter, synerge digitality oeg) generates a comparison between search results located by Google and Yahoo.
The comparison appears as a series of circles associated with the first 50 (I think) results generated by each search engine. Common hits are linked by a line. You can move the cursor over a circle to identify the site.
This is cool and it must generate some useful information or promote some insight. Like what? Search engines return unique results. Try several search engines. etc.
Google has recently filed for a patent and the associated disclosure provides more detail into the ranking techniques than had previously been revealed. (Buzzle.com Summary)
I find the logic of the variables included to be very interesting. I suppose some will attempt to use what is known about the variables to engineer their site in ways that would generate a higher ranking.
NECC, my personal favorite computer conference, is coming up in a little over a week. A group of bloggers have been organized to describe the event. (NECC bloggers). This should be a good resource for those who cannot attend the event or who do attend but are interested in other perspectives.
I have posted from NECC for the past three conferences and I will again add comments to this blog from the conference.
eSchool News reports that the most rapidly expanding Internet demographic (I hope this is the proper marketing phrase) is the preschool user. Twenty-three percent of 3-5 year-olds have been online.
PBS Online has an entire section for preschoolers and kids like to correspond with grandparents.
It gives the phrase “you have come a long way baby” a whole new meaning. 🙂
If you find concept mapping tools of value, free resources from Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) may be of value. The core tool, CMap, can be obtained from the organization’s web site.
A description of Cmap and concept mapping can be found in a eSchool article.
The final day of the TNT conference runs half a day so that folks have an opportunity to drive home. Grand Forks is on the eastern edge of the state so many conference participants have a long way to go.
I attended a session today sponsored by the (North Dakota Interactive Video Network. K12 videoconferencing in North Dakota is a big deal primarily because small schools can share resources (i.e, mostly instructors) with other schools in a cost effective manner. We are talking H.323 (IP) applications.
The session had a broader purpose and spent a considerable amount of time promoting on-line resources not involving other ND schools. The basic idea is that ???providers??? are offering educational videoconferencing experiences ??? typically for a modest price (say $100 or so) and these experiences (often interactive) can be used to expand student educational opportunities.
Some Examples: You may have to explore to locate the resources provided – try locating “educational resources”.
While I frequently write about educational technology, I also recognize that it is quite possible to describe activities I have not actually performed myself. Geocaching is an example. I know that it represents an application of GPS and I have used a GPS device, but I have never actually located a cache. Today I had my chance.
Monte Gaukler, a tech buddy of my wife, presented on geocaching. She has worked with the activity in middle school, but has also become interested in geocaching as a family activity.
The training exercise was ingenious and was conducted within the area surrounding the conference site. 1) Hide a numbered golf ball and determine the coordinates with a gps. 2) Exchange GPSs among members of the group. 3) Use the coordinates to locate the appropriately numbered ball.
It was a very effective training technique – this old dog learned a new trick.
The conference also provided an opportunity to promote the University’s instructional design program. The University of North Dakota has a fledgling program in this area and it was a great opportunity to meet teachers and tell them about the program.
Program Director Richard Van Eck and student
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