ALT-C2007: September 2007 Archives

Looking at today's e-mail although the ALT-C 2007 conference is finished, well I am home as only a short hop to Derby, I thought this product release could not go unmentioned. The new range of iPods includes the iPod touch which is WiFi enabled and in view of the interesting points that Dylan Wiliam made during his keynote address (Link to page for link to talk not the 75Mb download!) the feasibility of multiple question answers onto web pages then aggregated during a class session become an immediate possibility.
Like the iPhone it looks to be based on the use of the Mac OSX operating system which will enable developers to create small apps for in class question feedback at the touch of an iPod. Is this the tool that will take the iPod a stage further?
As the owner of an iPod Photo I couldn't see a reason to upgrade to the iPod video the iPod touch is a different animal and if I can surf the web why not web based telephony and no need for the iPhone which would solve the European mess of which mobile phone company to collaborate with? I am sure there are even more possibilities. PS Thanks for a great conference it was my first but definitely won't be my last with best wishes to all especially other bloggers.

The blog feed from blogs is an interesting way of linking peoples thoughts and reflections. However wandering around it was interesting to see how glued or involved folks are when working with a computer the common phrase "Do you mind if I use my computer when you are at a table" which we can interpret as something along the lines of "I don't want to be rude but I am not going to talk to you but commune with my computer" or words to that effect. So I took a few photographs, no electronic flash, so as not to disturb of the intensity of involvement with screens and bloggers positions and postures, comfortable, laid back, standing, sitting, discussing even. OK not everyone is blogging b ut in terms of alliterative titles it sounds much better!

The slideshow below is the photographs together with music using Soundslides http://soundslides.com see earlier blog. For bigger version go to http://www.cladonia.co.uk/soundslides/bloggers

A good day of presentations and workshops and good food an essential conference criteria. After trying to focus from the number of threads you are sure you have missed a lot of good sessions but you have to go with what you have chosen. Highlights for me was the last session about Postgraduate Blogs which was a neat piece of reflective research from a reduction, in sauce sense, of examining themes and ideas from categories of blogs to what they can do to support and enable research collaboration. Cancel idea of using mobile phone for photography!

http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2007/timetable/abstract.php?abstract_id=1150