NorthStarNerd.Org

Smart Video Collections

I've noticed a number of blog links back to Open Culture's "10 Signs of Intelligent Life at YouTube". This post reviews YouTube academic video courseware collections, but also bemoans the fact that YouTube makes it difficult to to self-discover academic content. My response ... use advanced search and life becomes quite easy. For instance ...

1. Google owns YouTube
2. Link to Video.Google.Com
3. Then select Advanced Video Search
4. Experiment by limiting search results using some of the options ...
   
   • select long duration (lectures tend to be longer)
     .. or ..
   • restrict the domain to video.google.com (avoids YouTube)
     .. or ..
   • select specific genre (take a look at the categories)
5. Here are some samples:
   
   • Query: Lecture and Long Duration
   • Query: Genre - Science / Tech and Long Duration

My long time blog readers may remember that earlier this year I created a screencast upon this very subject, Google Video, Your Training Search Engine.

Finally, Happy New Year! You may have noticed I had not posted for some time. I've been hiding out on the North Shore of Lake Superior (circa 1920 log cabin). My wife's and my Christmas present to the family was a cross-country ski trip "up north". Now many of you may consider Minnesota already "up north", but a native Minnesotan knows differently! The log cabin we rented sits within 10 yards of a 40 foot cliff down to Lake Superior. Here are some photos of God's Country:

1. The Northstar Nerd wearing knickers!
2. Pineknot Cabin
3. Looking to the Northeast
4. Looking to the Southwest
5. Erik, Molly and me
6. Lunch at the Coho Cafe ... after a 25k morning ski.

     

Merry Christmas!

It's early afternoon on Christmas day ... life is beginning to return to normal. Thank you for your support during 2007, and specifically my Run for China's Children. 35 children in China received the best present possible this year, a new school.

If your situation allows, please consider a pledge for the LingYun Dorm Project. Send a pledge via eMail to Rich Hoeg at rhoeg@comcast.net. Remember, not everyone in this world has equal access to learning. You'll note that none of my learning sites use Google Adwords. I support these learning efforts using my own resources; thus your donation to the LingYun Dorm Project is that much more appreciated. Donations in the USA are tax deductible.

In wrapping up 2007 I invite you to view the China Tomorrow Education Foundation's current newsletter, and the case study the foundation created covering the building of JiaYou's new school:

• CTEF Newsletter | Web Site
• JiaYou Case Study

Once again, thank you and Merry Christmas!
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PowerSHAPE - Free CAD Solution

Mr. Anonymous added some neat links yesterday to the Engineering Learning Wiki, PowerSHAPE-e. I was not aware of this CAD software, but the price makes it worth some research (i.e. free). Here are the links you'll need:

• Engineering Learning Wiki: Engineering Software Tools
  • PowerSHAPE-e
    • iTunes Tutorials
    • Video Tutorials

Remember, you can subscribe to wiki changes via RSS. I don't blog about all the additions!

Web 2.0 and Learning BarCamp in 2008??

I've been intrigued with Unconferences ever since I attended Wikimania at Harvard during the Summer of 2006. Although Wikimania was not strictly an unconference, I really appreciated the free flow of ideas, and the fact that much of the conference was unstructured. I've found that I learn much more from fellow participants, than formal presentations.

Recently I've been introduced to the concept of BarCamps. Quite frankly I'm intrigued with the idea of hosting a "Web 2.0 and Corporate Learning BarCamp in 2008". Here is a link from a BarCamp hosted in my home state of Minnesota earlier this year.  It will help you get the idea.

Anyone else interested ? Post a comment, or send me an email: rhoeg@comcast.net.
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Update posted on January 7, 2008: Feedback to this idea has been positive.  I've contacted some folks I know at both Stanford and Harvard with the goal of seeing if either of those organizations might be willing to provide space for such an event. As much as hosting a BarCamp in Minnesota might be easier for me, it's obvious that Boston or Silicon Valley would allow for better participation on the part of some key individuals.
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The Age of Speed

With as hectic as life becomes during the holiday season, take a few minutes and listen to this podcast from TechNation (NPR), The Age of Speed (Learning to Thrive in a Faster More Now World).

Description: In The Age of Speed, Former Olympic speed skier and now author and consultant Vince Poscente shows us instead how to harness the power of speed for less stressful, less hectic lives. This doesn't necessary mean slowing down!

I've also added this podcast to my Innovation and Networked Economy Podcast Series.
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