Any parent with an autistic child will look for something that may have triggered autism in the family. As there has yet to be a gene discovered that causes autism, more focus is being made on the possible causes in the environment.
One modern concern is that vaccines with thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used in some vaccines as a preservative, could be causing autism. Why? Because autism is very similar in symptoms to mercury poisoning, and all children get several series of vaccines before they are 2. The timing is right, the source is identified, everything seems to be pointing in the right direction: Except there is no scientific proof that thimerosal causes autism.
But that isn't stopping some families, which have gone to court. Most studies rejecting thimerosal as a cause of autism were conducted before 2004. Since then, according to the plaintiff's lawyer, 35 articles that were peer-reviewed and published suggest a possible link. That is what their court argument is running on.
The problem is they have a huge opponent: The US Center for Disease Control has not found any link, and therefore considers the claim baseless. Instead they warn parents to the dangers of not having their children vaccinated. In fact, there was a recent article on a national outbreak of measles among children. The MMR vaccine should be protecting them, so either the vaccine is not working or parents are not letting their children have the vaccine.
What's my take on it? Children need to be vaccinated. Vaccines are very important, particularly for those diseases that are very dangerous (small pox, polio, measles, etc.). The good news is that thimerosal is being used less and less, and was actually removed from most infant vaccines in 1999.
Where is it still being used? The Flu shot. So, don't give your children the shot, have them use the nose spray instead. It was recently approved for child usage, and works just as well. There are some other shots that you should look out for, and if you have any questions or concerns, ask your doctor. There are alternatives to thimerosal vaccines for those parents that are concerned, and your doctor can help you make that decision.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Autism and Vaccines
Any parent with an autistic child will look for something that may have triggered autism in the family. As there has yet to be a gene discovered that causes autism, more focus is being made on the possible causes in the environment.
One modern concern is that vaccines with thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used in some vaccines as a preservative, could be causing autism. Why? Because autism is very similar in symptoms to mercury poisoning, and all children get several series of vaccines before they are 2. The timing is right, the source is identified, everything seems to be pointing in the right direction: Except there is no scientific proof that thimerosal causes autism.
But that isn't stopping some families, which have gone to court. Most studies rejecting thimerosal as a cause of autism were conducted before 2004. Since then, according to the plaintiff's lawyer, 35 articles that were peer-reviewed and published suggest a possible link. That is what their court argument is running on.
The problem is they have a huge opponent: The US Center for Disease Control has not found any link, and therefore considers the claim baseless. Instead they warn parents to the dangers of not having their children vaccinated. In fact, there was a recent article on a national outbreak of measles among children. The MMR vaccine should be protecting them, so either the vaccine is not working or parents are not letting their children have the vaccine.
What's my take on it? Children need to be vaccinated. Vaccines are very important, particularly for those diseases that are very dangerous (small pox, polio, measles, etc.). The good news is that thimerosal is being used less and less, and was actually removed from most infant vaccines in 1999.
Where is it still being used? The Flu shot. So, don't give your children the shot, have them use the nose spray instead. It was recently approved for child usage, and works just as well. There are some other shots that you should look out for, and if you have any questions or concerns, ask your doctor. There are alternatives to thimerosal vaccines for those parents that are concerned, and your doctor can help you make that decision.
One modern concern is that vaccines with thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used in some vaccines as a preservative, could be causing autism. Why? Because autism is very similar in symptoms to mercury poisoning, and all children get several series of vaccines before they are 2. The timing is right, the source is identified, everything seems to be pointing in the right direction: Except there is no scientific proof that thimerosal causes autism.
But that isn't stopping some families, which have gone to court. Most studies rejecting thimerosal as a cause of autism were conducted before 2004. Since then, according to the plaintiff's lawyer, 35 articles that were peer-reviewed and published suggest a possible link. That is what their court argument is running on.
The problem is they have a huge opponent: The US Center for Disease Control has not found any link, and therefore considers the claim baseless. Instead they warn parents to the dangers of not having their children vaccinated. In fact, there was a recent article on a national outbreak of measles among children. The MMR vaccine should be protecting them, so either the vaccine is not working or parents are not letting their children have the vaccine.
What's my take on it? Children need to be vaccinated. Vaccines are very important, particularly for those diseases that are very dangerous (small pox, polio, measles, etc.). The good news is that thimerosal is being used less and less, and was actually removed from most infant vaccines in 1999.
Where is it still being used? The Flu shot. So, don't give your children the shot, have them use the nose spray instead. It was recently approved for child usage, and works just as well. There are some other shots that you should look out for, and if you have any questions or concerns, ask your doctor. There are alternatives to thimerosal vaccines for those parents that are concerned, and your doctor can help you make that decision.
Summer Projects: Food Storage and Urban Farming
My parents have been really concerned with food storage lately, and feeling an urgency to get it in place. As such, they are looking at ways to augment the food storage they already have in as many ways as possible. The main method? Self-sufficient urban farming.
I've talked about urban farming before. It's a process of growing and raising farm food in an urban environment while complying with city ordinances. Now, most cities allow quite a lot of latitude, depending on the reaction of the neighbors. So if you are not on good terms with your neighbors, you may want to warm them up to you.
The first and easiest method of urban farming is growing a garden. many people will plant whole sections of their yards in garden, others in selected areas. I chose selected areas, because our yard isn't that big to begin with. I have one small section in the back that has some eggplant, artichokes, corn, beans, pumpkin, peas, radishes, lettuce, cucumber and grapes growing. It's small, so there isn't a lot growing in this location. But the plants are well managed, allowing for good usage of the land.
This week I will be planting some watermelon in the front yard, in what is currently a garden plot covered with bark. It will give the appearance of green in the plot while utilizing less water. Why less water? Because the bark and weed barrier will keep the weeds down, leaving more water for the melons.
But, because the food that is grown isn't going to be able to feed us all, or provide all the nutrients we need, more needs to be done. Unfortunately, there isn't enough land in an urban environment to have livestock (nor is it zoned as such, generally). So, what can one do to get their farm-fresh foods?
First, you can learn how to make cheese. I've tried one recipe, and the cheese was pretty good. Now, this summer my family and I will be making more cheeses by investing in some cultures, rennet, and probably building a cheese press. Cheese was originally developed as a way to provide the benefits of milk and milk protein without worrying about it going sour in a short amount of time.
Next, there is preserved meats. We plan on making jerky this summer, along with some bottled and preserved meats. It requires some investment in a bath bottler (instead of just steam), but it's worth it in the end. Along with that, my family has a killer recipe for sweet pickled beets, dill pickled green beans, and hot pickled carrots. Perhaps this year I'll get to use my purple carrots I planted (assuming my son hasn't killed them all already).
But once you have all this done, where do you store them? A basement is great if it's rarely used. Unfortunately, our basement is being used. So what to do? Well, you can build a root cellar. Root cellars are great, because they can double as cheese caves. They stay naturally cool in summer, and don't freeze in the winter. Also, they don't have to be really large. You can build a small pit that is covered (so no one falls in), and then cover it up with a decent covering. As long as there is a drainage area for rain, you should be good to go.
So, are we planning on the end of the world? Is that why we are going nuts with this urban farming plan? No, not really. It's because we want to have good food, save some money on gas and buying at the store. It's all about economics. The fact that the food supply will still be useful and very viable in the case of a disaster is just icing on the cake.
And the real great thing about these projects this time is my wife's support of it. Before she thought I was just crazy, but now she understands the benefits of fresh vegetables and fruits that are just a short walk away.
I've talked about urban farming before. It's a process of growing and raising farm food in an urban environment while complying with city ordinances. Now, most cities allow quite a lot of latitude, depending on the reaction of the neighbors. So if you are not on good terms with your neighbors, you may want to warm them up to you.
The first and easiest method of urban farming is growing a garden. many people will plant whole sections of their yards in garden, others in selected areas. I chose selected areas, because our yard isn't that big to begin with. I have one small section in the back that has some eggplant, artichokes, corn, beans, pumpkin, peas, radishes, lettuce, cucumber and grapes growing. It's small, so there isn't a lot growing in this location. But the plants are well managed, allowing for good usage of the land.
This week I will be planting some watermelon in the front yard, in what is currently a garden plot covered with bark. It will give the appearance of green in the plot while utilizing less water. Why less water? Because the bark and weed barrier will keep the weeds down, leaving more water for the melons.
But, because the food that is grown isn't going to be able to feed us all, or provide all the nutrients we need, more needs to be done. Unfortunately, there isn't enough land in an urban environment to have livestock (nor is it zoned as such, generally). So, what can one do to get their farm-fresh foods?
First, you can learn how to make cheese. I've tried one recipe, and the cheese was pretty good. Now, this summer my family and I will be making more cheeses by investing in some cultures, rennet, and probably building a cheese press. Cheese was originally developed as a way to provide the benefits of milk and milk protein without worrying about it going sour in a short amount of time.
Next, there is preserved meats. We plan on making jerky this summer, along with some bottled and preserved meats. It requires some investment in a bath bottler (instead of just steam), but it's worth it in the end. Along with that, my family has a killer recipe for sweet pickled beets, dill pickled green beans, and hot pickled carrots. Perhaps this year I'll get to use my purple carrots I planted (assuming my son hasn't killed them all already).
But once you have all this done, where do you store them? A basement is great if it's rarely used. Unfortunately, our basement is being used. So what to do? Well, you can build a root cellar. Root cellars are great, because they can double as cheese caves. They stay naturally cool in summer, and don't freeze in the winter. Also, they don't have to be really large. You can build a small pit that is covered (so no one falls in), and then cover it up with a decent covering. As long as there is a drainage area for rain, you should be good to go.
So, are we planning on the end of the world? Is that why we are going nuts with this urban farming plan? No, not really. It's because we want to have good food, save some money on gas and buying at the store. It's all about economics. The fact that the food supply will still be useful and very viable in the case of a disaster is just icing on the cake.
And the real great thing about these projects this time is my wife's support of it. Before she thought I was just crazy, but now she understands the benefits of fresh vegetables and fruits that are just a short walk away.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Teaching Ad: Need a vi Editor and Shell Scripting Instructor
This summer, we had an instructor cancel on us for three classes we had scheduled. Unfortunately, we don't have the staff to cover these classes, so we are looking for a contract instructor that would be interested in teaching these classes, non-credit, for students should they register. If you are interested or curious, please contact Inita Lyon at 801-585-1964 for details.
vi Editor
The first class is the vi Editor class. It's scheduled for June 18th, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Shell Scripting Level 1
An introduction to shell scripting taught in the evening, scheduled for June 3rd and June 5th from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
Shell Scripting Level 2
Also an evening class, taught June 17th and 19th from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
If anyone is interested in teaching these classes, please let us know as soon as possible. Inita will be happy to answer any questions, give you an idea as to how the class should be structured, and which books are being used.
Thanks in advance for anyone who signs up!
vi Editor
The first class is the vi Editor class. It's scheduled for June 18th, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Shell Scripting Level 1
An introduction to shell scripting taught in the evening, scheduled for June 3rd and June 5th from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
Shell Scripting Level 2
Also an evening class, taught June 17th and 19th from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM.
If anyone is interested in teaching these classes, please let us know as soon as possible. Inita will be happy to answer any questions, give you an idea as to how the class should be structured, and which books are being used.
Thanks in advance for anyone who signs up!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Looking for A New Car: A Hybrid
This past week has been a beast. The weekend before, my car would not start. It just died, with no apparent reason for the problem. It's a Volkswagen Jetta 2003 TDI. I've had little problems with it before, but now that the warranty has gone out, I get the major one.
Of course, I'm of the school of thought that it's easier to fix your car than to take it in. Boy was I wrong. The last car I had to fix was my Geo Metro, which is more of a toy, and has mostly all mechanical parts. I loved it, because I could troubleshoot and replace just about anything on that baby. I was real cut up when the thing finally gave up the ghost, and I needed a new car.
I chose the Volkswagen because they had a good reputation for reliability, and they were filled with the features I was looking for. Also, they had a Turbo Diesel Injection engine that gets up to 52 mpg with the Jetta (the New Beetle got 60). That's why I really wanted it. Sure, diesel was more expensive than regular gas, but I could burn biodiesel.
Well, biodiesel hit a snag when I found out about a Salt Lake County law that prohibited the transportation of used cooking oil without a $million insurance policy. My guess is a company business was being protected from biodiesel hobbyists, but none the less it put a dampener on my plans. Still, it was cheaper to drive my car than my wife's Subaru, because I got just great mileage.
Well, now the thing will not start, and I have to take it into the shop. It's not the starter as I originally thought, but something with the electrical equipment. Add that with my botched attempt to tow the sucker (apparently there isn't a tow hook on the front of the thing), it's going to be rather expensive to get it fixed.
So now I'm looking for a new car. With the option of biodiesel pretty much null, I need another vehicle with excellent fuel economy, and will be comfortable for me, my wife, my son, and the new baby on the way. So, I started checking out Hybrids.
Now, don't get me wrong, I would rather have another alternative, i.e. electric car, but currently there isn't an electric car option that will give me the range that I need. The batteries are just not efficient enough (though they may be in the next 5 years). Hydrogen isn't really an option, because there isn't an environmentally friendly way of creating it in a timely manner. That, and fuel cells are just too expensive (can't imagine why, with all that platinum).
The Hybrids I checked out were listed on http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs_Cars.shtml, which is the government's fuel efficiency listing of vehicles. I was looking for a cost-effective vehicle that would get roughly the same fuel efficiency that I get with my Jetta TDI.
The Prius
The first car I think of when I think Hybrid is the Prius. At first I thought it was a joke, not getting the fuel efficiency that most other economy vehicles get. But then I actually took a ride in one. It's nice, very geeky, and has a great display. The ride was smooth, and when running just on battery power, it's very silent. You can also urk more bang for your buck if you let the wheels charge the battery for you. For those on a hill (like the one here at the U), it's great! And finally, the fuel efficiency is about 50 mpg on the Highway. That I like.
The Civic
The runner-up is the Honda Civic Hybrid. It's a little more expensive, gets almost the same mpg, and has roughly the same options. Why didn't I choose it? because it's a little more expensive! I'm a Scot, after all. ^_^
Other options were looked at, but nothing else came even remotely close. I looked at GM cars, Ford, and others, but none offered the same level of fuel efficiency as either the Prius or the Civic. I never thought I would go back to a Japanese car after driving a German one, but it looks like I may. After all, my Korean vehicle lasted longer than any other car I've had.
There is still one thing missing before my wife and I actually get the car, and that is the ability to car-pool. Once we get that worked out, we will be all set. It means one of us relocating our work spaces, which could happen soon, and it will not be me. ^_^
Of course, I'm of the school of thought that it's easier to fix your car than to take it in. Boy was I wrong. The last car I had to fix was my Geo Metro, which is more of a toy, and has mostly all mechanical parts. I loved it, because I could troubleshoot and replace just about anything on that baby. I was real cut up when the thing finally gave up the ghost, and I needed a new car.
I chose the Volkswagen because they had a good reputation for reliability, and they were filled with the features I was looking for. Also, they had a Turbo Diesel Injection engine that gets up to 52 mpg with the Jetta (the New Beetle got 60). That's why I really wanted it. Sure, diesel was more expensive than regular gas, but I could burn biodiesel.
Well, biodiesel hit a snag when I found out about a Salt Lake County law that prohibited the transportation of used cooking oil without a $million insurance policy. My guess is a company business was being protected from biodiesel hobbyists, but none the less it put a dampener on my plans. Still, it was cheaper to drive my car than my wife's Subaru, because I got just great mileage.
Well, now the thing will not start, and I have to take it into the shop. It's not the starter as I originally thought, but something with the electrical equipment. Add that with my botched attempt to tow the sucker (apparently there isn't a tow hook on the front of the thing), it's going to be rather expensive to get it fixed.
So now I'm looking for a new car. With the option of biodiesel pretty much null, I need another vehicle with excellent fuel economy, and will be comfortable for me, my wife, my son, and the new baby on the way. So, I started checking out Hybrids.
Now, don't get me wrong, I would rather have another alternative, i.e. electric car, but currently there isn't an electric car option that will give me the range that I need. The batteries are just not efficient enough (though they may be in the next 5 years). Hydrogen isn't really an option, because there isn't an environmentally friendly way of creating it in a timely manner. That, and fuel cells are just too expensive (can't imagine why, with all that platinum).
The Hybrids I checked out were listed on http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs_Cars.shtml, which is the government's fuel efficiency listing of vehicles. I was looking for a cost-effective vehicle that would get roughly the same fuel efficiency that I get with my Jetta TDI.
The Prius
The first car I think of when I think Hybrid is the Prius. At first I thought it was a joke, not getting the fuel efficiency that most other economy vehicles get. But then I actually took a ride in one. It's nice, very geeky, and has a great display. The ride was smooth, and when running just on battery power, it's very silent. You can also urk more bang for your buck if you let the wheels charge the battery for you. For those on a hill (like the one here at the U), it's great! And finally, the fuel efficiency is about 50 mpg on the Highway. That I like.
The Civic
The runner-up is the Honda Civic Hybrid. It's a little more expensive, gets almost the same mpg, and has roughly the same options. Why didn't I choose it? because it's a little more expensive! I'm a Scot, after all. ^_^
Other options were looked at, but nothing else came even remotely close. I looked at GM cars, Ford, and others, but none offered the same level of fuel efficiency as either the Prius or the Civic. I never thought I would go back to a Japanese car after driving a German one, but it looks like I may. After all, my Korean vehicle lasted longer than any other car I've had.
There is still one thing missing before my wife and I actually get the car, and that is the ability to car-pool. Once we get that worked out, we will be all set. It means one of us relocating our work spaces, which could happen soon, and it will not be me. ^_^
Monday, May 05, 2008
The Little Things
Today my wife was feeling really bad, and we needed to work out a way for my son to get to school and get home. So, I took a sick day to take care of my wife and my son. So I ran to work first to set up the CCNA Bootcamp that started today, and then I ran back home to take my son to school.
Once there, I checked with my son's teacher and told her the results of his psychologist visit. Jonathan couldn't wait to start playing, and ran right in with the other children.
I then came home, did some yard work, got some Jello for my wife, and then headed back to get my son. He was sitting on the teacher's lap, and looking at a book! Now, you may think this isn't a big deal, but my son has no attention span for books as part of his disorder.
As we were leaving, he gave his teacher some eye contact. Eye contact! He doesn't give people eye contact, as part of his disorder. This is a huge advancement for him. It means that he is working through his disorder in order to communicate.
Overjoyed, I brought him home. He then asked for juice, which he never has before. His vocabulary is growing, and each day I get more and more excited. He's spending more time indicating, and less time trying to make me get what he wants. Of course, he still wants to do things on his own, and I'm still willing to let him dress himself and get his own dinner. But all things considered, I'm excited that he is willing to include us in his life.
Once there, I checked with my son's teacher and told her the results of his psychologist visit. Jonathan couldn't wait to start playing, and ran right in with the other children.
I then came home, did some yard work, got some Jello for my wife, and then headed back to get my son. He was sitting on the teacher's lap, and looking at a book! Now, you may think this isn't a big deal, but my son has no attention span for books as part of his disorder.
As we were leaving, he gave his teacher some eye contact. Eye contact! He doesn't give people eye contact, as part of his disorder. This is a huge advancement for him. It means that he is working through his disorder in order to communicate.
Overjoyed, I brought him home. He then asked for juice, which he never has before. His vocabulary is growing, and each day I get more and more excited. He's spending more time indicating, and less time trying to make me get what he wants. Of course, he still wants to do things on his own, and I'm still willing to let him dress himself and get his own dinner. But all things considered, I'm excited that he is willing to include us in his life.
The Little Things
Today my wife was feeling really bad, and we needed to work out a way for my son to get to school and get home. So, I took a sick day to take care of my wife and my son. So I ran to work first to set up the CCNA Bootcamp that started today, and then I ran back home to take my son to school.
Once there, I checked with my son's teacher and told her the results of his psychologist visit. Jonathan couldn't wait to start playing, and ran right in with the other children.
I then came home, did some yard work, got some Jello for my wife, and then headed back to get my son. He was sitting on the teacher's lap, and looking at a book! Now, you may think this isn't a big deal, but my son has no attention span for books as part of his disorder.
As we were leaving, he gave his teacher some eye contact. Eye contact! He doesn't give people eye contact, as part of his disorder. This is a huge advancement for him. It means that he is working through his disorder in order to communicate.
Overjoyed, I brought him home. He then asked for juice, which he never has before. His vocabulary is growing, and each day I get more and more excited. He's spending more time indicating, and less time trying to make me get what he wants. Of course, he still wants to do things on his own, and I'm still willing to let him dress himself and get his own dinner. But all things considered, I'm excited that he is willing to include us in his life.
Once there, I checked with my son's teacher and told her the results of his psychologist visit. Jonathan couldn't wait to start playing, and ran right in with the other children.
I then came home, did some yard work, got some Jello for my wife, and then headed back to get my son. He was sitting on the teacher's lap, and looking at a book! Now, you may think this isn't a big deal, but my son has no attention span for books as part of his disorder.
As we were leaving, he gave his teacher some eye contact. Eye contact! He doesn't give people eye contact, as part of his disorder. This is a huge advancement for him. It means that he is working through his disorder in order to communicate.
Overjoyed, I brought him home. He then asked for juice, which he never has before. His vocabulary is growing, and each day I get more and more excited. He's spending more time indicating, and less time trying to make me get what he wants. Of course, he still wants to do things on his own, and I'm still willing to let him dress himself and get his own dinner. But all things considered, I'm excited that he is willing to include us in his life.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Getting a Handle on Professional Training: Cognitive Load
Education is an interesting beast. Everyone wants to learn as much as possible in as little time as possible, so that they can apply what they have learned right away. Unfortunately, the human mind doesn't work that way. Instead the brain keeps your short term memory locked up and passes on only a small portion to your long term memory. So no matter how much you can technically cram into a small amount of time, only a small portion will be translated to long term memory.
So what is a professional trainer to do? How do you deal with cognitive load while still giving a high-quality and timely education experience? it's a problem that educators have worked on for generations.
I was thinking about this in preparation for a training trip. I will be participating in training to expand our Mac OS X 10.5 Certification offerings, and I want to be sure that any feedback will be timely and well placed. So I started reviewing in my mind the events, lectures, and material from the first couple classes I attended.
For those couple of people who have been following my blog, you may recall previous posts that covered these events. The materials have a much better design, and provide a lot of great material. But that's just the problem: they have a lot of material.
Both classes have been tight to teach in the allotted time. Why? Mostly because the exercises tend to be longer, and there are more details in the topics. In fact, both classes would do well to have an additional day added to the course format.
So what can we learn from this in terms of cognitive load? More is not better. In fact, more is definitely that: just more. Instead, the material should be either watered down (so more time can be spent on reinforcing the concepts), or more time should be added to the course.
But what's the magic number? How do you determine the cognitive load distribution for your students? The best way would be to 1) make your lecture time and exercise time half the total course time, and 2) Multiply the Lecture time and Exercise time by the number of skills and knowledge per sub-task. This gives you roughly equal time per sub-task for students to focus on. And finally, 3) take the time of day into consideration: morning is great for lecture while after lunch is best for an exercise.
Of course, in reality, one doesn't necessarily have complete control on the amount of time the training can take. Most employers want a content-heavy training so as to decrease the training costs. So the best thing a trainer can do is provide additional, supplemental information in an external resource. Online materials are ideal. Also, continuing discussions long after the training is over is wonderful, if time and resources allow. With reinforcing materials provided in a central repository (either online or in take away materials), the learners are able to refer back to what they think they recall, but can't quite remember.
So what is a professional trainer to do? How do you deal with cognitive load while still giving a high-quality and timely education experience? it's a problem that educators have worked on for generations.
I was thinking about this in preparation for a training trip. I will be participating in training to expand our Mac OS X 10.5 Certification offerings, and I want to be sure that any feedback will be timely and well placed. So I started reviewing in my mind the events, lectures, and material from the first couple classes I attended.
For those couple of people who have been following my blog, you may recall previous posts that covered these events. The materials have a much better design, and provide a lot of great material. But that's just the problem: they have a lot of material.
Both classes have been tight to teach in the allotted time. Why? Mostly because the exercises tend to be longer, and there are more details in the topics. In fact, both classes would do well to have an additional day added to the course format.
So what can we learn from this in terms of cognitive load? More is not better. In fact, more is definitely that: just more. Instead, the material should be either watered down (so more time can be spent on reinforcing the concepts), or more time should be added to the course.
But what's the magic number? How do you determine the cognitive load distribution for your students? The best way would be to 1) make your lecture time and exercise time half the total course time, and 2) Multiply the Lecture time and Exercise time by the number of skills and knowledge per sub-task. This gives you roughly equal time per sub-task for students to focus on. And finally, 3) take the time of day into consideration: morning is great for lecture while after lunch is best for an exercise.
Of course, in reality, one doesn't necessarily have complete control on the amount of time the training can take. Most employers want a content-heavy training so as to decrease the training costs. So the best thing a trainer can do is provide additional, supplemental information in an external resource. Online materials are ideal. Also, continuing discussions long after the training is over is wonderful, if time and resources allow. With reinforcing materials provided in a central repository (either online or in take away materials), the learners are able to refer back to what they think they recall, but can't quite remember.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
The Steampunk Landscape
Steampunk has had my attention for a while now, and fascinated me with their attention to detail. Steampunk mods for computers have been springing up all over the place, with varying degrees of modification. The great thing about Steampunk, in my opinion, is that it focuses on the aesthetic, with form and function both being important. But also, there is a huge focus on technologies that have been abandoned because of varying reasons.
As such, there are very different ideas as to what makes Steampunk "Steam". Some say it requires the presence of some sort of Steam component, such as a steam engine. Others say that anything Victorian is fair game. Still others focus on the gothic and punk aspects with brass and leather thrown in. The thing is, they are all correct in their assumptions! Steampunk is still in it's infancy, and more people are finding that they fit in this designation. To me, Steampunk is characterized by the following:
Victorian Technology
First of all, the Steampunk genre is a reflection of the Victorian era, when science and art blended together. Beautiful creations of brass, iron, steel, and hand-carved wood accent this beautiful period, and meets the craftsmanship of the earlier eras while providing a scientific advance in technology. The reason why it's called Steampunk is because the primary locomotive method of the time was Steam. Some may argue that it still is, as all our internal combustion engines use expanding gasses to operate, as do Steam Engines.
And then, there were the early science fiction writers, like Verne and Wells. While many of their imagined inventions have come to life, others are still in the realms of fantasy. These men and women were responsible for many advancements because of their imaginations they provided. And what's more (and arguably more important), they romanticized science by appealing to our most basic nature in discovery. That is what makes their work just as compelling today as it did in the 19th century.
Adventure and Exploration
I've been a strong supporter of space exploration ever since I saw Star Trek. I couldn't understand why, or even why the show was appealing to me. But then it hit: It's because of the adventure of finding something new. Growing up my friends and I would try to come up with new ways to travel, if just for that experience in exploration. Steampunk continues that same experience.
Rudyard Kipling and Egar Rice Burroughs exemplified these feelings of exploration with their books. Ever since I saw and subsequently read the "Jungle Book" and "Tarzan", I was hooked. The idea of living in the wild, with new and exciting things around the next tree appealed to me. And of course, the lack of a lot of people around. That in particular appealed to me. ^_^ Exploration and adventure is just something that I feel reflects the spirit of Steampunk, whether it be the adventure of a new land, or the adventure in a new skill.
Romance
My wife will be the first to tell you that I'm not a very romantic person. I'm not the type that buys flowers (I prefer to grow them myself and cut them for my wife), nor am I the type that likes to watch a romantic comedy (unless it's "While you were Sleeping", where I can watch the kid wipe out on his bike on the sidewalk ^_^). But I do feel romance and infatuation: I love my wife in all aspects, and not because of any one characteristic.
And this is the same with Steampunk. Quality is more important than any one aspect. Technology that just works is nice, but it has to have the form to go with it. Would you prefer just plastic, or does a polished Oak finish turn your eye? Those things that are real, tangible, grounded, physical... these things are of benefit to the Steampunk community because they can be enjoyed beyond the simple function.
The Intangible
Having just explained the necessity for the tangible, I'm now making an argument for the intangible. Those forces that are not explained, not understood, and not documented. Partly supernatural, partly fantastic, the Steampunk genre focuses on the unknown. From Vampires and wizards to unexplained power sources, Steampunk makes tangible devices that can interact with the intangible.
The Darker Side of Steampunk
Disasters, governmental collapse, colonial defense from the "Horde", it's all part of the darker side of Steampunk. Part Gothic, part Cyberpunk, part "Mad Max", you find that Steampunk can survive well in this situation. And how? By building their own machines, generating their own power, being resourceful in dismantling the old and worn out, then breathing new life into it.
Aristocracy
Another interesting aspect of Steampunk is it's tendency for Oligarchies or Aristocracies. Many Steampunk proponents adopt aristocratic names, "Baron", "Dutchess", "von", "Sir", and so on. This suggests a need to be set apart, above those that are more "common". Perhaps it's a feeling of elitism, or perhaps it's the need to feel important and unique. My inclination is to believe the latter.
Education
Those of the Steampunk genre that are not particularly connected to the aristocracy will generally adopt an education title, "Dean", "Professor", "Doctor", and so on. What is interesting is that most of the Steampunk participants that I know actually hold those titles: a suggestion that the Steampunk genre appeals best to the most educated.
So those are my theories behind the genre of Steampunk. It's interesting because it appeals to so many people on so many levels, and still manages to create a community around it. Don't believe me? Try getting some land in Caledon in Second Life. This is a Steampunk/Victorian land that is very, very difficult to join. Once my land is complete, I'll post a link to a friend of mine, Sea Beaumont. She is building a repository of all things Steampunk, and will be housed across the street from my home in Caledon Downs.
So the question you can now ask yourself is whether or not you would fit into the Steampunk genre. Do you like anything above? And in particular, do you like to craft anything by hand?
As such, there are very different ideas as to what makes Steampunk "Steam". Some say it requires the presence of some sort of Steam component, such as a steam engine. Others say that anything Victorian is fair game. Still others focus on the gothic and punk aspects with brass and leather thrown in. The thing is, they are all correct in their assumptions! Steampunk is still in it's infancy, and more people are finding that they fit in this designation. To me, Steampunk is characterized by the following:
Victorian Technology
First of all, the Steampunk genre is a reflection of the Victorian era, when science and art blended together. Beautiful creations of brass, iron, steel, and hand-carved wood accent this beautiful period, and meets the craftsmanship of the earlier eras while providing a scientific advance in technology. The reason why it's called Steampunk is because the primary locomotive method of the time was Steam. Some may argue that it still is, as all our internal combustion engines use expanding gasses to operate, as do Steam Engines.
And then, there were the early science fiction writers, like Verne and Wells. While many of their imagined inventions have come to life, others are still in the realms of fantasy. These men and women were responsible for many advancements because of their imaginations they provided. And what's more (and arguably more important), they romanticized science by appealing to our most basic nature in discovery. That is what makes their work just as compelling today as it did in the 19th century.
Adventure and Exploration
I've been a strong supporter of space exploration ever since I saw Star Trek. I couldn't understand why, or even why the show was appealing to me. But then it hit: It's because of the adventure of finding something new. Growing up my friends and I would try to come up with new ways to travel, if just for that experience in exploration. Steampunk continues that same experience.
Rudyard Kipling and Egar Rice Burroughs exemplified these feelings of exploration with their books. Ever since I saw and subsequently read the "Jungle Book" and "Tarzan", I was hooked. The idea of living in the wild, with new and exciting things around the next tree appealed to me. And of course, the lack of a lot of people around. That in particular appealed to me. ^_^ Exploration and adventure is just something that I feel reflects the spirit of Steampunk, whether it be the adventure of a new land, or the adventure in a new skill.
Romance
My wife will be the first to tell you that I'm not a very romantic person. I'm not the type that buys flowers (I prefer to grow them myself and cut them for my wife), nor am I the type that likes to watch a romantic comedy (unless it's "While you were Sleeping", where I can watch the kid wipe out on his bike on the sidewalk ^_^). But I do feel romance and infatuation: I love my wife in all aspects, and not because of any one characteristic.
And this is the same with Steampunk. Quality is more important than any one aspect. Technology that just works is nice, but it has to have the form to go with it. Would you prefer just plastic, or does a polished Oak finish turn your eye? Those things that are real, tangible, grounded, physical... these things are of benefit to the Steampunk community because they can be enjoyed beyond the simple function.
The Intangible
Having just explained the necessity for the tangible, I'm now making an argument for the intangible. Those forces that are not explained, not understood, and not documented. Partly supernatural, partly fantastic, the Steampunk genre focuses on the unknown. From Vampires and wizards to unexplained power sources, Steampunk makes tangible devices that can interact with the intangible.
The Darker Side of Steampunk
Disasters, governmental collapse, colonial defense from the "Horde", it's all part of the darker side of Steampunk. Part Gothic, part Cyberpunk, part "Mad Max", you find that Steampunk can survive well in this situation. And how? By building their own machines, generating their own power, being resourceful in dismantling the old and worn out, then breathing new life into it.
Aristocracy
Another interesting aspect of Steampunk is it's tendency for Oligarchies or Aristocracies. Many Steampunk proponents adopt aristocratic names, "Baron", "Dutchess", "von", "Sir", and so on. This suggests a need to be set apart, above those that are more "common". Perhaps it's a feeling of elitism, or perhaps it's the need to feel important and unique. My inclination is to believe the latter.
Education
Those of the Steampunk genre that are not particularly connected to the aristocracy will generally adopt an education title, "Dean", "Professor", "Doctor", and so on. What is interesting is that most of the Steampunk participants that I know actually hold those titles: a suggestion that the Steampunk genre appeals best to the most educated.
So those are my theories behind the genre of Steampunk. It's interesting because it appeals to so many people on so many levels, and still manages to create a community around it. Don't believe me? Try getting some land in Caledon in Second Life. This is a Steampunk/Victorian land that is very, very difficult to join. Once my land is complete, I'll post a link to a friend of mine, Sea Beaumont. She is building a repository of all things Steampunk, and will be housed across the street from my home in Caledon Downs.
So the question you can now ask yourself is whether or not you would fit into the Steampunk genre. Do you like anything above? And in particular, do you like to craft anything by hand?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Taking the Social Networking Plunge: Using Twitter
Lately I have been sucked into the Social Networking scheme. I think someone is trying to tell me something about individuality and the need to collaborate, but I have been creating social networking logins all over the scene.
It started with my sister-in-law convincing my sister to sign up at GoodReads, and my sister subsequently sending it to me. I didn't see any harm in it, as it was a place for me to post the books that I have read and currently reading. Not too invasive, right?
Next, my colleague introduced me to Last.FM, which is quickly taking the place of my regular iTunes materials. After all, where else can I get Abney Park mixed with Vernian Process and Dolphins? It's now become an addiction, and I've only had it for one day.
The final straw now is getting a Twitter account. I've never seen the point in spending so much time writing about what I am doing. Isn't that what a blog is for? well, yes and no. A blog is great for longer thoughts, essays, comments, etc. that take a lot of thought and time to explain. But what about those single thoughts, complaints about something not compiling, or little projects that just don't take a lot of time? This is what Twitter allows you to do.
And I'm now using Twitter to keep track of my productivity. I can use it to document the projects I do during the day, so I can look back and see just what it was I accomplished while working. So, believe it or not, I've actually taken the plunge into the Social Networking scene. Perhaps soon, I may actually become a social person. ^_^
It started with my sister-in-law convincing my sister to sign up at GoodReads, and my sister subsequently sending it to me. I didn't see any harm in it, as it was a place for me to post the books that I have read and currently reading. Not too invasive, right?
Next, my colleague introduced me to Last.FM, which is quickly taking the place of my regular iTunes materials. After all, where else can I get Abney Park mixed with Vernian Process and Dolphins? It's now become an addiction, and I've only had it for one day.
The final straw now is getting a Twitter account. I've never seen the point in spending so much time writing about what I am doing. Isn't that what a blog is for? well, yes and no. A blog is great for longer thoughts, essays, comments, etc. that take a lot of thought and time to explain. But what about those single thoughts, complaints about something not compiling, or little projects that just don't take a lot of time? This is what Twitter allows you to do.
And I'm now using Twitter to keep track of my productivity. I can use it to document the projects I do during the day, so I can look back and see just what it was I accomplished while working. So, believe it or not, I've actually taken the plunge into the Social Networking scene. Perhaps soon, I may actually become a social person. ^_^
Monday, April 28, 2008
New Theme!
Generally I don't change designs of a site, mostly because I'm not a big design person. But today I found a really cool Steampunk theme that I just had to implement. I really like it, and I hope you all do too. ^_^
I think I'll stick with this one, since it's a pretty nice theme. At least until I find one that is a bit more in line with the topics I cover.
Let me know what you think!
I think I'll stick with this one, since it's a pretty nice theme. At least until I find one that is a bit more in line with the topics I cover.
Let me know what you think!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Autism or Asperger's?
This week we took my son in to the Psychologist for another evaluation. His intelligence was evaluated, as well as his motor skills, and a huge focus on his interaction. The psychologist was a little distant, perhaps a little exhausted by the end of the day, but did a fantastic job.
What was interesting was his final conclusion: He doesn't think that our son is particularly Autistic. Probably based on the questioning look on my face, he mentioned that he thinks my son may in fact have Asperger's syndrome, which is similar to Autism but different on many levels. This really took my by surprise, because I have been spending most of my time learning about Autism and had no knowledge of Asperger's syndrome.
Asperger's syndrome begins roughly the same time as Autism, and is so similar in it's onset to Autism that many children are misdiagnosed. The main symptoms are delayed speech and focus on specific items/subjects. It actually is very similar to the overall "Robb" behavior, that of very shy boys that are rather knowledgeable in their chosen fields. But if it's a common Robb trait, it's all been at such a minor level that it hadn't been an issue.
So how is this different than Autism? Autism has a higher social impact, as well as a higher verbal impact. Many autistic children have their intelligence affected (with the exception of high-level Autism), while Asperger's children tend to have higher than average intelligence. And finally, Asperger's children tend to have a better chance of becoming main-streamed in society than Autistic children.
Now, the psychologist still said he will call it Autism for our son for now, because of one thing: his almost total lack of interaction with people. My son is very much in his own world, rarely interacting with other children or adults outside of a few select family members. It actually takes some time before he "let's you in". He just recently started to acknowledge my mother, which thrilled her pieces. This is not a common trait in Asperger's, but is very common for Autistic children.
The one thing that has me hoping for Asperger's is the chance that my son could start talking within a few months, and in full sentences. Autistic children have a lesser chance of talking in general, while Asperger's syndrome has a faster catch-up time for speech and communication.
There is one more disorder that I haven't mentioned, which is PDD. PDD, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (of which both Autism and Asperger's are a part), is more like a "middle" road as far as speech is concerned. Children tend to start speaking around 7 or 9, and catch up quite quickly from there.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that we continue to work with him. The psychologist gave us a more targeted model for our son, so we can work with him more directly. It involves parallel play that moves to interactive play, making him say "hello" and "good-bye" to everyone in the room, work on eye contact, and specifically work with common signs to get him communicating. He will provide 30 things in particular to work on that focuses in these areas, which is perhaps the best thing we could have gotten.
So while I'm grateful for the help and support that Pre-School is giving him, nothing is more stressful in feeling powerless to help your child. Now we know what to do, and why we need to do it. We are now empowered to help our son, and can go at it with a will. It's amazing what a targeted program can do.
What was interesting was his final conclusion: He doesn't think that our son is particularly Autistic. Probably based on the questioning look on my face, he mentioned that he thinks my son may in fact have Asperger's syndrome, which is similar to Autism but different on many levels. This really took my by surprise, because I have been spending most of my time learning about Autism and had no knowledge of Asperger's syndrome.
Asperger's syndrome begins roughly the same time as Autism, and is so similar in it's onset to Autism that many children are misdiagnosed. The main symptoms are delayed speech and focus on specific items/subjects. It actually is very similar to the overall "Robb" behavior, that of very shy boys that are rather knowledgeable in their chosen fields. But if it's a common Robb trait, it's all been at such a minor level that it hadn't been an issue.
So how is this different than Autism? Autism has a higher social impact, as well as a higher verbal impact. Many autistic children have their intelligence affected (with the exception of high-level Autism), while Asperger's children tend to have higher than average intelligence. And finally, Asperger's children tend to have a better chance of becoming main-streamed in society than Autistic children.
Now, the psychologist still said he will call it Autism for our son for now, because of one thing: his almost total lack of interaction with people. My son is very much in his own world, rarely interacting with other children or adults outside of a few select family members. It actually takes some time before he "let's you in". He just recently started to acknowledge my mother, which thrilled her pieces. This is not a common trait in Asperger's, but is very common for Autistic children.
The one thing that has me hoping for Asperger's is the chance that my son could start talking within a few months, and in full sentences. Autistic children have a lesser chance of talking in general, while Asperger's syndrome has a faster catch-up time for speech and communication.
There is one more disorder that I haven't mentioned, which is PDD. PDD, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (of which both Autism and Asperger's are a part), is more like a "middle" road as far as speech is concerned. Children tend to start speaking around 7 or 9, and catch up quite quickly from there.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that we continue to work with him. The psychologist gave us a more targeted model for our son, so we can work with him more directly. It involves parallel play that moves to interactive play, making him say "hello" and "good-bye" to everyone in the room, work on eye contact, and specifically work with common signs to get him communicating. He will provide 30 things in particular to work on that focuses in these areas, which is perhaps the best thing we could have gotten.
So while I'm grateful for the help and support that Pre-School is giving him, nothing is more stressful in feeling powerless to help your child. Now we know what to do, and why we need to do it. We are now empowered to help our son, and can go at it with a will. It's amazing what a targeted program can do.
Autism or Asperger's?
This week we took my son in to the Psychologist for another evaluation. His intelligence was evaluated, as well as his motor skills, and a huge focus on his interaction. The psychologist was a little distant, perhaps a little exhausted by the end of the day, but did a fantastic job.
What was interesting was his final conclusion: He doesn't think that our son is particularly Autistic. Probably based on the questioning look on my face, he mentioned that he thinks my son may in fact have Asperger's syndrome, which is similar to Autism but different on many levels. This really took my by surprise, because I have been spending most of my time learning about Autism and had no knowledge of Asperger's syndrome.
Asperger's syndrome begins roughly the same time as Autism, and is so similar in it's onset to Autism that many children are misdiagnosed. The main symptoms are delayed speech and focus on specific items/subjects. It actually is very similar to the overall "Robb" behavior, that of very shy boys that are rather knowledgeable in their chosen fields. But if it's a common Robb trait, it's all been at such a minor level that it hadn't been an issue.
So how is this different than Autism? Autism has a higher social impact, as well as a higher verbal impact. Many autistic children have their intelligence affected (with the exception of high-level Autism), while Asperger's children tend to have higher than average intelligence. And finally, Asperger's children tend to have a better chance of becoming main-streamed in society than Autistic children.
Now, the psychologist still said he will call it Autism for our son for now, because of one thing: his almost total lack of interaction with people. My son is very much in his own world, rarely interacting with other children or adults outside of a few select family members. It actually takes some time before he "let's you in". He just recently started to acknowledge my mother, which thrilled her pieces. This is not a common trait in Asperger's, but is very common for Autistic children.
The one thing that has me hoping for Asperger's is the chance that my son could start talking within a few months, and in full sentences. Autistic children have a lesser chance of talking in general, while Asperger's syndrome has a faster catch-up time for speech and communication.
There is one more disorder that I haven't mentioned, which is PDD. PDD, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (of which both Autism and Asperger's are a part), is more like a "middle" road as far as speech is concerned. Children tend to start speaking around 7 or 9, and catch up quite quickly from there.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that we continue to work with him. The psychologist gave us a more targeted model for our son, so we can work with him more directly. It involves parallel play that moves to interactive play, making him say "hello" and "good-bye" to everyone in the room, work on eye contact, and specifically work with common signs to get him communicating. He will provide 30 things in particular to work on that focuses in these areas, which is perhaps the best thing we could have gotten.
So while I'm grateful for the help and support that Pre-School is giving him, nothing is more stressful in feeling powerless to help your child. Now we know what to do, and why we need to do it. We are now empowered to help our son, and can go at it with a will. It's amazing what a targeted program can do.
What was interesting was his final conclusion: He doesn't think that our son is particularly Autistic. Probably based on the questioning look on my face, he mentioned that he thinks my son may in fact have Asperger's syndrome, which is similar to Autism but different on many levels. This really took my by surprise, because I have been spending most of my time learning about Autism and had no knowledge of Asperger's syndrome.
Asperger's syndrome begins roughly the same time as Autism, and is so similar in it's onset to Autism that many children are misdiagnosed. The main symptoms are delayed speech and focus on specific items/subjects. It actually is very similar to the overall "Robb" behavior, that of very shy boys that are rather knowledgeable in their chosen fields. But if it's a common Robb trait, it's all been at such a minor level that it hadn't been an issue.
So how is this different than Autism? Autism has a higher social impact, as well as a higher verbal impact. Many autistic children have their intelligence affected (with the exception of high-level Autism), while Asperger's children tend to have higher than average intelligence. And finally, Asperger's children tend to have a better chance of becoming main-streamed in society than Autistic children.
Now, the psychologist still said he will call it Autism for our son for now, because of one thing: his almost total lack of interaction with people. My son is very much in his own world, rarely interacting with other children or adults outside of a few select family members. It actually takes some time before he "let's you in". He just recently started to acknowledge my mother, which thrilled her pieces. This is not a common trait in Asperger's, but is very common for Autistic children.
The one thing that has me hoping for Asperger's is the chance that my son could start talking within a few months, and in full sentences. Autistic children have a lesser chance of talking in general, while Asperger's syndrome has a faster catch-up time for speech and communication.
There is one more disorder that I haven't mentioned, which is PDD. PDD, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (of which both Autism and Asperger's are a part), is more like a "middle" road as far as speech is concerned. Children tend to start speaking around 7 or 9, and catch up quite quickly from there.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that we continue to work with him. The psychologist gave us a more targeted model for our son, so we can work with him more directly. It involves parallel play that moves to interactive play, making him say "hello" and "good-bye" to everyone in the room, work on eye contact, and specifically work with common signs to get him communicating. He will provide 30 things in particular to work on that focuses in these areas, which is perhaps the best thing we could have gotten.
So while I'm grateful for the help and support that Pre-School is giving him, nothing is more stressful in feeling powerless to help your child. Now we know what to do, and why we need to do it. We are now empowered to help our son, and can go at it with a will. It's amazing what a targeted program can do.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Building in Second Life
Recently I purchased some land in Second Life, on the prestigious island of Caledon. For those that are not in Second Life, Caledon is a Victorian/Steampunk island (or group of islands), with a great community. Many are dedicated to education in all it's forms, so getting help is quite easy. I found a couple of homes that fit the part, and I'm looking forward to posting them.
Of course, there is a slight problem: furniture. While I intend to use my new home as a learning center, people need a virtual place to rest their virtual behinds and relax. Well, I found many of the furniture pieces were pretty expensive (relatively). Why? Isn't it just scripted objects? I found the answer to that when I tried to build my own couch.
<b>Building a Couch</b>
The couch I knew was going to be difficult, but I wanted more furniture than what I found for sale. So, I thought I would build my own. I started with five prims (or primitives, the building blocks of objects in Second Life), and made them the padded areas. I then built a back and bottom using an additional 5 prims. These I textured as walnut (because I liked the color), using a wood grain finish. I then added 8 more prims for the feet. Once done, I linked them all together into one object by selecting them all and hitting CTRL-L, and added physics to it (so that it will stay on the ground).
All in all it took me 3 hours to make, and the finished product looks like something that came from a High School woodworking project from a student that wasn't that keen on the project. But, it's my first attempt at building something, so I'm proud of it. Once the house is complete, I'll post a link to it. ^_^
So, now I know why people charge so much for their furniture. Granted, once it's complete they never have to build it again, and can even make additional changes to it and create a whole new piece of furniture. But as it took me 4 hours to make something that amateur, I would almost hate to see how long it would take to make something more polished. But then, time will tell as I intend to keep up this project.
Of course, there is a slight problem: furniture. While I intend to use my new home as a learning center, people need a virtual place to rest their virtual behinds and relax. Well, I found many of the furniture pieces were pretty expensive (relatively). Why? Isn't it just scripted objects? I found the answer to that when I tried to build my own couch.
<b>Building a Couch</b>
The couch I knew was going to be difficult, but I wanted more furniture than what I found for sale. So, I thought I would build my own. I started with five prims (or primitives, the building blocks of objects in Second Life), and made them the padded areas. I then built a back and bottom using an additional 5 prims. These I textured as walnut (because I liked the color), using a wood grain finish. I then added 8 more prims for the feet. Once done, I linked them all together into one object by selecting them all and hitting CTRL-L, and added physics to it (so that it will stay on the ground).
All in all it took me 3 hours to make, and the finished product looks like something that came from a High School woodworking project from a student that wasn't that keen on the project. But, it's my first attempt at building something, so I'm proud of it. Once the house is complete, I'll post a link to it. ^_^
So, now I know why people charge so much for their furniture. Granted, once it's complete they never have to build it again, and can even make additional changes to it and create a whole new piece of furniture. But as it took me 4 hours to make something that amateur, I would almost hate to see how long it would take to make something more polished. But then, time will tell as I intend to keep up this project.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Module Method: UNIX Style
Lately I have been feeling disappointed. It seems that more companies are determined to keep their "proprietary" baggage with their products, instead of taking advantage of the open source projects out there. Personally, I blame the Dot-Bomb period of the 90's when everyone and their dog funded kids that had no business model, but could boast a good URL and use of Linux. Yes! Linux! I don't have to pay for it, therefore it has to be a good company!
Well, that ship had sailed, and the smart companies with business models came through the wash unscathed. Many became brilliant Wall Street darlings, raking in profits like crazy. And these companies usually fall within two categories:
Well, that ship had sailed, and the smart companies with business models came through the wash unscathed. Many became brilliant Wall Street darlings, raking in profits like crazy. And these companies usually fall within two categories:
- Open Source (or Open Standard) companies that feed off of support or advertisement revenue
- Proprietary companies that feed off of sales and license fees, as well as support and advertisement revenue
Now, we all know this already: Open Source is very powerful. But why? Why is it so powerful? Is it because it's "free" as in "freedom"? Is it because you have a dedicated community working on it constantly, improving it, patching it, and so on? While both are compelling arguments, I would argue that they are mere by-products of the real strength of Open Source: Open Standards and the UNIX model.
Yes, because of open standards, a user anywhere can interface with the company in their chosen way and still utilize it's functionality. Think of all the instant messaging protocols out there, and which one is most versatile. I've found that Jabber works best for me, and it's an open protocol. I do still use AIM for those few that choose to forego open source (or have devices that don't use open source), but for most of my communication I use Jabber.
Jabber is a protocol that is open, using XMPP as the Open Standard. As such, there are literally hundreds of applications and programs that can use Jabber. And because of the Open Standard, it's possible to link the servers together through federation, allowing users from one Jabber server to communicate with another. But that's not all! Jabber clients know which Jabber server to talk to based on the user name of the person you are chatting to. Can AIM, MSN, or ICQ do that? Nope, because they all use their own central servers.
So, at the end of this rant, it's that benefit of Open Standards that really shine for the Open Source community. The good news is that more companies are seeing the benefits, and are moving that way. I only hope that other companies will see the benefits of Open Standards, and move in that same direction. After all, look at the benefits that the Railroad industry had when they finally settled on a standard rail size.
Just imagine: An electric car you by from Honda that could be beefed up with electric motors from a GM electric truck. It takes interchangeable parts to a whole new level. That's what I see as being a true benefit to the consumer.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Scripting in Second Life
I've never really gotten into the whole "social networking" thing, mostly because I'm not that sociable to begin with. There are times when I go into some social environments, like World of Warcraft or Runescape, but that's mostly to check on the platform. After a while (usually about a month or so), I get bored with it or turned off by some of the people in there.
Also, I've known about Second Life for a while, but I never really had any thoughts about using it. After all, what was the point? And then I heard a report on NPR some time ago about an IV League school hosting some law classes in Second Life because of the lack of real classroom space. That got the wheels turning for me... Distance Learning.
Of course it's perfect for synchronous distance learning, because everyone is represented in the world by their Avatar. Once there, they can interact either vocally or through chat, they can all have their say. Also, instructors are able to utilize a more direct classroom approach, because they can read everything everyone is saying.
So, I thought I would start checking it out. It's a great platform and has a lot of potential, but there are some objects that are missing. I'm not going to mention what they are, because I hope to have them scripted here soon. But, I needed to learn how to script in Second Life.
The scripting process is pretty straight forward, as it's similar to Java and C, but has it's own special objects. That means there shouldn't be that much of a learning curve, and I can probably recycle some code in an object. It's actually pretty fun to work in the environment. I'm hoping to have some fruits of my labors soon, and it will also answer a huge problem I have had with distance learning for technical classes.
Stay Tuned! ^_^
Also, I've known about Second Life for a while, but I never really had any thoughts about using it. After all, what was the point? And then I heard a report on NPR some time ago about an IV League school hosting some law classes in Second Life because of the lack of real classroom space. That got the wheels turning for me... Distance Learning.
Of course it's perfect for synchronous distance learning, because everyone is represented in the world by their Avatar. Once there, they can interact either vocally or through chat, they can all have their say. Also, instructors are able to utilize a more direct classroom approach, because they can read everything everyone is saying.
So, I thought I would start checking it out. It's a great platform and has a lot of potential, but there are some objects that are missing. I'm not going to mention what they are, because I hope to have them scripted here soon. But, I needed to learn how to script in Second Life.
The scripting process is pretty straight forward, as it's similar to Java and C, but has it's own special objects. That means there shouldn't be that much of a learning curve, and I can probably recycle some code in an object. It's actually pretty fun to work in the environment. I'm hoping to have some fruits of my labors soon, and it will also answer a huge problem I have had with distance learning for technical classes.
Stay Tuned! ^_^
Friday, April 11, 2008
Moving Locations
Well, I finally did it. It's time I moved from my home here on Blogger.com, and move to my new home at blog.robbclan.com. I'm also moving to WordPress, which has a ton of new features to use. Perhaps, one day, I'll get a chance to use more than a couple. ^_^
Anyway, that is where I will be posting for a while. Once the site is fully up, I'll post a redirect (probably on Monday or something), so that you won't have to change the links on your computer. Of course, I'm only talking to the two or so people that actually link to my blog. ^_^
The website will be coming soon as well, I'm just getting everything set up.
Anyway, that is where I will be posting for a while. Once the site is fully up, I'll post a redirect (probably on Monday or something), so that you won't have to change the links on your computer. Of course, I'm only talking to the two or so people that actually link to my blog. ^_^
The website will be coming soon as well, I'm just getting everything set up.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Distance Education Lab Potential: The Mobile Virtual Lab
Recently our department suffered a minor disaster that left our entire building without power for 36+ hours, and effected 45% of the University of Utah campus. For other departments, they were lucky enough to have this happen during Spring Break. For Continuing Ed, unfortunately, we were left with classes that had no power. As my department teaches Tech classes, we were very much in a crisis mode. We ended up moving computer hardware to a new location (from the Annex building on the main campus to the Murray center) in order to accommodate the class (which was Final Cut Pro).
This got me thinking though, what if it happened again, but this time in a class that was in a specific lab for a reason (such as Cisco or Linux). Would we be able to do the same thing? Not really. Our Mac lab is entirely mobile, being comprised of laptops (including the classroom server). But our PC's are Dell towers, and not very mobile.
Also, as has become a concern with our Linux offerings, many students want open lab time to work on exercises that were just not available to work on during class time. Our labs are not open labs because of that very reason, and once you make a change in a physical class, you can't really sit down at another computer and use it.
With these two issues in mind, I started looking at potential replacement options. The best thing that I could find was versions of virtualization, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The four that I'm going to talk about here are MojoPac, Xen, VMWare, and LivePC. By the way, should I not be getting something on any of these deployments, please let me know!
What Do I Need?
What I need is a way to deploy a virtual environment to any platform in any location through a network or internet, while still having full control over those virtual environments. This means controlling access to the virtual machines as they are deployed, and access to the software within the virtual machines once they are deployed. And all this needs to work through a common denominator, namely home internet speeds. Normally this would be dial-up, but I think I would be even willing to push for DSL speeds. Also, it needs to be able to run without a network connection.
MojoPac
This wasn't the first solution that I checked out, but it is one of the most mobile. The idea behind MojoPac is to provide a software virtualization solution, which allows the user to store software on a jump drive, plug it in, and work on any Windows machine. it's a great idea for Windows (they need something like this desperately), as both Linux and Mac have applications that can run from anywhere based on their UNIX resource model (i.e., no registry).
This solution is perfect for a disaster scenario where entire lab software deployments can be quickly and easily moved into a new lab without moving physical machines. But what about taking it home? Now you have licensing issues, because it's highly likely that someone will want a "free" copy of the software to use for their home/business use. Now you have a major legal issue because security becomes a concern. Of course a simple solution would be to include the cost of the software in the tuition, which students already complain is too high. So, I started to look elsewhere.
Xen
I have seen few virtualization utilities that are as versatile as Xen. From imaging to virtual servers running on the same machine, it's no surprise that they were purchased by Citrix. Here you can create virtual environments akin to VMWare, or create virtual desktops that are served off of a central server. Both work well within a Network environment with large pipelines or as a stand alone virtual machine within a machine, and would again be perfect for a disaster scenario (assuming the Server were still functioning).
The problem? Well, the same as MojoPac really: students wanting to work on software at home. While the virtual desktop would be possible with VPN settings, it becomes more of a support hassle for the students and the network team than if they make the students come to an open lab on campus. So while Xen is a wonderful product, it's inability to stream the virtual machine to the student in their environment and run without network access becomes a missing cog. But, because it's Open Source, I'm still leaning heavily to it.
VMWare
VMWare and it's many options is perhaps the most likely competitor to Xen. Primarily though, I looked at the Player environment, where VMWare is able to deploy local images to the machine. This is perfect for students who want to take home an environment (provided they have an external hard drive), and they can run it on Windows and Linux for free (free player). Mac requires the purchase of VMWare Fusion. It's faster then other virtual environments that I've experienced on the Mac, and is pretty much universal.
The problem here is security and real deployment. Once the student has the image, what is keeping them from copying the image, and using it when the class is over? Nothing, so we are back to licensing issues. Also, it requires a lot of hard drive space for large images, which becomes a hardware problem. It's great for one or two images, but what if you want a specific image for each piece of software, so as to remove any potential compatibility issues? Do you have the hard drive space? So, I kept searching.
MokaFive LivePC
Then I found MokaFive's LivePC (before their change this week). Here was an environment that would basically stream from their servers or from your own a VMWare image that would allow a user to access their machine when online, and once it was cached they could even run it offline. So, we have a virtual environment that is streamed (not quite a Streaming Virtual Machine, but getting close) from any HTTP website using Apache and has continual HTTP access turned on, and it could be deployed from anywhere to anyone. Maintenance also becomes almost trivial, because instead of replacing the image, you just update it and it will dynamically write only the changes.
The only thing missing at that time was security. It still had the same problem as VMWare, and would have to be addressed the same way. Well, I left a post on the Forum to see if anyone had any plans for this particular issue. I thought about it all weekend, and came in on Monday, and checked the website again. It changed drastically, and provided a now paid-for Professional solution as well as a free solution.
The Professional solution allows for "revocation", which after contacting sales a couple of times I found out does exactly what Licensing would want: allow for revoking access to the machine regardless of how much has been cached. So, the other question I had was bandwidth usage, which is a huge concern. They replied back by saying that it uses very little bandwidth. What is very little? I'm not sure, but they are going to set me up with a 30 day free trial so I can test it out and find out what the HTTP load is on the machine.
So here is a solution that answers all my issues, as far as I can see. Is it perfect? No, because you need to host the link from your web server to their system which gives the security they promise. Perhaps in a few years they will provide a packaged solution that will allow the customer to install their image and engine software locally, but for now you lose control of your access by having it funneled through their system.
The Verdict
From what I currently can find and understand from the various virtualization programs out there, MokaFive's LivePC product seems to be the solution for which I have been looking. The potential is there not only for the disaster deployment or regular lab deployment, but also as a potential distance education platform.
This got me thinking though, what if it happened again, but this time in a class that was in a specific lab for a reason (such as Cisco or Linux). Would we be able to do the same thing? Not really. Our Mac lab is entirely mobile, being comprised of laptops (including the classroom server). But our PC's are Dell towers, and not very mobile.
Also, as has become a concern with our Linux offerings, many students want open lab time to work on exercises that were just not available to work on during class time. Our labs are not open labs because of that very reason, and once you make a change in a physical class, you can't really sit down at another computer and use it.
With these two issues in mind, I started looking at potential replacement options. The best thing that I could find was versions of virtualization, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The four that I'm going to talk about here are MojoPac, Xen, VMWare, and LivePC. By the way, should I not be getting something on any of these deployments, please let me know!
What Do I Need?
What I need is a way to deploy a virtual environment to any platform in any location through a network or internet, while still having full control over those virtual environments. This means controlling access to the virtual machines as they are deployed, and access to the software within the virtual machines once they are deployed. And all this needs to work through a common denominator, namely home internet speeds. Normally this would be dial-up, but I think I would be even willing to push for DSL speeds. Also, it needs to be able to run without a network connection.
MojoPac
This wasn't the first solution that I checked out, but it is one of the most mobile. The idea behind MojoPac is to provide a software virtualization solution, which allows the user to store software on a jump drive, plug it in, and work on any Windows machine. it's a great idea for Windows (they need something like this desperately), as both Linux and Mac have applications that can run from anywhere based on their UNIX resource model (i.e., no registry).
This solution is perfect for a disaster scenario where entire lab software deployments can be quickly and easily moved into a new lab without moving physical machines. But what about taking it home? Now you have licensing issues, because it's highly likely that someone will want a "free" copy of the software to use for their home/business use. Now you have a major legal issue because security becomes a concern. Of course a simple solution would be to include the cost of the software in the tuition, which students already complain is too high. So, I started to look elsewhere.
Xen
I have seen few virtualization utilities that are as versatile as Xen. From imaging to virtual servers running on the same machine, it's no surprise that they were purchased by Citrix. Here you can create virtual environments akin to VMWare, or create virtual desktops that are served off of a central server. Both work well within a Network environment with large pipelines or as a stand alone virtual machine within a machine, and would again be perfect for a disaster scenario (assuming the Server were still functioning).
The problem? Well, the same as MojoPac really: students wanting to work on software at home. While the virtual desktop would be possible with VPN settings, it becomes more of a support hassle for the students and the network team than if they make the students come to an open lab on campus. So while Xen is a wonderful product, it's inability to stream the virtual machine to the student in their environment and run without network access becomes a missing cog. But, because it's Open Source, I'm still leaning heavily to it.
VMWare
VMWare and it's many options is perhaps the most likely competitor to Xen. Primarily though, I looked at the Player environment, where VMWare is able to deploy local images to the machine. This is perfect for students who want to take home an environment (provided they have an external hard drive), and they can run it on Windows and Linux for free (free player). Mac requires the purchase of VMWare Fusion. It's faster then other virtual environments that I've experienced on the Mac, and is pretty much universal.
The problem here is security and real deployment. Once the student has the image, what is keeping them from copying the image, and using it when the class is over? Nothing, so we are back to licensing issues. Also, it requires a lot of hard drive space for large images, which becomes a hardware problem. It's great for one or two images, but what if you want a specific image for each piece of software, so as to remove any potential compatibility issues? Do you have the hard drive space? So, I kept searching.
MokaFive LivePC
Then I found MokaFive's LivePC (before their change this week). Here was an environment that would basically stream from their servers or from your own a VMWare image that would allow a user to access their machine when online, and once it was cached they could even run it offline. So, we have a virtual environment that is streamed (not quite a Streaming Virtual Machine, but getting close) from any HTTP website using Apache and has continual HTTP access turned on, and it could be deployed from anywhere to anyone. Maintenance also becomes almost trivial, because instead of replacing the image, you just update it and it will dynamically write only the changes.
The only thing missing at that time was security. It still had the same problem as VMWare, and would have to be addressed the same way. Well, I left a post on the Forum to see if anyone had any plans for this particular issue. I thought about it all weekend, and came in on Monday, and checked the website again. It changed drastically, and provided a now paid-for Professional solution as well as a free solution.
The Professional solution allows for "revocation", which after contacting sales a couple of times I found out does exactly what Licensing would want: allow for revoking access to the machine regardless of how much has been cached. So, the other question I had was bandwidth usage, which is a huge concern. They replied back by saying that it uses very little bandwidth. What is very little? I'm not sure, but they are going to set me up with a 30 day free trial so I can test it out and find out what the HTTP load is on the machine.
So here is a solution that answers all my issues, as far as I can see. Is it perfect? No, because you need to host the link from your web server to their system which gives the security they promise. Perhaps in a few years they will provide a packaged solution that will allow the customer to install their image and engine software locally, but for now you lose control of your access by having it funneled through their system.
The Verdict
From what I currently can find and understand from the various virtualization programs out there, MokaFive's LivePC product seems to be the solution for which I have been looking. The potential is there not only for the disaster deployment or regular lab deployment, but also as a potential distance education platform.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
History of Food: A Review
This weekend I finally finished History of Food by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat (ISBN 9780631194972), as translated by Anthea Bell. I've mentioned this book before as I began it, and covered the development of societies and the gender roles that were naturally created from the hunter-gatherer society.
but the book is more than that, it began to weave in and out of history and legend as each new food source was uncovered. It became less of a history of man's development with food than the history behind the French development in each area (starting on page 365 "Part V Luxury Foods" in a 763 page book). It moves in and out of history, with little need for chronology. The central theme is, after all, the food itself.
Perhaps the most disappointing move in the book is the Franco-centric focus. Little is mentioned of the Asian development of food, other than it's differing characteristics from those of the Gauls. German development is only mentioned when similar to the French, and Italians are only mentioned in conjunction with pasta. Americans, I'm afraid, are nothing more than ridiculed for their concepts of food, and only mentioned positively when the tomato, maize, and potato are introduced to Europe.
There are whole dimensions of food that are left out in the cold to wither and die because it doesn't fall within the Gallic centerpiece. Now, I know that French cooking is supposed to be the pinnacle of the culinary world. I know that all the prestige of the culinary arts are tied into the French way of doing things. But there are too many facets of food to tie to just one culture.
I have long contended that culinary excellence has everything to do with the cultural heritage that it represents. Culture is alive in food, it thrives, and it spreads. And we in the United States have a unique position, if we can but grasp it: We have all these gastronomic adventures within reach, if we are but willing to try them. Greek, Italian (not canned, please!), French, British, Japanese, Chinese, Creole, etc. They are all there, all waiting for us to step out of our comfort zones and experience. And at the same time, learn a little respect for a culture that created this wonderful experience.
If it were not for the beginning of this book which covers the first development of food in society (which the French cannot with any hope of sincerity claim as their own), the book would have been immediately relegated to the shelf and never looked at again. The beginning is it's one saving grace.
Now, I can't fault Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat for his focus on French cuisine. After all, he is French, and therefore has a predisposition to the French development of food. His focus is also primarily within his home town, which I think actually declares his bias rather well. But it would have been more accurate to say "A French History of Food", or perhaps "A Gallic History of Food", rather than just "History of Food".
Anyway, it is till an excellent read, though if you are not interested in the specifics of French cuisine you may end up skipping several sections. But for nothing else, read the first four sections. That is where development of food in multiple cultures (at least in this book) is at it's most pure.
but the book is more than that, it began to weave in and out of history and legend as each new food source was uncovered. It became less of a history of man's development with food than the history behind the French development in each area (starting on page 365 "Part V Luxury Foods" in a 763 page book). It moves in and out of history, with little need for chronology. The central theme is, after all, the food itself.
Perhaps the most disappointing move in the book is the Franco-centric focus. Little is mentioned of the Asian development of food, other than it's differing characteristics from those of the Gauls. German development is only mentioned when similar to the French, and Italians are only mentioned in conjunction with pasta. Americans, I'm afraid, are nothing more than ridiculed for their concepts of food, and only mentioned positively when the tomato, maize, and potato are introduced to Europe.
There are whole dimensions of food that are left out in the cold to wither and die because it doesn't fall within the Gallic centerpiece. Now, I know that French cooking is supposed to be the pinnacle of the culinary world. I know that all the prestige of the culinary arts are tied into the French way of doing things. But there are too many facets of food to tie to just one culture.
I have long contended that culinary excellence has everything to do with the cultural heritage that it represents. Culture is alive in food, it thrives, and it spreads. And we in the United States have a unique position, if we can but grasp it: We have all these gastronomic adventures within reach, if we are but willing to try them. Greek, Italian (not canned, please!), French, British, Japanese, Chinese, Creole, etc. They are all there, all waiting for us to step out of our comfort zones and experience. And at the same time, learn a little respect for a culture that created this wonderful experience.
If it were not for the beginning of this book which covers the first development of food in society (which the French cannot with any hope of sincerity claim as their own), the book would have been immediately relegated to the shelf and never looked at again. The beginning is it's one saving grace.
Now, I can't fault Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat for his focus on French cuisine. After all, he is French, and therefore has a predisposition to the French development of food. His focus is also primarily within his home town, which I think actually declares his bias rather well. But it would have been more accurate to say "A French History of Food", or perhaps "A Gallic History of Food", rather than just "History of Food".
Anyway, it is till an excellent read, though if you are not interested in the specifics of French cuisine you may end up skipping several sections. But for nothing else, read the first four sections. That is where development of food in multiple cultures (at least in this book) is at it's most pure.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Mac OS X 10.5 Support Essentials: With Regional Appeal
This week I have been teaching Mac OS X Support Essentials, and I'm really excited with this group. I have two students from New Mexico, one from Idaho, one from Wyoming, and the final student from Park City, Utah. It seems that our Apple classes are starting to draw a lot of students from across the West.
The class is moving along nicely, though the content is still really high. The poor students are hitting their cognitive load rather quickly, and so we can't move more than a couple of chapters at a time. Unfortunately, that leaves us with about half the curriculum left to cover today. Luckily there isn't a lot that the students need to learn at this point because all the heavy learning happened at the beginning of the course. Now we are just covering Networking, Peripherals, printing, and the startup sequence. But the students already feel overwhelmed.
Looking at the materials again, while I still contend they are better than the 10.4 materials (by a long shot), the course should have been made a 4 day course. Of course that brings up a whole different concern about the price tag on the course which most students and their employers already consider too high. It's an interesting balancing act, particularly when you think about what is required, or expected, for this level of expertise.
Perhaps, when I have time, I'll run through the materials with my magnifying lens, and see if I can't find a better design for the course. Perhaps there are exercises that are redundant, or perhaps there are topics that are not that important. This all comes after I have finally had the time to write the testing software that I intend to create.
Finally, something that I would love to see from Apple, is a Learning or testing platform that could be run within a Virtual Machine and distributed through a network. Something like LivePC (more on that platform later, which has really impressed me!). It would make testing easier, and even easily distributed (though controlled through an access platform), so that more Apple Professionals can be out there. Perhaps if the requirement for the software to work would be to have it run on Apple hardware...
The class is moving along nicely, though the content is still really high. The poor students are hitting their cognitive load rather quickly, and so we can't move more than a couple of chapters at a time. Unfortunately, that leaves us with about half the curriculum left to cover today. Luckily there isn't a lot that the students need to learn at this point because all the heavy learning happened at the beginning of the course. Now we are just covering Networking, Peripherals, printing, and the startup sequence. But the students already feel overwhelmed.
Looking at the materials again, while I still contend they are better than the 10.4 materials (by a long shot), the course should have been made a 4 day course. Of course that brings up a whole different concern about the price tag on the course which most students and their employers already consider too high. It's an interesting balancing act, particularly when you think about what is required, or expected, for this level of expertise.
Perhaps, when I have time, I'll run through the materials with my magnifying lens, and see if I can't find a better design for the course. Perhaps there are exercises that are redundant, or perhaps there are topics that are not that important. This all comes after I have finally had the time to write the testing software that I intend to create.
Finally, something that I would love to see from Apple, is a Learning or testing platform that could be run within a Virtual Machine and distributed through a network. Something like LivePC (more on that platform later, which has really impressed me!). It would make testing easier, and even easily distributed (though controlled through an access platform), so that more Apple Professionals can be out there. Perhaps if the requirement for the software to work would be to have it run on Apple hardware...
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