tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226238970655273332024-03-14T00:35:40.576-04:00Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.A chronicle of my thoughts and impressions of teaching, learning, science, technology, research, and theory as I stumble upon them. (Makes for great indexable research blurbs!)Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-65144389873266828002013-05-23T19:17:00.003-04:002014-06-02T06:56:26.684-04:00Amber D. Marcu's Curriculm Vitae (CV) and Contact InfoScholarly:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/amberevans/home/AEvansCV_NoRefs.pdf" target="_blank">Curriculum Vitae</a></li>
<li><a href="http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_dn9XNEAAAAJ" target="_blank">Citation Indices</a></li>
<li>Dissertation: <i><a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10919/19340" target="_blank">Relationship of Self-Efficacy to the Stages of Concern in the Adoption of an Innovation in Higher Education</a></i></li>
</ul>
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Professional:</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/adevans" target="_blank">LinkedIn Profile</a></li>
<li>Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AmsDiane4Tech" target="_blank">AmsDiane4Tech</a></li>
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Contact:</div>
<ul>
<li>Text "AmsDiane" to 50500 for my vCard</li>
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Topics of interest: </div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0,14&q=(professional+faculty+development)%26(adoption+of+innovation+in+higher+education)" target="_blank">professional faculty development and innovation adoption in higher education</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&ie=UTF-8#sclient=psy-ab&q=health+informatics+adoption&oq=health+informatics+adoption&gs_l=hp.3...2024948.2820408.0.2821228.30.25.4.1.2.4.302.2977.14j7j2j1.24.0...0.0.0..1c.1.17.psy-ab.ThmUN3jWu-M&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.aWc&fp=6ca84d98d48f74bf&ion=1&biw=1024&bih=1195" target="_blank">health informatics adoption</a></li>
</ul>
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Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-46814393885211760102013-05-23T19:17:00.000-04:002014-06-02T06:52:51.883-04:00Who Am I? (Visually speaking)I'm all done with my Ph.D. and it's been a few years. It's time I update my <a href="http://wordle.net/">Wordle.net</a> to see how I have changed and grown over the years. (Why do this? Well, we all talk a lot about how visuals are more effective, but many of us do not take the time to create the visuals. What I love about the slew of Web 2.0 tools is that they make the visualization process <span style="font-style: italic;">so easy</span>. Of course, you can still <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/amberevans/home/AEvansCV_NoRefs.pdf">read my CV</a> for the full description of me and my skills, but you can also understand who--and what--I am at a glance, below.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c5uNIXSUhsE/UZ08-cCfDbI/AAAAAAAAT6g/UeuX1Q3I2KM/s1600/2013c_Wordle-CV.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c5uNIXSUhsE/UZ08-cCfDbI/AAAAAAAAT6g/UeuX1Q3I2KM/s400/2013c_Wordle-CV.png" height="260" width="400" /></a></div>
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Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-57360669599427087312011-04-30T15:57:00.000-04:002013-05-23T19:47:39.169-04:00Portfolio of Professional Samples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AMZ6M9aSKN8/R0h6v4meMMI/AAAAAAAAAGY/AnOjzKNBGeY/s1600/toolbox-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AMZ6M9aSKN8/R0h6v4meMMI/AAAAAAAAAGY/AnOjzKNBGeY/s200/toolbox-001.jpg" width="200" /></a>A selection of my work is available: My <a href="https://scholar.vt.edu/access/content/user/adevans/Public/DVDPortfolio/Samples/default.htm" target="_blank">Portfolio of Professional Samples</a>.Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-61829639756025874222011-04-25T14:51:00.000-04:002013-05-23T19:48:57.076-04:00The Internet: Don't leave us in "a Web of One."<object height="326" width="446"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param>
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<div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I know I personally prefer to learn this way and I've been suggesting this to my faculty for years: "consider flipping the traditional classroom script -- give students video lectures to watch at home, and do "homework" in the classroom with the teacher available to help."</span><br />
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</span></div>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-28760441425883021402011-04-01T18:15:00.003-04:002011-04-01T18:19:51.284-04:00AERA Goes Mobile! Get it now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://m.core-apps.com/aeraam2011" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qdGGlVntjUU/TZZPOrvnyII/AAAAAAAAPpM/cUZsDnR2ius/s200/aeraMobile.gif" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Read the Story:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2011/03/aera_research_conference_goes.html" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://blogs.edweek.org/<wbr></wbr>edweek/inside-school-research/<wbr></wbr>2011/03/aera_research_<wbr></wbr>conference_goes.html</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Get the iOS App:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/2011-aera-annual-meeting/id426729479?mt=8" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://itunes.apple.com/us/<wbr></wbr>app/2011-aera-annual-meeting/<wbr></wbr>id426729479?mt=8</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Or access the Web App:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://m.core-apps.com/aeraam2011" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://m.core-apps.com/<wbr></wbr>aeraam2011</a></span><br />
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Hopefully an Android-app comes out soon, too!Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-70151643762466995252011-03-23T09:02:00.002-04:002011-03-23T09:04:26.281-04:00Google Summer of Code<a href="http://sakaiproject.org/sites/all/themes/sakainew/images/smlogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://sakaiproject.org/sites/all/themes/sakainew/images/smlogo.gif" /></a>Here's another great way to encourage or support Sakai OpenSource development, too!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Google's Summer of Code: <a href="http://code.google.com/soc/">http://code.google.com/soc/</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://code.google.com/images/GSoC2011_300x200.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://code.google.com/images/GSoC2011_300x200.png" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bottom line: Student earns $5000 (and a tee-shirt!) for a successful </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">summer project contributing to one of many open source activities. Read </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the FAQ at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.google-melange.com/document/show/gsoc_program/google/gsoc2011/faqs" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://www.google-melange.com/<wbr></wbr>document/show/gsoc_program/<wbr></wbr>google/gsoc2011/faqs</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Student application deadline is 8 April.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">From the FAQ, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Google Summer of Code has several goals:</span><br />
<ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Create and release open source code for the benefit of all</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Inspire young developers to begin participating in open source </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">development</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Help open source projects identify and bring in new developers and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">committers</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Provide students the opportunity to do work related to their academic </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pursuits during the summer (think "flip bits, not burgers")</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Give students more exposure to real-world software development scenarios </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(e.g., distributed development, software licensing questions, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">mailing-list etiquette)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If you are a student with a "geekier" nature, please consider applying.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If you are a professor and have a student who shows talent for making </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the stuff behind the stuff work, please encourage that student to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">consider applying.</span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span></span></div>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-30041284932272099622011-02-14T16:27:00.002-05:002011-02-14T16:30:43.862-05:00Reprisal of the QR Code<div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>I'm working with my local bicycling club, the Illinois Valley Wheelmn, and Board and finding that I'm helping to bring a mobile smartphone perspective. We have an excellent web site, newsletter, and advertising opportunities. I recently suggested adding in a QR Code to which I received the response: What is that and why would we want it? Below is the best brief answer I could give that was directly relevant. I hope you find my reprisal of the QR Code equally useful.</i></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Long URLs -> Short URLs</b></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Many times, a URL (or URI) is too long to safely or easily include in an email, instant message, or text message. If you're a mobile user like me, you don't like to type in long URLs on a tiny keyboard. Even if you're not a mobile user, you've noticed that sometimes a forwarded email ends up breaking a long URL link. To avoid these problems, you can use a URL shortener. There are many URL shorteners out there. Popular ones include <a href="http://tinyurl.com/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">tinyurl.com</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">bit.ly</a>, and <a href="http://goo.gl/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">goo.gl</a>, among others. These sites make long URLs into short URLs that point to the same place. </div><blockquote style="border-bottom-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div><div>For example:</div><div>I wish to share a long Google Map URL such as:</div><div><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=peoria,+il&aq=&sll=40.722283,-89.591789&sspn=0.199571,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Peoria,+Illinois&ll=40.694175,-89.589043&spn=0.199655,0.308647&z=12" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=<wbr></wbr>q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=<wbr></wbr>peoria,+il&aq=&sll=40.722283,-<wbr></wbr>89.591789&sspn=0.199571,0.<wbr></wbr>308647&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=<wbr></wbr>Peoria,+Illinois&ll=40.694175,<wbr></wbr>-89.589043&spn=0.199655,0.<wbr></wbr>308647&z=12</a> </div><div></div></div></blockquote><br />
<blockquote style="border-bottom-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div><div>I would choose to shorten it. I go to <a href="http://goo.gl/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl</a> and paste that long URL into the top box and it returns a short one to me:</div><div><a href="http://goo.gl/zwfDJ" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/zwfDJ</a></div></div><div></div></blockquote><br />
<blockquote style="border-bottom-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div>Test both of these URLs. Notice that they go to the same place. This will work every time.</div></blockquote><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><div style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 13px;">Now, our (truly wonderful) IVW web site already has a great, short URL: <a href="http://www.ivwheelmn.org/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://www.ivwheelmn.org/</a> There is no need for a URL shortener. However, <a href="http://goo.gl/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">Goo.gl</a> offers an additional bonus feature of their URL shortener:<i> <b>a QR Code generator</b>.</i></div><div style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div><b>What is a QR Code?</b></div><div style="font-size: 13px;">You can read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">full Wikipedia entry</a> if you'd like, but essentially a QR Code is a 2-dimensional code able to be scanned by camera phones and barcode readers. (See attached QR Code for the IVW web site.) They've been around for quite some time. If you start to look for them in the corners of magazine pages, advertisements, posters, fliers, etc. you'll notice them. QR codes contain different kinds of information and can be used to start some kind of action, such as going to a particular web site. </div><div style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div><b>Scanning or Capturing a QR Code</b><br />
<div style="font-size: 13px;">Many mobile smartphones have free software you can download and use to "scan" or "capture" a QR Code. Doing that then allows your phone to go directly to the desired web site. It's terribly convenient for mobile users because it removes the barrier of typing in a URL which is prone to mistakes given the small form factor of mobile devices and less-than-ideal keyboards (if any). If you have a smartphone and want to download a free QR Code scanner, I suggest going to your phone's marketplace or App store and searching for "QR Code scanner" and select the most downloaded or highest-rated free software available. I use "ShopSavvy" on my Android phone because it also lets me do live price comparisons between stores and online retailers.</div></div><div style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div><b>Goo.gl + ".qr"</b></div><div style="font-size: 13px;">Overall, using <a href="http://goo.gl/" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">Goo.gl</a> and appending ".qr" to the resulting short URL is slick, easy, and can be done for anything from anywhere. For smartphone users like myself, it's a timesaver and makes me 100% more likely to follow-through to a web site. If the QR Code is digitally displayed on my phone, I just press on the QR code itself; if I see a QR code on a store poster, in a magazine, or in a newspaper, I use my phone's camera to scan it and it automatically directs me to the website on my phone. </div><div style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-18yCB_ErDdY/TVmeVXrEeQI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/VrvBXFA5HVE/s1600/IVWheelmn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-18yCB_ErDdY/TVmeVXrEeQI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/VrvBXFA5HVE/s1600/IVWheelmn.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illinois Valley Wheelm'n<br />
http://www.ivwheelmn.org/</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Recap</b></div><div style="font-size: 13px;">The reason I created a <a href="http://goo.gl/">Goo.gl</a> short URL for IVW was so we could use the subsequently generated QR Code: <a href="http://goo.gl/zwfDJ.qr" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/zwfDJ.qr</a> <wbr></wbr>in future advertisements, publications, and more. We should always use the full IVW web site URL (<a href="http://www.ivwheelmn.org/">http://www.ivwheelmn.org/</a>) when directing others to the IVW web site. Why? Because it's a great web site with a great URL and renders very well on my mobile phone. In general, the only QR Code you (or anyone in our group) really needs for inclusion into newsletters, fliers, mailers, advertisements, etc. are these two (they are the same):</div></div><div style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<ol><div class="im" style="color: #500050;">
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The QR Code: <a href="http://goo.gl/YqQuT.qr" style="color: #0658b5;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/YqQuT.qr</a> </span></li>
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></div><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Attached is the above QR code saved as a PNG file.</span></li>
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></ol></div><div style="font-size: 13px;">Please let me know if anyone else has any questions. Have a happy Valentine's Day!</div></div>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-82180640353982456062011-01-27T12:33:00.001-05:002011-01-27T12:34:19.196-05:00A New Way to Lecture (Using Web 2.0 for Student Engagement and Interactivity)I stumbled across an online booklet discussing Web 2.0 alternatives to traditional lectures. It's called "<a href="http://issuu.com/antonius/docs/a-new-way-to-lecture---using-web-2.0-to-create-int">A New Way to Lecture: Using Web 2.0 to Create Interactive Lecture With Your Students</a>" and I think it's worth a look.<br />
<br />
<div><embed align="middle" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&documentId=100811022611-c3150386f0c547788222cf9355b1004b&docName=a-new-way-to-lecture---using-web-2.0-to-create-int&username=antonius&loadingInfoText=A%20New%20Way%20to%20Lecture%20-%20Using%20Web%202.0%20to%20Create%20Interactive%20Lecture%20With%20Your%20Students&et=1296149414120&er=36" menu="false" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" style="height: 272px; width: 420px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: left; width: 420px;"><a href="http://issuu.com/antonius/docs/a-new-way-to-lecture---using-web-2.0-to-create-int?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com/" target="_blank">publishing</a></div></div>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-43669552368061004782010-07-07T11:39:00.000-04:002010-07-07T11:39:03.998-04:00Secrets of the Chumby One: it can be turned into a 3G router -- Engadget<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/secrets-of-the-chumby-one-it-can-be-turned-into-a-3g-router/">Secrets of the Chumby One: it can be turned into a 3G router -- Engadget</a><br /><br />I want a Chumby if for no other reason than the cool "Wow" factor of having one. I could totally see one of these next to my bed. But I love the hackability of it (and open development possibilities for it). With that said, this Engagdet article points out just the niftiest thing that the Chumby can do; this just may be the secret solution for MiFi in my parents' home! Plus, it doubles as a clock ... something they can really appreciate. :)Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-16891992201892785662010-04-09T13:56:00.003-04:002010-04-09T14:13:41.901-04:00The future of things to come ...There are times when I'm terrified of what the future brings (i.e., <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2gKJeM6Ihw">implanted RFIDs such as Mikey Sklar</a>), and then there are times I can hardly wait for it to arrive. For this latter case, it's very impressive to see what <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/07/santander-visitors-center-infested-by-swarms-of-helpful-robots/">Cuidado Grupo Santander, Madrid has established within their bank walls</a>. I can't help but feel a little bit like we're looking at our realization of iRobot, but without all the rebellious creepiness (so far) ...<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bzDIJ6TTc6w&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bzDIJ6TTc6w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-36337738398758975032009-10-29T13:50:00.005-04:002009-10-29T14:53:26.393-04:00Come on, Google Docs! Be more like EtherPad!Loving the EtherPad cloud computing software. I even have my own pad at <a href="http://etherpad.com/amsdiane">http://etherpad.com/amsdiane</a>. I only wish Google had done this first ...<br /><br />Pros: Free, easy to use, intuitive, easy to add others,<br />Cons: no deletion, non-public use requires fee/person.Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-89197124574975407632009-10-16T19:26:00.002-04:002009-10-16T19:36:14.755-04:00I Love the "Did You Know X.0" SeriesI love these because the only thing that is constant is change. (Don't fear it, embrace it!)<br /><br />Did You Know (1.0):<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K04o2ic4g-A&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K04o2ic4g-A&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed><a class="htgedklofvnectcxtshg" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/K04o2ic4g-A&hl=en&fs=1&"></a></object><br /><br />Did You Know 2.0:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pMcfrLYDm2U&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pMcfrLYDm2U&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Did You Know 3.0:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jpEnFwiqdx8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jpEnFwiqdx8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Did You Know 4.0:<br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ILQrUrEWe8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ILQrUrEWe8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-80331766724922221382009-07-09T17:17:00.003-04:002009-10-16T19:19:25.429-04:00BoF Help Files & Documentation12 members in attendence. (Rita Povolka (Indiana University) is also a contact who could not be at the conference.)<br /><br />IU repository including data about docs resides on a server @ IU. The Sakai KB has been exported & formatted as static Help pages as we know it. KB@iu.edu. IU have a DB of their own. Context sensitive help menus can be developed.<br /><br />The docs come as a weird combo of needs. We really need two types of docs: "how do I?" & "why do I?" Rutgers includes a "what's this" link for select new features.<br /><br />There exists a need to have a template that is wiki-like that we can create a tool description that still allows for user & community contribution. Warnings, pedagogy, user feedback, analytics, collection & reporting (JIRA?) should be included. Consider the variety of medium. A review and update system to existing content.<br /><br />Look into the End-User Confluence page & the BoF, too, for more information.<br /><br />-- I apologize for typos or errors. This was sent from my mobile phone. --<br />Amber D. EvansAmber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-13414820727029191542009-07-09T16:05:00.003-04:002009-10-16T19:17:15.963-04:00Strategy to Support Users: Custom Docs & Help<span class="label"></span><span class="fn">Mathieu Plourde</span><br />Univ of Del. Running Sakai & WebCT.<br /><br />Workflow<br />Users call center. Ticket created in Remedy & sent to LMS team. Frequent requests sent to Tech Writer to create/update documentation.<br /><br />Types of Content<br /><ul><li>Help files</li><li>Support Videos</li><li>Pedagogy</li></ul>Help files on another server so only it needs to be reset & not the whole Sakai instance. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Aside: Brilliant!</span>) Areas for full docs, a tech writer on staff, and plethora of videos. Pedagogy area included, too. FAQ also created (VT has the KB at <a href="http://answers.vt.edu/">http://answers.vt.edu/</a>).<br /><br />Karen Campbell (Rutgers)<br />50,000 users. Very small staff. Users & docs are as self-reliant as possible. Although not pedagogy focused, they are in need of some teaching or tool use for teaching.<br /><br />FAQ provides basic help. Tool groupings help them decide which communication tools to use. Within Help, there are giant buttons they cannot miss; there is a tools overview page. Additional instructional tips are provided alongside.<br /><br />Updates are done throughout the year w/all fixes often, but an overhaul happens w/each upgrade. Docs Coordinator (her) proofs docs & manages check in/out. Long-term goals include more videos, examples, & pedagogical content. Example sites is a challenge but desired. It would be nice to have ways to track use and helpfulness (analytics); it really is necessary, but currently missing.<br /><br />Finding the student resources for employment isn't too hard b/c every student can have a site of their own and they have same or similar knowledge of creation tasks.<br /><br />Indiana University<br />Portal page of OnCourse shows a Getting Started, Training for Faculty & Students, Enhancement Process ... And Help.<br /><br />The Help tool is a little different than normal Sakai help. The pages are in XML and can be collated in any order or collection, but for consistency it appears as any other static page. 500 pages are OnCourse related in the repository & undergoes updates easily & effectively.<br /><br />-- I apologize for typos or errors. This was sent from my mobile phone. --<br />Amber D. EvansAmber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-29792527237551927532009-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:002009-07-09T13:59:16.556-04:00Motivating Non-Sci. Students Using Sakai-based Strategies.Lafuze & Newbrough<br />The science of the brain and addiction can be very difficult to understand due to the complex concepts & language. Her goal was to share the science concepts of brains & addictions, but in a way that would be non-threatening. This course has been taught online for the lst 10 years averaging between 30-50 students per course.<br /><br />Placement of the mainly used tools is placed within the site info area. (This is similar to VT practice where we encourage faculty to use that space to provide a "roadmap" to students, letting them know what tools & when they wil be used.) She provides a link from that main page to a recorded message directed at the students, introducing them to the content, context, and the important people of the course.<br /><br />She has "the Holodeck" which is the Forums tool, but creatively designed in a way to allow students to interact with historical people (e.g., Marie Curie). (Aside: Man, this instructor completely rocks! She has a Star Trek "What is the Holodeck" video, complete w/short clips from the classic 60's series & everything!) Within the Forums, she invites her students to engage with each other & discussions within based on topics. Guests also partake bringing knowledge of chemistry & chemistry & biology<br /><br />-- I apologize for typos or errors. This was sent from my mobile phone. -- Amber D. EvansAmber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-10555114690871378162009-07-09T09:21:00.002-04:002009-07-09T12:05:56.973-04:00Thur. Keynote TWSIA Winner<SPAN style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT:Normal;'>TWSIA Winner: Andrea <br>Using constructivism, she provided guided instruction through their learning of forensic science across great distances. Providing them with defined temporary roles allowed them to experience different situations & the requisite decision-making skills both individually & as a team. The necessary interactions also allowed students the flexibility to choose how they would communicate, as long as it was within Interact (Sakai). This allowed her to "peek" in and observe their process and progress.<br><br>An Evalution Rubric was used to assess both the student work & the quality of the course. The "surprise" by many of the stuents themselves was how willing & enthusiastic they each were to share their specific knowledge & skills w/group members, creating a true community within.<br><br>TWSIA Winner: Edith Sheffer<br>Edith's live, face-to-face course focused on interactions, having her students workly closely & intensely with European history & Sakai providing the platform. <br><br>Capitalizing on the wiki, students kept and created wiki pages for their own "historical avatar." each student drew an identity at random; to whom they were born and where. All were born in 1900, but life circumstances were different. Students then had to construct a childhood. Based on the history lectures in class, they had to discuss their avatar's life choices.<br><br>This open platform inspired authorship, imagination, curiosity, and understanding. Students averaged 1121 words per post = 4.5 pages every week for 9 weeks ON THEIR OWN. They went beyond basic research. They became attached to their avatar, too. They built a life that required introspection, reflection, & evaluation to create lasting learning.<br><br>-- I apologize for typos or errors. This was sent from my mobile phone. --<br>Amber D. Evans</SPAN>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-10609659259073759332009-07-08T16:35:00.003-04:002009-07-08T22:32:43.667-04:00Eval. Testing Tools @ UI: Process & ResultsThis short 30-minute session highlighted the UI experience of trying to select an assessment tool replacement. There is a shared Google doc w/all the data comparison between types and functions between Mneme & Samigo held @ <a href="http://tinyurl.com/n249w8">http://tinyurl.com/n249w8</a> & PDF @ <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nzthgn">http://tinyurl.com/nzthgn</a>. Save yourself some time & check it out if you're also shoping around.<p> -- I apologize for typos or errors. This was sent from my mobile phone. --<br />Amber D. Evans</p>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-27742781432821936152009-07-08T10:03:00.002-04:002009-07-08T10:08:43.254-04:00Sakai Boston '09 opens w/Vijay KumarA nice perk of the early registration to the 10th annual Sakai confrence in Boston this year was the inclusion of the book, Opening up Education. Keynote speaker for the conference, Vijay Kumar, opened his speech with reminders of the growth of and the emerging embracement of open education initatives not only in higher ed, but also in K-12. This is developing a new breed of educators and learners. Addressing and communicating with these potential audiences requires us to consider the Value Potential (think Rogers' benefits consideration) and their Readiness (how can these impact education & how can we align education priorities with the open ed initiative)?<br /><br />Kumar showed slides voicing speaking users' experience with the use of open ed, Proessor Richard Hall commented on the high quality of OCW material; Kunte Adejumo, a student, complimented the ease of accesibility and supplemental learning opportunity. Carnegie Mellon's OLI has led & provided a framework for others to quickly build open learning online courses. Consider the implications of this kind of technology & education adoption for countries like India ...<br /><br />The open vision included elements of focusing on Blended Learning & Boundary-less Education. Focus on LIFELONG learning, not just "schooling." Consider remote control of hardware & experience as seen in MIT's iLabs, Queensland, DUT (China), and others in the iLabs Consortium. Access to expensive labs & materials would dramatically alter economic-based education and create a larger community. It allows faculty to establish their own understanding of what should be taught (as relevant a priori to their course) and what is taught. An instructor can point students to OCW and know her students will have the requisite knowledge needed before she gets too far underway. (Side note: One of the "coolest" tools in all of this was the Spoken Lecture Browser. Check it out.)<br /><br />Issues & Barriers to Adoption<br />Where does one find content? Once content is found, is it truly relevant and/or appropriate? How does one order and make sense of the materials & knowledge within the provided OCW? Standards can certainly help, but the most profound changes come elsewhere. Vijay makes the case for addressing the Organizational Cultural factors: Scarcity vs. Abundance, Sense-making (digital disorder & pedagogy), Accountability & Accreditation.<br /><br />Kumar closes with the quote from Charles M. Vest, "We are seeing the emergence of a meta-university ..." and "If we don't see you in the future, we'll see you in the pasture."<br /><br />-- I apologize for typos or errors. This was sent from my mobile phone. --<br />Amber D. EvansAmber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-39557512033538115602009-02-22T13:30:00.004-05:002009-02-22T13:39:28.029-05:00Need to generate or create a Word Cloud?A quick Google search for "<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=word+cloud+generator">word cloud generator</a>" or "<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=create+word+cloud">create word cloud</a>" will produce varying results of free online word or tag cloud makers. I personally think the best of these is <a href="http://www.wordle.net/">Wordle.net</a>. Wordle allows you to quickly create a visual representation of keywords and their frequency. The below is one I generated from my own <a href="http://amber.evans.googlepages.com/AEvansCV_NoRefs.pdf">Curriculum Vitae or CV</a> [PDF]:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://amber.evans.googlepages.com/ADEvansCVWordCloud.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 75%; height: 75%;" src="http://amber.evans.googlepages.com/ADEvansCVWordCloud.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-86666834574622763062008-12-23T16:19:00.000-05:002008-12-23T16:19:33.131-05:00Color me crazy - 10 best online color tools - Download Squad<a href="http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/09/color-me-crazy-10-best-online-color-tools">Color me crazy - 10 best online color tools - Download Squad</a><br /><br />If you're tackling some graphic design project or maybe even your wall decor, getting color hints from ready made color templates from professional designers can be useful. The article covers 10 of the better sites to help you out on your design challenge. Included in the article are links to ColorCombos, COLOURlovers, ColorExplorer, Kuler, ColorJack, Sessions.edu, Color Palette Generator, Color Hunter, Color Scheme Generator, and Stripe Generator.Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-68217985638108778002008-12-23T11:51:00.000-05:002008-12-23T11:51:30.717-05:00Clipboard Utility - Snippets Organizer - Email Signatures<a href="http://www.phraseexpress.com/">Clipboard Utility - Snippets Organizer - Email Signatures</a><br /><br />A quick way to reduce your overall typing and reply time. Should be very useful for those who have to repeatedly answer similar questions (like Help Desk staff, or Secretaries).Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-9043921024140534402008-12-23T10:50:00.004-05:002008-12-23T10:55:04.532-05:00Re-Post: 24 Killer Portable Apps For Your USB Flash DriveArticle: <a href="http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/02/24-killer-portable-apps-for-your-usb-flash-drive/">http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/02/24-killer-portable-apps-for-your-usb-flash-drive/</a><br /><br />This article by Lee Mathews covers the gamut of useful little applications to take with you. Some of the topics and applications suggested are from the categories: Encryption, Web and Internet, Peer-to-Peer, Maintenance and Support, Multimedia, Document Handlers, File Management, and Portable Launchers.Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-40232331727899709662008-12-05T14:09:00.000-05:002008-12-05T14:11:47.942-05:00Re-Post: Dealzmodo Hack: Make Your Old USB Stick Into a Digital MultitoolCool idea to revive the use of (old) USB drives: <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5101651/dealzmodo-hack-make-your-old-usb-stick-into-a-digital-multitool?skyline=true&s=i">http://gizmodo.com/5101651/dealzmodo-hack-make-your-old-usb-stick-into-a-digital-multitool?skyline=true&s=i</a><br /><blockquote>With 8GB flash drives available for under $20 and 32GB drives edging into the mainstream, nobody can blame you for shelving old USB sticks. But there are a surprising number of uses for those rickety, sub-gigabyte keychains. <p>There are nearly endless ways to bring a USB stick out of retirement, and they're not just gimmicks: virtually all USB sticks, 32MB USB 1.1 dinosaurs included, can be repurposed into anything from a lifesaving troubleshooting tool to an entire portable OS. Here are your best options ...</p></blockquote><p><br /></p>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422623897065527333.post-29491369308882441642008-12-03T15:05:00.000-05:002008-12-03T15:09:40.935-05:00Re-Post: Cash-strapped teacher sells ads on tests<div id="cnnSCByLine">I really hope I don't start seeing this in the university setting. Is it clever? Oh, yes. I can only think about the metacognitive effects something like this could have. I wonder if online tests have been doing this already?<br /><br />Full article: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/03/teacher.ads.on.tests/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/03/teacher.ads.on.tests/index.html</a><br />By Jason Hanna<br /></div><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--> <!--endclickprintexclude--><p> <b></b></p><blockquote><p><b>(CNN)</b> -- In tests for teacher Tom Farber's high school class, students can demonstrate their mastery of calculus and find out where to get braces or even a haircut.</p> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <div id="imageChanger1"> <div class="cnnStoryPhotoBox"><div id="cnnImgChngr" class="cnnImgChngr"> <div id="cnnImgChngrNested"> <img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/LIVING/12/03/teacher.ads.on.tests/art.teacher.3.ads.wed.kgtv.jpg" alt="Calculus teacher Tom Farber is selling ad space on tests to defray printing costs." vspace="0" width="292" height="219" hspace="0" /> <div style="font-style: italic;" class="cnnStoryPhotoCaptionBox"> <div class="cnn3pxTB9pxLRPad"> <p> Calculus teacher Tom Farber is selling ad space on tests to defray printing costs. </p> </div> </div> </div>Squeezed by classroom budget cuts, the Rancho Bernardo High School teacher is selling ads on his exams to cover the costs of printing them.</div></div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> var CNN_ArticleChanger = new CNN_imageChanger('cnnImgChngr','/2008/LIVING/12/03/teacher.ads.on.tests/imgChng/p1-0.init.exclude.html',2,1); //CNN.imageChanger.load('cnnImgChngr','imgChng/p1-0.exclude.html'); </script> <!--endclickprintexclude--><p> "It raises money for the teachers and it's amusing for the kids, so it seems like a win-win," said Luke Shaw, 18, a student at the suburban San Diego, California, school.</p><p> Parents and administrators also praise Farber, 47, for his creative classroom funding, but he doesn't want it to become the norm.</p><p> "My intention is, [selling ads] is a stopgap measure," said Farber. "I don't want to be doing this year after year."</p></blockquote><p></p>Amber D. (Evans) Marcu, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06744026619052299028noreply@blogger.com0