new features in Google Docs

Just a quick post to mention two new(ish) features of Google Docs.

The word count now includes some readability information.

It is now possible to insert an equation using an equation editor (LaTeX syntax, just like Wikipedia).

levels of writing

In the literature world there are levels of writing and levels of reputability; for example a magazine article is different from an essay or a short story. I've been thinking about how there is a similar hierarchy online. Maybe blog posts tend to be more reputable than Facebook updates, which are higher quality than Twitter tweets.

And I'm not just saying this because my father blogs and mother-in-law uses Facebook, a researcher recently found, in a pilot study, that Facebook increases your IQ while Twitter probably weakens your working memory.

Perhaps all reading is not good reading.

new to Microsoft Office 2007?

Our school district has recently upgraded all computers to Microsoft Office 2007. For users unfamiliar with the "ribbon interface", Microsoft has a great resource:

Guides to the Ribbon: Use Office 2003 menus to learn the Office 2007 user interface

books

Some books that I've recently read (or in most cases listened to) and would like to recommend are:

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist - Michael J. Fox

The Four Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich - Timothy Ferriss

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference - Malcolm Gladwell

Free: The Future of a Radical Price - Chris Anderson

Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future - Cory Doctorow

The Closing of the American Mind / How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students - Allan Bloom

Star Trek Movie Tie-In - Alan Dean Foster

Ask a Ninja Presents The Ninja Handbook: This Book Looks Forward to Killing You Soon - Douglas Sarine and Kent Nichols

All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot

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The links on the left are audio versions, on the right are dead tree editions. Enjoy.

Canadian copyright law consultation

If you are a Canadian, now is the time to make your voice heard on the topic of copyright law. The government has set up a site for public consultation at copyright.econsultation.ca.

The site is a little awkward to use, but I think it's worth it.

free office suites

An office suite is a set of programs for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and usually some other things.

You're familiar with Microsoft Office, the office suite that all others are compared against and basically sets the standard.

You may have heard of OpenOffice, a great free (and open source) office suite.

You may not have heard of Lotus Symphony, a good looking free office suite from IBM.

I've also talked about Google Apps here, so I'll just mention it again.

we use iPods differently

I had a conversation with a colleague this morning about student iPod use, and it came up that we (adults) tend to use iPods and other mp3 players differently than students do.

For students, iPods in class tend to be distractions and an escape. This is likely the source of teachers' objection to these devices, that they detract from student learning.

For teachers themselves, or at least for me, an mp3 player is more of a professional development device. I'm usually listening to podcasts, lectures, and audiobooks, and many of these are education, or at least technology, related.

And I don't listen to my iPod in class.