This concept originally gained attention with the work of Johnny Chung Lee.  He shares several in-depth video clips for further instruction.

A few months ago, I wanted to explore either Tumblr or Posterous for a personal blog. I basically flipped a coin and settled on Tumbler (http://designojek.tumblr.com) and have really enjoyed the simplicity of it. When you log into the system, you’ll see a dashboard with all of the posting options at the top.

You can easily upload photos, video, audio and traditional text posts with the click of a button. You can even post content via email or by calling a phone number! Photo slideshows are automatically built and posting a video is as simple as dropping a Vimeo or YouTube link into a box.

There are lots of ways to customize Tumblr, too. They have several themes set up that you can choose from and almost all of them allow you to change the colors and fonts to your liking:

From a technical standpoint, you can integrate a Google analytics account, set up comments with Disqus, send the RSS out to Feedburner and link your posts to Twitter or Facebook very easily. There is also the option to use a custom URL (see links below) and you can edit the design to make it match a certain “look” so it could serve as the “blog” section of a website. You can also solicit questions and feedback from your readers with a “Ask” section so there are options for interaction as well.

Tumblr also has a community aspect to it, allowing you to “follow” other blogs that you like. When you log into your Dashboard, you’ll see a list of the most recently updated blog posts from your followers. You can comment on them, repost them, or simple “like” a post. Here’s a post that was reblogged by a good friend of mine:

I tried to locate some good, quality education-related Tumblr blogs and I didn’t find too many which means that the door is wide open for those wanting to enter the arena! Here are just a few that I’ve seen that I think are great examples of what’s possible (a couple of design blogs and a couple of educational technology ones).

http://bobulate.com/
http://blog.frankchimero.com/
http://alanacallan.tumblr.com/
http://teachthinktech.learningconnective.org/

Post in the comments below if you know of other great Tumblr blogs or if you decide to start your own!

But how does it work? If you haven’t seen us do a live demonstration of the process before, check out this nice video that Amber put together recently.

Distance Coaching from Stratepedia on Vimeo.

Want to know more?

Visit our Distance Coaching Technology website to read about what we’re doing. Watch for more information soon, including more technical details and opportunities to participate in our research.

As we mentioned on Wednesday, Apple unveiled its latest lineup of iPods, mobile operating system updates, and a new version of Apple TV via a live video stream. I’ve already run through the individual new devices and features; for today’s Friday Five I’d like to share five off-the-cuff thoughts I have about how these new gadgets might (someday) affect education.

1. Wireless printing coming to the iPad

When the iPad came out, one of the shortcomings critics were quick to point out was an inability to print directly from the tablet. A few million iPads later, Apple has addressed this issue. In the forthcoming (November) release of iOS 4.2, Apple will add wireless printing to the iPad. This should be immediately beneficial to schools that are using iPads in classrooms this fall, not to mention home users.

2. The iPod touch finally has a video camera

Most “experts,” including me, thought for sure that last year’s iPod touch would include a video camera like its iPhone kin. That didn’t happen, but the introduction of FaceTime video conferencing technology in the iPhone 4 made this camera inclusion more likely this year. Sure enough, the iPod touch now has front- and rear-facing cameras that can use FaceTime. The rear camera can also record high definition video and take still photos. The still camera is relatively low-resolution, but should be fine if you don’t need to blow photos up really large. You can also download the mobile-specific version of iMovie to edit video directly on an iPod touch, then share it online via YouTube or MobileMe. I see great possibilities for student assignments or teacher video demonstrations.

3. The iPod nano is very, very different

I’m not sure that the little iPod nano ever got a substantial look from the education field, but there are two things to be aware of: First, the video camera that was included in last year’s model is gone. I guess to make something that small they had to remove some features; I kind of doubt a whole lot of people used that camera. Second, even though the touch interface looks similar to that of the iPod touch or the iPhone, the iPod nano can’t use apps like its bigger brothers. It does, though, have an integrated FM radio and can play lots of educational podcasts–and it’s tiny enough to fit on a wrist strap.

4. The new Apple TV supports Netflix

I read in a blog somewhere recently about how great it would be if Netflix provided schools with free accounts, thus providing access to thousands of streaming documentaries (PBS documentaries are added to the streaming library almost instantly), classic movies, and other titles potentially not available to schools through traditional audio visual services. (If I read this in your blog, or you’ve seen it elsewhere, please let me know so I can provide credit.) The new Apple TV, with its straightforward connectivity to high definition screens, instant access to Netflix content (Netflix account required), and very reasonable price ($99), would be an easy way to make this video accessible to classrooms.

5. AirPlay could be the new show and tell

Finally, here’s a loose idea I’d love to see in action. Going back to the video cameras in the new iPod touch–say a student creates a video for an assignment, edits it in iMovie, and keeps a copy stored on her iPod. Using AirPlay, this video could be shared with the class on a large screen connected to an Apple TV.

What do you think?

What kinds of possibilities do you see for this week’s newest gadget announcements?

Photo: Apple, Inc.