Planning your Moodle course for delivery either totally online or in a blended format requires purposeful planning. Not only must you develop an engaging interactive experience for the student, but you must do so in a manner to protect participants from possible Internet security threats. This presentation will familiarize the participant with resources available to help build an effective, secure Moodle course.
For more information: Deborah Antoine or Janis Rose, Capital Area Career Center, 2201 Toronto Road, Springfield, IL 62707 Phone: 217/529-5431 Ext. 164 E-mail: dantoine@caccschool.org or jrose@caccschool.org

Free e-Books and e-Textbooks

Google Books
Library of Congress
Textbook Revolution

An E-book, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary of English, is "an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a personal computer or hand-held device designed specifically for this purpose". E-books are usually read on dedicated hardware devices known as e-Readers or e-book devices. Personal computers and some cell phones can also be used to read e-books.

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

Phishing relies on a 1-2 combination of online trickery to get users to submit sensitive information (such as usernames, passwords, credit cards, or financial information). Phishing uses email or instant messaging to direct users to fake sites that mimic legitimate sites.

LibriVox

LibriVox

LibriVox provides free audiobooks from the public domain. There are several options for listening. You can download mp3 files or Ogg files to your computer. From there you can burn them to CDs, or put them on your mp3 player. This gives students with differing learning styles more options.

LibriVox also asks for volunteers to read public domain books, record them with free audio software and upload the resulting mp3s  to their library. This could be an interesting class assignment and a great public service.

Does she wear a moustache?

Beware that your new, online "BFF" may be a balding, paunchy, granddad of three, or the blonde who "understands you" while reporting details of your life to her burglar boyfriend who's waiting for the best time to rob your home.

Internet Archives

Internet Archives

The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, they provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public.

The WayBack Machine shows archived web sites from the early days of the internet.

Lost in 60 seconds!

Anything you post - text, video, audio, photo - is at immediate risk. Why? Because the moment it's online, it is out of your control. It can be forwarded, altered, stored, or archived, all without your knowledge or permission.

Making matters worse, this often occurs outside the legal jurisdiction of the USA.

Forum Network

Forum Network

The Forum Network online library features thousands of lectures by some of the world's foremost scholars, authors, artists, scientists, policy makers, and community leaders, available to citizens of the world for free.

Who said you could come along?

Even the most legitimate websites can have malicious software injected without the website owner's knowledge, leaving unsuspecting surfers prey to unwanted executables downloaded along with their intended file.

While people can reasonably expect game, video, and file-sharing sites to piggyback unwanted software to their computers, they do not anticipate silently downloading malicious software while visiting Google. Yet, malicious code has been injected into Google's website - and has transferred to users' computers - without their knowledge on at least two occasions this year.

TED

TED

"Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world"

TED videos are great discussion starters. Videos average between 3 and 20 minutes. You can do a search to find videos of a certain length.  Even learners with busy lives can usually find 10-20 minutes to watch a video. Asking them to comment on the video in a discussion board can foster some interesting discussions, not to mention helping to develop critical thinking skills.

Playing Russian Roulette at McDonald's!

There are two types of wireless networks: (1)Public networks, such as at Barnes and Noble, Panera, Starbucks, airports, or McDonald's, and (2)private networks, including the peer-to-peer, gamer and server networks found in many homes.

The dangers of public wireless networks are not well recognized. One patron surfing on his own notebook at a corner table may, in fact, be taking advantage of another patron's computer, in spite of secured passwords, through packet sniffing. Equally at risk are home wireless networks, whose signals may reach out to the curb or to an unknown neighbor on a street behind.

A supplemental PowerPoint presentation of additional information, including statistics, definitions, and recommendations, can be downloaded at http://www.mediafire.com/?mywyol3h52y. The PowerPoint slides follow the blog's Bullet Point order and can be integrated into the presentation.