As I’ve noted previously, pageflakes.net is an awesome example of a widget based start page (widget and feed aggregator on steroids) that has tons of options in an educational setting. Today (thanks to a post by Jane Hart), I just realized that pageflakes also has a tailored start page for students and teachers under a…
As noted in my post last night, the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) was retained by Sakai to evaluate and advise on the Blackboard patent. This morning, Inside Higher Ed ran a post containing responses from Blackboard's general counsel, Matthew Small, about Sakai retaining the SFLC, as well as Blackboard's general desire to work with…
Similar to the letter CEO Michael Chasen sent to EdTech Talk, a "message" to the client "community" was released on the Blackboard Blog today. Apparently, the crush of criticism by edubloggers is "creating confusion for many people" (and maybe an Excedrin sized headache for Blackboard?) In the "message" of clarity, Chasen notes that: "Some of…
The EdTechTalk live webcast #58 on the Blackboard patent and DOPA issues just finished up and I encourage everyone to catch the recording once it is edited and uploaded. The shownotes include a letter from BlackBoard CEO, Michael Chasin submitted in response to EdTechTalk's request for a representative to appear on the show. Martin Dougiamas…
Wow. I grabbed some sleep last night and woke to see this inspiring piece from Steven Downes. Seems the online learning world has once again rallied (gosh, net neutrality, then DOPA and now the Blackboard patent) and is quickly getting its collective ducks in a row pulling together a historical "prior art" record (see links…
With DOPA and net neutrality taking up so much space, I was almost going to let this story pass. I mean, Blackboard couldn't really try to enforce a patent related to such a nebulous concept as technology relating to systems and methods involved in offering online education, could they? Well, they did – as seen…