Powerpoint, and to a lesser extent Apple’s Keynote, have a vise-like grip on the psyche of a huge percentage of the computer users on the planet. In business, government and education it’s difficult to get through the day without encountering at least one [...]]]> UPDATE: Check out the Simple HTML Slides project page for more information.

Powerpoint, and to a lesser extent Apple’s Keynote, have a vise-like grip on the psyche of a huge percentage of the computer users on the planet. In business, government and education it’s difficult to get through the day without encountering at least one Powerpoint presentation, and we’ve all faced the dreaded “Death by Powerpoint” decks of a hundred slides crammed with 8 point type.

Sites like EducationWorld.com are chock-full of articles written by educators showing teachers how to integrate Powerpoint into the curriculum. Alas, many teachers and curriculum directors think teaching students how to use Powerpoint is an important part of “teaching 21st century technology skills,” while teaching the fundamentals of open web technologies gets almost no attention.

With Firefox 4, and the other modern standards-based browsers, we have an opportunity to create not just compelling web sites, but apps, games and utilities. Figuring out how to obsolete Powerpoint with an open, connected presentation tool would show the world that browsers can do much more than just render Facebook pages.

Simple HTML Slides

I’ve just started an experiment aimed in that direction. It is far from being a “Powerpoint killer”. That would require the efforts of community members with far better code cutting skills than mine. Rather, this is an exercise in thinking through what it might take to get a toe-hold in the mindshare of current Powerpoint and Keynote users.

Here’s my guess at the minimum requirements:

1. Simple: It must be very simple to use. Expecting a middle-school student, a high-school teacher, or a corporate marketing executive to master javascript library loading dependencies and CSS element float peculiarities while trying to create a presentation that’s due tomorrow is a clear non-starter. We need a tool for office workers, young students, and teachers, not one that assumes webmaster ninja skills.
2. Tidy: It must provide reasonably nice looking presentations without requiring graphic design skills on the part of the user. Just as CSS separates the presentation from the content of HTML, we need a way to allow users to concentrate on the content while writing their presentations.
3. Enticing: It needs a “hook” to entice existing Powerpoint and Keynote users to give it a try.

Inspired by Atul Varma’s Magic Ink blog post and his htmlpad slides, I’ve hacked-up a first cut. It uses Janne Aukia’s wonderful Zoomooz.js jQuery plugin. I encourage everyone to play with Simple HTML Slides and then remix the code and the ideas to make them better.

UPDATE: Version 1.2 of the Simple HTML Slides sync controller includes support for converted PDF slide decks. See Turn PDF Slide Decks into HTML5 Web Presentations in Under 5 Minutes

Here’s how the prototype addresses the requirements above:

1. Simple: It moves the javascript and almost all of the CSS out of the HTML file that contains the presentation itself. A heavily commented HTML file containing a set of slide examples shows how easy it is to write a presentation. Users need only understand how to use the <div> tag and apply a few pre-defined CSS classes.
2. Tidy: Javascript manipulation of the CSS deals with the issue of separating slide titles from slide body content. The prototype includes ten different slide design “themes”. Users can switch between them with a single keystroke. In addition, all of the theme definitions are contained in a single CSS file. Designers with better skills than mine can replace the theme designs by substituting their own slide-themes.css file without needing to change (or understand) any of the javascript or any of the other CSS.
3. Enticing:The solution includes an anonymous slide synchronizing server. Users anywhere in the world can see a synchronized slide presentation simply by browsing to the presentation URL. No screen sharing software required. The presentation need not be hosted on the slide-sync server. The synchronization server sees only the control commands and an MD5 hash of the URL. Neither the presentation URL nor the contents of the presentation are ever sent to the slide-sync server. The slide-sync server is open source, so you can choose to run your own.As a bonus, this works on mobile devices like the iPhone, and iPod Touch that have modern browsers, so you can use your phone as a remote when presenting in front of a group.

This is just one approach to replacing Powerpoint with standards-based open web technologies. Please think of a better one, or remix this one, and share it with the community.

UPDATE: Tomer Cohen pointed out that HTML5 ninja Paul Roget has a nice HTML5/CSS3 slide implementation.

With advice from the security folks at Mozilla, the non-profit organization that brings you the Firefox browser, we’ve put together some simple steps you can take to improve the quality of [...]]]> Choosing a password is always a compromise between using something that’s easy-to-remember and something that will give you good protection for your personal information.

With advice from the security folks at Mozilla, the non-profit organization that brings you the Firefox browser, we’ve put together some simple steps you can take to improve the quality of the passwords you use while keeping everything simple and easy to remember.

There’s a video with the essentials, and all the details are in Choosing Secure Passwords, a three part article.

• Part 1 covers common mistakes that lead to insecure passwords,
• Part 2 shows how to use memorable phrases to make secure easy-to remember passwords,
• Part 3 has ways to get your browser to help manage your passwords, and sync them between your browsers on different machines and mobile devices.

There is a Consumer Education project under way at Mozilla to help non-technical users of the Open Web increase their general level [...]]]> We’ve all seen the man-on-the street interviews that show many users don’t know where their browser stops and the internet begins.  Some aren’t sure what a browser is, or which one they use.

There is a Consumer Education project under way at Mozilla to help non-technical users of the Open Web increase their general level of web-savvy. We need to create engaging, easy-to-understand content that helps them increase their “Web Savvy”.  To start we want to produce materials on the following topics:

• Shopping safely on the web
• Protecting online identity
• Choosing more secure passwords
• Help remembering passwords
• Social media privacy
• The risks presented by cookies
• Adding extra features to the browser

But suggestions for additional topics are always welcome.

If you are a writer, film-maker, teacher, cartoonist, artist or musician, you can help. What’s in it for you? As part of a major world-wide user education program, millions of people will see your work, so you’ll get great visibility.

We need content shared under a Creative-Commons license so it can be remixed and re-purposed by the community. We have access to technical experts in each topic area if you need help sharpening the focus of your efforts. …and if you’re an expert in any of the topics, come join the effort!

Writers: We need copy for brochures, booklets, posters, and scripts for short videos and 2-minute radio pieces.

Film-makers: We need short, engaging videos that illustrate technical issues in ways that will connect with non-technical users.

Teachers: We need your help adapting materials for general audiences to use in classrooms at various grade levels. We also need lesson plans built around these materials to share with teachers worldwide.

Cartoonists: We need single-panel cartoons to include in booklet and brochures, comic strips, comic books and posters on our selected topics. If you’re also an animator, then here’s a chance to show off your comics in video form.

Artists: We need posters and artwork for booklets and brochures.

Musicians: We need theme music for videos and audio podcasts. On-topic music videos are also needed.

Join today! Take a moment to visit the Share Your Web Savvy project on Drumbeat.org and join the project.  With your help we can make the web a better place for everyone, including your non-technical friends.

I’ve done a bit of head-scratching over what one possible Drumbeat project aimed at K-12 education might look like.

If you have an interest in helping K-12 education make [...]]]> Mozilla Drumbeat is a global community of people and projects using technology to help internet users understand, participate and take control of their online lives.

I’ve done a bit of head-scratching over what one possible Drumbeat project aimed at K-12 education might look like.

If you have an interest in helping K-12 education make better use of FOSS and the Open Web, please take a moment to look at the wiki page, add your name to the participants list, and hack on the page to make it better.

If you know anyone with an interest in helping K-12 education make better use of FOSS and the Open Web, please ask them to do the same.

My favorite lunches used to be those put on by Lunch 2.0 which mixes lunch with a presentation or a panel discussion at an interesting technology company somewhere around the valley. They almost always attract an interesting [...]]]> The best lunches are those that provide more food for thought than food for my already overweight frame.

My favorite lunches used to be those put on by Lunch 2.0 which mixes lunch with a presentation or a panel discussion at an interesting technology company somewhere around the valley. They almost always attract an interesting crowd for networking.

I say “used to be” because Lunch 2.0 was dormant for a while, and I discovered a new favorite. Oddly, it seems to be the best kept secret in Silicon Valley!

Mozilla.com, the folks that do the awesome Firefox browser, are not just an open source company, but a pathologically open organization from top to bottom. Every Thursday, Mozilla Labs has an open Design Lunch. It’s a bring-your-own-brown-bag affair open to anyone. Topics vary from week to week, but it’s usually design issues for future versions of the Firefox browser or one of the other Mozilla Labs Projects.

The format is a presentation from some of the best designers on the planet and an open discussion, so you not only get a peek into the future, but a chance to change it. I highly recommend joining the discussion. Pack a lunch or order one online for pickup downstairs at Le Boulanger.

Mozilla is at 650 Castro Street in Mountain View. Check the Mozilla Wiki for exact times (usually 12:30) and topics. Be aware that topics are often not posted until the day before, and sometimes even as late as Thursday mornings, so check back often.

UPDATES: If you can’t make it to Mountain View, you can still sit in on the Mozilla Labs Design Lunch on Air Mozilla.

Design Lunch moderator Jono DiCarlo welcomes suggestions for Design Lunch topics. Hit the Mozilla Labs Wiki and suggest something!

Over the last year and a half, I’ve been working on a project called Curiosity Clubhouse that uses computers, both in the classroom and at home, to help kindergarten students learn. It’s [...]]]> It’s a common misconception that the web isn’t a useful educational tool for very young students, particularly pre-readers. That is simply not true.

Over the last year and a half, I’ve been working on a project called Curiosity Clubhouse that uses computers, both in the classroom and at home, to help kindergarten students learn. It’s a web-based system that uses a collection of flash-based learning activities to help kids learn their letters and numbers and get started learning to read.

It came about after some conversations with an extraordinary kindergarten teacher named Barbara Brisson. Barbara, who has also worked for IBM and NetSchools Corp., is one of the most technology-savvy teachers I’ve ever encountered. She was able to put her finger on a number of issues that limited the utility of computers in the kindergarten classroom. There are 5 computers in her classroom and with 20 kindergartners in the class she doesn’t have the luxury of having everyone working on the same activity at the same time. The class is divided into several groups, and the groups rotate through different activities at tables and at the bank of computers. Typically a student is at the computer for 20 to 30 minutes before that group rotates to another activity.

Before our project, the following factors limited the effectiveness of the machines as learning tools for the kids:

• The learning activities she was using were at web sites spread around the net. Navigating using the address bar of a browser, or even a list of bookmarks was difficult-to-impossible for non readers who didn’t even know the whole alphabet.
• Many of these sites placed the mostly flash-based activities on pages with ads and other links to material that is not relevant to the specific learning activity. In the case of ads, these are often professionally designed to attract attention, and so they would seduce the students away from the intended activity. Once off-task, students often were unable to find their way back to the page where they should have been working.
• Making assignments by trying to maintain bookmark lists on multiple machines for groups of students with differing reading and math skill levels was at best arduous.
• The typical assignment takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and setting up each machine with the next assignment for each student meant that it required a minimum of two volunteer aids to keep 5 students (a quarter of her class) working on the right page. Rarely was that possible.

Curiosity Clubhouse, our experiment in the web for pre-readers has solved these problems and added additional capabilities that have resulted in improved end-of-year reading and math scores for Barbara’s kindergartners.

The core of the system is a web site written in PHP running on an Apache web server and a MySQL database. There are pages on the site for teachers, students, and parents.

On the pages there are web forms that let the teacher enter the class roster. In addition to the student’s name, the database holds the current reading level and math skill level for each student. The database also contains a table of the URLs for learning activities (called resources) selected by the teacher. Where possible, these are deep links directly to the activity SWF file, eliminating lots of extraneous links and ads. Each resource is rated with a minimum and maximum reading and math skill level for which the teacher deems it appropriate. There is also a table containing a list of each of the state curriculum standards addressed by each activity. (More about that later).

Another of the teacher pages lets teachers build assignments. Each assignment has a reading and math level range, and a start and end date. This makes it possible to program activities for each group of students for an entire school year if the teacher wishes. As students progress, the teacher can change the skill levels in their student record and they will automatically be presented with appropriate activities.

At the start of the school year each student is invited to choose a personal icon that will serve as their login to the system. There are more than 140 tokens like the ones above, so even the last student in the process has many from which to choose. This is important because the token must be memorable, so letting the child choose an image with which she or he feels a connection minimizes forgotten logins. Our experience was that almost none were forgotten.

To set up a machine for use in class, the teacher (or an aid) logs the machine into the web site and selects which class is in session. The system is then ready for student login. It presents the screen you see above. All of the student tokens for the current class are displayed, and to log in a student simply clicks the token chosen at the beginning of the year.

Here we see the assignments page that greets Sue after she logs in by clicking on her personal token. She is presented three assignments from those selected by the teacher for Sue’s reading and math skill level. The images on the assignment tokens are chosen by the teacher when the assignments are made, and illustrate letters and numbers currently receiving emphasis in the reading readiness lessons. Sue picks an activity to work on by clicking on one of these assignment tokens and is presented with her first work page.

Work pages present the learning activity in a simple screen with minimal distractions. The two assignment tokens that were not selected on the assignment page appear on the left. When Sue finishes this activity, she can click on one of these to move on to the next assignment. If she finishes all three assignments before the work period is over, she is taken to a “fun” activity. While these “fun” activities also have educational value, they are chosen from the assignments that have proven the most popular with kindergarteners.

Clicking on an assignment token logs the student id, the time, and the assignment resource to an activity log in the database. Since the resources are correlated with state curriculum standards, it’s easy to get reports of how much time each student has spent on activities correlated to each standard.

When the work period is over, usually 20 to 30 minutes, a timer in the classroom rings. Students know that when the timer rings they must click on the alarm clock token in the lower left corner. This resets the machine to the student login page where it is ready for a student in the next group to begin.

Our experience with the Curiosity Clubhouse has been that it drastically reduces the amount of teacher time spent setting-up and managing the computer resources. Students quickly learn the skills necessary to navigate the sytem and stay engaged in their assigned activities rather than getting sidetracked and wandering off-task.

One problem encountered early in the project was students who would quickly click through the first three assignments to get to the “fun” tasks. We dealt with this problem by adding a teacher page called the “Task Monster”. Typically this page is open on the teacher’s computer, usually with the screen facing the class. It displays a recent activity log, and an image of a door opened into a darkened room with the task monster lurking in the darkness. If a student fails to spend a predetermined minimum time on any assignment, the image of the door is replaced by one of several monster images and the teacher can see who was skipping assignments. The students quickly learned that the task monster knew what they were working on and the assignment skipping problem vanished.

Because the system is web-based, students can use the system from home. Parents are given logins to parent pages. A parent can prepare a computer at home to operate like one of the classroom computers by logging-in and then selecting a student login page. That page looks like the class login page except that only student tokens for children in that household are displayed. By having assignments available at home the system effectively extends the school day and minimizes the “learning loss” that occurs over long weekends and holiday breaks. Both parents and students have enthusiastically embraced the idea of using the system at home.

Other parent pages on the site include class calendars, a bulletin page with school news, links to the district and main school web sites, as well as mailto: links to encourage parents to communicate with teachers.

We are currently contemplating what the next version of the system will be. Because this was undertaken as an exploratory experiment, the system was implemented in a piecemeal fashion, and would benefit from a top-to-bottom rewrite. The next version will make more extensive use of technologies such as Mozilla Labs JetPack and Prism to minimize distracting browser controls. We also want to explore implementing lesson activities in a more standards-based manner, perhaps making use of the html5 canvas tag and AJAX to replace the flash-based activities. Also under consideration are changes to allow students to engage in learning activities using mobile devices such as the iPod Touch or Sony PSP.

In conclusion, we’re convinced that the web can be a useful instructional tool even for very young students who cannot yet read. Please leave a comment if you know of similar projects or have experiences you can share using the web to support early education.