Ohlone College Web Team Blog

I’ve downloaded VTCalendar and run the VTCalendar installation script, but the database tables were not created. It looks like PEAR isn’t installed on the server. Until the PEAR is available, getting the Events Calendar and other calendars back running is on hold.

This afternoon, I got access to the server on which I plan to install the VTCalendar software and database tables. Before I can go further I need a password to access MySQL and a URL to test the calendar software.

Contrary to the Edublogs home page which states “In addition to a free blog, all users also get an ad free wikispace!”, a support person at Wikispaces has indicated that the ad free wikispace is for K-12 organizations.

I have asked for verification from Edublogs and included a request for the “ad free wikispace” to be also available to higher education users.

[Update October 6, 2006 9:10am]

There’s been no response to my inquiry to Edublogs, so it looks like the ad free wikispace won’t be offered to community colleges.

There’s been a delay in my getting access to the new server. I’m told it’ll be Monday, so hopefully by Monday or Tuesday next week the Calendars will be again available.

Paul Mueller jumped in this morning and created an Ohlone Photography blog at Edublogs. He is also using the Wikispaces account that came with his Edublogs blog.

We’ve had fun this morning learning about Wikispaces by just playing around in his new wiki. We’ve been posting images, making comments, asking questions, answering them, testing here and there, and making posts in his wiki’s Discussion area.

Jump into the pool and create your own blog!

The term “blog” (a shortened version of “web log”) is new to many of us at Ohlone. If there are any questions (even ones that seem very basic to you) about blogs or wikis or other terms, I encourage you to contact me!

Here are a few interesting articles about using blogs in education:

• How you SHOULD use blogs in education
• How NOT to use blogs in education

And, a few education-related blogs:

• Blogging for Education
• College Web Editor - Web, marketing & PR in higher ed
  (categories include Admissions, Blogs & Wikis, Higher Ed Bloggers and Podcasters, Marketing Strategy, Podcasting and iPods, President and VPs)

Free Blogging Services

I have recently learned about several free ad-free education-related blogging services in which faculty, staff, and administration may be interested. (They use WordPress, a popular blogging program.)

1. Edublogs at http://edublogs.org/
   “Free blogs for teachers, trainers, lecturers, librarians and other edu professionals.”
   A FREE ad-free account on Wikispaces (http://www.wikispaces.com/) is included.
2. Uniblogs at http://uniblogs.org/
   “Free blogs for university [college and higher education] students.”
3. ESLblogs at http://eslblogs.org/
   “…dedicated to ESL and EFL teachers and learners…”
   (the create an account section is on the About page)

Due to other priorities, the IT Department has been unable to move the calendar database and software to a different server.

As of this morning, I have obtained a copy of the database files and have been able to successfully view the information in the database files from my local computer. This is good news!

The IT Department is giving me access to the server to which the calendar will be moved and I will work on installing the calendar software and database, and then restoring the data from the old database to the new one.

The college-wide Events Calendar has been down for about a week now. The calendar software also runs the Transfer Center Calendar and other calendars.

The computer storing the calendar software crashed. The IT Department is moving the software to a different server, but the move isn’t completed.

I apologize for the inconvenience. An update will be sent when more information is known.

Thank you for your patience.