Friday, December 02, 2005

Making a Case for Digital Storytelling

Interesting article with links to other resources on Digital Storytelling.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Todd Hall 105: Boeing Wireless Classroom of the Future

This is the classroom of the future at Washington STate University, funded in 2003 by Boeing. One article I saw referred to it as a cross between Ikea and the Starship Enterprise. While I'm not sure I hold with that characterization, I think it's an interesting one. I wonder if this is really how kids will learn in the future. I kind of doubt it. Even at Marietta, where we have a 12:1 student: professor ratio, we still have few classrooms of this size as many classes are 15-20 people. A few are even larger. We're experimenting with new types of spaces, but I don't think we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. Granted, we no longer need all classrooms to support the "sage on a stage" mentality, but the key to new learning space is flexiblity. This space doesn't look very flexible to me if you're not willing to have an encounter session on the beanbag chairs.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

As teens embrace blogs, schools sound an alarm | CNET News.com

An Interesting article in CNET news about blogs in high schools and colleges. Great resource for Facebook controversy too.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Terra Nova: Delusions of granter

An interesting view from both sides of the grant-writing divide (both writers and reviewers), with particular emphasis to the quant. vs. qual debate. I'd like some time to ruminate before I blog more on this one.

The Pew Charitable Trusts: News Room

Most (57%) teenagers are now creating content online in one form or another, either by blogging or creating web pages, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project report. While I think this can be a great way to get kids involved, I worry about some of the issues related to the privacy and the information that these kids are sharing. "Don't post it on the Internet unless you would post the same thing in a grocery store bulletin board," is the advice I give them. Share their ideas? Their experiences? Certainly. Be aware of exactly what's out there? Critical.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

The Icing on the Cake: Online Tools for Classroom Use

Another one from Kathy Schrock. This is a list of electronic tools for the online classroom, targeted toward K-12 but applicable for other ages. These could also be quite useful in face-to-face classrooms.

And another thing, I just realized that BlogThis! is no longer copying the URL. No big deal, but it is a bit annoying.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

EDUCAUSE | ELI Web Seminar, November 8, 2005

A session on emerging technologies that was highly recommended. From last month's EDUCAUSE conference.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Perfect score on Math!!

Take that, Mrs. Deadrick! I got a perfect score on 8th grade math. Hehehe!!

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

New Search Engines Help Users Find Blogs

http://mediachannel.org/blog/book/print/929

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

mathFROG - Fun Resources & Online Games

Could be useful for elementary school math teachers.
mathFROG - Fun Resources & Online Games

Blackboard vs. Moodle

An interesting view that should be useful for us as we re-examine our CMS choice. Blackboard vs. Moodle

BlackCT Web Conference

Sorry, I missed the beginning of the event.

Carol Vallone talking now...

I certainly hope that this videostream is not symptomatic of what we can expect with the merger! I've barely been able to hear one whole sentence. Methinks this might be a bad omen...

BB and WebCT will continue to compete against one another till the merger takes place.

That was the most disappointing audioconference I've ever seen. Did anyone else have more luck with it?

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

The Teaching Professor

Marietta now has a subscription to The Teaching Professor. You can log in from this post, but remmeber that you need to be registered first.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Innovate - August/September 2005 Volume 1, Issue 6

A special edition of the Innovate! online interactive journal that focuses on educational uses of games: Innovate - August/September 2005 Volume 1, Issue 6 It's got all the big names in the educational gaming arena. Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Pito's Blog: RSS in the Academic/Research/Scientific community

An overview of blogs in academe. It made me think of my friend John's and my breakfast conversation over the utility of RSS in educational settings. He doesn't see the point. I think there are reasons to use them, but I'll need to investigate further to find out the best omes.

Pito's Blog: RSS in the Academic/Research/Scientific community

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

WebCT Impact! 2005

I'm at the WebCT IMPACT! 2005 conference in San Francisco and getting a bunch of great ideas. Right now I'm in a tablet initiative session to see how it's gone for them.

Advantages of Tablets:
Portability (no forgotten materials)
Convergence (everything in the same place)
Functionality (full PC)
Simplicity (handwriting)
Bluetooth (between Mac and tablet)
Voice dictation (works well for the presenter)

Fears:
Too difficult to learn
too time consuming

Internatl martketing:
Docking station
Unit available for checkout
demonstration of tec
Goal: move to laptops to save $$$
Replacing smart classrooms
Replacing faculty computers

Conditions:
Faculty must be technologicaly friendly
Paper-free classroom
12 HOurs of training
Mentoring program

Friday, July 08, 2005

Video-game camps target at-risk youth

This article (Video-game camps target at-risk youth) discusses a new program that's highlighting an existing problem: the problem of the representation in video games. I've developed an evaluation tool for educational softwarwe that addresses these issues, but unfortunately, not enough is being done about this, even ten years later. When are we going to learn?

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

My first SMILE activity

http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/mimea/smile/smile.php?activityID=623

The Smile program developed by CLEAR

The Smile program. Registration is free and you can make these available on the web for your students. http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/mimea/smile

Language Learning and Technology

Language Learning and Technology Journal

Example of the AudioPortfolio Recording

Here is an example of a clip I recorded with the AudioPortfolios software. Pretty neat, huh?

Changing the Keyboard Layout

Dennie Hoopingarner has a site http://clear.msu.edu:16080/dennie/ChineseXP/
that explains how to change the language support on Windows XP. It's focused toward Chinese, but can easily be adapted to other languages.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Evaluating Web Sites: Teacher Page

A Great WebQuest for teaching information literacy skills. Evaluating Web Sites: Teacher Page

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

PDA Classroom- Your Handheld Teaching Source

Looks like this will be a great source for ideas about how to use handhelds in the classroom. PDA Classroom- Your Handheld Teaching Source

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Friday, May 06, 2005

ABC News: Students Use Clickers to Help Guide College Lectures

Here's a current article about a technology similar to the TurningPoint system that we saw yesterday. I'd love to hear comments about this. ABC News: Students Use Clickers to Help Guide College Lectures

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

ERIC - Education Resources Information Center

The Use of Palmtop Compuers for Learning: A Revieww of the Literature ERIC - Education Resources Information Center

Friday, March 25, 2005

Models of technology integration

  • 100% long distance online (students physically separated from instructor and perhaps each other) includes web elements, videoconferencing and audioconferencing.
    • Challenges: Time differences (especially when students from more than 2 countries), student support (i.e., registration)
  • Hybrid Course (more and more...best of classroom teaching and online activities...scheduling can vary as to percentage of time they spend in the classroom)
    • Can be used to save classroom space
    • Tim teaches Business Chinese this way...meet 2 hrs in classroom and 1 hr for online activities.
  • Local web-supported course
    • include online video, sound, drills in face to face classroom instruction.

Tim Xie's presentation

Tim Xie, from Cal State Long Beach, shared the following ideas with the Modern Language faculty here at Marietta College.

Now CALL is being called TELL (Technology ENhanced Language Learning).

Aurolog is a technology that recognizes and appropriately responds to language learners. It's called TELL me more, a pun on the verb "tell" (because the learners speak to the program) and the concept of TELL.

Do we need TELL?
No significant difference phenomenon. (1997...reporting from 1986 to 1996).
Morrison (1999)"... we have no choice but to make technology an integrated tool."

Skeptics: IHEP (too many questions are unaddressed or unanswered so we can't properly make informed judgments).

Tim's recommendation...online education is not recommended for elementary language learners.

ALN Magazine (Volume 4 #2, 2000)Impediments to adoption of web-based course delivery among university faculty.

Tim's experience:
  • Convenience of access to texts sound, images, and interactive drills.
  • Anytime/anywhere access for highly motivated students.
  • Facilitates exchange and sharing of products, thoughts, and ideas among instructors globally. (email, Internet, etc.)
What is available over the Internet?
  • Online vs. Offline
    • CD-ROMs (offline)
  • Textbook-dependent vs. textbook dependent
    • Publisher-created materials (textbook-dependent)
    • Instructor-created materials (idioms, phrases, etc.)
Who makes these?
  • Professors
  • Commercial vendors
  • Volunteers and hobbyists (i.e., students)
On the Internet you can find language-specific tools (drills and/or exercises) and communication tools that can support instruction that can be used with other areas as well (chat, IM, etc.)

www.word2word.com (Free Online Language Courses)

The handouts that Tim used

Coursesites.blackboard.com

TrackStart

Trackstar: A specialized search for language educators.

Keeping Students on Task.

Tim suggests assigning tasks to be accomplished when you direct students to websites. This is similar to Bernie Dodge's idea of using webquests. It also supports Chickering and Gamson's "Time on Task" principle of good practice.

Tim, I'm glad you're here! You've inspired a lot of thoughts. I'm going to have to get back into language teaching. I miss it.

Free online language courses

No Nahuatl, but now at least I can learn conversational Quechua online. You never know when you'll run into Atahuallpa and need to get your butt out of a sling. Free online language courses. I'm really looking forward to that, but I doubt I'll run into many Inca that I can practice the language with.

Monday, March 21, 2005

What Works Clearinghouse

This clearinghouse is a resource outlining methods and practices that are based in research and proven to be effective. It'll come in handly for those struggling with the NCLB requirements. What Works Clearinghouse

Sunday, March 06, 2005

My 57th Recommendation Letter

Especially this time of year, I think many of us can relate to this one! Inside Higher Ed :: Views

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Portalino - Seven online copyright myths (3/3)

This seems like it would be a good list. Unfortunately, they only list one copyright myth, and my Italian's not up to snuff to figure out where the others are. But it seems to be a good start. Portalino - Seven online copyright myths (3/3)

A snip from the page:

Possunt quia posse videntur ~ (Latin: They can because they think they can.)

7) "E-mail is not copyright protected once it is sent."

Monday, February 28, 2005

Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Even though ithis is oreinted toward cmmercial websties, there are lessons for us educators here too. Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Friday, February 25, 2005

Ideas about Cheating

This thread on the Ask Dr. C forum has some ideas about how to prevent cheating and ways that we can re-do our assessment strategies to encourage active learning and long-term retention. It also brings ideas for how we can decrease our reliance on objective tests that are so open to student dishonesty. When an objective test must be given, there are ways to minimize cheating in a completely online class. ViewMessage

PinkFlamingo's Resource URLs for Educators, Students, Writers, Webpage Designers

Kate Britt's excellent collection of resources for online learners. Kate is a Dr. C, so most of her comments and resources are directed toward WebCT (a boon for us at MC), but good design is good design no matter the platform, and you can take hte principles and apply them to your own CMS and online class. PinkFlamingo's Resource URLs for Educators, Students, Writers, Webpage Designers

CL-1: Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG)

Although the FLAG is designed for science, math, engineering, and technology instructors, there are several techniques that can be adapted to any content area. I thihnk you'll find this quite a useful site. CL-1: Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG)

Classroom Assessment Techniques Designed for Technology

The emphasis here is on using CATs to gather information related to the use fo technology in the classroom. There are also adaptation for using the CATs in a technology-facilitated setting (such as an online class or other diistance learning setting. Fortunately,WebCT offers many tools that area readily adaptable to CATs, such as anonymous surveys and discussion fora. Classroom Assessment Techniques Designed for Technology

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

An overview from the University of Hawai'i with a step-by-step approach to implementing Angelo and Cross' Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs).CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

ComputerZen.com - Scott Hanselman's Weblog - Scott's List of Great Tools for your TabletPC

ComputerZen.com - Scott Hanselman's Weblog - Scott's List of Great Tools for your TabletPC

Pew Future of the Internet Report

Where is the Internet going in the next ten years? This report sums what what some ot the top experts and scholars of the Internet think. Pew Internet Project Future of Internet Report (application/pdf Object) Everythins related to the Internet from blogs to bandwidth to balloting is addressed here. I'm looking forwad to perusing it at length, even though I've not been able to read more than the summaries.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

CBB - Home

This is a set of tools that can help students learn about plagiarism and how to prevent it. It can very highly recommended by my colleague Bev Hogue. CBB - Home Page

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Lore: An E-Journal for Teachers of Writing

An issue with 13 articles dedicated to blogging. I'm looking forward to reading them. Will post comments when I can. Lore: An E-Journal for Teachers of Writing

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Tomorrow's Professor Postings

This list is of interest to anyone dealing with higher education, not just instructional technology. It delves into teaching methods, teaching with technology, tenure, and other matters of interest to professors. Tomorrow's Professor Postings

Monday, January 03, 2005

SSA Pedagogy

Using audio and music to enhance recall and promote learning.
SSA Pedagogy