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Teachnologist
Intelligently bringing technology to the classroom
3
May
Teachers, Technology and Education
Published in teaching, trainingIt only took three years! Three years of people asking me if the Internet is the same as the web, three years of folks double clicking on URLs, 3 years of folks typing long Internet addresses instead of leveraging the autofill, the reluctance to embrace PDFs, 3 years of technology-driven ambition far outpacing technology-driven effort…simply said, I”m done with delivering technology workshops! …not all workshops, just the ‘point and click’ ones.
I’m much more interested in the faculty memeber who is trying to solve a problem or answer a question using technology than the “I heard this was good so I want to use it too” pedagogue. The former has a classroom strategy and is looking to add some new tactics to their arsenal. Their practice of self-reflection in their teaching methods and student learning outcomes predates technology and the process of continuous self-improvement predates the advent of the Internet. Perhaps these are the teacher pets every instructor desires, but I totally enjoy the journey of turning aspiration into actuality.
The latter group sees technology based learning much like a digital camera. While they may have been learned in the old way, they’d like to spend as little time as possible exploring the newer technology to explore its benefits. As a result, their capabilities rarely extend beyond the very basic utilities, which often enough is not a problem.
Higher education poses a different challenge, technology immortalizes the classroom. That’s not to say the most effective teacher’s use technology, but it does say as you go down the scale, the bottom half of instructors are NOT leveraging technology effectively and creating an uneven learning experience for students.
One of the downfalls of course management systems is that is goes against the openess of the Internet. I rmeemebr posting my sylabbus and all class related materials on the Internet …. It not only gave my students access, but opened the class up to the world. To this day, I still get correspondences from faculty and students from far and wide who had an interest in the material. Perhaps this was a baby step for me, soemthing that made it easier for me to make the jump to newer technologies, I’m not sure about that yet….
What I do know is that technology use in the classroom should be preceded by inspiration and aspiration, not imitation. Good idea precedes good technology. Though imitation is still better than nothing at all. To invoke Gandhi’s maxim, “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” So imitation is slightly better than ridicule.
I don’t think the ‘fight’ happens until technology training becomes less ‘suggestive’ and more ‘prescriptive’. When institutions begin to set minimal guidelines for technology use. In some ways, universal design for learning standards and the accompanying online recommendations have created a de facto standard. Additionally, emerging online certification bodies and organizations such as Quality Matters, ISTE and AACE have aided in the process.
But getting back to mimicry… in most case, its harmless. However with technology, I’ve seen a few bitter consequences:
1. Monochrome Technology: Listless presentations, bulletized lists… on every slide, lack of multimedia, basically using the computer like its 1999. Taking the creativity out of learning turns students into human highlighters. The challenge of wrestling with ideas or debating with others is gone. This, even as the Economic Policy Institute investigates the phenomena of grade inflation in Lessons—Doubling of A’s at Harvard: Grade Inflation or Brains?
2. Technology for Convenience: Having heard other professors hold class online, slap up a discussion board and a few powerpoints and we have an online class too! I don’t think this is doing much to change the fact that students aren’t studying to begin with. (read Boston Globe article)
3. Non-participative technology: Collaboration is one of the most important 21st century skills. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most difficult to mimic. Therefore it often gets left behind. In the most recent National Survey for Student Engagement (given to 31,000 students and 12,000 faculty), they report:
Students and faculty most often use these technologies for:
• Postings of announcements, assignments, or course readings
• Online lecture notes/slides
• Posting grades
Students and faculty least often use them for:
• Videoconferencing or Internet phone chat
• Video games, simulations, or virtual worlds
• Blogs
Technologies which push content to students are favored over those which have greater interactivity.
4. One way Technologies: Continuous feedback between student and instructor is key to online learning. A quick Google search provides plenty of references. The March issue of the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching has a few articles on this connection. Providing feedback online, whether leaving comments on electronically submitted assignments, using journals to maintain a dialogue with students, or maintaining a blog to keep a line of communication with students. In their book, Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines, Garrison and Vaughan discuss the “Communities of Inquiry Model,” highlighting the importance of social presence in online learning. It goes without saying, one way technologies don’t promote learning.
Tags: millennials, teaching
19
Apr
Web 2.0 Tools and Student Engagement
Published in tech toolsLearning management systems have become ubiquitous in higher education. While some daring institutions employ open-source solution at little cost, most institutions are straddled with Microsoft-like monopolic marriage with their chosen vendor. Last week, I presented some techniques on Engaging Students Online to the Business School professors at the University of the District of Columbia. We discussed some tools available via Blackboard, but most of the applications were from the world of Web 2.0.
I recently stumbled upon Duke University’s web 2.0 toolkit, a comprehensive site which introduces faculty to classroom appropriate tools.
The word ‘introduces’ is a bit troublesome as I’ve personally found it easier to transition tools I use personally into the classroom than vice versa. Think back to your first time trying to keystone the image on your LCD projector…I can tell you from having owned a projector, it’s a lot easier when 30 kids aren’t staring at you and asking why the picture is warped.
The following graphic attempts to provide some steps for getting involved with Web 2.0. Start slowly, make friends, and share your knowledge with others.
Graphic by Andrew J Ryan — don’t steal!
After viewing the Duke University site, why not choose a tool and see what it does? Technology is experiential… GO FOR IT!
12
Apr
Top Windows Applications for Educators
Published in tech toolsMost folks know that I’m a Mac user. I switched over in 2004 and haven’t really looked back. Windoze is cool now that Windows 7 basically does what Macs have been doing for a while now.
As an instructional designer, I can’t avoid Windoze and I recently brought a cheapo $300 laptop which seems to be just the amount of money I’m willing to put into a Windoze computer.
Last year, I facilitated a session on “Top Mac Apps for the Classroom” at the LEAGUE for Innovation in Community Colleges conference in Baltimore.
Though I won’t be going as in depth for this one, I did want to present a list of Windows tools that I find useful. Not just an an educator, but as someone who enjoys allowing technology to do the heavy lifting, saving my cognition for the important things:)
Here’s the list, in no order:
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| Adobe Digital Editions |
OpenOffice — tired of Microsoft Office? Try this free, open-source suite of office tools. Open office has applications that rival MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. And it is totally free. Documents from Microsoft can be opened and saved in Microsoft compatible formats.
Adobe Digital Editions — Check out e-books from the library and view them on your computer using this free tool. This software also allows you to take notes and print sections.
NVU.com – (web pages) Create webpages with this easy to learn, free tool.
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| Gimp |
Gimp.org (image manipulation) — Edit images without becoming a Photoshop expert. Does have a minimal learning curve, nothing heavy though.
adaware (Malware protection) — If you have a Windoze box, you’re gonna get hit by malware. This tool does a nice job of keeping your computer from slowing down.
Dropbox — sync files across multiple computers. This means you can access the file you were working on at the office in the morning when you are in the coffeeshop in the afternoon! Even if you were working on two different computers! USB drives are so 2006!
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| MiMedia.com video playback |
MiMedia — Upload your music to the Internet and listen online. As a music junkie, I love this service. Similar to Dropbox, it syncs files from multiple computers and manages them via the web. $5 a month for 25 gigs of space. Best of all, you can PLAY your nusic and video files from the Internet!
Snagit — Though I prefer web based versions of screen capture (like Jing or Pixlr), if you have the money, SnagIt is probably the best capture software out there. They do have a 30 day trial.
Ditto (clipboard manager) — Everyone uses the clipboard to copy and paste, I love this software as it saves your last 50 COPY commands. Be careful, this could get some of you in trouble!
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| Evernote |
Evernote – This online notebook tool syncs notes, web site clippings, images and more across multiple computers. With matching apps for mobile phones, Evernote goes everywhere you go. Here’s a Wall Street Journal article on Evernote, which they praise as a ‘digital file cabinet.’
Celtx – Storyboard software. It’s free and great for organizing your thoughts.
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| Celtx |
There are a bunch of other apps that I use but not that frequently (cuz I use a Mac) — like Articulate Studio (for Instructional Designer stuff), Screensteps (for tutorials) and Scrivener (for writing). I’m hoping you found this list helpful. Use the comments to add some more of your own. Let’s keep adding to this initial listing!
Tags: technology, web2.0
E-Learning Senior Judge