Here are my brief notes on the workshop I attended at CT2011 with Mark Frydenberg.
Buzzwords come to life: the latest web 2.0 tools for the college classroom
Mark Frydenberg
http://cis.bentley.edu/mfrydenberg
@checkmark on twitter
Screensharing
join.me - has an app
Yuuguu -Mac
Virtual classroom
WizIQ
CollaborizeClassroom.com
File Storage
Dropbox
Microsoft Skydrive (25GB)
Remember that you can use public folder to share documents with students
Zumodrive - can upload all iTunes stuff and stream
Writing, editing, publishing online
typewith.me - quick co-editing tool, great for brainstorming and formative assessment (looks like can't edit via iPad)
Google Docs
Microsoft Office Web Apps
Blogs, Wikis, etc.
myfakewall.com - create one for a historical figure, book character, about me page
Blogger
WordPress
Websites
dreamhost.com - free web hosting for nonprofits (useful if you want to run your own install of wordpress)
yola.com
webs.com
jigsy.com
Google Sites
*create a website instead of a research paper with pages that correspond to paper sections. I would love to do this with psych projects, but they have to be able to get them back out for the portfolio?
Mind mapping
Mindmeister - could create a visual representation of the course to keep in Canvas with links to modules, students could create them for the course or units within the course - has app versions
Video
XtraNormal - create those goofy avatar dialogues, have to pay (goanime is another option)
screenr.com
screencast-o-matic.com - lets you use webcam
Jing
*fun way to do minute papers - tech students could show how to do something or demo a tool in a minute or less
*screen cast an intro to the course site
Jcut web-based video editor
ustream.tv - broadcasts live, click the record button to archive, no time limit!!! *must do this with classes this year! And conference presentations
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, August 17, 2009
Is YouTube to blame?
On the Today Show this morning, it was reported that a teenager was severely burned after attempting a stunt he saw on YouTube. The Today Show's response to this news? A reminder of ways to block kids' access to sites like YouTube. Really? Is blocking sites the best thing to do? In this particular case, I think that the best solution is to smack the kid upside the head.
Too often, I hear parents and newscasters blame the technology and discuss ways of keeping our kids away from it rather than blaming parents (and the kids themselves) and discussing ways of better educating ourselves and our children. In this particular case, would it not have been better to remind parents that we need to talk to our children about what they might see on TV, in movies, or online and that they need to be smart about how they respond to it? The same thing happened years ago when some teenagers decided to lie in the middle of the road after watching some movie.
Not-so-smart things like this are common in adolescence. They stem, in part, from a phenomenon known as the "personal fable." Teens sincerely believe that there has never been anyone on Earth quite like them, therefore the usual rules of physics, consequence, etc., simply don't apply. Additionally, the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is in charge of planning and predicting, is not fully developed in teens so they generally do not think actions through all the way to their conclusions.
This means that parents and teachers need to provide scaffolding - structure and support - to help kids think things through. They need to remember to occasionally remind their kids not to copy the things they see online. They should ask kids what they're up to. They should ask things like, "What do you think will happen if you do that?" The answer is not blocking content (teens did stupid things long before the advent of mass media), but good parenting and teaching.
Blocking sites like YouTube means that they will not get to see "good" videos such as tutorials that could help them with their math homework, digital stories about the Gettysburg Address, or podcasts from their teachers.
The answer here, IMO, is not blocking content (teens did stupid things long before the advent of mass media), but good parenting and teaching.
Too often, I hear parents and newscasters blame the technology and discuss ways of keeping our kids away from it rather than blaming parents (and the kids themselves) and discussing ways of better educating ourselves and our children. In this particular case, would it not have been better to remind parents that we need to talk to our children about what they might see on TV, in movies, or online and that they need to be smart about how they respond to it? The same thing happened years ago when some teenagers decided to lie in the middle of the road after watching some movie.
Not-so-smart things like this are common in adolescence. They stem, in part, from a phenomenon known as the "personal fable." Teens sincerely believe that there has never been anyone on Earth quite like them, therefore the usual rules of physics, consequence, etc., simply don't apply. Additionally, the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is in charge of planning and predicting, is not fully developed in teens so they generally do not think actions through all the way to their conclusions.
This means that parents and teachers need to provide scaffolding - structure and support - to help kids think things through. They need to remember to occasionally remind their kids not to copy the things they see online. They should ask kids what they're up to. They should ask things like, "What do you think will happen if you do that?" The answer is not blocking content (teens did stupid things long before the advent of mass media), but good parenting and teaching.
Blocking sites like YouTube means that they will not get to see "good" videos such as tutorials that could help them with their math homework, digital stories about the Gettysburg Address, or podcasts from their teachers.
The answer here, IMO, is not blocking content (teens did stupid things long before the advent of mass media), but good parenting and teaching.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Digital Voice Recorders
This is something that I am newly into. I just got a grant and purchased an iPod classic, iTalk, lapel mic, speakers, headphones w/mic, flip video, etc., so that I can make podcasts and vidcasts of lectures, assignment descriptions, etc. I can also give these technologies to my students to create mini-podcasts, explanatory videos, etc. I'm really excited about the potential of these devices in my classes.
Smart Phones in Class
This is an interesting article about the use of PDAs and Smart Phones in K-12 classrooms. I especially love the quote from the 14-year-old at the end! So, what do you think? Good idea or bad one? I'm certainly trying to come up with ways to use them in my college classroom...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Future Classrooms
This article presents an interesting, forward-thinking yet practical vision of what future classrooms should/will look like. Of course, it includes a quote from perpetual doubter Larry Cuban, but I think his always-negative vision of technology integration helps innovators remember that realities are different from our aspirations and we need to scale back our rhetoric a bit in order to reach wider audiences.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The International Tech Race
Digital Directions has published an interesting article that I've been thinking about lately. I guess I just really haven't been thinking about technology skills as a competitive area, though my husband, a software engineer, certainly does. But it is a good reminder that technology skill is part of NCLB and of the important role of technology in 21st Century Skills, particularly problem-solving and creativity.
I **hope** that I am sharing this perspective of technology with my students. I teach them certain products and have them create certain products, but I also endeavor to talk about the changing nature of technology and the real power behind it. I defined technology in my dissertation as "any tool or collection of tools" and, believe me, I caught some flack for that! But I do not limit my vision of "technology" to "things that can be plugged in" as some folks do. I feel strongly that technologies are simply tools that we can use to solve problems. So, in reality, teachers are always using technology. The key is choosing the right technology for the job. As teachers, we need to use effective tools to convey information and encourage students to engage with content. In turn, our students need to learn how to use and choose technologies that will meet their needs.
Perhaps this is where America can show its strength in the tech race. We have always been a nation of innovators. We are known for our creativity. So, our pedagogy and standards should encourage the development of creativity and innovation in the selection and use of technologies to solve problems.
I **hope** that I am sharing this perspective of technology with my students. I teach them certain products and have them create certain products, but I also endeavor to talk about the changing nature of technology and the real power behind it. I defined technology in my dissertation as "any tool or collection of tools" and, believe me, I caught some flack for that! But I do not limit my vision of "technology" to "things that can be plugged in" as some folks do. I feel strongly that technologies are simply tools that we can use to solve problems. So, in reality, teachers are always using technology. The key is choosing the right technology for the job. As teachers, we need to use effective tools to convey information and encourage students to engage with content. In turn, our students need to learn how to use and choose technologies that will meet their needs.
Perhaps this is where America can show its strength in the tech race. We have always been a nation of innovators. We are known for our creativity. So, our pedagogy and standards should encourage the development of creativity and innovation in the selection and use of technologies to solve problems.
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