Archive of ‘mobile apps’ category

Language and technology: easy, social and fun

I Can Haz Spanish Lessons: Cat Pictures Now Have A Purpose

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/11/26/247337248/i-can-haz-spanish-lessons-cat-pictures-now-have-a-purpose?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook
Memrise:
is available for desktop:
http://www.memrise.com/home/

and mobile devices:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/id635966718?mt=8&&referrer=click%3Dc72a6e66-7cfc-45f1-8dc8-6d2836149cc3

realted:

The Language Shift
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2013/09/the_language_shift.html

also from the IMS blog entry
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2013/12/03/integrating-web-2-0-across-the-curriculum/
please have the following sources for language, foreign language and ESL studies:
http://quizlet.com/
https://www.mystickies.com/
http://www.eslvideo.com/
http://www.fuzzmail.org/
http://www.voxswap.com/  The social network for learning languages
http://livemocha.com/

 

POD conference 2013, Pittsburgh

http://podnetwork.org/event/pod-2013/

Conference program available in PDF and upub format, so I can have it on my laptop and on my mobile device: diminishes the necessity to carry and pull constantly a paper stack.

it is the only conference I know with 6AM yoga. Strong spirit in a strong body. LRS & CETL must find space and instructors an offer mediation + yoga opportunity for SCSU students to disconnect

1:00 – 5:00 PM excursion to Carnegie Mellon – Learning Spaces. LRS interest in Learning Commons.

From the pre-conference workshops, Thurs, Nov 7, 8:30AM – 12:00PM:
Linda Shadiow, Connecting Reflection and Growth: Engaging Faculty Stories.
This workshop seems attractive to me, since it coincides with my firm conviction that SCSU faculty must share “best practices” as part of the effort to engage them into learning new technologies.

Kenyon, Kimberly et al, Risky Business: Strategic Planning and Your Center.
This workshop might be attractive for Lalita and Mark Vargas, since strategic planning is considered right now at LRS and CETL might also benefit from such ideas.

roundtables, Thurs, Nov. 7, 1:30-2:45PM

Measuring the Promise in Learner-Centered Syllabi
Michael Palmer, Laura Alexander, Dorothe Bach, and Adriana Streifer, University of Virginia

Effective Faculty Practices: Student-Centered Pedagogy and Learning Outcomes
Laura Palucki Blake, UCLA

Laura is the assistant director http://gseis.ucla.edu/people/paluckiblake
3 time survey of freshmen. survey also faculty every 3 years.  can link this date: faculty practices and student learning
triangulating research findings. student-centered pedagogy. which teaching practices are effective in promoting student-center learning practices.
no statistical differences in terms of student learning outcomes between part-time and full-time faculty. The literature says otherwise, but Laura did not find any statistical difference.
http://ow.ly/i/3EL77
discussions is big, small group work is big with faculty
in terms of discussions, there is huge difference between doing discussion and doing it well.
this is a self-report data, so it can be biased
there are gender differences. women more likely to use class discussions, cooperative learning same, students presentations same. gender discipline holds the gender differences.  same also in STEM fields.
students evaluations of each other work. cooperative learning: it is closer gender-wise.
the more student-centered pedagogy, the less disengagement from school work.
understand on a national level what students are exposed to.
lpblake@hmc.edu
http://www.heri.ucla.edu/
wabash national data.

ePublishing: Emerging Scholarship and the Changing Role of CTLs
Laura Cruz, Andrew Adams, and Robert Crow, Western Carolina University
LORs are in Kentucky.
CETL does at least Professional Development, Resources, Eportfolios, LORSs. FLCs
Teaching Times at Penn.
model 2: around instructional technology. More and more CETL into a combined comprehensive center. about 9 are paid by IT and 11 by academic center. because of finances cuts this is the model predicted from the 90s. Why not IT? because ater they say how to use it. and how to use it effective. think outside of technology, technogogy is not the same as technology.  Teacher-scholar model: research, service, teaching.
http://ow.ly/i/3EMJl
egallery and other electronic ways to recognize productivity. Stats and survey software does NOT reside with grad studies, but with CETL, so CETL can help faculty from a glimmer of an idea to presentation and publication. Research Support Specialist.
how and where it fits into faculty development. Neutrality. Should CETL be advocates for institutional, organizational change.  Do CETL encourage faculty to take innovation and risk (change the culture of higher ed). Tenure and promotion: do we advocate that epub should count, e.g. a blog will count toward tenure.
a national publication: http://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/authors/addendum
we domenstrate that it is good school. scholarship of teaching will be good teaching.
OER? Open educational resources. SHould CETL host and participate in those? Do we participate in creating resources, which are designed to replace texbooks? Caroline has a state-wide grant to support faculty developing learning resources.
open access is controversial. the right to publish and republish. http://www.sparc.arl.org/
40% of all scholarly articles are owned by 3 publishers
Academic Social Media academic.edu and electronic journals.
CETL is the comprehensive center, the hub where people go to, so CETL can direct them to and or get together stakeholder to make things happen.
the lesson from this session for me is that Lalita and Keith Ewing must work much closer.

Evaluating the quality of MOOCs: Is there room for improvement?
Erping Zhu, University of Michigan; Danilo Baylen, University of West Georgia
reflection on “taking” a MOOC and the seven principles. how to design and teach MOOC using the seven principles.
MOOC has a lot of issues; this is not the focus, focus is on the instructional design. Both presenters are instructional designers. Danilo is taking MOOC in library and information science.
Second principle: what is a good graduate education.
about half had completed a course. Atter the 3rd week the motivation is dissipating.
Erping’s experience: Provost makes quick decision. The CETL was charged with MOOC at U of Michigan. Securing Digital Democracy. http://www.mooc-list.com/university-entity/university-michigan
Danilo is a librarian. his MOOC class had a blog, gets a certificate at the end. Different from online class is the badges system to get you involved in the courses. the MOOC instructors also had involved grad students to monitor the others. the production team is not usually as transparent as at Corsera. Sustainability. 10 week module, need to do reflections, feedback from peers. 7 assignments are too much for a full-time professional.
http://www.amazon.com/Library-2-0-Guide-Participatory-Service/dp/1573872970
http://tametheweb.com/category/hyperlibmooc/
http://tametheweb.com/2013/10/20/hyperlibmooc-library-2-013-presentation-links/

1. principle: contact btw faculty and student. Not in a MOOC. video is the only source provides sense of connection. the casual comments the instructor makes addressing the students provides this sense. Quick response. Collaboration and cooperation in MOOC environment and bring it in a F2F and campus teaching. Feedback for quizzes was not helpful to improve, since it i automated. students at the discussion board were the one who helped. from an instructional design point of view, how MOOC design can be improved.
group exercise, we were split in groups and rotated sheet among each other to log in response to 7 sheets of paper. then each group had to choose the best of the logged responses. the responses will be on the POD site.
eri week resources

Per Keith’s request

“Why Students Avoid Risking Engagement with Innovative Instructional Methods
Donna Ellis, University of Waterloo”

Excerpt From: Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. “POD Network 2013 Conference Program, Pittsburgh PA 11/7 to 11/10.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

A quantitative study. The difficulty of group works. Various questions from the audience, the time of class (early Mrng) is it a reason to increase the students disengagement. Students pereceptions .

The teacher did. It explain why the research and this might have increased the negative perception. Summary of key barrierS.

Risk of negative consequneces

preceived lack of control

contravention of perceived norms.

fishbein and Aizen 2010

discussoon .  How faculty can design and deliver the course to minimize the barriers. Our table thought that there are a lot of unknown parameters to decide and it is good to hear the instructor nit only the researcher. How to deal with dysfunctional group members behaviors. Reflections from the faculty member how to response to the data? Some of the barriers frustrated him. Outlines for the assignments only part of the things he had done to mitigate. What are we asking students on course evaluations. Since a lot more then only negative feedback. Instructor needes more training in conflict resolution and how to run group work.

http://ow.ly/i/3Fjqt

http://ow.ly/i/3Fjpq

 

CRLT Players

Friday, Nov 8, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
William Penn Ballroom
7 into 15

CRLT Players, University of Michigan”

Excerpt From: Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. “POD Network 2013 Conference Program, Pittsburgh PA 11/7 to 11/10.” iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

It is a burlesque and theater approach to engage students and faculty into a conversation. 10 plays in 30 min.

Discuses different topics from the plays and seek solutions as a team. How to deal with international students ( Harvard lady said ” safe places” for students) how to deal with technology or the lack of it, missed next one writing this notes and how to reward faculty in innvative things. T. Encoruage innovation, they received a letter from the provost and if they fail, it is not used in their annual evaluation

No  videotaping of this performance because the power is in conversation. Is there a franchise, like training people to do that. NSF grant was allowing them but now just pick up the idea. Sell scripts? Can have conversations about strategies how to collaborate with the theater department where to start these short vinniets. If come to campus and bring performance do they do also the follow up.
Is anger or hostility a reaction during after these presentations. How to handle it. Hostility can be productive and make sure that it is told that it is productive. Getting difficult things out there is what the theater is trying to do in a distant way. This is not a morality
how develop the work? How come up with issues. Faculty bring issues, followed by interviews, draft created we heater identifies the problem and address the issue. Preview performances with stakeholders who confirm .  There are more then. Sufficient ideas, so the organizers can choose what they see most pertinent
other ways to follow up. http://ow.ly/i/3FpI4 http://ow.ly/i/3FpJy
ecrc committee went to their meeting instead of lunch to see if I can particpirate for next year activitities. Ecrc is the acronym for the tech committee. Web site is one takes of this committee. Word press site , how the groups work, how forms work, how to connect with people and most importantly how to start communicating through the web site and cut the listserv. An attempt to centralized all info in the website rather then scattered across universities.
what is BRL? Google apps and Wikipedia as a wiki for another year until figure out if it can be incorporated in the web site. Reconceptualize how do work in the process. To groups in ecrc. Wikpaidea and web page.  And then social media with Amy?  Ecrc liaison in every POD committee to understand how to set up the committee web presence. Blackboard collaborate to do meetings and this is what liason explain to committee members. Tinyurl.com/ECRC2013
Designing Online Discussions For Student Engagement And Deep Learning
Friday, Nov 8, 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM, Roundtable
Parkview East
Danilo M Baylen, University of West Georgia”
pit must be asynchronous discussion
What is the purpose and format of the discussion. Assessment.  How the online discussion is supporting the purpose of the curriculum to the students learning
About five discussions per semester all together. Behaved part of the class culture
Format of the assignment
asynchronous discussion list. Series of questions or a case study. Is the format a sequence of responses or invite a discussions
checklist which stifles a creative discussion or just let it more free
purpose – must be part of the syllabus and it must be clear.
Meeting learning objectives.
duration
interactivity – response to other students. List of 6 different options how they can reply. what format the interactivity takes Is important issue, which has no textbook
assessment- initial posting are critical, since it gives and idea what to work on. How much points as part of the bigger picture. Yet it is the ground work for the assignment, which gets most points.
metacognitive not evaluative , give students examples from the pro regions class what a good discussion is And explain students how to. Evaluate a good discussion entry
how the question is worded and use the threaded discussion for them to reflect how they think, rather then only assess if they read the chapter. The research about online discussion is very different.
What is the  baseline.
Online course must must be set up ready before semester starts or not?
reflection for the end of the semester
SteVn brookfields critical questionaire
meet thISTI and qr standards
is reflection on the content or the process
students reflect on their own reflections
what have you learned about yourself as online learner and look for consistencies for both negative and positive reflections
“Connecting and Learning with Integrative ePortfolios: The Teaching Center’s Role
Friday, Nov 8, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, Roundtable
Assess critical thinking
there is a workshop by the presenters instituitions how to organize
more claims then actual evidence so Data is sought to
main issues
programmatic emportfolio. Not student presentation portfolios, but academic portfolio
e portfolio forum
http://ncepr.org
look at image of the green copy:
1. Integration and reflection
2. Social media – in community with other students , faculty, organizations
3. Resume builder
eportfolio is. Prt of the assessment. Conversation on campus. Some depts use exportfolio extensively but not happy.  Programmatic academic e portfolio to collect data
use Sakai open portfolio system
12 drepartments and six more second year.  to speak the same language, they developed a guideline, conceptual framework ( see snapshot of handout)
Curriculum mapping ( see the grid on the. Handout) took much longer then expected.
Fachlty was overwhelmed by the quantity of responses from studentses when filling out Th grid. http://ow.ly/i/3FBL3http://ow.ly/i/3FBMP
the role of CETL. The provost at Kevin’s institution charged CETL to do the portfolio gig.
The big argument of the CETL redirector with the provost is that portfolio not only to collect data for assessment and accreditation but to provide meaningful experience for the students. EDUCAUSE report horizon, learning analytics  Scandalous headlines of students suing law schools. bad deductions made on big data. The things that matte for students must be in the portfolio and they get used to use the portfolio. Pre reflection entries by the students, which shorted the advising sessions. The advisor can see ahead of time. The advisers. Will. B the. Focus point,   The. Advising  portfolio Is becoming
portfolio must be used by faculty not only students.
Whats the by in for students.  Presentations portfolio part of. Marketing purposes. Google sites so when students leave the institutions students can ” take” the portfolio with them as we’ll go multimedia. attempts failed because platforms which can be cutozmized we’re not used   Digital identity   As CETL director not technology expect and how to learn from the faculty and that was very
documenting and learning with eportfolios.
faculty to demonstrate reflections to students and how enter into portfolio. Using rubrics. Faculty are using already tools but connecting with. Reflections.
STAR: Situation , tasks, action, response
Writing skills differentiate, but even good writers got better on reflection
how one polish a portfolio before bringing to an Employer. Student Working with career services to polish and proofread.
How much the university is responsible for an individual portfolio. How many levels of proof reading.
Poor student work reflects a poor faculty attention.
“Teaching Online and Its Impact on Face-to-Face Teaching
Friday, Nov 8, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, 35-Minute Research Session B
http://wikipodia.podnetwork.org/pod-2013-conference/presentations-2013/lkearns
“Groups Inform Pedagogies
Friday, Nov 8, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, 35-Minute Research Session A
Carnegie III
Rhett McDaniel and Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt University”
Teaching Online and Its Impact on Face-to-Face Teaching
Friday, Nov 8, 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM, 35-Minute Research Session B
Greene & Franklin
Lorna Kearns, University of Pittsburgh”

Freedom to Breathe: A Discussion about Prioritizing Your Center’s Work
Andy Goodman and Susan Shadle, Boise State University

Connecting, Risking, and Learning: A Panel Conversation about Social Media
Michelle Rodems, University of Louisville.  Conference C 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
The use of social media in higher education
Conference C 9-11:15 AM

Panel of CETL directors and faculty. The guy from Notre dame uses word press the same way I use it. Collect questions and after the 3rd one creates blog entry and answers the next q/ s  with the URL to the blog entry NspireD is the name of. The blog

the OHIO state UCAT guy is a twitter guy. Program coordinator who manages wordpress and web site. Intersect with FB and twitter. Platforms are inteGrated, so be did not to know the technicalities. The graduate consultants are setting up. ciirdinator tried to understand how the mesh together. Can be used as conversation starters or to broadcast and share info.  Use of hashtags how to use them appropriate in twitter and FB to streamline .

Scsu problem. W don’t build it they will not come. a Tim burton version of the field of dreams.

Rachel CETL assist dir at U of Michigan.  She is out there personally likes it. Very static web page. Drupal as a content management system so the blog is part of the web page. So 2 times a week entries. One of the staff people is an editor and writes blog posts, but vetted by a second CETL staff. Auto push for the blog to the twitter. Screencasts for YouTube channel with screencasts.  Comments on the blog minimal from faculty and stat. What about students? About 1000 followers on the twitter.  What do analytics say. Hits on home page, but no idea how much time reading. The time people spend more time and using the tags .  the use of blog is less formal way to share information.  recycling in December and August a lot of material.

does anybody subscribe and do you promote RSS

the separate blog for a workshop requires interaction and that is a success

for faculty development U of Michigan is using blog recruited 50  to follow the blog.  TSam of 3 using. WordPress  For a semester and then survey. Focus group. Huge success, between 6 and 30 comments. Community with no other space on campus

how are u using social media to promote connections. elevate voices of others on campus by interviewing faculty.  At U of Michigan there was no interest to learn about what other faculty are doing. So they trashed that initiative but starTed a video narration about faculty who innovate. Videotaped and edited no hi Qual video , tagged and blog posted and this approach created more connection, because it is not text only.

What have been the obstacles and indoor failure and what have you learned?

convincing the administration that CETL than do it and it does not have to be the same quality as the web page and the printed material.  Changing the mindset. No assessment, since nothing else was working and they were ready for radical step such as blog

Same with the twitter. Taking the risk to experiment with the hashtags. Tweets can’t be approved. Need to time to build an audience, one month will not have an impact. Start with the. Notion that you are building a reposIvory noT a foRum

one of the panelist has a google spreadsheet which has information of allCETL social media sites   There are resources on how to deal with negative outcomes of using social media. Working with librarians, the Norte dame said! they will give you twenty sources. No no, no, he siad, give me your best three.

 

U of MichiGan more grad studns blog guest posts almost no faculty.

Have you considered giving them more then guest blog, but no facilitator? Let faculty once a semester do a blog post. It is not moderated but more like lead to how to do a good blog. Interview based approach is unique and does not show up somewhere elSe.

Insitutional background important in these decisions.

How often refresh the wordpress page.  How often one person is voicing and it takes a log of journalistic skills. Use the draft option to publish when there are several ideas coming at once.

Mindshift of CETL is to decrease the standards. Make it more informal. Blog post can be always fixed later. To avoid faculty false perception that this is not scholarly needs to be references. So causal tone + references.

Blog ” from students perspective” is repurposE

Risking Together: Cultivating Connection and Learning for Faculty Teaching Online
Michaella Thornton, Christopher Grabau, and Jerod Quinn, Saint Louis University
Oliver 9-11:15 AM

Space Matters! and Is There a Simple Formula to Understand and Improve Student Motivation
Kathleen Kane and Leslie A. Lopez, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Riverboat 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

The Risks and Rewards of Becoming a Campus Change Agent
Dr. Adrianna Kezar, University of Southern California
William Penn Ballroom 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Branch campuses, students abroad, to more with less, completion from profit institutions

students work more but this is a good reflection on learning success

provost might ask to consolidate prof development opportunities for faculty and students instead of faculty only.

If administration is genuine understand transparent   Administration more about persuading not listening. Respect, not assuming that faculty will not accept it. If faculty will sacrifices what will faculty see the administration sacrifice on their side. Leading from the. Middle , it means collective vision for the future. Multilevel leadershup, top down efforts dont work and bottom top are fragile. Managing up  is less preferred then powering up.  It is difficult to tell administration that they miss or misunderstand the technology issue.

Four frames. Goal multi frame leadership http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/bolman.html. Vey much the same as Jim Collins good to great right people on the bus right trained http://www.afa1976.org/Portals/0/documents/Essentials/Creating%20Organizational%20Learning%20and%20Change.pdf

How to build coalition, different perspectives, aknowledge  the inherent conflict.

The Delphi project

 

It Takes a Campus: Promoting Information Literacy through Collaboration
Karla Fribley and Karen St. Clair, Emerson College
Oakmont 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM

Most of the attendees and both presenters were librarians

The presenters played a scatch to involve the particppaints

deifnition what is IL. https://mobile.twitter.com/search/?q=%23POD13&s=hash

http://ow.ly/i/3G00e/original

Information literacy collaborative  work with faculty to design student learning outocmes for information literacy

Guiding principles by backward course design

Where they see students struggle with research

question to students survey, what is most difficult for your and wordle.

http://ow.ly/i/3G0l6/original

self reflection ow.ly/i/3G0UH

Curriculum mapping to identify which courses are the stretigic ones to instill the non credit info litreacy

acrl assessment in action

 

Risky Business: Supporting Institutional Data Gathering in Faculty Development Centers
Meghan Burke and Tom Pusateri, Kennesaw State University
Oliver 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM Roundtable

Exploring Issues of Perceptual Bias and International Faculty
Shivanthi Anandan, Drexel University.
Heinz 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Roundtable

Why do we need it and onoy regarding international faculty don’t in Kim Lisa wolf-wendel

susan twombly. Pointers for hiring and retention. Performance is both teaching and living. Sanitary effect.  sanitary issues not only pay rate. FLC all tenure track without citizenship they are worried about their tenure. Funding agencies, very few will fund you if you are not a citizenship

Diane Schafer  perceptual biases, graffiti. Cathryn Ross

 

Averting Death by PowerPoint! From Killer Professors to Killer Presenters
Christy Price, Dalton State College
Riverboat 4:45 PM – 6:00 PM

How to create effective mini lectures checklist for acting palnning

engage and leave lecture out. The reason why can’t move away is because some  people lecture as performance art

Make lectures mini. How long mini should be. 22 min, the age number of the person.

Emotional appeal, empathy.

Evoke positive emotions with humor.   Always mixed method research, since the narrative   Berk, r. (2000) and Sousa (2011)

ethical. Obligations and emotional appeal

acknowledge the opposition

enhance memory processing with visuals and multimedia

use guided practice by miniki zing note taking

presentationzen is a book! which need to read http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/presentation-zen-garr-reynolds/1100391495?ean=9780321525659

Enchanted memory processing by creating mistery

address relevance

 

http://advanceyourslides.com/2011/01/28/the-5-most-memorable-concepts-from-nancy-duartes-new-book-resonate/
Death by PowerPoint:  Nancy Duarte: The secret structure of great talks
http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks.html

http://www.gobookee.org/get_book.php?u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5vcGVuaXNibi5jb20vZG93bmxvYWQvMDQ3MDYzMjAxMS5wZGYKVGl0bGU6IFJlc29uYXRlOiBQcmVzZW50IFZpc3VhbCBTdG9yaWVzIFRoYXQgVHJhbnNmb3JtIC4uLg==

Engage faculty by showing. Faculty how their presentation. Is. And how it c can be

process with clickers

Sunday Mrng session

vygotsky zone of  NAND the flipped mindset. http://t.co/vCI8TOJ7J2. Cool tweets at #pod13.

Ideas process baudler Boyd stromle 2013

I – identify the issue

D debrief the situation

A  analyze what happened

s strategize solutions and Oport unities for growth and future success

 

Tablets (iPADs) in the Classroom

From: Perry Bratcher [mailto:bratcher@nku.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2013 9:01 AM
To: ‘lita-l@ala.org’
Cc: Michael Providenti; Michael Wells; Millie Mclemore; Perry Bratcher; Stephen Moon
Subject: [lita-l] RE: Classroom iPads

All – Thanks to each of you for your responses to my email regarding classroom use of iPads (see email at the bottom).  Listed below are is a summary of the comments I received.  I cut/pasted and have reconfigured these comments for this email, so some may be taken out of context.  NOTE: My systems staff have adamantly opposed using the Microsoft Surface.  We have a campus “tech bar” where student/staff can check out new devices for experimentation.  My staff said that the Surface doesn’t work in our particular situation for a variety of reasons and they prefer the iPad tablet option (if we go the tablet route).

Before deciding on implementation of PCs vs. laptops vs. tablet for use in a classroom setting, one needs to consider the motivation for doing so.  Space? Portability? Availability of apps?  Is there a demand for using personal devices for research, etc?  What type of portable device to use (iPad, Microsoft Surface, etc.)

Pros for using iPad/tablets:

  • Keep a few in there to provide examples of how to search on mobile devices.
  • The amount of apps and types of apps out there. Great education apps exist that do not exist elsewhere online or on other platforms (Android or Windows).
  • The iPad is flexible and allows you to regain that floor space you lose with computers and give the user privacy.
  • If setup correctly, the devices can be erased when they are returned so any private data is wiped.
  • Users can download additional apps, even purchase apps if you allow them.
  • They hold a charge much longer then any laptop or ChromeBook on the market.
  • Apple sold 94% of its iPads into education – the reason being that it’s a great education and research tool.
    • Another advantage that I can see boot up time. The iPad is instantly on and connected to the network. Perhaps this most applicable to last-minute library instruction or ad hoc group research?   However, if I had the choice, I would equip a classroom with MacBook Air SSDs
    • Understand how they need to be configured and the tools needed to do so. I created a kit for this not long ago for public libraries: http://www.macprofessionals.com/new-library-ipad-checkout-solution/   Thank you Chris Ross, Macprofessionals
    • UVA has been using iPads for instruction for about 2 years.  They have been very pleased with the results.
    • Our electronic classroom is very small, so we purchased 30 iPads over a year ago to allow teaching in our larger meeting room. There are definitely distinct advantages: flexibility, mobility, lack of technical infrastructure needed (wires, ports, etc.), and the myriad possibilities of apps.

 

Cons for using iPad/tablets:

  • Most mobile devices have not become “workhorse” devices as of yet, so much of the students’ research will still need to be done on a computer.
  • We haven’t seen any advantage to having them either – but our librarians use them sporadically for instruction.
  • Charging, syncing, configuring, Apple ID’s, erasing, cases, restrictions, printing, presenting, etc. For example if you want to present with these, you will need an Apple TV or an adapter. If you want to print you will need AirPrint supported printers or software. If you want to configure and erase you will need a Mac.
  • The challenge I have found is trying to use an inherently personal device in the typical one shot classroom environment. There are lots of things you need to consider. How will they access the wireless? What about taking notes? What about apps that require login? And much more.
  • Someone on staff is equipped and has the time to manage them.
  • We have a pool of 30 loan laptops, recently we have supplemented this with 11 loan iPads. The iPads have generally been very popular but wouldn’t work as a substitute for laptops. As many have mentioned when it comes to getting real work done they are inferior to laptops and people have commented as such.
  • As a complement to laptops though they are great – they are more portable and our nursing students love being able to carry them around and quickly access medical apps, take notes, check calculations etc. I definitely see them as being a valuable resource but if it’s an either/or proposition then I would go on the side of laptops.
  • My personal opinion is that it’s not a bad idea as a supplement to existing systems, but I’d be wary of  replacing more flexible with more limited ones, and am particularly wary of committing to one operating system/vendor (particularly one that tends to charge half-again to twice as much as their competitors with only limited advantages).
  • In a classroom setting (e.g. instruction room) I see little advantage of tablets;  their sole advantage from I can figure out is their portability.   Why force people into a limited device if it is only going to be in one room anyway?

 

Some 13-Year-Olds Tell Us Why They Think Facebook Stinks

Some 13-Year-Olds Tell Us Why They Think Facebook Stinks

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-tweens-and-teens-think-facebook-stinks-2013-11#ixzz2jcxYYSSr

now that he has a phone, he would rather check out other cooler options, like Snapchat, Vine, and Instagram.
words are less important than images and videos
“I wouldn’t de-activate,” Aidan said. “It’s still a way to connect, I just won’t check it often.”

Videos Explaining BYOD for Teachers and Students ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Excellent Videos Explaining BYOD for Teachers and Students ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning:

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/11/excellent-videos-explaining-byod-for.html

Bring Your Own Device/Technology is an initiative meant to increase students learning opportunities through technology.

“whiteboard screencasting” and “lecture capture” apps: please enter your choices and suggestions

Greg Jorgensen emailed us with his new darling:

Explain Everything – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.morriscooke.explaineverything

and raises a very good question:

What do we know and how do we organize our tools and apps for whiteboard screencasting and lecture capture?

Screencasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning#Screencasting

Screencast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screencast

Greg’s choice of the day is atop of a list from the Ed Tech/y and Mobile Learning web site:
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/05/6-useful-ipad-apps-for-creating.html

next on that top-6-list are

Teach

Show Me

Educreations Interactive Whiteboard

Doodlecast Pro

Pixntell

Doceri (http://doceri.com/) is a very promissing app, which Bob Lessinger was pushing to be installed on campuos computers (being free), but it is ONLY iPAD-bound (not even iPHone or iTouch)
In addition to Doceri: Stage : Interactive Whiteboard and Document Camera and Splashtop Whiteboard per: 3 Apps to Turn Your iPad into Interactive Whiteboard ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Here is a neat table about the compatibility (iOS and Android) for several of these apps:
http://www.elcamino.edu/administration/staffdev/training/whiteboardscreencasting.pdf

Here is another good resource from Alaska. The screencasting apps reviewed are the same as above, but other good sources regarding a pedagogy involving the technology.

A broader approach to this issue (Presentation & Screencasting Apps) on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/itechservices/presentation-screencasting-apps/

More apps and possibilities, as well as “how-to” directions here:
http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/how-i-make-screencasts-the-whiteboard-screencast/

Here is an useful blog entry, comparing  ExlpainEverything with Educreation —
http://freebiologyschool.blogspot.com/2013/04/explaineverything-app-better-than.html

More apps:

Lecturnity ( http://www.lecturnity.com )

Tegrity http://tegr.it/

FlySketch http://flyingmeat.com/flysketch/

http://presentationtube.com/
a lengthy review is available here: http://smorgastech.blogspot.com/?goback=%2Egde_2038260_member_5807615489219772416#%21

Gaming in Higher Education: EDUCAUSE 2013 welcomes Jane McGonigal

The Awesome Power of Gaming in Higher Education

EDUCAUSE 2013 welcomes Jane McGonigal and considers the potential of games in education.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2013/10/awesome-power-gaming-higher-education

1. Foldit

The University of Washington’s Foldit game enables anyone to contribute to scientific research through virtual protein folding. The university’s game developers posit that human gamers’ propensity to not give up on a gaming task – resiliency – make them much more adept at solving complex protein structure prediction and design than supercomputers. And in some ways, they’ve already proven that to be so. Foldit game participants have been named in several published scientific journal articles, including one that describes how a protein structure could be solved and used in the treatment of HIV.

2. Urgent Evoke

The rich, interactive universe of Grand Theft Auto was the inspiration for this game, developed for The World Bank as a way to teach Sub-Sahara African youths to solve social problems in ways that also could provide a sustainable living. The platform is free and available online and can be used by schools to teach social entrepreneurship. A graphic novel serves as the game’s centerpiece, and players build out their gaming profiles as a comic or graphic novel might retell a superhero’s origin story. Participants complete projects in real life to solve real problems, such as securing a community’s food supply or establishing a sustainable power source, then progress through levels of the game. Those who successfully complete their 10-week missions ultimately earn certification from the World Bank Institute. In 2010, 50 student participants saw their entrepreneurship models funded by the World Bank, including Libraries Across Africa (now Librii), a franchise operating in Ghana.

3. Find the Future: The Game

Not all games must be played out in a virtual space. This game – developed by McGonigal with Natron Baxter and Playmatics – combines real-world missions with virtual clues and online collaboration, resulting in young people working together overnight in the New York Public Library to write and publish a book of personal essays about what they learned.

“The game is designed to empower young people to find their own futures by bringing them face-to-face with the writings and objects of people who made an extraordinary difference.”

Participants spend a night wandering throughout the library’s stacks and research materials, scanning QR codes to prove they found and interacted with the objects of their clues or missions. One 2011 participant, upon discovering the library’s early draft of the Declaration of Independence wrote an essay called a “Declaration of Interdependence.”

 

More on Jane McGonigal on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjSVo8N31r4

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_the_game_that_can_give_you_10_extra_years_of_life.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t3y7EeBhxg

 

7 Important Traits of a Great Mobile Learning App

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2010/12/7-important-traits-of-a-great-mobile-learning-app/

The best learning apps have the following attributes:

1) They’re interactive. Touchscreens beg for touching.

2) They’re designed for shorter playtimes.

3) They’re focused narrowly by age and relevant to what they’re learning and their motor skills.

4) They’re fun, engaging children by making them laugh — but too too much.

5) They’re inter-generational, allowing a way to involve parents.

6) They’re modifiable, giving kids options to personalize.

7) They have built-in goals, to keep kids coming back with incentives.

ECAR STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, 2013

Key Findings

See the 2013 report for a full list of key messages, findings, and supporting data.

  • Students recognize the value of technology but still need guidance when it comes to better using it for academics.
  • Students prefer blended learning environments while beginning to experiment with MOOCs.
  • Students are ready to use their mobile devices more for academics, and they look to institutions and instructors for opportunities and encouragement to do so.
  • Students value their privacy, and using technology to connect with them has its limits.
p. 10 students are generally confident in their prepraredness to use technology for course work, but those who are interested in more tech training favor “in calss” guidance over separate training options.

Educause’s ECAR Study, 2013

http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/ecar-study-undergraduate-students-and-information-technology-2013

Infographic:

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERS1302/Eig1302.pdf

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