Go to the following site to view a sample presentation in Articulate.
http://conniegrosslc.articulate-online.com/Home.aspx?Cust=86802
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Reflections on IET Fall 2009
Yesterday I submitted my final project for this course - a concept map outlining some of the key learning experiences from this class. I'd like to take a few minutes to reflect upon this experience. Last week I had the writer for FAS 154 record her module summaries, hoping to capture her vast experience in the field in a way that will highlight her key ideas. I had her address these 3 questions:
1. What can you "take away" from this module?
2. How can you as a "case manager" use this information?
3. What will you be learning next?
So, I'll revise these questions for this blog:
1. What did I "take away" from this course?
1a. I explored many, many, many web.20 tools, and found many great resources to learn more. Some of my favourites include:
- Articulate Engage and Presenter: Although ultimately Articulate is a commercial program, I was able to download 30 day trials. I loved this program. It enable me to present content in an interactive and attractive way - without much knowledge of programming, advanced software,etc. One of my key instructional design problems has been finding an effective alternative to powerpoints. Well, Articulate offers it. It also offers an effective way to enhance content and text heavy sections of a course. Finally, it also enables me to meet universal design criteria.
- Prezi - Although I haven't played with it much yet, I see great potential with it
- Mind-mapping tools - I found too many programs to list here. These tools and Prezi have me interested in designing assignments that are alternatives to the standard reports and essays. If we want to offer assignments that meet more learning styles, we need to do more than essays. These tools can help offer alternatives. I see a mind-map / concept map assignment as being a great way to visually present a reflection on a topic; Prezi offers a great way to present information that would otherwise be presented as a powerpoint in class.
- Adding Voice - many of these tools offer ways to record voice with the presentation.
1.b. Toughest challenge to overcome: uploading content. I found it relatively easy to prepare a presentation, but much more difficult to upload large files. I found that it sometimes took over an hour to upload a large presentation. I can see that students would be extremely frustrated with this hurdle, especially with those with limited computer experience or with lowspeed connections. I need to learn more about compressing files or other ways of uploading information.
1c. Increased use of Twitter / Blogs and similar programs: I actually enjoyed using a blog regularly, and am starting to use Twitter much more often. I'm finding that it's more effective than sending an email to relevant people, hoping that I remember to include everyone. I can see that eventually email will go the way of the Dodo bird! Hooray - no more email!
1d. Using Moodle. I've heard a great deal about Moodle, and know that it's being used often by educators because it's affordable. But I didn't like Moodle. I found it clunky to navigate back and forth between posts. I also didn't like the look of it, and found it bland. But I see that it's better than nothing!
1e. I accomplished a goal - I actually created a podcast and posted it. I had learned how, but had never actually done it. So, as the 4H motto says, I needed to "learn to do by doing".
1f. My biggest suprise - Second Life. I was amazed at the connection strength I felt with the class in second life. I can see a huge potential for using it, but also realize there are many hurdles to overcome before it becomes a workable solution.
2. How can I as an instructional designer use this information? I am hoping that I can offer more creative alternatives to heavy text-based content, and more interesting activities and assessments. I will definitely start using Articulate immediately. I have also recommended that we purchase some site licenses. I also hope to start using my blog and twitter to communicate with course writers I'm working with. Ive already starting using Diigo and Delicious as a way of sharing information with the project team.
3. Next steps:
I probably won't take a course next semester, as I'll be busy with basketball and curling. I'll consider taking another one in spring. I also hope to spend a specific time each week keeping up with recent trends. Keeping current can be an overwhelming task, so it will be important to keep it manageable and doable in the time I have available.
I am most interested in exploring Second Life and Mobile learning.
1. What can you "take away" from this module?
2. How can you as a "case manager" use this information?
3. What will you be learning next?
So, I'll revise these questions for this blog:
1. What did I "take away" from this course?
1a. I explored many, many, many web.20 tools, and found many great resources to learn more. Some of my favourites include:
- Articulate Engage and Presenter: Although ultimately Articulate is a commercial program, I was able to download 30 day trials. I loved this program. It enable me to present content in an interactive and attractive way - without much knowledge of programming, advanced software,etc. One of my key instructional design problems has been finding an effective alternative to powerpoints. Well, Articulate offers it. It also offers an effective way to enhance content and text heavy sections of a course. Finally, it also enables me to meet universal design criteria.
- Prezi - Although I haven't played with it much yet, I see great potential with it
- Mind-mapping tools - I found too many programs to list here. These tools and Prezi have me interested in designing assignments that are alternatives to the standard reports and essays. If we want to offer assignments that meet more learning styles, we need to do more than essays. These tools can help offer alternatives. I see a mind-map / concept map assignment as being a great way to visually present a reflection on a topic; Prezi offers a great way to present information that would otherwise be presented as a powerpoint in class.
- Adding Voice - many of these tools offer ways to record voice with the presentation.
1.b. Toughest challenge to overcome: uploading content. I found it relatively easy to prepare a presentation, but much more difficult to upload large files. I found that it sometimes took over an hour to upload a large presentation. I can see that students would be extremely frustrated with this hurdle, especially with those with limited computer experience or with lowspeed connections. I need to learn more about compressing files or other ways of uploading information.
1c. Increased use of Twitter / Blogs and similar programs: I actually enjoyed using a blog regularly, and am starting to use Twitter much more often. I'm finding that it's more effective than sending an email to relevant people, hoping that I remember to include everyone. I can see that eventually email will go the way of the Dodo bird! Hooray - no more email!
1d. Using Moodle. I've heard a great deal about Moodle, and know that it's being used often by educators because it's affordable. But I didn't like Moodle. I found it clunky to navigate back and forth between posts. I also didn't like the look of it, and found it bland. But I see that it's better than nothing!
1e. I accomplished a goal - I actually created a podcast and posted it. I had learned how, but had never actually done it. So, as the 4H motto says, I needed to "learn to do by doing".
1f. My biggest suprise - Second Life. I was amazed at the connection strength I felt with the class in second life. I can see a huge potential for using it, but also realize there are many hurdles to overcome before it becomes a workable solution.
2. How can I as an instructional designer use this information? I am hoping that I can offer more creative alternatives to heavy text-based content, and more interesting activities and assessments. I will definitely start using Articulate immediately. I have also recommended that we purchase some site licenses. I also hope to start using my blog and twitter to communicate with course writers I'm working with. Ive already starting using Diigo and Delicious as a way of sharing information with the project team.
3. Next steps:
I probably won't take a course next semester, as I'll be busy with basketball and curling. I'll consider taking another one in spring. I also hope to spend a specific time each week keeping up with recent trends. Keeping current can be an overwhelming task, so it will be important to keep it manageable and doable in the time I have available.
I am most interested in exploring Second Life and Mobile learning.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Student reflections on exams
Here's an article from the Teaching Professor ... I'm thinking of how we can use this online?
E-Mail This Article
Printer-Friendly Version
Using Post-Test Analysis to Help Students See Correlation Between Effort and Performance
One of the student engagement techniques (SETs) described in Elizabeth F. Barkley’s new book on student engagement (see a review of the book elsewhere in this issue) has students predicting and reflecting on their exam preparation and performance. It’s a technique that helps students see the correlation between their efforts and their exam scores, as well as one that helps them assess the effectiveness of the study strategies they use.
Here’s how the activity works. After students have finished the exam, but before submitting it, they complete a short post-test analysis questionnaire—you may need to state that you won’t accept the exam unless the analysis sheet is attached. Barkley suggests having students respond to items such as:
* Predict your exam score.
* Rate your effort in studying for the exam on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
* List the specific learning strategies you used to study for the exam (Did you make flash cards to help you memorize definitions? Rewrite your notes? Create outlines of assigned readings? Discuss the readings with other students?).
* Identify what you found easiest and most difficult about the exam and explain why.
After the exam has been graded and returned, students do a second analysis—you might want to not record the exam scores until students complete the second analysis, or you might want to offer some bonus points to those students who complete both analyses thoughtfully and carefully. Here are some of the suggested items for this second analysis:
* Describe your emotional response to your exam score (Surprised? Disappointed? Relieved? Pleased?).
* Compare your actual score with your predicted score and comment on how well or poorly you predicted your score.
* Identify where each question came from (in-class material, book material, online resources) and then calculate the percentage of questions missed in each of the categories. What do these percentages tell you?
* Reflect on the strategies you used for studying for this exam and the amount of time you devoted to study. Describe any changes you plan to make in your approach to studying for the next exam.
* Do you have any suggestions for how I or your classmates could help you better prepare for the next exam?
* Based on your performance on this exam, set one goal for the next exam. Make the goal specific and concrete (e.g., “I plan to get at least 75 percent of the questions from the reading materials correct.”).
An activity like this is most beneficial if it’s completed early in the course so that students can act on what they have learned.
Although the advantages of such an activity may be perfectly obvious to the teacher, don’t assume that students will automatically see the value of this kind of analysis. Introduce the activity with a discussion of things students can do to improve their exam performance in this (and other) course(s).
If students do the activity for more than one exam, you might want to add an item that has them track their performance across the exams, asking to what they attribute their improvement (or lack thereof).
Barkley points out that this activity is easily adaptable to other kinds of assignments, such as written work or projects.
Reference: Barkley, E. F. Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009, 336-339.
E-Mail This Article
Printer-Friendly Version
Using Post-Test Analysis to Help Students See Correlation Between Effort and Performance
One of the student engagement techniques (SETs) described in Elizabeth F. Barkley’s new book on student engagement (see a review of the book elsewhere in this issue) has students predicting and reflecting on their exam preparation and performance. It’s a technique that helps students see the correlation between their efforts and their exam scores, as well as one that helps them assess the effectiveness of the study strategies they use.
Here’s how the activity works. After students have finished the exam, but before submitting it, they complete a short post-test analysis questionnaire—you may need to state that you won’t accept the exam unless the analysis sheet is attached. Barkley suggests having students respond to items such as:
* Predict your exam score.
* Rate your effort in studying for the exam on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
* List the specific learning strategies you used to study for the exam (Did you make flash cards to help you memorize definitions? Rewrite your notes? Create outlines of assigned readings? Discuss the readings with other students?).
* Identify what you found easiest and most difficult about the exam and explain why.
After the exam has been graded and returned, students do a second analysis—you might want to not record the exam scores until students complete the second analysis, or you might want to offer some bonus points to those students who complete both analyses thoughtfully and carefully. Here are some of the suggested items for this second analysis:
* Describe your emotional response to your exam score (Surprised? Disappointed? Relieved? Pleased?).
* Compare your actual score with your predicted score and comment on how well or poorly you predicted your score.
* Identify where each question came from (in-class material, book material, online resources) and then calculate the percentage of questions missed in each of the categories. What do these percentages tell you?
* Reflect on the strategies you used for studying for this exam and the amount of time you devoted to study. Describe any changes you plan to make in your approach to studying for the next exam.
* Do you have any suggestions for how I or your classmates could help you better prepare for the next exam?
* Based on your performance on this exam, set one goal for the next exam. Make the goal specific and concrete (e.g., “I plan to get at least 75 percent of the questions from the reading materials correct.”).
An activity like this is most beneficial if it’s completed early in the course so that students can act on what they have learned.
Although the advantages of such an activity may be perfectly obvious to the teacher, don’t assume that students will automatically see the value of this kind of analysis. Introduce the activity with a discussion of things students can do to improve their exam performance in this (and other) course(s).
If students do the activity for more than one exam, you might want to add an item that has them track their performance across the exams, asking to what they attribute their improvement (or lack thereof).
Barkley points out that this activity is easily adaptable to other kinds of assignments, such as written work or projects.
Reference: Barkley, E. F. Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009, 336-339.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Using Twitter and Mobile Learning
Twitter Uses:
1. Story telling
2. Debate from different points of view - ex. You post a statement, each student takes on a role and responds in a tweet to the statement. Then, each student selects a group of tweets to create a summary of tweets.
3. Respond to an experience ( a video, a story, a reading, etc) - Post your tweet - add to the next tweet, and so on. Each student - progressively makes the response longer.
To end it...
a. Either have students do this often (each module - and then, write occasional summaries - or be marked on total tweets based on a rubric)
Other mobile learning
4. Short videos - Take short videos or pictures - used to symbolize concepts, tell a story, demonstrate a finding, illustrate a concept etc.
5. Storyboarding - use quick, short comments to create a story line
6. User-friendly videos that are easily downloaded and "walk" students through the tool, just as if you were in the classroom.
Designing for mobile learning? Keep it simple so that download time is fast and reading panes are user-friendly
7. Podcasts - great way to share concepts
8. Administrivia - announcements, ads, register, add/ drop; connect with classmates, schedules, events, etc.
1. Story telling
2. Debate from different points of view - ex. You post a statement, each student takes on a role and responds in a tweet to the statement. Then, each student selects a group of tweets to create a summary of tweets.
3. Respond to an experience ( a video, a story, a reading, etc) - Post your tweet - add to the next tweet, and so on. Each student - progressively makes the response longer.
To end it...
a. Either have students do this often (each module - and then, write occasional summaries - or be marked on total tweets based on a rubric)
Other mobile learning
4. Short videos - Take short videos or pictures - used to symbolize concepts, tell a story, demonstrate a finding, illustrate a concept etc.
5. Storyboarding - use quick, short comments to create a story line
6. User-friendly videos that are easily downloaded and "walk" students through the tool, just as if you were in the classroom.
Designing for mobile learning? Keep it simple so that download time is fast and reading panes are user-friendly
7. Podcasts - great way to share concepts
8. Administrivia - announcements, ads, register, add/ drop; connect with classmates, schedules, events, etc.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
New Tools for Personal Learning
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
New Tools for Personal Learning
View more presentations from Stephen Downes.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Immersed in Second LIfe
How high can you fly? Go to Second Life and find out. Yesterday we had a class meeting in Second Life, meeting at the U of Manitoba's virtual lounge. I have mixed feelings about Second Life. I felt very clumsy and awkward, and a little uncomfortable when I actually "flew" into someone. On the positive side, I did feel like we were really meeting. I felt much more connected to the class participants. I noticed that we all fell into our usual human conventions - standing politely watching someone speak, moving quietly around, trying not to step into each other's personal space. It would be very interesting to study the interpersonal dynamics that go on in virtual worlds! I can see that there are potential benefits to using Second Life - that it really does create a strong sense of connectedness amongst participants. We're going to consider experimenting with it for the eCafe project. Truly good "food for thought"
happiness works!
Here's an interesting page - with a list of top 10 reasons why twitter can make you happy....
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/happinessproject/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/happinessproject/
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Noon discussions
We had a great discussion yesterday at noon re: the path to adapting online instruction. Specifically I had 3 areas of concern to discuss:
1. How do we make sure the content is appropriate to the tool
2. Presentations - how do we move beyond powerpoint and text to truly make sure of online potential.
3.Difficulties I had in uploading content -
Solutions
1. Chris - take screen captures and narrate as move through screeens
- if I want to unify the screens, use a powerpoint slide / word doc that is open
i'm going to try Prezi for FAS 154 and screen capture tactic.
1. How do we make sure the content is appropriate to the tool
2. Presentations - how do we move beyond powerpoint and text to truly make sure of online potential.
3.Difficulties I had in uploading content -
Solutions
1. Chris - take screen captures and narrate as move through screeens
- if I want to unify the screens, use a powerpoint slide / word doc that is open
i'm going to try Prezi for FAS 154 and screen capture tactic.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
presentation draft
Here's the link to my presentation on slideshare.
I need to tweak it and find the correct way to upload the sound, as it failed to work.
Arrrrrggggghhhhh.....
http://www.slideshare.net/guest179f0b/emerging-technologies-2
I need to tweak it and find the correct way to upload the sound, as it failed to work.
Arrrrrggggghhhhh.....
http://www.slideshare.net/guest179f0b/emerging-technologies-2
Monday, October 26, 2009
Some cool tools
Here's some tools to try out for presentations
1. Wink.com - application that will allow for presentations - allows you to screen record
2. Prezo -
3. Vcasmo - Allows video and powerpoint side by side; linked together
- useful for instructors who frequently use powerpoints and teaching
4. Zentation -
5. Camtasia
6. Spresent - great animations ; can add buttons and audio
7. 280 slides - powerpoint replacement; create and share url or download as a powerpoint - good for larger files size; lacks privacy settings; can I narrate?
8. Slideshare - upload 280 slides into slideshare as slideshare has privacy settings
9. Screen Toaster
1. Wink.com - application that will allow for presentations - allows you to screen record
2. Prezo -
3. Vcasmo - Allows video and powerpoint side by side; linked together
- useful for instructors who frequently use powerpoints and teaching
4. Zentation -
5. Camtasia
6. Spresent - great animations ; can add buttons and audio
7. 280 slides - powerpoint replacement; create and share url or download as a powerpoint - good for larger files size; lacks privacy settings; can I narrate?
8. Slideshare - upload 280 slides into slideshare as slideshare has privacy settings
9. Screen Toaster
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Something silly
Well, it's a rainy Saturday and I'm putting off doing anything serious. Here's a cute video I just found:
Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Power Point and online learning
Here's a copy of info from an Academic Impressions article promoting their workshop on this topic:
In preparation for this online seminar, Online Classroom asked Mr. Gibler a few questions about some of the topics he will address.
OC: Are there PowerPoint design considerations that you recommend specifically for use in online courses?
Gibler: PowerPoint was primarily designed for use as a tool to supplement a live presentation. With an online course, there is no presenter unless you are using an audio recording along with your PowerPoint presentation. If so, the design considerations would be pretty much the same in an online course or an offline lecture–keep it simple, reduce bullet points, avoid too much information, make it as a visual as possible and reduce the number of slides. If you are not using an audio recording you should ask yourself–Is the slide content meaningful by itself? If the answer is no, you probably should rethink using PowerPoint alone and should supplement your PowerPoint slides with a text supplement, notes, or cross-references to other course content.
If you attend this online seminar you'll receive a set of guidelines for PowerPoint presentations that will be useful for both the online and offline presenter.
OC: Which tools can be used to supplement PowerPoint?
Gibler: There are tools like SlideShare that can be used to leverage your PowerPoint. For example, you could transform your presentation into a Flash file and embedded it into your online learning management system or blog. There are also screen capture tools like ScreenToaster and GoView that can be used to record audio narration along with a capture of your online activities that can be useful for demonstrating how to do a task online. In addition, if you are online, you should supplement PowerPoint with online video that can be found at video sharing sites like YouTube.
If you attend this online seminar you'll receive links to a number of resources that will be useful to supplement and enhance both your online and offline presentations.
OC: Can you offer an example of how you might supplement PowerPoint with one of these tools?
Gibler: I've used SlideShare and GoView to create content that I embed into my D2L (Desire to Learn) online courses. They each serve a valuable purpose in communicating and educating students about the topics I'm covering. I've also embedded other content from video sites like YouTube into my online courses. In many cases, I've found demonstrations or examples that others have created that provide an introduction or supplement to the content being discussed in a given course module.
In preparation for this online seminar, Online Classroom asked Mr. Gibler a few questions about some of the topics he will address.
OC: Are there PowerPoint design considerations that you recommend specifically for use in online courses?
Gibler: PowerPoint was primarily designed for use as a tool to supplement a live presentation. With an online course, there is no presenter unless you are using an audio recording along with your PowerPoint presentation. If so, the design considerations would be pretty much the same in an online course or an offline lecture–keep it simple, reduce bullet points, avoid too much information, make it as a visual as possible and reduce the number of slides. If you are not using an audio recording you should ask yourself–Is the slide content meaningful by itself? If the answer is no, you probably should rethink using PowerPoint alone and should supplement your PowerPoint slides with a text supplement, notes, or cross-references to other course content.
If you attend this online seminar you'll receive a set of guidelines for PowerPoint presentations that will be useful for both the online and offline presenter.
OC: Which tools can be used to supplement PowerPoint?
Gibler: There are tools like SlideShare that can be used to leverage your PowerPoint. For example, you could transform your presentation into a Flash file and embedded it into your online learning management system or blog. There are also screen capture tools like ScreenToaster and GoView that can be used to record audio narration along with a capture of your online activities that can be useful for demonstrating how to do a task online. In addition, if you are online, you should supplement PowerPoint with online video that can be found at video sharing sites like YouTube.
If you attend this online seminar you'll receive links to a number of resources that will be useful to supplement and enhance both your online and offline presentations.
OC: Can you offer an example of how you might supplement PowerPoint with one of these tools?
Gibler: I've used SlideShare and GoView to create content that I embed into my D2L (Desire to Learn) online courses. They each serve a valuable purpose in communicating and educating students about the topics I'm covering. I've also embedded other content from video sites like YouTube into my online courses. In many cases, I've found demonstrations or examples that others have created that provide an introduction or supplement to the content being discussed in a given course module.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Open Education Week
Hi... I wanted to share a link with you -
Check out Athabasca University's week long tribute to open education. They have scheduled 5 noon hour seminars (free) on a variety of topics. Friday, Oct 23 - they'll be discussing open educational resources.
Here's the link for more information
http://openaccess.athabascau.ca/events.php#5
Check out Athabasca University's week long tribute to open education. They have scheduled 5 noon hour seminars (free) on a variety of topics. Friday, Oct 23 - they'll be discussing open educational resources.
Here's the link for more information
http://openaccess.athabascau.ca/events.php#5
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Happy Turkey Day
To those non-Canucks, Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving. So, happy turkey day. We Canadians will be stuffed full of turkey, pie and other goodies by Monday night...
What does this have to do with social networking? Well, at yesterday's family thanksgiving dinner, we had an interesting discussion on how the world has changed. My niece's university roommate is an exchange student from Denmark. I asked her if she missed her family. She replied that of course she does, but thanks to Skype, she's in touch every day. She says that it makes her feel like she's still there. For example, when she buys something new, she goes on Skype and shows her mom. They can talk about her purchase so easily. We contrasted that to when I was younger, when my oldest sister moved away from home to Australia. Our contact meant monthly letters (when they arrived) and the annual Christmas "long-distance" phone call (on a party line) in which everyone of us still living at home took a turn on that precious phone call and repeatedly asked the same questions: "How's the weather? What did you have for dinner? Did you go to the beach?". That phone call became an annual ritual and an important part of our family Christmas routine.
Thankfully, we are now in touch through facebook, Skype, google docs, etc. I contrast the Australian experience to that of last week when my youngest sister turned 40. We sisters collaborated on a google presentation that we then posted on facebook. Thankfully, there's no more need for those painful long distance calls.
So, what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? I know my life has been made much easier by social networking; professionally I can work anywhere, anytime and still be in touch with those I need to be; and as a student I can sit at my kitchen table and work on a class that even though I often feel no one is listening, I enjoy being a participant in. That's the beauty of all our new social networking tools; people can choice whether or not to listen. In a face to face class, that choice is a little more difficult to make!
Despite the concerns and potential problems, for this weekend I chose only to consider the positives. I'd say things are looking pretty good for the next generation!
Thankful in Taber!
Connie
What does this have to do with social networking? Well, at yesterday's family thanksgiving dinner, we had an interesting discussion on how the world has changed. My niece's university roommate is an exchange student from Denmark. I asked her if she missed her family. She replied that of course she does, but thanks to Skype, she's in touch every day. She says that it makes her feel like she's still there. For example, when she buys something new, she goes on Skype and shows her mom. They can talk about her purchase so easily. We contrasted that to when I was younger, when my oldest sister moved away from home to Australia. Our contact meant monthly letters (when they arrived) and the annual Christmas "long-distance" phone call (on a party line) in which everyone of us still living at home took a turn on that precious phone call and repeatedly asked the same questions: "How's the weather? What did you have for dinner? Did you go to the beach?". That phone call became an annual ritual and an important part of our family Christmas routine.
Thankfully, we are now in touch through facebook, Skype, google docs, etc. I contrast the Australian experience to that of last week when my youngest sister turned 40. We sisters collaborated on a google presentation that we then posted on facebook. Thankfully, there's no more need for those painful long distance calls.
So, what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? I know my life has been made much easier by social networking; professionally I can work anywhere, anytime and still be in touch with those I need to be; and as a student I can sit at my kitchen table and work on a class that even though I often feel no one is listening, I enjoy being a participant in. That's the beauty of all our new social networking tools; people can choice whether or not to listen. In a face to face class, that choice is a little more difficult to make!
Despite the concerns and potential problems, for this weekend I chose only to consider the positives. I'd say things are looking pretty good for the next generation!
Thankful in Taber!
Connie
FASD Podcasts set the future tone
I just finished the most amazing interviews on Friday morning. I have been the instructional designer for the FASD courses for the past year or so. One of the last courses for the program is FAS 154, Case Management. This course acts like a capstone course, and pulls all the information together. The course writer is an FASD expert and lives in Alaska. She wanted to interview 2 of the most well-respected people in the field, one who lives in Ontario and one in Kelowna, B.C. To make a long story short, after several tries at Web2.0 tools, we decided to go the "old-fashioned" route and simply record their telephone conversations. At any rate, we will take these recordings and turn them into podcasts.
I am totally hooked now. It was so easy to capture their stories on the phone, and then convert them to podcasts. And the interviews were amazing. Both women are long-time advocates and pioneers in management strategies for FASD. Their stories were heartbreaking. The Ontario woman adopted a son who lives with FASD. The other woman adopted 3 children. Both stories tell of such difficult struggles coping with the impact of this condition. Their stories need to be captured and shared with others. Everyone should hear about their challenges, and more importantly, about the challenges the individuals face every single day of their lives. Wow - it gives courage a whole new meaning.
These interviews reminded me of a long time passion of mine, that I had almost forgotten about. When I first went to grad school, I was involved in oral history research. I loved the fact that I was capturing the stories of everyday people who had done such interesting things in their lives. I firmly believe everyone has a story to tell; everyone deserves to be heard. Their voices will let the future know what live was really like. Their stories tell of the daily impact of political decisions made by bureaucrats in a distance city who know little of the realities of live; of CEO's who decisions are led by budgets, project plans, board meetings, strategic planning sessions held in a resort far removed from those who will be most impacted by their decisions. Their stories are the forgotten realities of time. And they need to be remembered.
After completing grad school, I went to do some historical research projects recording oral histories of people in my rural community. I loved it. And the people loved knowing that what they had done was important to someone - that they could help in creating a legacy for the future.
These interviews reminded me of that passion. These women and their children need to be heard. Their stories need to be respected and remembered. They need to feel like others care; that their struggles might make the path easier for someone who follows. Podcasting is a simple way to capture these realities.
My only concern is - will the electronic record be accessible forever? How will they replace the dusty archives that historians typically scrounge through? I remember the feel of opening a record book knowing that no one had really looked at it for over 50 years. It was an incredible feeling. Will the digital record be the same? Or will the fact that these records are digitalized mean that no one will have to wait 50 years to find the document? Will making them accessible online truly mean that they will be listened to more often? Or will they become digital trash - left untouched - until someone a few years later discovers a reference to them, but finds only a broken link?
I have to believe that by creating a digital record of these stories, they will be accessed; they will be remembered, they will be listened to and heeded. I have to believe that the Web2.0 era will make important information available to those who really want to have it. I know that I will continue to use this strategy in the courses. I plan to look for opportunities to record the stories of real people to add a sense of importance and reality to courses when appropriate.
Bringing this "philosphical self-debate" back to reality, I guess the use of podcasts will depend upon the context. Like all tools, podcasting is simply one tool that can be used to add interest to a course. But, like things (except maybe golf) a bad podcast is still a bad podcast, no matter how much glitz you add to it. So, I guess I've discovered a few "rules" to podcasting.
1. Make sure you are using podcasts for the right reason. Ask yourself "how will this podcast enhance the learning experience"? Will it really make a difference, or is it just a glitzy tool?
2. Make it count. A poor story is a poor story, no matter how much you try to disguise it. Just like a bad meatloaf can't be improved by ketchup, a boring podcast with a boring story will only bore those who listen.
3. Find the right tool to create your podcast. In my situation, due the techno comfort level of one of the participants, I had to rely upon the trusty phone system. In other case, programs such as DimDim or Skype may be the best tool.
4. Find what works for you. These are ideas that work for me. But that doesn't mean it works for everyone. Be willing to explore and experiment. Move beyond your comfort zone to try something new, but also be willing to admit that sometimes the tried and true old ways work just as well.
I am totally hooked now. It was so easy to capture their stories on the phone, and then convert them to podcasts. And the interviews were amazing. Both women are long-time advocates and pioneers in management strategies for FASD. Their stories were heartbreaking. The Ontario woman adopted a son who lives with FASD. The other woman adopted 3 children. Both stories tell of such difficult struggles coping with the impact of this condition. Their stories need to be captured and shared with others. Everyone should hear about their challenges, and more importantly, about the challenges the individuals face every single day of their lives. Wow - it gives courage a whole new meaning.
These interviews reminded me of a long time passion of mine, that I had almost forgotten about. When I first went to grad school, I was involved in oral history research. I loved the fact that I was capturing the stories of everyday people who had done such interesting things in their lives. I firmly believe everyone has a story to tell; everyone deserves to be heard. Their voices will let the future know what live was really like. Their stories tell of the daily impact of political decisions made by bureaucrats in a distance city who know little of the realities of live; of CEO's who decisions are led by budgets, project plans, board meetings, strategic planning sessions held in a resort far removed from those who will be most impacted by their decisions. Their stories are the forgotten realities of time. And they need to be remembered.
After completing grad school, I went to do some historical research projects recording oral histories of people in my rural community. I loved it. And the people loved knowing that what they had done was important to someone - that they could help in creating a legacy for the future.
These interviews reminded me of that passion. These women and their children need to be heard. Their stories need to be respected and remembered. They need to feel like others care; that their struggles might make the path easier for someone who follows. Podcasting is a simple way to capture these realities.
My only concern is - will the electronic record be accessible forever? How will they replace the dusty archives that historians typically scrounge through? I remember the feel of opening a record book knowing that no one had really looked at it for over 50 years. It was an incredible feeling. Will the digital record be the same? Or will the fact that these records are digitalized mean that no one will have to wait 50 years to find the document? Will making them accessible online truly mean that they will be listened to more often? Or will they become digital trash - left untouched - until someone a few years later discovers a reference to them, but finds only a broken link?
I have to believe that by creating a digital record of these stories, they will be accessed; they will be remembered, they will be listened to and heeded. I have to believe that the Web2.0 era will make important information available to those who really want to have it. I know that I will continue to use this strategy in the courses. I plan to look for opportunities to record the stories of real people to add a sense of importance and reality to courses when appropriate.
Bringing this "philosphical self-debate" back to reality, I guess the use of podcasts will depend upon the context. Like all tools, podcasting is simply one tool that can be used to add interest to a course. But, like things (except maybe golf) a bad podcast is still a bad podcast, no matter how much glitz you add to it. So, I guess I've discovered a few "rules" to podcasting.
1. Make sure you are using podcasts for the right reason. Ask yourself "how will this podcast enhance the learning experience"? Will it really make a difference, or is it just a glitzy tool?
2. Make it count. A poor story is a poor story, no matter how much you try to disguise it. Just like a bad meatloaf can't be improved by ketchup, a boring podcast with a boring story will only bore those who listen.
3. Find the right tool to create your podcast. In my situation, due the techno comfort level of one of the participants, I had to rely upon the trusty phone system. In other case, programs such as DimDim or Skype may be the best tool.
4. Find what works for you. These are ideas that work for me. But that doesn't mean it works for everyone. Be willing to explore and experiment. Move beyond your comfort zone to try something new, but also be willing to admit that sometimes the tried and true old ways work just as well.
Monday, October 5, 2009
My podcast
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
eLearning Tools Home - eLearning Tools
Last year we attended an instructional design workshop in Denver. The organizers created a fantastic wiki that is still open and active. Here's the link:
eLearning Tools Home - eLearning Tools
eLearning Tools Home - eLearning Tools
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Social Median
Here's a link to an interesting article called 4 cool web-based alternatives to tweetdeck and seesmic desktop:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-cool-web-based-alternatives-to-tweetdeck-and-seesmic-desktop/
Food for thought!
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-cool-web-based-alternatives-to-tweetdeck-and-seesmic-desktop/
Food for thought!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Our IDeas group gets started
Hooray - today we held our first discussion about our newly formed IDeas sharing group. We want the group to serve two key purposes:
1. Develop our skills as instructional designers/ media specialists (help us learn)
2. Prepare us to help faculty by:
a. increasing our awareness of possibilities
b. use this knowledge to post on our Learning Connections website and / or prepare in a graphic way that is easily accessible to instructors / writers
We also decided that we will all jump in and explore Twitter. So, by next week we'll be "tweeting" each other regularly.
1. Develop our skills as instructional designers/ media specialists (help us learn)
2. Prepare us to help faculty by:
a. increasing our awareness of possibilities
b. use this knowledge to post on our Learning Connections website and / or prepare in a graphic way that is easily accessible to instructors / writers
We also decided that we will all jump in and explore Twitter. So, by next week we'll be "tweeting" each other regularly.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
PLE For Emerging Tecnologies
I now have a draft of a PLE picture. I tried different methods of creating it, including web2.0 tools such as Bubbl.Us and Personal Brain, but they just didn't seem to click for me. On the plus side, I did get to experiment with different tools. In the end, I went back to standard Office tools, and drew a picture using Powerpoint. I then used the Screen Capture tool on a Mac to take a snapshot to post. I had to use the help feature to figure out how to do so, as I'm still learning little tricks on the Mac. How would I do the same thing on my PC? I'd probably use a screen capture program such as Jing. I also have the Smart Board software on my laptop, so if all else fails, I can use the camera in it to take a snapshot.
Anyway, here's my PLE Photo.
*Note: I used Wordle to create the image.
Forgotten Tools
Wow - my memory is slipping! Over the past two or three years I have explored many different tools, and therefore have created many accounts. I never used to keep track of all the usernames and passwords, but have since realized that I need to do so. I therefore starting saving all the inforamtion in one easy - to - access spot. BUT, I obviously have missed some. Today, for example, when I tried to start account in some programs, I discovered that I already had accounts!
Here's 2 from today!
Here's 2 from today!
- My Sharebox http://sharethis.com/sharebox
- Stumbleon www.stumbleon.com
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Criteria for evaluating tools
(Photo from Wordle.com)I just re-read the article called "7 Things You Should Know About Podcasting" (www.educause.edu/eli/ 2005) - I like the basic questions they identified that can help to sort out the usefulness of a technology tool:
- What is it?
- Who is doing it?
- How does it work?
- Why is it significant?
- What are the downsides?
- Where is it going?
- What are the implications for teaching?
I think I have just found a way to create my PLE - I'll use the old-fashioned "chart" system in which I make a table of these questions - and put answers. I wasn't sure that I would need all 7 questions, but have decided that they would indeed be useful. For example - Who is doing it? - I thought I might omit this question as at first I didn't see it as being real important. Now that I think about it I see that this question could provide the framework for keeping track of our examples from work.
Example - Voice Thread - we could identify which courses are currently using it; which ID or Media Specialist has worked with it; and link to examples.
Ok - now I have a framework!!!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Emerging Ideas
I'm glad I had a chance to join in the class session today, even though I was late. It's a great way to form connections with everyone. I also found some good ideas to explore. I enjoy being a student again. I have always thought teachers / instructors need to regularly return to the classroom, especially the online classroom, as it is quickly becoming a normal part of many post-secondary programs.
I'm still exploring the best way to create my project. Today I've played with some google tools that might help me. I've re-visited my google site I started, but never returned to, a few months ago. I also started a google doc to collate my ideas. And, I've obviously added to my google-based blog.
I'm searching for a way to combine both projects - the PLE and the blog. I find that so far the blogs and google docs lack the ability to easily create a visual mind-map. Maybe I just need to find a way to add links and RSS feeds to one tool.
I want to revisit Wordle, thinking that it might be a way to visualize the PLE. I like the web2.0 look to it, and love that I can "brainstorm" lists of tools.
But I also need to have some sort of structured mind-map. I like Venn diagrams etc.
I'm still exploring the best way to create my project. Today I've played with some google tools that might help me. I've re-visited my google site I started, but never returned to, a few months ago. I also started a google doc to collate my ideas. And, I've obviously added to my google-based blog.
I'm searching for a way to combine both projects - the PLE and the blog. I find that so far the blogs and google docs lack the ability to easily create a visual mind-map. Maybe I just need to find a way to add links and RSS feeds to one tool.
I want to revisit Wordle, thinking that it might be a way to visualize the PLE. I like the web2.0 look to it, and love that I can "brainstorm" lists of tools.
But I also need to have some sort of structured mind-map. I like Venn diagrams etc.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
IDeas begins
I am starting this blog as part of the course requirements for the course "Emerging Technologies for Learning".
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