In her October post, Emily Stone talked about using Twitter as a way to engage with her students. It allowed her to create a conversation and foster a community of sharing. These types of interactions are really Twitter’s bread-and-butter. But I’m more of a passive Twitter user. My last tweet was January 31, 2010: “really … Continue reading Reliving History, 140 Characters at a Time
I’ve had a Twitter account for several months, and aside from occasionally checking my feed to see what’s for dinner @RachaelRayShow, I really do not use it. In preparation for teaching my online Educational Technology class, I’ve been thinking about how I might use Twitter to enhance participant engagement with the material and with one … Continue reading Getting my Tweet Wet
My six-year-old son Grant loves school—that is, all school except the Sunday Chinese School. To him, it is boring, too hard, and no fun. Last year, after trying the kindergarten class at our local Chinese school (and being a left-behind student) for two months, he dropped out. Being a liberal educator and a non-tiger mom, … Continue reading Teaching in Disguise: Are You Game?
In June 2011, the FITS Department began production of Everything That FITS, an ongoing podcast for members of the DePaul community and the world at large, focusing on instructional technology, pedagogy, and teaching and learning. Podcasts may contain audio transcripts of blog entries on the iddblog.org site, interviews with faculty and staff members, or other … Continue reading Introducing the “Everything that FITS” Podcast
Note: Listen to this entry at Everything that FITS, an ongoing podcast for the DePaul community and the world at large, sponsored by DePaul University’s Faculty Instructional Technology Services department. Tune in for tips, tricks and useful information to help you teach smarter every day. Technology is inescapable these days. It has made some things … Continue reading Going Analog: The Why versus the How in Instruction
“We can take your classes! We can help you in virtually any subject. Our experts can take any online math, science, or business class. We will work with you on a budget and a deadline and get your work done on time. Also, with our services we will not ask you to pay upfront. Our … Continue reading “Online Class Boring You? Let Us Take It for You!”
Untitled Document Just last week, after three months of work, I completed my very first knitting project: a frayed baby blanket that was a journey involving many stops and starts, a few more balls of yarn than anticipated, and a great reflection upon how I learn. As a beginning knitting student, learning to hold the … Continue reading Becoming a Knitter: Lessons about Learning
A couple years ago, a colleague and I posited an instructional-design approach to improving learning and performance when utilizing Web 2.0 technologies. This approach was built upon the socio-constructivist philosophies of learning and emphasizes three dimensions in designing learning for the Web 2.0 environment—social/collaborative elements, user-generated design, and knowledge management. The motivation for this approach … Continue reading Handing Over the Keys
Being the sports fan that I am, I have taken note of the recent outbreak of Twitter-related disciplinary actions involving athletes. Those of you who follow the NFL or NBA are familiar with the Chad Ochocincos and Gilbert Arenases of the world. And the trend has filtered down into the collegiate and high-school ranks as … Continue reading Conduct Detrimental to the Team?
A couple of weeks ago, I was a presenter at the CAEL 2009 International Conference. CAEL (The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) is by definition broadly interested in assessing and serving adult learners in a variety of programs; nevertheless, I was struck by how few workshops offered anything geared toward online learning. This isn’t … Continue reading CAEL 2009: What about Online?