January 2010 Issue – Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
Faculty Feature: Teaching with Tablets
Last spring the Department of Instructional Technology launched a new Teaching with Tablets project with a call for proposals aimed at inviting faculty to experiment with creative classroom approaches, innovations, and teaching modifications enabled by the tablet (specifically digital inking) technology. Five faculty members received computers based upon the proposals they submitted:
Rick Chow, MCS
Dave Marlow, LLC
Dale Saylor, MCS
Suzanne Sutton, Nursing
Reid Toth, SCJWS
While each project intended a different use of the tablet & inking capabilities, the group set to work over summer getting acquainted with the machines and preparing to realize their proposal visions for use of the technology in their teaching. All worked diligently to prepare and rose to the unanticipated challenges their various projects presented.
Dave Marlow reflected on the fall semester experience,
“My primary pedagogical goal with the tablet PC is to de-center the classroom by getting myself out of the front and into a circle of desks with my students with the intention of encouraging them to prepare more for class and to take greater ownership of class discussion. With such a major paradigm [shift], progress is slow. This semester has proven challenging as I have encountered issues with technology, pedagogy, students preconceptions, and time constraints but look forward continuing to work on these issues in the coming semesters.”
Dale Saylor using digital ink in class
Dale Saylor shared that:
“Having the Tablet PC is nothing like what I expected when I responded to the request for proposal. Technical problems have taught me patience and humility…Preparing for using the Tablet PC in the classroom has kept me on the lookout for different ways to teach… This semester has not just meant playing with a fun technological toy, but growing as a teacher. While it could be frightening, I am looking forward to the spring semester and what the Tablet PC will teach me and my students.”
In addition to the faculty group, Ken Ellis a student Supplemental Instruction leader has been using a tablet PC and digital inking in support of his SI instruction. After using the tablet in SI sessions fall semester, Ken shared that:
“The tablet PC has made it possible for me to create worksheets and other material, then provide to students in Supplemental Instruction that very same day. Students … have enjoyed using the tablet pc, because it has made [their course] much more interactive for them…”
The group met regularly during fall semester to share ideas and experiences and collaborated on a project wiki to capture resources and reflections as the project proceeds. Explorations will continue spring semester with continued sharing and practice.
A new request for proposals is planned for later spring.
To learn more about teaching with tablets and digital ink visit:
Berque, D., Bonebright, T. L., Gough, M., & Smith, C. L. (2009). Leveraging the Interplay Between a Grassroots Pen-Based Computing Pilot and an Institutional Laptop Initiative. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Vol. 32, #4.
WIPTE – The Workshop on the Impact of Pen-Based Technology on Education workshop site at Virginia Tech.
Pen-based Computing in Higher Education from the HP InformEd Video Library
Check out Upcoming Spring Opportunities
In addition to the semester start-up Blackboard and other technology sessions offered by Tom Davis, mark your calendars for these additional opportunities from the Department of Instructional Technology:
Tech Lunch
A new lunch-time series of sessions of practical tips on a variety of topics. The series begins Tuesday, January 26 at noon in the IT Conference Room (102 Admin.).
Prof. Richard Mack (Graphic Design) will share tips on digital photo/image management.
Bring your lunch. Dessert provided.
The series continues on the 4th Tuesday of each month through April.
Virtual Meeting of the Teaching Online Community of Practice
Monday, February 1 at 4:00 p.m. via Adobe Connect. The conversation for this session will center on assessing student work in online courses; including testing and online participation. To join the meeting, just click the meeting link here. Additional virtual meetings will be scheduled based on participation at this first ‘experimental’ session.
Speedgeeking
Returns on Friday, February 5 at 1:00 (location TBA) for a new set of brief introductions to a variety of easy to learn apps including VoiceThread, Jiffle, Spezify, Creately and others.
Teaching with Technology Spring Conference
Friday, April 9, 1:00 – 4:30 (location TBA). Sessions will include a panel made up of the faculty tablet recipients, and other.
Meet the Teaching and Learning with Technology Advisory Group (TLTAG)
The TLTAG meets periodically (once or twice a semester) to discuss teaching and learning with technology ideas of mutual interest. The group is made up of faculty volunteers who work in an advisory capacity alongside the Department of Instructional Technology.
Our current membership for 2009-2010 includes:
- Tom Davis, Instructional Technology
- Andrew Kearns, Library
- George Labanick, NSE
- David Marlow, LLC
- Ben Myers, FACS
- Suzanne Sutton, Nursing
- Lori Tanner, Education
- Reid Toth, SCJWS
- Sebastian van Delden, MCS
- Pam Wash, Education
- George Williams, LLC
We welcome new members! If you are interested in joining this conversation, please be in touch with Cindy at cjennings@uscupstate.edu or ext. 5470.
January Resources Highlights
Teaching Online
Faculty teaching or planning online courses can access a variety of resources from the following:
- Visit the Shared (S) Drive – Faculty and Staff ITS Info Folder – for handouts on a variety of IT topics and applications.
- Email Tom Davis (tdavis@uscupstate.edu) to request enrollment in the USC Upstate Blackboard Training Course.
- Email Cindy Jennings (cennings@uscupstate.edu) to request an invitation to the Upstate Teaching Online wiki in WetPaint.
USC Resources
- Center for Teaching Excellence – visit their site for teaching resources, including their Video Archive.
- UTS Media Services – visit their site for video and media resources, including the Distance Education page. Visit their Copyright Guidelines for an excellent collection of materials including a link to the Office of General Counsel for advice on any copyright questions you might have.
Teaching During a Flu Outbreak
Academic Contingency Planning resources are available from the university’s flu alert page here.
In the News
Marc Parry of the Wired Campus Newsletter at the Chronicle previewed the Horizon Report today (“’Horizon Report’ Highlights 6 Technologies to Watch in Education”). The report is prepared yearly as a collaboration between the New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. Open content is identified as a trend to watch. Visit the sites to read the complete materials.
What We’re Reading
Online:
EDUCAUSE Quarterly Special Issue on Student Engagement
EDUCAUSE 7 Things You Should Know About series, most recent issue on Next-Generation Presentation Tools
Grading 2.0 – Evaluation in the Digital Age – forum conversation from HASTAC Scholars (Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory
Books:
Pink, D. H. (2005). A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead Books. Visit Daniel Pink’s blog here.
Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2007). Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, Inc. Visit the Heath Brother’s blog here.
Postman, N. & Weingartner, C. ( 1969). Teaching as a Subversive Activity. New York: Dell Publishing, reprinted through an arrangement with Delacorte Press.