Jason Farman talks about the magic trick of turning technology from a distraction into a supporting feature of the classroom.
Community Colleges are Flipping Out
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Bill Gates and others advocate for technology enhanced flipped courses to engage at-risk learners.
The Trends and Challenges of Emerging Technologies
The Trends and Challenges of Emerging Technologies
Presenter: Krista Terry, Assistant Professor, Appalachian State University
Event Date: October 8, 2013 - 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Richard B. Russell Building, Special Collections Library Auditorium
As new technologies and technological trends proliferate, the possibilities presented to educators to engage students in pedagogically relevant and engaging online learning activities are endless. However, as educators, it is also important to critically evaluate the potential of these technologies based on what we know about facilitating effective learning experiences for our students. MOOCs, mobile devices, Google glasses, augmented reality, and educational games are all innovations that have the potential to impact the educational arena on a variety of fronts. Developing a framework through which to evaluate the potential affordances of such technologies and innovations while remaining mindful of good educational practice is paramount as we look to the next generation of emerging technologies. This session will present several emerging trends and technologies and will engage participants in conversations related to the evaluation of their use in educational settings.
Open Invitation to Attend Friday’s ITT Faculty Academy Session (618 Aderhold, 1-4 pm; RSVP Requested)
Open Invitation to Attend Friday’s ITT Faculty Academy Session (618 Aderhold, 1-4 pm; RSVP Requested): Introduction to the Google Suite of Tools + Web 2.0 (and free pizza)
Dear COE Community,
On Friday from 1-4 pm in Room 618 Aderhold, we will be conducting the first of four sessions to support the Innovation in Teaching and Technology (ITT) Fall 2013 Faculty Academy. We have 7 COE faculty participating in the academy. However, each academy session is also open to others in the college who might be interested in the topics we’re discussing. If you would like to join us, please just send me an email at <lrieber@uga.edu> to let me know you are coming to help in my planning (and to make sure I order enough food).
Here is some background information…
Each session will be divided into two parts:
- Design Corner
- Technology Corner
Among the design issues we will consider on Friday include some basic principles from a studio-based teaching approach and instructional design (both are courses that I teach). I will also briefly discuss some of the conclusions, predictions, and implications of several national reports that impact the future of the teaching mission of universities.
The technology we will be exploring on Friday is the suite of Google Tools. We also will take a few minutes to introduce a few other Web 2.0 tools, such as Pinterest, a pinboard-style photo/graphic sharing website that has gained much popularity over the past few months.
Time will be set aside during each session for hands-on time to work on projects, explore technology tools, and have conversations about innovative teaching with technology.
Remaining academy sessions are scheduled for the following dates and topics — all Fridays — from 1-4 pm:
- October 11 – Online Learning Essentials
- November 8 – Using Video
- November 22 — Mobile Learning
We will also orient folks to the SMART Technology throughout the academy sessions.
Of course, we will be exploring various teaching ideas, design strategies, tools, and technologies throughout the academy, largely in response to participant ideas and discussions.
We’d love to have other faculty join us on Friday. Again, just email me if you plan on coming.
Lloyd Rieber
Director, Innovation in Teaching and Technology
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ITT Web site: http://www.coe.uga.edu/itt/
ITT Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ITTCOEUGA
ITT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ITTCOEUGA
ITT Blog: http://www.coe.uga.edu/itt/blog/
ITT Fall Book Club – Parker Palmer’s “The Courage to Teach”
Dear COE Community:
The ITT Book Club will be meeting this fall to discuss the following book:
Palmer, Parker J. (2007). The courage to teach. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Amazon: hardcover
Amazon: kindle
Here is a description of the book:
“This book is for teachers who have good days and bad — and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts, because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life.” — Parker J. Palmer [from the Introduction]
For many years, Parker Palmer has worked on behalf of teachers and others who choose their vocations for reasons of the heart but may lose heart because of the troubled, sometimes toxic systems in which they work. Hundreds of thousands of readers have benefited from his approach in THE COURAGE TO TEACH, which takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with themselves, their students, their colleagues, and their vocations, and reclaiming their passion for one of the most challenging and important of human endeavors.
This book builds on a simple premise: good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. Good teaching takes myriad forms but good teachers share one trait: they are authentically present in the classroom, in community with their students and their subject. They possess “a capacity for connectedness” and are able to weave a complex web of connections between themselves, their subjects, and their students, helping their students weave a world for themselves. The connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts — the place where intellect, emotion, spirit, and will converge in the human self — supported by the community that emerges among us when we choose to live authentic lives..”
All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to join us.
The discussion will take place toward the end of the semester (at a date/time that is most convenient to the people who sign up).
(You are responsible to purchase the book on your own. It’s currently available in hardback for $19 at Amazon, and there are many other less expensive versions there as well.)
Food will be provided at the discussion!
To sign up to join the discussion of “The Courage to Teach” or to recommend another book for the ITT Book Club to discuss in the future, please go to the following Web site:
http://lrieber.coe.uga.edu/itt/bookclub/
I hope to see many of you there!
Lloyd Rieber
Director, Innovation in Teaching and Technology
ITT Web site: http://www.coe.uga.edu/itt/
ITT Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ITTCOEUGA
ITT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ITTCOEUGA
ITT Blog: http://www.coe.uga.edu/itt/blog/
FYO Workshop: Strategies for Written Assignments for FYOS Students
FYO Workshop: Strategies for Written Assignments for FYOS Students
Presenter: Melissa Harshman
Event Date: September 24, 2013 - 9:30am - 10:30am
Location: North Instructional Plaza Classroom
This workshop, designed for those who teach a seminar as part of the FYO program, will focus on creating successful and appropriate writing assignments for one-hour FYO seminars. Examples of successful writing assignments used in previous FYO seminars will be shared and discussions will center on the development of writing assignments to be used in participants’ courses. Faculty will leave this session with a better understanding of the appropriate amount of writing for a FYO seminar, ideas for assignments they can integrate into their own FYO courses, and resources they can reference throughout the delivery of their seminar.
Russell Award Session: Teaching Large Classes
Russell Award Session: Teaching Large Classes
Presenter: Gary Green, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Event Date: September 23, 2013 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Masters Hall, The Georgia Center
Gary Green, a 2012 Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching winner, was recognized for his classroom success due in part to his pedagogy in his Natural Resources high-enrollment introductory course. In this session, Dr. Green will share his award-winning strategies for instructional success when teaching large classes. He describes this sessions this way: “Faculty are often faced by many challenges when teaching a large class (i.e., 100+ students). Some of these challenges concern logistics (e.g., how to move around in a large class, avoid being stuck at a podium or computer, being heard), engagement (i.e., how to generate discussion, keep student’s interest), assessment (i.e., use of exams, papers, quizzes, bonus points), and management (i.e., communicating with 100+ students, grading, time management issues). However, despite these many challenges, meaningful and engaging learning can take place in large classes. This workshop will discuss some of the ways in which faculty can create an engaging and productive learning environment in a large class.”
MITx to offer certificates for online courses
MITx is offering the XSeries, a sequence of courses covering the topic of computer science. Completion of proctored final exams leads to a certificate of completion.
Read more at the Wired Campus blog from the Chronicle of Higher Education…
Getting Started with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Getting Started with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Presenter: Denise Domizi
Event Date: September 17, 2013 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Location: North Instructional Plaza Classroom
At its most basic level, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) can be thought of as the systematic study of teaching and learning; it involves asking a question, gathering evidence, drawing conclusions based on that evidence, and making those findings public for the benefit of others. In this session, we will discuss what SoTL means, look at examples of SoTL research, consider ethical issues in SoTL research, and talk about how to get started in SoTL.
The Twitter Revolution: Engaging Students in 100+ Classes
The Twitter Revolution: Engaging Students in 100+ Classes
Presenter: Thomas Chase Hagood
Event Date: September 12, 2013 - 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Location: North Instructional Plaza Classroom
Since its launch in 2006, the social media and connection website, Twitter, has transformed the lives of millions of individuals. From citizens’ uprisings in the Arab Spring to the sheer deliberative potential that this concise referencing web tool has for democratic self-governing populations across the globe, Twitter has revolutionized the way humansconsume and share information.
Several scholars have explored the enhancements that Twitter can offer the college classroom and its learning environment. As with social activists, art or music fans, or politics junkies, Twitter’s ability to link—in a unique, but almost limit-less fashion—like-minded individuals offers university students and teachers an incredible platform to expand learning and connection opportunities. This capability could easily have a profound impact on engaging students in the 100+ classroom.
This workshop will offer a brief survey of scholarly findings about Twitter in higher education. Much of the session will proceed as a tutorial on the uses of Twitter for faculty who have not explored this social media tool. The session will highlight: 1. How to set up a Twitter account, and will assist faculty members in doing so; 2. How to manage the account, follow other users, and compose tweets; 3. How to manage hashtags, the twitter app on their smartphones or tablets, and other features unique to the Twitter-sphere that might intimidate non-users. Finally, a Q&A and discussion session will examine how Twitter-based interactive curricula has been/might be developed and embedded into class assignments and operations.