Social Networking: Should it be part of my class?

Image by sitmonkeysupreme via Flickr

At my university, profs are on the fence about this. Some say yes, go where the students are.  Others say no, don’t want to jump on that bandwagon. Many say, tell me more…
In response to “tell me more”, my colleagues and I have gathered some resources together in a wiki. Maybe [...]

Seeing the forest or just the trees?

At least a part of every day, I seem to get so caught up in the details that I lose sight of the big picture.  Apparently, there is a term for this – at least as it relates to visual perception. It’s called inattentional blindness.  I’m making the loose connection with what happens when I [...]

Cell phones, ipods and knowing when to quit…

Apparently, some UBC profs are getting sick of competing with cell phones and electronic devices in their classes. The proposed solution? Block wireless access in the classroom!  What? In my mind, this is like using a taser to solve a conflict.  What happened to discussion? Negotiation? Talking about the problem?
At Syracruse University, one such frustrated [...]

Digital Tattoo: What’s Yours?

Digital Tattoo: What’s Yours? I’m really happy to say that I had a hand in the learning design for this project and it’s near completion now.  It’s a self-guided tutorial, built in WordPress with a focus on digital literacy (at least a beginning).  And the work of the students on this project was nothing short [...]

Digital Literacy, Stress and Summer

What do these things have in common you ask?  It’s all about “what I did on my summer non-vacation!”.
Project 1:  Digital Tattoo:  This is basically a self-guided tutorial all about digital literacy for students.
Still a work in progress but getting close. My role was learning design and student wrangler on the web design and content [...]

Will using Facebook, IM, Skype, etc. make me a better teacher?

Probably not. Though your choice of tools should probably be related to the kind of communication network you want/need to establish with your learners. For some this will be as simple as e-mail or online discussion forum in WebCT/Vista. For others, it may involve a range of instant messaging for office hours, Wimba for online [...]

Facebook, Fear and Frustration

The latest Facebook incident, reported recently in the Toronto Star, involves an online study group, a charge of academic misconduct and university policies that seem outdated and open to misinterpretation. It seems a classic representation of the clash of two cultures being played out in higher ed these days: the open, collaborative, network [...]

Learners Owning Learning

Who owns learning? The simple answer to that question is “learners do.” Yet, to realize the level of ownership talked about at the recent ELI Annual Meeting, learners also need to be able to evaluate and assess and demonstrate their learning. And not only the learning that is valued by the Faculty, but learning that [...]

Learner Support Framework Re-loaded

Here is the latest iteration of the Learner Support Framework I am using. You will need a flash player to view it. If you don’t have one, you can download it here
I modified the last section to include “institutional” activity in support of the distance learning enterprise.