ThatCamp Philadelphia 2014: Working With Students Who Have Low Technology Skills In Distance Education

This was the session I proposed and moderated at ThatCamp Philadelphia 2014.

  • So much automation today...students do not learn to code, html, like a lot of us did back in the day.

  • What is the library's role?

  • Who is responsible for technology skills, students, or colleges?

  • Students are often scared to break something, so do not try to fix things because K-12 is so punishing of mistakes.

  • How can we make basic digital skills something worth learning?

  • Tell students to look for answers on Youtube.

  • What about a forum on Blackboard for students to help each other with technical problems?

  • What about a distance education scavenger hunt?

  • Is this an institutional issue or a student issue?

  • Many of these issues could be resolved at orientation, but it is not mandatory at many schools.

  • Make a list of resources for help on Blackboard for technology problems.

  • How do we support students after disasters?

  • Why aren't there tests to see if students are ready for technology requirements?

Replacing Google Reader With Newsblur

With the coming demise of Google Reader, I have spent some time recently trying to find a good replacement for the RSS reader. Despite all of these idiotic proclamations that RSS is dead and apps like Youtube and Instagram not even offering easy access to it anymore, which is beyond frustrating, I am still an ardent user of RSS.

My usage of RSS has evolved over the years; previous to the past few years, I used RSS for almost all of my online reading. With the mainstream popularity of Twitter, I have been able to move a lot of my day to day reading to tweets. Apps like Flipboard let me read more frequently updating websites at my own leisure. These days my usage of RSS is for infrequently updates websites and for tracking various things, like certain Tumblr users I want to make sure I all their content.

After trying out a number of RSS readers including Net Vibes and even going back to the old Bloglines, which still exists, I have settled on Newsblur for my RSS reader. Newsblur is a modern app that works on the desktop, phone, and tablet. It syncs nicely and is constantly updating and getting better in both performance and appearance. Hoping that Newsblur will stick around, I even put down the $24 for a yearly premium account.

Cory Doctorow is also moving to Newsblur, which I take as a really good sign about its promise. Audrey Watters also has some good thoughts and goes through a long run down of various RSS readers.

Tri-State Best Practies: Teaching With Technology

While at the Tri-State Best Practices conference last month, the most interesting panel I attended was the one on teaching with technology. I had spoken earlier in the day about wikis, so I was interested in seeing what others would do.

Rich Lauria spoke on wikifying your classroom

  • More than a blog, less than a CMS
  • Can do things Blackboard cannot
  • Wikis organize your work
  • A lot of attendees interested in paperless syllabus because students lose them
  • I am interested in getting them info immediately
  • In other words, if it is Saturday and we don’t meet until Wednesday they need and deserve access even if they lost it.
  • Rich uses PBWORKS too
  • Some debate about whether wikis should be viewable by all or only logged in students
  • Every semester I have a number of students who show my eng101 wiki to their friends to help them with their work

Maria Schrita from Hudson CCC up next on using Youtube in classroom

  • Students can view Youtube at home or their convenience
  • Using short youtube videos to intro debateable issues

Jessica Fargnoli from Bergen speaking on using audio/video captures in the classroom.

  • This is something I would like to do more of in the future.
  • 84% of internet users download or watch video
  • Echo 360 is a popular software
  • A lot of people in the room curious about why you would publish student work publicly versus privately

NJCEA: Teaching With Technology

The first panel I attended at NJCEA was the Teaching With Technology one early in the day. Julie Cassidy was the first speaker. Cassidy spoke about requiring students to creat commonplace blogs for her classes. This is an idea I am going to try and implement into my courses this fall. Right now, I am thinking of using Tumblr for this. (see mine)

  • According to Cassidy, blogs allow conversation to begin before class.
  • Students are required to pull three quotes for each story/novel/etc
  • An example of Dr. Cassidy’s classes.
  • Blogs are low stakes, informal, writing, so lots of room for reflection.
  • Cassidy has students use WordPress for the assignment. I’m leaning towards using Tumblr.
  • The required quotes can be worked into prep for paper writing.

Next, Geoff Klock spoke about pacing and technology in the classroom.

  • Klock uses film clips in class to break up discussion.
  • Klock used to use Youtube in class, but he found the clips were too low quality. He now uses DVDShrink, which I have used in Windows before, and MPEGClipStream to pull clips. Is there a Linux version? DVDShrink doesn’t work too well in WINE.
  • Klock also incorporates mp3′s of poems into discussion. I am going to start doing that later this summer.
  • Klock argues that clips bring back interest. Clips refresh class discussion and bring full attention back.

Finally, Megan Titus spoke about student perceptions and blogging.

  • Titus has used edublogs in the past, but they have spammed students.
  • Blogs help teach ethical responsibility and community.
  • Professional writing is increasingly online.
  • Blogging increases opportunity to practice argumentation, citation, and ethics.
  • Titus requires proposals, which are peer reviewed by students and Titus.

Links

Some general links you might want to check out