TIE Conference 2008

This is my first Technology in Education conference and day one was great. I got here Monday night and got checked in and attended the ‘newbie’ session that night. Tuesday was the first day of the conference and it did not disappoint.

I attended a round table discussion led by Michael Riggs, Systems Engineer or Falcon School District 49. Titled ‘Geek Factor’ I knew I did not want to miss it. It was a group of 12 System Admins and building tech people. This is an area I want to get stronger in. The Informational Technology/Computer Science side. I am just not as knowledgeable in this area as I would like to be. It was great to hear the people in the group discuss issues like, wireless, security, lab images, PDAs, and all kinds of issues related to the technical side.

The first session was really, really good. Led by Bud Hunt, Instructional Technologist of the St.Vrain Valley School District. “Twitter Me This: Presence Tools for Just in Time Learning” It was almost like a mashup presentation. He demonstrated many incredible useful tools. The starting point was his wiki he had a slide show presentation of tools and rational for using web 2.0 tools. We then did a Chatterous ‘back channel’ chat room while the presentation was taking place. Many great jokes, links and observation were presented there adding a whole new layer to the session. It was so refreshing to have another outlet for discussion and sharing rather than listening to a single presenter for 3 hours.

We used twitter and saw examples of how it made Bud a better teacher, we learned how simple Chatterous (transcript here) was to use, and oh yeah did I mention that the whole thing was live blogged and streamed over the interntet  allowing for someone in Texas to play along….using Mogulus. By the end of the session I had my own streaming channel live and broadcasting too. Great stuff Bud!

Skype

Skype is a very interesting application that could be a very useful tool for an online educator. Skype is a VoIP or voice over internet protocol. Allowing users to call other Skype users free of charge. Users can also call landlines and cell phones for small price. Skype is know as internet telephony service but it really does much more, the newest version has improved web conferencing function and a very fast file sharing feature, chat and the ability to send text messages.

This application is not expensive or complicated to operate. The costs would include a USB headset which can range from $16-$100, but for $25-$35 you can have a very high quality device that can last many years. The other cost would a webcam and these have also dropped in price dramatically over the past year. Or just a webcam with a built in mic does the trick too. Skype is free when calling another computer that uses Skype, but you can connect to cell phones and landlines for a fee. Text messaging is also an option.

How can Skype serve people like us in an educational setting? Here is a list of things I think you could do with Skype in an online class. I am considering a 10^th grade social studies class and the use of Skype is a supplementary resource not the primary medium of instruction.

- Class conference calls that could serve as question and answer sessions.

- A file distribution center where ‘handouts’ of assignments could be given.

- A text message relay center where an instructor could send reminders, grades, updates and other useful information right to students cell phones.

- A chat center where simple quick questions could be asked and responded to.

- A video conferencing tool that would allow an online educator a chance to hold online ‘office hours’ where he or she could have meaningful face-to-face conversation with students.

To me this is one of the new Web 2.0 tools that are starting to make real headway in how students can learn online. The learning process can be directly improved when you consider a student learning something that does not translate in written word, like learning a language. In Skype they can actually speak to a person that speaks the language they are trying to learn. Here is a great example: Language exchange in Dickinson College. Also, the ability to have a conversation with a person while being able to see them give both people a much better understanding of the information trying to be shared. The ability to make that final connection, where students produces written or spoken word, in the learning cycle is crucial and Skype provide a wonderful opportunity to do just that.

The use of this tool in formal education is apparent but it does not appear to be widespread. Jeff VanDrimmelen wrote an insightful article and used Skype to hold a discussion on technology in education in November of 2006, and there many other examples of educators who have used the tool to talk with other educators about the potential of Skype in education. One special example of students using Skype can found at the Learning is Messy blog. Click on the picture to see the video about how Skype was used for inclusion of a very special student.

IT5710 Telecommunications and Networking in Education Week 1 Reflection

It is a new semester for me in UCD land and I am very excited to be starting this course. It is a mix between web applications and the physical side of networks and computers. Very cool stuff.

The first week of class we spent time looking at different Web 2.0 applications. I enjoy all of the new sites that come out and tools that make a good connection to education. I also like tools that just make day-to-day life easier. I don’t see these tools as just being fun, because if they can save a teacher time and effort it is my assumption that will give them more time and energy to focus on teaching.

I liked the the SeachMe browser. A visual based browser that gives a quick screen shot before you even have to click on that page. I have searched many times for things and clicked on link that was not even worth the click, so a way to stream line my information finding missions is welcome.

Creative Commons was another simple solution to copyright your personal work or the work of your students. It also gives students a sense of what copyright is and why it is important. If we can get students to start thinking that their work has value then maybe they will start viewing the work of others with value.

Another issue I have been noticing with teachers and kids I work with is just how much they under utilize the capabilities of modern browsers and computers. My wife does this all the time too. I’ll be working on the computer and she will come up asking to do something, or to use the internet. “Can I close you out of this” is the first thing she says. I usually have about 20 tabs on two different windows for some specific purpose and she always wants to close one of them before opening a new window or tab. I am kind of amazed at how many people still continue to use and search the web like this. One page at a time. I think we could all do kids and teachers a service by trying to help them surf more efficiently.