He should win a Tony award ...

Ahhh .. it's definitely time for school to start. Know how we know? Because we have a brand new Learning Tech podcast to share! This week we feature some song and dance (well, song anyway) worthy of a Tony (well, worthy of our special guest, Tony Gaddy). Sit back, relax and watch our offering that has the new web site as its focus.

Just click the title above to view the podcast.

---

Show notes:

Jana's tip this week is the indispensable and ever growing LibriVox from Internet Archives. [Link] This is a library of audio books, all in the public domain. Instructors can use snippets of the audio to make a point, students can use sections for presentations. Besides it's just plain fun!




Joe's tip of the week centered around the idea of using available online lectures as well as creating recorded lectures of your own to upload and provide to your students to view in your classes. Bill Gates has provided a classic lecture series on physics delivered by Dr. Richard Feynman (pictured on left) given in 1964 at Cornell. In addition to the lecture, Project Tuva (Microsoft's research/education venture) also provides annotations and transcripts for the series.

In addition to this site are other sites like Academic Earth delivering lectures from Scholars and professors from top U.S. universities sch as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale on a wide assortment of curriculum areas and topics. Finally, I want to make an appeal to any instructors who are interested in capturing what you are doing in class, or any material you want viewed/listened to before class to contact us in Learning Technology. We have a wide assortment of tools and media to capture and deliver many different types of academic content.

Emily's tip of the week is a website called Print What You Like. How many times have you printed a web page only to find it full of ads, empty space and other things you didn't want. PWYL is a free online editor that lets you print only what you want. No more pasting into Word! There's no downloading. Just type or copy/paste the URL into the box provided and click the start button. Then you can remove unwanted material, change the font size and even remove the background. You can save snippets of pages, put them together and create one document for printing. PWYL documents can also be saved as a PDF or HTML. Remove the junk you don't want, save money and the environment by reducing paper and ink usage. Go to PWYL and see how it works for you. Print What You Like

Three Techie's in Cyberspace

Click on the title to listen to our podcast
Right click and choose "Save target as" on the link below to download the mp3 file to your player or iPod:
Link to mp3

Thanks for joining us again this week as we discuss what we have been learning and doing.

Our Show Notes

Emily: I have been working with the North Carolina Auctioneer Academy class. I am learning how to use Adobe Captivate to create self assessment quizzes for the students. The quizzes are presented in a video format. I have been using my Flip video camera to record short introductions for each self assessment.

I'm also busy working in WebCT. I have been adding quizzes, extra credit assignments and videos for instructors as the end of the semester is rapidly approaching.

The North Carolina Distance Learning Association is having a virtual conference this week and next week so I am attending several of these conferences as well.

---

Jana:

As promised, here is the picture I snapped of the three of us at the SCC space on one of the NCDLA islands. We have already applied for offices and learning space and will work with one of the clubs (any volunteers??) to meet in SL as we continue our efforts to connect and engage our online learners.

If you haven't read the Cutting Edge article about our ACA program you can read that from the NCCCS website [Link - pg 4]

---

Joe:This week I discussed some of the places I have found in Second Life that I believe could provide for some very powerful instruction both online and face to face. Below I have embedded some of the "snapshot" I have taken from Second Life. These include shots from Science Islands, a Second Life Hospital and a Biodome. I have found great models for a variety of subject areas including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, MLT, Nursing, BLET and many others. Just use your mouse to scroll through the pictures, click on the ones you are interested in to read the labels.



Simply click and drag with your mouse to shuffle through the pictures from second life. Click on a single picture to zoom in and read a description. For a complete list of Science and Health Related Sites in Second Life click here


Tip of the Week


Emily: My tip this week is Portrait Illustration Maker. Here you can make a free avatar. These avatars can be used to represent instructors and students in areas such as Elluminate during class meetings or chat sessions. They can be used in the health field to identify different areas of the face. The avatars can also be added to blogs, social networking sites and WebCT. I have provided a link below to the website as well as a link to step-by-step instructors for using this tool.
Portrait Illustration Maker
Step-by-Step Instructions

---

Jana: My tip of the week was "7 ways to ruin a PowerPoint" [Link]. Are you guilty of any of these?

Joe: As a part of our College Google Account we have the ability to create individual websites that are stored securely behind out domain where only SCC students and faculty and staff can view them. The sites can be created for virtually any purpose, including Teacher Sites, Group sites, Class Sites or Department Sites. In the near future I am going to develop one for the CJ Dept as a prototype. I look forward to posting that soon.

Blogging From Second Life

↑Click the Play button above to play the broadcast right now.


To download the podcast click here.

Show Notes:

Joe: This week I am discussing the use of Machinimas (videos shot in Second Life like the one above) for instructional use. To view some machinimas shot by students at NC State University click the links below:

The Adventures of Renaissance Girl
Org Cult

I also discuss the newly redesigned MP3 server that we have for instructors that allows students to easily download lectures for review or to listen to before coming to class to maximize the effectiveness of "in class" time.

I also discussed the emergence of mobile apps and specifically working with the RAD program to implement the Ipod Touch to track student data in clinicals.

Tip of the Week:
Below are links to the two tutorials I prepared for using Google Docs and Downloading and using Openoffice software as a replacement for using RTF format in class.

Using Google Docs Tutorial

Click the "Play" icon above to view this tutorial

Downloading and Using Openoffice Tutorial

Click the "Play" icon above to view this tutorial

Emily: I have been creating some videos with Adobe Premiere Elements 7. This software allows you to edit your videos, combine your favorite pictures into a video, and much more. It makes the novice look like a pro in no time at all.

I've also been learning how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements 7. You can do some really exciting things with this software. I look forward to sharing some of my work and tips with SCC in the future.

Tip of the Week:
My tip of the week is an application called Jaycut. It's a great tool for editing videos and also creating videos from your photos. Students can use Jaycut to create group presentations or tell their own stories.

Lorrie Barrier and I worked together on a clip in Jaycut. Click on the video below and listen to Lorrie recite one of my favorite poems, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.

Jana - Wasn't this a terrific session in Second Life? As I said during the show, I have been working with the EDU folk as well as the Flip [Link]. I also am thrilled the Ollie Lambert and I have been able to create a process that will let us scan graded assignments for teachers to digitally return them, rather than incurring postage costs.

Tip of the Week:
My tip of the week was bubblr [Link], a Web 2.0 app that lets you add thought bubbles and annotations to your pictures. I like it because it is embeddable to your WebCT class, it does NOT require a log-in or downloaded program, and it doesn't take up space on our server. I hope you try it out and let us see what you're using it for.

A little TLT, if you please

Instructions for listening:

Click on the podcast title: (above) to listen from your computer.
To download and save to your mp3 player click the link below and choose the "Save" option:
Link to download audio
(~12 minutes / 11.5 KB)
Don't want to miss an episode? Subscribe via our RSS feed in the upper right panel.

Welcome to the next installment of podcasts from your trusty Learning Technologists. In this episode we discuss what we learned at the recent Teaching With Technology virtual conference which we all "attended" from the comfort of our own computers.

---

Show Notes:

All conference sessions are available to be viewed by anyone [Link].


Jana: Learned a lot about Moodle and migrating to a new LMS from WebCT. She suggests any instructor who uses tests or quizzes in WebCT become familiar with Respondus as conference presenters all were enthusiastic about its ability to migrate tests. SCC has a full license to Respondus. Contact any learning tech for details on downloading, installing, and using it.

She also liked the Katamari metaphor used in the keynote address to describe the way the Milleniel generation learns and its random "rowdiness" we instructors can adapt as a means of support for our learners. [Link to Keynote]

Joe: I viewed a presentation put on by Fayette State University on teaching classes and offering classes for the Military. The instructors outlined the unique opportunity we have in North Carolina to reach out to the military and discussed what the military is looking for when they evaluate academic programs for their soldiers. The presentation was given over a free service called Panopto and the lecture can be viewed at the following link:

Delivering Courses to the Military Lecture

The other presentation that I discussed was put on by NC State Learning Technologist Charlie Morris and Dr. Joel Pawlak of the Wood and Paper Science department at North Carolina State University on delivering lectures via Screencast before classes and utilizing class time to work with their students on more advanced projects. All of the tools discussed are ones that we are already using here at SCC, the difference was more pedagogical than technical, but was interesting in the effectivness of shifting the paradigm from using class time to deliver lecture and out of class time working on projects to the exact opposite. As soon as the recording is released, I will make it available below. Also provided below is a link to the presentation powerpoint.

(Re)Moving the Lecture Using Screencasting

Click here for a copy of the Powerpoint

Emily: Learned about media for student engagement in an online Moodle course. The course was designed to appeal to various learning styles. Tools such as chat rooms, videos, PPT with voice and, animation were used to engage student learning. Assignments were submitted weekly and students seemed to like this because they were less likely to procrastinate. One of the things I liked best was a recurring character used to gain student interest and establish continuity. When the online class was compared to a face-to-face class the grades were very similar. Hoo-Ray for the online class!

I also learned about Flip video. The Flip is a neat little video recorder that can be used to record classroom activites. You can actually connect the Flip to a computer or television and view the video right away. Students can work in groups to improve their creativity, and problem solving skills. One of the best things about the Flip is it can be used in any disicpline.

---

Today's music: "Everlasting Love" from the We Love Katamari game soundtrack. PlayStation II: Namco.

LT podcast wk 2

Click the linked title of this posting to hear the podcast.



Click here to view the Video.

Today's program is hosted by Joe Pollard, Learning Technologist at SCC and features the Director of Learning Technology Jana Ulrich and fellow Learning Technologist Emily Nestor. Below are the show notes and links from the broadcast for you to use to experiment with the items related in today's podcast.

I apologize for the lateness of this posting. The process to broadcast this podcast as a video involved a couple of learning curves that took longer to clear than I had anticipated. All in all it has been an incredible learning experience and has reinforced my belief in project based learning as the best method of education. I also apologize for any latency in the video, while I have tried to edit this as much as possible, I have found that this is best fixed by imagining you are watching one of the old Kung-Fu movies where the words aren't supposed to match with the mouth movements.

---

Show notes and links:
Tips for this week


Participate in a poll from polleverywhere.com [Link]

(Instructions below poll graph):

Replace your audience response systems with Poll Everywhere

Text the NUMBER that relates to your answer on the above chart to 99503. For example, if your answer is "Use, use, use Elluminate", then you would text 15288 to 99503.

If you would rather, you can Click Here to vote from the web. OR you can visit poll4.com with your Blackberry or other smartphone and type your vote in the textbox you will see there. This chart will update as the vote comes in.

The free educational account will allow 32 votes per poll.

Windows Media Encoder:

Windows Media Encoder is a free Microsoft download
that allows you to capture video straight from your monitor.
It is an excellent tool for recording voice and step-by-step
instructions that can be viewed by your students in WebCT.
Media Encoder is fun and very simple to use. We will be
happy to install the software on your computer for you.
Here is a link to an instructional video that shows you just
how easy it is to use. Create your own video in no time at all!

http://http://www.stanly.edu/learning/learnobj.html

Screen-Cast-O-Matic:

Screen-Cast-O-Matic is an online screen capture tool that can be embedded in a WebCT class. It is browser based and requires no download and is free. Students can record and post videos as well as students and have them uploaded to a class "channel". Remember you can subscribe to this feel by clicking on the orange feed icon. This will notify you when new videos have been uploaded to this channel.



Click on the icon above to record a screen capture and upload it to my channel. Then view your video by going to my channel at http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/channels/cQVv6iwv.


Examples of Slideshare posts
Slideshare is a website that will host your powerpoint presentations for free, converting them to "flash" which makes them viewable through your browser as opposed to having to download the presentation and the viewer. Below are two examples of publically viewable presentations in Slideshare. The first is a simple PowerPoint upload, the second is a narrated PowerPoint.



.

No Bass-o-matics for us!

Click the linked title of this posting to hear the podcast.

The learning technologists at Stanly Community College in Albemarle, NC welcome you to this our first (of many??) weekly (??) podcasts produced as a result of our ongoing efforts to keep our faculty up-t0-date with available learning technologies.

Today's program is hosted by Jana Ulrich, director of learning technologies at SCC and features the learning technology team of Joe Pollard and Emily Nestor. Below are the show notes and links from the broadcast for you to use to experiment with the items related in today's podcast.

Music credit: Clip from Hapa Haole Hula Girl as performed by Alfred Apaka on his CD of Hawaiian Favorites.

---

Show notes and links:

What we're up to ...

• Meet Emily, our newest edition to our learning technology team at SCC. She's located in the Snyder Building right now, phone extension is 383. She will be spending time in both Eddins and Kelley each week until we can find her a permanent home in one of those buildings.
• Emily is currently working on learning Respondus, and is also responsible for most of the video uploading that occurs. Of course, she has been learning and working with the WebCT server as well.
  
• Joe has been working on helping BLET record lectures so students can review them prior to certification exams. He recommends recorded audio to all faculty. Wireless mics are available from learning techs at both campuses.
  OR
  Joe points out that an Axim is a good recording device, too
  AND
  You don't need to record your whole lecture. Summaries, wrap-ups, and "as you think of them" ideas make perfect audio uploads.
• Jana has been working on trying to keep the WebCT server from overloading (HELP!), and with Ollie Lambert's help, has circulated the Fall course evaluations to the deans and associate deans. She also talked about some EDU video work she is doing.

Our weekly tips:

• Joe's tip is Screencast-o-matic [link] which he has used to create some learning objects related to:
• embedding Instant Messaging into your WebCT class


• How to restore a class in WebCT
  
  We also have these linked in our learning resources areas [link > Learning Objects and WebCT Instructor FAQ]
  

• Emily's tip is Slideshare [link] which you can use to store narrated PowerPoint lessons. Once they are on Slideshare, they can be embedded your WebCT classes. It's much easier for the students, as they do not have to download the big PowerPoint files nor do they need PowerPoint installed on their computers.
  
  Emily has created a step-by-step tutorial on using Slideshare, which is linked from our learning objects library [link]
  
  
• Jana's tip is student use of YouTube [link]. Instead of tests or other assessments, why not have your students create a video to show you what they have learned? They will love uploading it to YouTube and then they can send you the link for grading.
  
  Jana has created a step-by-step tutorial on uploading to YouTube which is linked from our learning object library [link]. Additionally,the YouTube help [link] has lots of information about uploading video.

Thanks for listening. Leave us a comment below to let us know how you liked our first effort and ideas you may have for future endeavors.