Three Techie's in Cyberspace

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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.

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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]

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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

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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

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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

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Downloading and Using Openoffice Tutorial

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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

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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.

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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.

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