Teaching in Higher Ed

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Let’s agree to agree and disagree

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Critical pedagogy and data

One of my least favorite sayings is, “Let’s agree to disagree.” What does that even mean? When I read those words in written form, the voice in my head says them dripping with sarcasm and without kindness.

Yet, a slightly-altered version of it was the first thing that came into my head as a potential title for this post, when I sat down to write today.

Sean Michael Morris’ thoughts on Critical Pedagogy in the Age of Learning Management resonated with me. So much so that we had a whole conversation around it on the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast…

Where Sean Michael Morris and I might part ways is in the complete lack of interest in student metrics. He writes:

I can safely say that I have no interest in student metrics. They tell me nothing.

… and I find myself wanting to agree to agree and disagree on this point.

First, a little context. I teach at a small, private, liberal arts university. My course load is 4/4, with an average of 30-35 students in each of my courses. That translates to well over 100 individuals per semester that I feel a big responsibility to serve in the best ways I know how.

There are those students who take me up on my offers to meet for coffee, or to go for walks at the beautiful Newport Beach Back Bay… These relationships represent what I consider to be the most important aspects of my teaching and of my sense of vocation.

jamie

Then, there are those students who do not initiate any form of relationship. Our connection could wind up consisting of the minimum common denominator of me learning their name and knowing one thing about them (where they’re from, what year in school they are, if they have served in the military, whether they work full time, or if they’re involved in some sort of extra curricular activity such as athletics or the choir). I’m ashamed to admit that there ever were those courses in which my association with some of the students never progressed beyond that point, but it has happened.

Sean ends his post by stressing the importance of helping students form relationships with him and with each other and that data does nothing to inform any of that. He then writes:

All the rest is up to them.

Here’s where we differ.

To me, those metrics and data do help me see where I may be able to be some small part in helping a student re-engage at a critical part of the semester. In the classroom, we can observe the behaviors of a person whose only presence is in physical form. Over time, we might learn how to better engage people and challenge ourselves to find ways to bring the learners back into the conversation.

Online, with 120 students, I don’t have the luxury of the in-person cues that I might otherwise rely on to improve my own teaching.

The data helps me see whether perhaps the video I posted just wasn’t that interesting, or whether I could have made the course navigation better to guide people through the introduction of the topic better. Over time, I can get better at finding ways to engage students in the dialog in the online portions of the course in the same, or different, ways I might in the classroom. I can expand my thinking about what it means to engage in an online environment, with the particular challenge of finding ways to help students connect with each other.

The data also helps me see where particular students may be struggling. If I can send a text message to a student who hasn’t logged in for a couple of weeks, it could potentially mean the difference between them passing or failing the course. I can try to catch a student for a few minutes after class, after noticing that she's failed the last few online quizzes, or not turned in the small assignments that were meant as scaffolding for an upcoming major assignment.

This doesn’t mean that our students aren’t ultimately responsible for their own learning in a course, but I’m sensitive to the fact that I teach many first generation students who may not have had the luxury of having mentors to teach them how to manage schedules and multiple priorities.

Transitioning from high school to college can be so difficult. If I allow the data to give me lenses to see what I may otherwise miss, I could be some small part in helping them build new habits and disciplines for their learning.

When I’m in a classroom with 30 students, I can usually assess in-the-moment how people may be experiencing the learning. I also know I have the capacity of being completely wrong in my perceptions…

When I’m going in-and-out of the online portions of my courses, I no longer seem to possess this same capacity. If an aspect of my course is poorly designed, I may not notice until the data brings the weakness to light. If someone is being left out of the learning process in some way, I don’t always notice, unless the data brings some aspect of that to my attention.

As I end this post, I realize that this may very well not be a case of disagreement, but more of a weakness on my part and a strength on Sean Michael Morris' part (see Jesse Stommel's tweet, embedded, below).

It also may be a cultural difference between where Sean has taught and where I currently teach.

When a student has failed one of my courses, there are questions that occasionally get asked like, “Did you talk to him/her about how they were doing in the class at some point? Did you ever reach out to check in with him/her?” While that never changed the outcome for the student, it did change me. I didn't ever want to have an answer in the future that indicated that I hadn't ever done anything to try to bring them back in to the learning community in some way.

Data has helped me be true to that promise in the past, though I know it isn't without its dangers.

Let's agree to agree and disagree

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Critical pedagogy and data

One of my least favorite sayings is, “Let’s agree to disagree.” What does that even mean? When I read those words in written form, the voice in my head says them dripping with sarcasm and without kindness.

Yet, a slightly-altered version of it was the first thing that came into my head as a potential title for this post, when I sat down to write today.

Sean Michael Morris’ thoughts on Critical Pedagogy in the Age of Learning Management resonated with me. So much so that we had a whole conversation around it on the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast…

Where Sean Michael Morris and I might part ways is in the complete lack of interest in student metrics. He writes:

I can safely say that I have no interest in student metrics. They tell me nothing.

… and I find myself wanting to agree to agree and disagree on this point.

First, a little context. I teach at a small, private, liberal arts university. My course load is 4/4, with an average of 30-35 students in each of my courses. That translates to well over 100 individuals per semester that I feel a big responsibility to serve in the best ways I know how.

There are those students who take me up on my offers to meet for coffee, or to go for walks at the beautiful Newport Beach Back Bay… These relationships represent what I consider to be the most important aspects of my teaching and of my sense of vocation.

jamie

Then, there are those students who do not initiate any form of relationship. Our connection could wind up consisting of the minimum common denominator of me learning their name and knowing one thing about them (where they’re from, what year in school they are, if they have served in the military, whether they work full time, or if they’re involved in some sort of extra curricular activity such as athletics or the choir). I’m ashamed to admit that there ever were those courses in which my association with some of the students never progressed beyond that point, but it has happened.

Sean ends his post by stressing the importance of helping students form relationships with him and with each other and that data does nothing to inform any of that. He then writes:

All the rest is up to them.

Here’s where we differ.

To me, those metrics and data do help me see where I may be able to be some small part in helping a student re-engage at a critical part of the semester. In the classroom, we can observe the behaviors of a person whose only presence is in physical form. Over time, we might learn how to better engage people and challenge ourselves to find ways to bring the learners back into the conversation.

Online, with 120 students, I don’t have the luxury of the in-person cues that I might otherwise rely on to improve my own teaching.

The data helps me see whether perhaps the video I posted just wasn’t that interesting, or whether I could have made the course navigation better to guide people through the introduction of the topic better. Over time, I can get better at finding ways to engage students in the dialog in the online portions of the course in the same, or different, ways I might in the classroom. I can expand my thinking about what it means to engage in an online environment, with the particular challenge of finding ways to help students connect with each other.

The data also helps me see where particular students may be struggling. If I can send a text message to a student who hasn’t logged in for a couple of weeks, it could potentially mean the difference between them passing or failing the course. I can try to catch a student for a few minutes after class, after noticing that she's failed the last few online quizzes, or not turned in the small assignments that were meant as scaffolding for an upcoming major assignment.

This doesn’t mean that our students aren’t ultimately responsible for their own learning in a course, but I’m sensitive to the fact that I teach many first generation students who may not have had the luxury of having mentors to teach them how to manage schedules and multiple priorities.

Transitioning from high school to college can be so difficult. If I allow the data to give me lenses to see what I may otherwise miss, I could be some small part in helping them build new habits and disciplines for their learning.

When I’m in a classroom with 30 students, I can usually assess in-the-moment how people may be experiencing the learning. I also know I have the capacity of being completely wrong in my perceptions…

When I’m going in-and-out of the online portions of my courses, I no longer seem to possess this same capacity. If an aspect of my course is poorly designed, I may not notice until the data brings the weakness to light. If someone is being left out of the learning process in some way, I don’t always notice, unless the data brings some aspect of that to my attention.

As I end this post, I realize that this may very well not be a case of disagreement, but more of a weakness on my part and a strength on Sean Michael Morris' part (see Jesse Stommel's tweet, embedded, below).

It also may be a cultural difference between where Sean has taught and where I currently teach.

When a student has failed one of my courses, there are questions that occasionally get asked like, “Did you talk to him/her about how they were doing in the class at some point? Did you ever reach out to check in with him/her?” While that never changed the outcome for the student, it did change me. I didn't ever want to have an answer in the future that indicated that I hadn't ever done anything to try to bring them back in to the learning community in some way.

Data has helped me be true to that promise in the past, though I know it isn't without its dangers.

Emerging tools

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As I have shared previously, I don't jump on every new tool when it first gets introduced.

Part of the reason is just a question of workload. There simply isn't time. I also don't want to confuse students by overdoing it with technology.

Finally, I want to be sure I allow enough time to properly reflect and strategize on how to best utilize a given tool. That's one of the reasons I find my someday/maybe list for technology tools so beneficial.

Still, I keep my PKM system flowing with emerging tools to consider integrating into my teaching when/if the timing is right.

The possibilities are endless, when you find the right tool for the right situation.

Consider that without collaborative technology, projects like this musical piece put on by musicians from all over the world wouldn't be imaginable, let alone feasible.

Snapchat

If you haven't heard of Snapchat before, here's a good introduction to start with… NPR describes how teachers are using Snapchat, while Jilll Walker Rettberg gives this fabulous look at how scholars can use Snapchat.

I'm tempted to dip my toe in the Snapchat world, a bit less from an educational perspective and more because so many marketers are using it to connect with consumers. These ten Snapchat brands are leveraging the platform in creative ways and I want to understand the ways to engage made possible through Snapchat.

Not as much has been written about Snapchat in higher ed, though articles like this complete guide to Snapchat for parents and teachers are applicable enough to our context to be of benefit.

The Wall Street Journal published the best article I've seen on using Snapchat in a personal/individual context.

Slack

I've written previously about using Slack in my teaching and have shared about it on the podcast. Zach Whalen also provided his notes on teaching with Slack.

A friend recently suggested that I should have a Slack channel for Teaching in Higher Ed and give people a way to engage more as a community together.

This would only make sense to me if there were enough members of the Teaching in Higher Ed community who were already up on Slack and looking for a way to chat more about teaching effectiveness and productivity.

slack

I wouldn't want to try to convince someone to get up and running on Slack just for this one purpose, but rather if a bunch of you were already using Slack for other things and would enjoy this additional means for communication on that platform.

If you would be interested in joining a Teaching in Higher Ed Slack channel, let me know either in the comments, below, or by getting in touch through a private message.

[reminder]What emerging tools are you experimenting with, or considering giving a try in the next few months?[reminder]

My 2015 someday/maybe technology list

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someday/maybe technology list

I've talked on the podcast many times before about my approach to exploring new technology that I hear about during the semester. When I discover an educational technology or productivity tool that seems like it might be a good fit for me, I attempt to resist the temptation to dive in right then.

Instead, I place the item on the technology section of my someday/maybe list.

David Allen prescribes the use of someday/maybe lists in his GTD (Getting Things Done) system, as follows:

Activating and maintaining your Someday/Maybe category unleashes the flow of your creative thinking – you have permission to imagine cool things to do without having to commit to doing anything about them yet. – David Allen in Getting Things Done

Someday/maybe technology list

Here's what's on my someday / maybe list under the technology section, to check out during our 2015 holiday break:

Doceri

  • Evaluate Doceri as a possible pencasting replacement, due to LiveScribe's reliance on a proprietary PDF format or app for playing pencasts

Backdraft

  • Check out Backdraft for pre-populating Tweets for a live presentation

Markdown Field Guide

Ulysses

  • Consider switching to Ulysses for podcast interview notes

Mac “Vacuuming” Mail Optimizer

Stanford's Online and Blended Courses

FileMaker Pro

Evaluate using FileMaker Pro for tracking Teaching in Higher Ed guest recommendations

IFTTT

Learn OmniFocus webinars and videos

Linky 5.0

  • Learn about Linky 5.0 and evaluate it's use for social media sharing (not quite sure what it does over BufferApp)

[reminder]What's on your someday/maybe technology list that you'll be checking out as the year ends? [/reminder]

Top 100 tools for 2015

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jane500Jane Hart has released her top 100 technology tools list for 2015.

I always find the list beneficial to help me explore tools that I may be missing to facilitate learning for students.

Jane Hart has done it, again, with contributions from more than 2,000 learning professionals and educators.

My List

Back in the summer, I blogged about my picks for the top 10 tools I use.

Your turn

[reminder]What are some of your top tools? Are there any tools in the list that you think you'll try out this year? [/reminder]

My vote for the top 10 tools for learning

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Jane Hart has invited our participation in the 2015 Top 100 Tools for Learning. If you want to have your say, you can submit your top list here.

top100

Top 10 Tools for Learning

Here are my thoughts on the ten most important tools in learning (not in any particular order):

Twitter

From time-to-time, I'll have friends threaten to stop using Facebook, as they just no longer see value in it. I don't hear those same threats from those who are using Twitter and have a strong personal learning network (#PLN) established for themselves. Twitter offers a constant stream of news and information that is most relevant to me (primarily on the professional front, with some personal in there, as well).

PollEverywhere

The PollEverywhere service provides an excellent way to both gather real-time input from students, as well as assess their understanding. I like how many ways there are for students to engage (tablet, phone, text/SMS).

Remind

This video has all the reasons why I love using Remind to keep in touch with my students.

GoAnimate

GoAnimate provides an easy way to build animated videos. You choose a background, add characters and other objects, and include text and/or audio. The video on Remind, above, was created using GoAnnimate4Schools.

Attendance2

This app does just what the title implies (takes attendance), but does a whole lot more. My favorite feature is the ability to call randomly on a student who is marked present for a given class session. Attendance2 helps me avoid calling on the same people, without realizing it.

Planbook

I like to ensure that each class session is somehow connected to my course learning outcomes. Planbook helps me organize all my handouts, PowerPoints, and links in one, central place. Plus, you can have it publish that information on a free site for your students to access, so they have information on what they may have missed, or for additional reinforcement of their learning in your classes.

Adobe Captivate

The two best products to use to create interactive, SCORM-compliant eLearning courses are Articulate's eLearning Suite and Adobe Captivate. The reason that Captivate has made my list and not Articulate is purely because Captivate is available on both the Mac and the PC.

SnagIt

Camtasia's SnagIt is also available on the Mac and PC and is the best screen shot tool I've ever used. I also spoke at the beginning of the Mac Power Users episode #240 about how I use SnagIt for screencasting feedback during the grading process.

LiveScribe Smart Pens

I've had a love/hate relationship with LiveScribe smart pens. On one hand, it is incredible that you can record what you're saying/hearing/writing and have it all be in sync with each other when you go to play it back. It's also a great method for creating what I refer to as micro-lectures. The biggest downside, though, has been that they've changed their playback methods so many times over the years. Currently, a user has to play them back by dragging a PDF to a website, to enable playback (or play it via an app, but that doesn't work as well for sharing). If only MP4 was offered as an alternative publishing method; I would be “sold” for good.

Overcast

The tool that contributes more to my learning than any other these days is Overcast, which is one of many podcast “catchers”/players. One thing I like about Overcast is the smart speed function, that skips over pauses in the recordings, but doesn't leave the speakers sounding like Alvin and the Chipmunks.

 

New tools page added

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I added a new page to the Teaching in Higher Ed site. My hope is that the tools page is constantly changing, as I have new productivity or educational technology tools that I add into the mix.

In the meantime, check out the newly-added tools page.

[reminder]What are some of the essential tools that you use in your teaching or personal productivity?[/reminder]

Testing out a new communication tool

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As anyone who has been listening to the podcast or reading this blog for a while knows, I'm a big fan of Remind for keeping in touch with students.

One of its strong points is that it is almost entirely a one-way communication channel from you to your students, with the exception of those students who have downloaded the Remind App and who respond with a thumbs up, or a question mark.

COMMUNICATION

I was so inspired by Bethany Usher in episode 27 to get my students doing some research and/or service learning projects.

I decided that my business ethics students are a good group to try something new out with this semester, since they are juniors and seniors and I know almost all of them from prior classes. However, having a good communication tool is paramount for something like this.

While we are still using Remind for messages that only need to come from me, we have decided to try out Slack.

What is Slack?

Slack is a cloud-based tool that is aspiring to take the place of email and keeps communication all in one place.

slack1It is somewhat like a chat board, but easily lets you attach files, include images, and categorize your talk around what they call channels. If you want to hear how a sandwich company uses Slack, you can check out their promotional video.

Our class now has the two channels that Slack sets up by default (#general and #random) and I also set up a channel for them to begin brainstorming their research and service learning projects.

Once a group determines what their project is going to be, I set up a channel for the group. That way, students only have to be engaged in conversations that are relevant to their work in the class, but I can check in to monitor their progress and make suggestions along the way.

Another powerful aspect of Slack is its ability to integrate with other services many of us use. I've already set it up with Dropbox and that's working seamlessly.

A couple of the students in the class are going to be planning our ethics competition event for the end of the semester. They will be using Slack for chats, but the project management piece will be taken care of by the online project planning site Asana, which fortunately integrates with Slack, too.

Besides my business ethics class, I also have my teaching assistant on both Slack and Asana. She says she likes how Slack organizes our messages by channel (as opposed to if we just texted to each other). I especially like how I can track when stuff gets done, through the Asana integration.

[reminder]Are you trying out any new communication tools this semester?[/reminder]

Find the right reference manager

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Anyone who has worked with a lengthy document knows how essential a reference manager can be in your research and writing process.

I decided a couple of years ago to begin requiring the use of a references manager in most of my upper division courses. This past year, I decided to include my introduction to business course in those same requirements, though there were plenty of times throughout the semester when I questioned whether or not the headaches were worth the payoff.

I'm going to describe three potential ways to get your students using some type of reference manager, or at least a tool to help them cite their sources more effectively.

The order I'll present the tools in will be from least to most robust, in terms of overall features.

Google Docs Research Tool

researchtool

The research tool from Google allows you to bring up a search bar on the right-hand side of your Google doc and then insert a footnote in various formats to reference the source.

I was unable to locate any way to do proper APA citations, after searching under each option on the tool and in consulting their help files on the Google research tool.

Pros

  • Many students use Google docs in their writing, and it is built right-in to the word processor
  • It is easy to use and gets students thinking about supporting their writing with research, since it is so present on the screen as they are working
  • There is also an image search built-in that allows for the search to be refined to only those images that can be used legally

Cons

  • There doesn't appear to be a way to cite in APA format within the main body text (only footnotes available)
  • No way of saving, tagging, or adding notes to research (seems to have been built under the assumption that the research phase and the writing phase will take place at the same time)
  • It is built in to Google docs, which is nowhere near as feature-rich of a Word Processor as Microsoft Word

Another related option

addinsAs I was digging around in Google docs for this post, I saw that there is a free EasyBib add-in that gives another way of creating a bibliography in a Google doc.

However, to do in-text citations and truly manage your sources, you need to pay for the service, which starts at around $4/month.

RefMe app

refme

While students certainly are big into using Google docs, they are even more into going mobile.

The RefMe app allows users to search for and save references in a variety of styles (the app states over 6,000 syltes are available to use).

Once you have searched for and saved a list of references, you can export it in the following ways on the mobile app:

The RefMe website allows for exporting to Microsoft Word and other formats beyond what the mobile app offers.

Pros

  • Built from the ground up to be mobile-friendly
  • App is intuitive and simple
  • Syncing between the app and the website is seamless
  • Build individual citations (including optional page numbers) and copy/paste into whatever Word Processor you are using

Cons

  • No ability to cite within text and then build a list of references off of what has been cited in a document
  • No tagging or adding notes to sources
  • Are over 6,000 citation styles really enough for the average user? (kidding…)

 Zotero

zoterodemo

Let me start by letting the cat out of the bag. Zotero is my tool of choice as a researcher. It is also, reluctantly, still the tool I require my students to use (from undergraduates up to doctoral students).

If you want a short demo that shows the power of what Zotero can do, check this one out I made a few years ago.

I found that the demo wasn't quite enough to get my students going, so I made this Zotero video series that walks you through how to get up and running.

Pros

  • Cite sources throughout a document and then press one button; it auto-creates a list of references from everything that was cited in the document
  • Once set up, easy to use and fast
  • Powerful organization, including tagging, notes and robust search
  • Simple to add citations while in the midst of research, with the press of one button on your browser
  • Group collaboration is powerful and easy, once Zotero gets set up and groups are formed using their website

Cons

  • No intuitive mobile app (there are some that developers have created, but they are cumbersome and not anywhere near as easy as RefMe)
  • The multiple steps it takes to get set up using Zotero allow room for mistakes to be made and/or for students to perceive that they won't be able to make it work
  • The variables involved in individual student's computer and application systems makes for quite a headache in terms of creating instructions for them to follow, as well as in troubleshooting any issues they have

Despite the cons listed above, over 95% of the time that students have trouble with Zotero, it is because they didn't follow the directions and not because of anything that is wrong with the tool, itself.

That being said, Zotero is not for the faint at heart and for those who aren't up for digging in to help when students experience difficulties with it.

I wish I could find a references manager that was as powerful as Zotero, but didn't require all the steps it takes to set up and also had a good mobile app.

Perhaps there's something out there, but I just haven't found it yet.

[reminder]What is your preferred references manager? What are its pros and cons?[/reminder]

Creating micro lectures for blended or online courses

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I recently wrote a post for the Mac Power Users about my top ed tech tools. In the comments, someone asked a question about how I create pencasts with my LiveScribe SmartPen. I thought I would broaden the question a bit and share about how I create micro lectures, with pencasts being just one of the ways that task can be accomplished.

pencastdrawingMicro lectures for blended or online courses

Whenever we move to an online environment, we must be aware that our learners' attention spans will be shorter. While in a classroom environment, we might think about having a 50 minute lecture (though the hope is that we are actually not ever lecturing for more than 7-10 minutes without some kind of test for understanding or engagement, even in the classroom).

Online, that same 50 minutes might be broken down to five micro lectures with some means of assessment or reinforcement in between.

When I create micro lectures, my goal is twofold:

  • Keep them short, ideally less than ten minutes
  • Make them visual, with some memorable diagram that the students will “see” in their minds when they go to take the exam

Pencasts

The term, pencast, denotes that audio can be heard (like a podcast), only you can also see accompanying sketches and notes that are in sync with the spoken audio. I encourage you to check out some of the examples on the LiveScribe website to get a flavor of how they work.

LiveScribe Smart Pens

I have owned every version of LiveScribe smart pen since they were first launched. I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with them.

pencastsample1Advantages

On one hand, it is incredibly convenient to record a pencast. You need the special notebook paper that is recognized by the smartpen and you need your smartpen. For the most advanced model of their smartpen, you also need to have an app running on your iphone/ipad to capture the audio (it uses the microphone on your phone, instead of having an internal microphone, like some of the earlier models).

I've regularly asked the students who earned an A in my courses what tools they found most helpful in their learning and pencasts come out on top every time.

I haven't ever come across a student in my ten years of teaching who has been taught about visual note-taking in school before, so it takes some time to get them thinking in this way. By watching the pencasts, I am effectively educating them both about the topic being taught, but also about how to take concepts and capture them visually.

Wesley Fryer, who blogs for a K-12 audience, has an extensive set of resources for visual note taking that are applicable to higher ed, too.

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage for LiveScribe pencasts has been that they have not been reliable in terms of playback/sharing methods.

Early on, they started by having playback occur via their proprietary system. It was not a reliable way for students to view them, because it was so highly dependent on what browser they used and what version of their browser they were on.

Then, they shifted to having the pencasts play from within Evernote. The same challenges persisted.

With their latest pen, they have PDF as the means for sharing pencasts, only the non-static part of the PDF can only be played/accessed either by using the website they have set up to play them for users, or via their mobile app.

It is hard to figure out why they haven't gone over to a more reliable sharing method, after all the time they have been at it.

Yet, I still keep buying smart pens, so they must be doing something right.

Other options

In answer to the commenter's question, I'm not sure if Notability has some of the same sharing limitations as LiveScribe, as I haven't had a lot of experience using it.

However, I have heard great things about the share-ability of the Explain Everything App.  Its output options include: save to camera roll (on your iPad), save to ouTube, and a bunch of other sharing options. Here's Stephanie Castle explaining how to use Explain Everything in the classroom.

If you want to stay away from hand-drawn micro lectures and want to use other options, Wesley Fryer has a host of tools to create micro lectures in other formats to explore.

 

 

A book, a mention and an update

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It has been quite a week.

now_you_see_itA Book

I finished reading Cathy Davidson's Now You See It: How Technology and Brain Science will Transform Schools and Businesses in the 21st Century.

I'm not sure whether I benefitted more from the discoveries she offered that will inform my teaching, or the knowledge I gained about the brain as it relates to my own life.

She writes:

What better gift could we give our children than to learn to enjoy as they grapple, to aspire higher when they stumble, to find satisfaction as the challenges become ever greater? As the adage goes, the person who loves to work never has to.

I hope that there will continue to be more emphasis placed in our educational systems on cultivating grit in our students and on helping them develop more self control.

Dr. Davidson also emphasized how much it matters what we pay attention to and how much we are capable of missing. She shared about this experiment in which viewers are asked to count how many times a basketball is passed between players wearing white shirts.

The instructions given by the researchers do not mention that there will also be a gorilla coming through the scene, a fact which the majority of people miss when participating in the research.

The gorilla example keeps coming back throughout the book, as Davidson weaves through how technology is impacting the attention of students in schools and the attention of individuals in the professional realm.

Now You See It is absolutely worth a read.

top 10 edtech toolsA Mention

My second item of note this past week was that I was mentioned by a couple of my favorite podcasters: The Mac Power Users (David Sparks and Katie Floyd). They aired an entire episode on Tech in Education and asked educators to weigh in with our favorites on Twitter.

I couldn't do the subject justice in 140 characters, so I wrote a page on my top ten tech tools for education that they mentioned on the show. It was exciting to get to be a small part of a show that has taught me so much over the past couple of years, since I started listening.

An Update

In the most recent episode of Teaching in Higher Ed, I told a story about the student who didn't ever want me to use his name in class again and was so full of anger. I wound up seeing him a couple of days ago and it was like encountering an entirely different person.

The anger was no longer apparent, being replaced by a nice smile and a warm greeting. I need to make sure that I remember times like this, so that I never forget how transformative the college years can be for our students.

 A Request

I'm excited about the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode that will be airing Thursday. Dr. Stephen Brookfield offers such great insight into how we can all get our students more engaged in discussions.

Would you consider recommending Teaching in Higher Ed to one of your colleagues or friends in higher ed, or writing a review on iTunes/Stitcher, so more people have a chance to discover the show? As the community continues to grow, it makes it more possible to bring on guests like the ones we have had on lately.

Thanks for being a part of Teaching in Higher Ed.

 

First impressions in the higher ed classroom

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Dave and I are in the process of evaluating preschools for our son, Luke. It has been hard for me to separate my feelings about the person in the role of salesperson from the realities about what it would be like for Luke to actually attend school at any of the places. I keep wanting to give the people giving us tours this book, which transformed my thinking about selling. The whole experience has reminded me of the enormous role that first impressions can play in how we perceive a person or environment.

first_impressions
A college professor makes a good, first impression, building a foundation of trust for the semester.

Shaping First Impressions in the College Classroom

First impressions in the higher ed classroom are crucial. There is even some indication that students' perceptions on the first day will be almost identical to how they will eventually assess the professor on the final course evaluation. Here are a few ideas for starting the semester strong:

Arrive early and set the tone

This recommendation is in every single first day prep article I've ever read. Yet, I'm still including it here, because it is so important. Think about what your students will see, hear, feel, and experience as they enter the environment they will be learning in for the semester. I tend to open up the blinds and let in as much natural light as possible.

Music is also an important start to every class session for me. If you don't believe that music can completely change the mood, this little girl might change your mind:

[The video may not play if you're viewing this on email, but you can view it by opening this post on Teaching in Higher Ed]

Start with a story, statistic, anecdote, or other means of inspiring students

I just received my first email from a student who is going to miss the entire first week of classes, since he will be out of the country. At least he didn't ask the dreaded question: “Am I going to miss anything?” While I could write plenty of blog posts about my frustration about students who choose to miss this crucial time in building a learning community, I also submit to you that some of this is our fault. Any of us who have handed out the syllabus on the first day of class and proceeded to review the assignment requirements and course schedule contribute to students who think they can get everything they need by reading the syllabus on their own. When we have the students introduce themselves and share their majors in a predictable fashion, we forget how repetitive this gets and just how anxious it makes some students feel. There are alternate ways to begin to build students' confidence to engage, without having them do the same thing they're being asked to do in their other classes.

I asked Dave about his memories of classes where he had a great first impression and he shared this anecdote from an experience he had with an incredible teacher. He shared a story about his high school chemistry teacher. The first class focused on the theme that we don't always understand the things around us. Dave doesn't remember the details of the lesson, but he sure remembers how the teacher ended.

A candle was on a table in the center of the classroom. The students hadn't thought much about it, but a candle or light analogy had come up in one or two of the stories, so it didn't seem misplaced. In the few minutes remaining in the class session, the teacher picked the candle up off the table and proceeded to put it in his mouth. He then chewed, swallowed, and said:

Just remember, things aren't always what they seem.

Dave remembers looking at his fellow students in surprise and exclaiming, “This is going to be a great class.” It turned out to be Dave's favorite class in high school, one that lived up to its initial promise. Given my clumsiness, I think it is best if I refrain from any activity that involves having a lit flame in class. However, we can all think about a powerful story, statistic or anecdote that will capture the imagination of our students and getting them excited for the learning that is to come…

Set a culture for self-directed learning and personal responsibility

My classes almost all use a blended learning approach. This format only works well if students understand that they are accountable for more than just what happens in the classroom, but that we need to build a community of learning that will extend to our engagement online. One EdTech tool that really helps build the bridge between online and in-person is Remind (formerly named Remind101). This semester, my introduction to business classes will be expected to complete the online portion of our class before 1:00 pm on Fridays each week. I'll be able to preschedule a message that goes out to them on Friday mornings, reminding them of the deadline and perhaps even using a bit of humor, since Remind now supports sending images, along with the text reminders.

Now if only we could get more of our students to read this article and consider ways they might make a good impression with their professors.

What did I leave out about making a good first impression in the college classroom? What else have you seen make a difference in starting off well in the semester? What powerful memory still remains for you, for what made a good start to one of the college classes you took?

A student asking for advice about earning a master's degree provides the perfect excuse to test out Storify

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A student posted the following question on Facebook asking a question about the type of master's degree she should pursue:
questionrema
I decided to inquire with some of my doctoral students over on Twitter. They gave her some good advice, but it was going to be difficult to share the full picture with her, since she isn't on Twitter. Even if she was a regular Twitter user, it can sometimes be cumbersome to follow conversations over there, if you are new to the way that Twitter virtual dialog occurs.
I instantly thought that this was a perfect application of a website I had heard of, but hadn't tried: Storify.

[Read more…] about A student asking for advice about earning a master's degree provides the perfect excuse to test out Storify

A student asking for advice about earning a master’s degree provides the perfect excuse to test out Storify

By | | Leave a Comment | TwitterFacebookLinkedInEmail

A student posted the following question on Facebook asking a question about the type of master's degree she should pursue:
questionrema
I decided to inquire with some of my doctoral students over on Twitter. They gave her some good advice, but it was going to be difficult to share the full picture with her, since she isn't on Twitter. Even if she was a regular Twitter user, it can sometimes be cumbersome to follow conversations over there, if you are new to the way that Twitter virtual dialog occurs.
I instantly thought that this was a perfect application of a website I had heard of, but hadn't tried: Storify.

[Read more…] about A student asking for advice about earning a master's degree provides the perfect excuse to test out Storify

How to leverage the bookmarks you've saved

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I've been teaching the practice of Personal Knowledge Management to my doctoral students this term. One thing I didn't anticipate was just how challenging it would be for some of them to select tools to use in the process. I didn't want to dictate that they had to use particular apps, but I'm thinking that I need to create an “essentials” or “basics” set to provide for those on the lower end of the digital literacy spectrum.

computeroutside

 

[Read more…] about How to leverage the bookmarks you've saved

How to leverage the bookmarks you’ve saved

By | | 4 Comments | TwitterFacebookLinkedInEmail

I've been teaching the practice of Personal Knowledge Management to my doctoral students this term. One thing I didn't anticipate was just how challenging it would be for some of them to select tools to use in the process. I didn't want to dictate that they had to use particular apps, but I'm thinking that I need to create an “essentials” or “basics” set to provide for those on the lower end of the digital literacy spectrum.

computeroutside

 

[Read more…] about How to leverage the bookmarks you've saved

Remind101: An essential edtech tool

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remind101When I first heard about the text-messaging service for educators, Remind101, I had many reservations. My concerns have all been eradicated and Remind101 has become integral in my educational technologies toolbox. This post addresses how Remind101 meets my needs and about a recent update that will no-doubt make the service even more beneficial.

[Read more…] about Remind101: An essential edtech tool

Top 100 tools for learning announced

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top100Jane Hart has released her annual survey of the top 100 tools for learning for 2013. Some of the top tools aren't much of a surprise. Between Google announcing it was no longer going to offer their Google reader product (which allowed people to subscribe to different blogs/feeds in one place) and more people wanting to avoid having a bunch more things to keep up with, it isn't surprising that Twitter is once again on top of the list. I've stayed with my newsreader service, called Newsify, though I now subscribe to RSS feeds via a free, online tool called Feedly (#19 on the list).

It isn't surprising to see Evernote so high on the list. They just keep on innovating, making it easier to store and share important information. One of the ways I've been using Evernote lately is to answer students' questions that require a more lengthy response in audio format, from within Evernote. I also have really enjoyed the tight integration that Evernote has with an iPhone app called Drafts, which completely does a 180 on how you think about capturing a thought or a note. With most apps (including email), you start with where to save whatever it is you're typing, or who to send that email or text message to… With Drafts, you start by capturing the thought/idea, and then decide what to do with it.

One of the simple ways I'm using Drafts is to compose and send an email, when I don't want to be distracted by other emails that might have come in to my inbox since I was last on email. It also offers a quick way of sending a text message (far faster than the built-in iPhone messaging app), as well as a speedy way of appending or prepending some text to an existing Evernote note.

Check out the top 100 list from Jane Hart and tell us which ones are your favorites in the comments.