What's the "technology culture" in your department

I've learned in my time at UGA that every department has a "technology culture." Most departments have their fair share of innovators, early adopters, and laggards, but there are some that have more than their share in one of these categories. Those often set the tone for others in the department to follow. In the case of the departments with more innovators, those who tend to be laggards are more likely to try new things anyway. On the other hand, departments with more laggards can be frustrating places to be for those who like to try new things. What is the culture in your department? How has it affected you and the way you think about teaching with technology in your discipline?

Can't make the conference? Follow the tweets!

This week in DC, many of my colleagues will be gathering at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting. The theme this year is "Educating in the Open: Philosophies, Innovations, and Stories." Although I am unable to attend, I hope to learn a lot during the meeting via the #ELI2011 Twitter stream. Following tweets from a conference is a great way to get involved and get ideas, even if you are not physically there. What conferences are coming up in your field? Visit the conference Web site to see if there is a designated hashtag, and prepare to follow it!

The Joy of Goals

I was delighted this week to work with two faculty members in the vet school who are revising the curriculum for their program. I was showing them the learning modules and assessment tools, and they asked about linking their content to learning objectives. Blackboard Vista (eLC) has a terrific tool called "Goals" that is perfect for them. Using this tool, you can link from almost any content or activity to the appropriate goal or goals. Students can then see the content and activities that help them accomplish each of the goals listed. It's great for designers, too. When adding an activity, if it does not align with any of the listed goals, it becomes obvious that something is amiss. Either she has an unwritten goal in mind, or the activity is not appropriate for the course. 

The joy of archived reflection

I confess to you, my students and friends, that I only blog when I have to. Yes, it's true. I am a fair microblogger and love Twitter...but for work. I don't do much tweeting as @sherryclouser, but check out @ugactl, and you'll find something new most days.

Like many of you, I consider this blogging exercise for EDHI 9040 a "have to." It's a good "have to" though, because as I look back at the archive of this blog, I am pleasantly surprised by some of my posts. There are some good resources there, some good ideas, and a shopping metaphor that I think holds up two years later. I hope when our blogging is done for the term, you will find some joy in your archive as well!

A Quote for Spring Break

The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner.
- Elbert Hubbard

This is particularly relevant to me this week, as I am participating in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons conference at Georgia Southern. If you haven't heard of SoTL, there are a few sites you might be interested in browsing.

SoTL at UBC: http://tag.ubc.ca/isotl/
SoTL at Illinois State University: http://www.sotl.ilstu.edu/
SoTL at Vanderbilt University: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/reflecting/sotl.htm
SoTL at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse: http://www.uwlax.edu/sotl/

The Twitter Experiment

Monica Rankin, History Professor at UT Dallas, was looking for a way to better engage students in a large survey course. She developed a technique that included using Twitter once per weekduring class. Watch and read for the details of this innovative teaching method.

Is this something that you would consider doing? What do you see as the risks and rewards?

Midterm is upon us...

According to the UGA Academic Calendar, midterm is March 2. Does “midterm” mean anything in your classroom? For me, it is the perfect time to do a little reflection on how the course is going so far and whether there are things I can do to improve the learning experience for me and for my students. Besides looking back myself, I like to do a brief online survey of students for their take on the class so far. It’s usually nothing fancy, just a few simple questions – what’s working, what’s not, and what could make it better? I like technology for this purpose, and use a web-based survey tool, but some instructors have a colleague come into the class to do a facilitated activity with their students and then report back with the results. Regardless of the delivery strategy, it is important to talk about the results with the students, including what changes can be made and what can’t be changed.

What do you think of incorporating a midterm evaluation in your own courses?



BTW, survey coming soon to EDHI9040...