I'm fresh home from Pasadena where a group of 100 educators explored the potential of mobility in education. Our dialogue largely centered around why it is so important to change the way we facilitate learning in our institutions of higher education and offered hands-on opportunities for leveraging collaborative tools for learning.
In a workshop I convened, we pondered how the recent decision of Ning to eliminate free networks would affect educators' integration of social networking into learning. Ian Bogost shared a provocative and compelling presentation tracing the potential of videogames to create relevant, immersive learning opportunities. Steve Hargadon presented "Learning 2.0," a dynamic tour of the participatory learning environments that have revolutionized our society and reshaped the way our students are forming relationships. Regan Caruthers offered a glimpse into the many ways that open content can, but isn't, revolutionizing our students' learning, despite the enormous content that exists...for free. Our panel discussion was filled with passion and reflection.
All in all, the messages we collaboratively explored at the conference, and continue to through our Ning network, are centered around pedagogically shifts through mobile devices and web 2.0.
Then...just a moment ago, Diana Wakimoto forwarded this to me. Seems we truly do need to invite our students into this dialogue. Bravo, Mr. Dan Brown!
Thoughts?
Humanized online teaching and faculty support.
Showing posts with label mobled10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobled10. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
SonicPics for iPhone/Touch: Easy Narrated Slide Shows & FREE Today Only!
I'm pretty jazzed about the possibilities of SonicPics for learning! And this app is FREE today only (no joking!). If you have an iPhone or Touch check this one out!
If you are regularly use images in your teaching or have been looking for a simple way to engage students in the content-creation of narrated slideshows, this may be a turning point for you. As an art history instructor, I regularly used screencasting software (Profcast, Screenflow and Jing) to create .mp4 files of still images combined with narration. This app makes this process a cinch and extends the learning into mobile experiences.
I downloaded SonicPics about 15 minutes ago and created a simple slideshow narration on my iPhone and then "shared" it (through my wireless network) to my computer. The integration was amazingly simply. I was given a url to open on my computer and when I did, there was a thumbnail of my slideshow. I just had to download it and it was then on my harddrive in a matter of seconds. I also have the option to share it to YouTube from the app (which I was required to do in order to share it here -- apparently, Blogger no longer provides the option to upload videos from your hard drive..errrrr.)
Pretty nice for a production that took no more than a few minutes!
Now what I'm left with is a longing for 100% student access to the internet through a mobile device, which in this case would need to be an iPhone or Touch. I am feeling that we're going to see a significant increase in mobile learning for students who can afford to attend private colleges. This week Seton Hill, a private college in Pennsylvania, announced that they're providing free iPads to all new incoming students. This follows the lead of Abilene Christian University which provided free iPod Touches to students last year to explore the potential of mobile devices in college learning. This video shares an interview with a Kenneth Pybus, assistant professor of journalism and faculty adviser of the Optimist student newspaper at Abilene Christian University, explores the ways that mobile devices are changing the way students access information.
Smartphone penetration rates are increasing year over year across our nation and according to Julie Evans' of Project Tomorrow, this is the only technology statistic that is consistent across socio-economic boundaries. In other words, Americans with less money have shown that mobile access to the internet is just as much as a priority as more affluent Americans. We can't say this for any other technological statistic (internet access through a computer at home, for example). When you have a free hours, watch the archive of Julie's recent @One desktop seminar in which she discusses this topic.
The lesson here is that mobile devices are really providing some amazingly simple ways to create content, share and learn. Instructors creating content in this way will benefit through the simplicity of the tools. Engaging students in these activities promotes active learning and also connects curriculum to the real world.
When I teach "Prehistoric to Gothic Art History" surveys, I require my students to identify specific examples of architecture in their local area that reflect influence from ancient architecture (they're given a specific list of architectural elements to find). This "scavenger hunt" is always a favorite of students and it gets them out of their textbooks and the classroom to look at their surroundings in a new way and make connections between life thousands of years ago and our contemporary context. Now, with this app, I can see a way for students to snap pictures of these architectural elements and then record a slideshow of their findings and share it with the class and the world.
Wow.
If you are regularly use images in your teaching or have been looking for a simple way to engage students in the content-creation of narrated slideshows, this may be a turning point for you. As an art history instructor, I regularly used screencasting software (Profcast, Screenflow and Jing) to create .mp4 files of still images combined with narration. This app makes this process a cinch and extends the learning into mobile experiences.
I downloaded SonicPics about 15 minutes ago and created a simple slideshow narration on my iPhone and then "shared" it (through my wireless network) to my computer. The integration was amazingly simply. I was given a url to open on my computer and when I did, there was a thumbnail of my slideshow. I just had to download it and it was then on my harddrive in a matter of seconds. I also have the option to share it to YouTube from the app (which I was required to do in order to share it here -- apparently, Blogger no longer provides the option to upload videos from your hard drive..errrrr.)
Pretty nice for a production that took no more than a few minutes!
Now what I'm left with is a longing for 100% student access to the internet through a mobile device, which in this case would need to be an iPhone or Touch. I am feeling that we're going to see a significant increase in mobile learning for students who can afford to attend private colleges. This week Seton Hill, a private college in Pennsylvania, announced that they're providing free iPads to all new incoming students. This follows the lead of Abilene Christian University which provided free iPod Touches to students last year to explore the potential of mobile devices in college learning. This video shares an interview with a Kenneth Pybus, assistant professor of journalism and faculty adviser of the Optimist student newspaper at Abilene Christian University, explores the ways that mobile devices are changing the way students access information.
Smartphone penetration rates are increasing year over year across our nation and according to Julie Evans' of Project Tomorrow, this is the only technology statistic that is consistent across socio-economic boundaries. In other words, Americans with less money have shown that mobile access to the internet is just as much as a priority as more affluent Americans. We can't say this for any other technological statistic (internet access through a computer at home, for example). When you have a free hours, watch the archive of Julie's recent @One desktop seminar in which she discusses this topic.
The lesson here is that mobile devices are really providing some amazingly simple ways to create content, share and learn. Instructors creating content in this way will benefit through the simplicity of the tools. Engaging students in these activities promotes active learning and also connects curriculum to the real world.
When I teach "Prehistoric to Gothic Art History" surveys, I require my students to identify specific examples of architecture in their local area that reflect influence from ancient architecture (they're given a specific list of architectural elements to find). This "scavenger hunt" is always a favorite of students and it gets them out of their textbooks and the classroom to look at their surroundings in a new way and make connections between life thousands of years ago and our contemporary context. Now, with this app, I can see a way for students to snap pictures of these architectural elements and then record a slideshow of their findings and share it with the class and the world.
Wow.
Monday, March 22, 2010
MoblEd10: A Free CA Conference You Won't Want to Miss!
Last year, I blogged about my terrific experiences at MoblEd09 and this year's event is sure to provide many more opportunities for mind flexing!
Why should you attend MoblEd10 at Pasadena City College on April 19-20? Here are five great reasons!
- It's FREE!
- If you're a California community college instructor and one of the first 75 to register, you'll be rewarded with a FREE iPod Touch which you'll put to great use at the conference and in your classroom (right?)
- You'll be engaged in a thought provoking dialogue with industry and education leaders about how mobile technologies are transforming the way we work, learn and...well, do just about everything.
- You'll have a sumptious list of dynamic web 2.0 workshops to choose from, resulting in a toolkit of tangible tools (free to low cost) that you can implement the next day in your own teaching. Here are a few: Ning (led by yours truly), Twitter, Animoto, Skype, Google Earth, Jing and more!
- Did I mention it's in beautiful Pasadena, CA? The closest airport is Burbank, check out the great fares on Southwest!
MoblEd10 is made possible through generous funding from the New Media & Entertainment Initiative as a statewide hub activity, and a curriculum development grant in partnership with the Economic Workforce Development and the California Community College’s Chancellor’s Office.
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