Ms Professor B

As I'm taking an online class this summer, I was thinking about new ways to teach research. My students seem to have lost their natural curiosity about life around them, so it's been difficult to get them to find interesting subjects they'd want to research.

In the past I'd ask them to write down at least five questions that they'd always wanted answered or that they were curious about. These turned out some interesting questions, but some of them were just silly (e.g. "Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near," etc.) or unanswerable (e.g. "What is the meaning of life?"). I helped them analyze their questions and asked if it would be something they could research in the library. This helped a bit, but for some it curbed their enthusiasm.

During my class, we've been reading several interesting case studies such as information about where the refrigerator got its hum; when the horse was introduced to Native Americans and how they adapted them to their needs; and why 'Kindergarten' was invented. I thought that these would be interesting questions for students to research. They would be different than the typical topics like abortion, global warming, gun control, yada, yada, yada...

My plan is to create a list of questions such as these and have my students conduct in-class research. I'll have them first work in small groups searching for the information on the Web. They will find that the answers are difficult to find and that some sources have different information than others and they'll need to decide how to resolve it.

This is as far as I've thought about the logistics, but my hope is that it will spark some curiosity in them and they'll really want to find the answers so they'll struggle through the frustrating and interesting research process.

I'll keep you updated!
Ms. B.

I have compiled a list of resources (online and software) for Distance Educators. This is for the Wyoming Distance Education Consortium Conference, which was held in Casper this week. Thank you to Liz for her help in developing these resources.

Resources for Navigating the “Sharky” Waters:
Successful Surfing of the Learner-Centered Wave

Presentation by Keri Bjorklund and Liz Skrabacz Dzabic WyDEC 2009

Web Resources

www.universityreviewsonline.com/2005/10/100-most-inspiring-and-innovative-blogs-for-educators.html A review of the 100 best education sources on the Net.

http://teachingcollegemath.com/ A blog on teaching college math using current technology trends.

http://msprofessorb.blogspot.com/ A blog on teaching composition and literature—keeps track of current technology trends & discussion on instructional technology.

www.sightspeed.com A free video conferencing site by Logitech Inc. similar to Skype.

www.edutopia.org “The George Lucas Educational Foundation.” Free lesson plans and material—advertises for public education, but there is still some useful material here.

www.gabcast.com Free voice recording using toll free numbers. Great for students lacking high tech recording systems and needing to create sound files.

www.polleverywhere.com An answer to the expensive classroom clickers. Students respond to polls, discussion questions, etc. using texting, twittering, and other devices.

www.blogger.com A site to create your own educational blog. It can be an addition to lectures or additional resources or discussion for students…and it can be reused.

http://cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba/policies/Grdg.standards.html A site through California Polytechnic State University that explains what a grade means as a way to fight grade inflation.

Software

http://exelearning.org SCORM creation software.

www.techsmith.com (Jing & Screencast) Jing is a free screen capture software. Created by the makers of Camtasia, it is a stable option for when Camtasia is outside the budget. It does the same thing and a screencast membership comes free with Jing. Screencast is a way to easily store and share screen capture videos and images.

www.skype.com The free long distance phone service using the computer. This can be a way for students to contact their instructors without incurring long distance charges. Can also be used with video and conferencing software.

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Download (Freemind software) Mind mapping software: an option other than Power Point for presentations, and a useful study tool for students.
www.mindomo.com Mind mapping software that is completed online and is not software you download. Has direct online links and set up.

www.twitter.com A social networking site that can be useful to maintain contact with students and for them to communicate with each other while being monitored.

www.simpsonizeme.com Want to stay anonymous, but still want a picture of you on your site? This is a fun way to do it: create a cartoon character of yourself in the Simpsons’ style.

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/11-sites-to-create-cartoon-characters-of-yourself/ Don’t like the Simpsons, but like the idea of creating a cartoon version of you? Visit this blog for a list of free sites to do just that!

www.fix8.com Animating software using this software and a webcam. Be yourself or an alien!

www.visuword.com A visual word dictionary that not only defines words, but connects them to other words.

http://download.cnet.com/windows/ From CNET, this site provides a list of freeware that is useful for professional and personal lives.

http://www.reallusion.com/crazytalk/ $ Face puppet animation software. Turn any still photo into a moving, talking, interactive image

www.sitepal.com $ For a minimum fee, you can create moving, talking avatars—most useful for brief eye-catching announcements.

Insight Media $ Educational and training videos for the classroom: DVDs and other visual media for university and secondary classrooms.

Teaching is often a thankless job, and it's no exception in higher ed. All too often I hear about how people hate English and how they think taking an English class in college is a total waste of time. Often I hear how "boring" the reading is and how the tasks I've assigned are "too hard." Once in a while I hear good news...about how I'm a great teacher and how much they have learned from me. I'm sure I'm not alone, so for all of those teachers, instructors, and professors out there needing a pat on the back, I pass this link on so you can smile with me: From RYS.

Enjoy!
Ms. Professor B.

Will writing some day become obsolete? I have read articles arguing for the end to handwriting instruction and argued against this because handwriting helps brain development and well, we still write checks, to-do lists, and other items by hand, so handwriting is still needed--besides it another tool we should not abandon for the sake of technology! OK, so enough of my soap box.

Something else has challenged handwriting...and even typing: Your Brain on Twitter. Yes, this applies to twittering (If you haven't gotten on board yet, do it! I want to connect my students to me...well under a different account from my personal twitter...but that's a future blog.)

This NPR technology report aired on Friday. Adam Wilson created a brain cap out of an actual "swimming cap that has a series of electrodes" on it and it helps a person type with their brain. The intended audience is for people with certain disabilities, but could it be possible that soon all of us will be typing with a mere thought? Think about it: assign an essay and students think about what they want to say, not even having to verbalize it, and TA-DA! there's an essay in my inbox or whatever. I could probably grade it while reading it without having to type, speak, or drag and drop comments in the essay.

This is both scary and exciting.

Scary because eventually, we will be simply brains in a vat experiencing and learning everything from downloading it. Will that be living?? Yes, we'll know a lot, but for what purpose? Or will it provide more time for living? Could I learn a language on an international flight by downloading it in my brain and then interactive in person with the people? Will it mean that I'll have to have a computer chip in my brain, or can I get away from it? Will everyone be tracked by the government or companies? Will I forever be tethered to a computer, or will I be more free?

This is exciting as well because then perhaps people will not hate English so much and it will save us time! It's also exciting because currently this particular "brain cap" will lead to other technology that will enhance our lives, and perhaps I simply love it for the sake of loving technology. I don't know exactly, but I just know that I almost got in a car accident listening to this on NPR because I was so excited about it. I already want one. What I'd like to do is be typing this will also working on the paper I'm supposed to be writing. Perhaps this is the most exciting: technology such as this will improve multi-tasking!

So carry on Mr. Wilson and hopefully I can live to see the day when typing and writing are obsolete...although it's hard to imagine going through life without my favorite leather journal and mechanical pencil at my side at all times.