All teachers, instructors, professors are talking about IT….that “it” being technology in the classroom; learning via social media; incorporating student-generated content into our syllabi; utilizing technology to further discussions into the online sphere; being technology literate and savvy and, of course, innovative. There are so many ways we feel pressure to teach to this new […]
There has been much talk recently about the new Google privacy policy. “Search data can reveal particularly sensitive information about you, including facts about your location, interests, age, sexual orientation, religion, health concerns, and more,” warns the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco and an advocate for online privacy. One of the […]
I must say that the best part of my job as an Academic Technology Specialist is when faculty drop by with new ideas or new technologies they find useful. I had a conversation this past week with Dr. Eric Anctil who was excited to show me the “OnLive Desktop” app for the iPad. Dr. Anctil […]
Alex Peake, founder of Primer Labs is doing it right. A colleague of mine mentioned Code Hero to me the other day and after a little googling I was hooked. Code Hero is a game that teaches you how to make games.. you learn by shooting actual Javascript in Unity, at objects to alter your […]
There has been much talk about digital literacy and the importance of preparing students to be digital citizens. Jason Ohler talks about the DAOW of literacy. “Digital, Art, Oral and Written literacies- the DAOW of literacy – are crucial for personal, academic and workplace success in the Digital Age.” So what is that […]
There has been much interest of late around sustainable practice and reducing the amount of trees that are sacrificed in the name of teaching and learning at UP. I teach ED 414, Children’s Literature this semester, a course that I absolutely love to teach. As Director of Academic Technology, I also need to find ways […]
There is nothing better than curling up next to the fire on a cold rainy winter day in Portland, and reading a great novel. I’ve just finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. It’s a grand epic novel grappling with all of the essential issues for humankind. Although I like to read novels to escape […]
In November, ATS purchased and equipped a portable IPAD2 lab for classroom use. We’ve used the lab on a couple of occasions to demonstrate IPADs for faculty. On Wednesday afternoon this week, I used the lab with my ED 414 Children’s Literature class. They will be creating digital booktalks and digital stories later in the […]
Well, who really needs more sadness? Still, while we marvel at the tech milestones and cool apps coming at us each day, it is probably worthwhile to take time to consider the other side of that shiny coin. Listen on your iPhone at your own cognitive peril: Mr Daisey and the Apple Factory – This […]
On Tuesday, Jan. 10th, Jason Ohler, Scott Christian and Sam Williams facilitated a workshop for the UP School of Nursing focusing on Online Learning and Teaching. Prior to the workshop, we built a moodle course with research articles and instructional media. Topics included: Instructional Design and Strategies to Achieve Student Learning Outcomes Online and Enhancing […]