Thomson+Workshop

Thomson Workshop October 6, 2006 Las Vegas 90 minutes


 * Title: Keeping up with the Jetsons**
 * Abstract**: In a culture were we learn about new technologies weekly, even daily, it can be overwhelming for instructors to try and keep up with the newest technologies and how those technologies might be implemented in the classroom. During this workshop we will explore the major issues facing faculty in the adoption of new technologies as well as students in the classes these technologies are incorporated into. While exploring these issues we will also demo a variety of “newer” technologies, including: blogs, social bookmarking, wikis, social networking, and live meeting software.


 * 60ish minutes prior**: set up and test wireless network, set up and test hardwire network, double projection, live meeting signed in with Susan, wireless mic,

· Hardline internet connection into the room (router and wireless router) · Wireless access in the room · Clicker system (and software) · Two projection systems · Two screens to project on
 * Equipment:**

· Instructions how to log on to wireless · Instruction how to log on to live meeting · PP notes pages · Technology Cards (one for each technology introduced) · (annotated?) List of education, technology & ed tech RSS feeds · (Annotated) Bibliography of sources referred to
 * Materials for Participants:**

· Name of Technology · List of Names/Sites · Suggestions of how might use in o Classroom o Faculty Life o Student Life
 * Technology Cards:**


 * PowerPoint Slides** (w/timeline, right now scheduled five minutes too long):
 * 1) (5 min) title page w/our names—brief introductions and instructions for accessing the online meeting environment
 * 2) (10 min) List “Old” Technologies (audio media, visual media, email, webpages, PPs, DBs, CMSs)—have the list of the “old” technologies pop-up one by one and have room do quick surveys with clickers asking: who knows/has heard of this technology? Who knows of someone in their program using this technology? Share quotes from TechRhet about students only using email to contact professors and how film advertisements now refer to MySpace pages (instead of webpages) and new econ course constructed solely as a video game.
 * 3) (10 min) What were some of the issues that faculty had when learning about and trying to use these technologies when they were new? (have people list in online environment and Shelley add verbal additions) Add our list of three issues (access to new technologies, knowing what to do with new technologies, knowing how to assess the effectiveness of new technologies) and try to slide most of them into the three categories.
 * 4) (10 min)  How to Access to New Technologies? Learning about Them—heard of/use RSS Aggregators survey w/clickers—demo NewsGator as an RSS aggregator allowing to read various blogs and news outputs, show accounts Shelley is subscribed to about education, technology, and education technology). Basically remind that faculty need to be given tools, time, and support to explore options…both hear/read about, go to workshops, and just time to play with them w/o short term outcomes.
 * 5) (10 min) What to do with New Technologies?— heard of/use wikis survey w/clickers—demo a wiki and show Writely as a social bookmarking. Emphasize social construction element of wikis to have people share their resources. Need ways of easily sharing, making public, activities (both live and virtual share sessions, can even use wikis live to document the meeting/workshop)
 * 6) (10 min) How to assess whether the Technology is Effective?—use online survey tools in the live meeting environment (also refer back to clickers) with simple CATs (refer to book). Remind that this is a form of Scholarship (SoTL) and refer to //Scholarship Assessed// for traditional steps to assess.
 * 7) Share image of “getting started” technology survey
 * 8) Share image of mid/end-of-semester technology survey
 * 9) Transition slide…So, you’ve got some of the issues with faculty, what about the students?
 * 10) (10 min) What were some of the issues that students when an instructor incorporates a new technology into the classroom? (have people list in online environment and Shelley add verbal additions) Add our list of three issues (know what they are signing up for, motivated to use, learn how to use) and try to slide most of them into the three categories.
 * 11) (10 min) How to inform students in advance that they are signed up for a technology intensive course?—heard of/use social networking sites (3rd survey, actually visited and read your RateMyProfessor ratings?) survey w/clickers—Show elements of MySpace using an account Shelley’s created for new technologies (blog, announcements, messages, the new “updating” feature at Facebook that is causing uproar, etc.). Describe how Tony Ballard uses out of the Multicultural Student Services Office. Show RateMyProfessor. Basically not ignore, stay aware, maybe even play with and embrace them.
 * 12) (10 min) How to motivate students so they are excited about using the technology?— heard of/use Pageflakes/Portal and Social Bookmarking surveys w/clickers—demo Pageflakes as a “fun” place to explore and to pull together notes, feeds, links, etc. of new technologies that someone is playing with. If make public can share with others. Emphasize “fun” “new” and “different.” Demo Furl as something that is instantly useful for other classes as well as personal and professional. Emphasize the “social” element of sharing and linking to similar resources. However, emphasize ability to annotate. Emphasize play for both excitement and learning how to use the technology (transition)
 * 13) (10 min) How to support students learning new technologies?—heard of/use blogging survey w/clickers—show WordPress (uni/edublogs), get students reflecting on their own excitement/fears and share, dialogue with one another. As instructor share how/why using it in the classroom? Goals for use in the classroom? Your own reflections on how learned and what still learning/struggling with it? Can post updates to one another, if class blog post questions and other might answer first.
 * 14) ReCap slide w/both the Faculty & Student issues listed
 * 15) Thanks (please take the workshop assessment)