Due to illness, we have canceled the workshops on Google Docs previously schedule for Tuesday, September 28th.
We apologize for the inconvenience; we will work to reschedule the workshop as soon as possible.
Clickers and Peer Instruction (ELI Web Seminar)
September 23, 2009 By
Malcolm Brown, director of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, moderates this web seminar with Douglas Duncan, as he shares his strategies and proven experiences in effectively using clickers in the classroom. Duncan has been using clickers at the University of Colorado, where over 17,000 clickers are in use. He’ll share data gathered during the past few years that have yielded a number of effective pedagogical strategies in their implementation and deployment. Strategies that led to successful use, and mistakes that led to failure, have been found to be very repeatable; these will be discussed. Results from a PhD thesis in sociology examining how the culture of a classroom changes when the instruction becomes more interactive, and student opinions about this, will be highlighted.
Members of the UMW community can register at http://bit.ly/2nZjHa.
Ubuntu Update!
September 22, 2009 By
Last week theYeahNo added a post to sfss about the amazing Ubuntu. I thought I’d let you all know that if you don’t want to take the time to download Ubuntu on your computer, say you want to take this baby for a test drive, you can come down to the third floor of Dupont and pick yourself up a copy. If you like it, keep it on your machine, but if not, that’s okay too! So I have lots of copies, check it out.
Fall 2009 Technology Showcase
September 21, 2009 By 1 Comment
The staff of DTLT is pleased to announce our Fall 2009 Technology Showcase series (co-sponsored by the UMW Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning). The series will run for two weeks, with five different technologies showcased on days over the duration of the series. The workshops will provide introductions to the tools being used but will also delve more deeply into the technologies, pushing beyond the basics.
Please note that all workshops are scheduled for 90 minutes, but workshop leaders will be available for up to an hour afterward for additional help and consultation.
You can register for any of the workshops at http://bit.ly/dGGVB.
The schedule for the showcase is as follows:
9/29/09 – Getting started with Google Docs – Martha Burtis
9:00 – 10:30 – Jepson 108, 2:00 – 3:30 CGPS North 124
In this workshop, Martha Burtis will introduce you to the basics of Google Docs and get you started with authoring and collaborating on files. Participants will also learn about publishing options, setting up dynamic forms to collect data, presenting directly from within the Google Docs environment, and the basics of using Google Spreadsheets to create data mash-ups and visualizations.
9/30/09 – Digital Storytelling with Voicethread – Lisa Ames
9:00 – 10:30 – Jepson 108, 2:00 – 3:30 CGPS North 124
Join Lisa Ames and explore digital story telling with VoiceThread, a collaborative multimedia slide show that allows students to contribute to the discussion in a multitude of ways – commenting via voice or text, smart-doodling while commenting and linking related audio and video files. VoiceThreads can also be embedded on other websites and exported to as MP3 for mobility.
10/1/09 – UMW Blogs – Jim Groom
9:00 – 10:30 – Jepson 108, 2:00 – 3:30 CGPS North 124
Jim Groom will provide an in-depth look at how to design course spaces, personal sites, and web pages with UMW Blogs. This course will also provide an overview of themes and plugins, and the possibilities for framing a more powerful Personal learning Environment using UMW Blogs.
10/6/09 – Zotero – Patrick Murray-John
9:00 – 10:30 – Jepson 108, 2:00 – 3:30 CGPS North 124
In this showcase event, Patrick Murray-John will introduce Zotero, a free tool for creating and sharing citations and other research materials and generating bibliographies. He will lead a discussion about how it can be used for a variety of both traditional and innovative teaching and research practices.
10/8/09 – Digital Imaging – Andy Rush
9:00 – 10:30 – duPont 310, 2:00 – 3:30 CGPS North 124
Making your images look good on a web page is a bit of an art, but with cool new tools, it’s easier than ever. In this workshop, Andy Rush will show you some simple ways to organize, edit, and publish your images to UMW Blogs. He’ll also demonstrate some handy (and free) programs and web services that will allow you to post your images with just a few clicks.
Linux for Human Beings
September 17, 2009 By
What do you have on your computer? Check it out, we’ll wait.
…
If our stats are correct, odds are good that it’s Windows. Maybe Windows XP, but probably Windows Vista. Maybe you’re getting ready to upgrade to this “Windows 7″ that Microsoft is hyping recently. Want to save your money? Get Ubuntu instead.
Whoa. Whoa. Wait.
WTF is Ubuntu? Ubuntu is a distribution (basically a version) of an operating system called Linux (sometimes GNU/Linux). Ubuntu is built completely open source by people who love what they do and distributed absolutely free (free as in beer and free as in speech ).
You don’t need to be a geek to use Linux. Ubuntu is easy to install, and just about everything you need is a few clicks away. It comes with Firefox and a complete office suite and everything else you need to get up and running right away. It’s not a virus-magnet like Windows (remember how you had to install antivirus software to get onto the network?) because it is stable, reliable and secure. The support community is huge because it’s open source, and the people who know it really know it. Ubuntu and most (if not all) of the software bundled with it is released under the GNU General Public License.
Check out Ubuntu here. Talk to someone about it. Above all, be free.
-A
Do the Doodle
September 14, 2009 By
Have you ever tried setting up a meeting with a lot of people via e-mail? If you have you probably know the confusion that can occur as people reply, reply-all, change their minds and never respond. Or maybe you already have a day picked out but your group can’t decide where to eat or what movie to see. Is there a web 2.0 solution for your problem? Why yes, yes there is.
Let me introduce you to a lovely site called Doodle.
So how does Doodle work? Let me quote directly from the site
1) Create a poll
2) Forward the link to the poll to the participants.
3) Follow online what the participants vote for.
I used Doodle to help set up a meeting for those students interested in writing for this site (and if you are let me know!) and with a few clicks I was able to give them many time and day options. A nice feature of Doodle is that it will show you how many votes there are for each day/time combo. It may seem simple but this can give you a visual view of what day/time may be better and if you have more than one option for your get together. Another idea is creating a list of things you need people to bring to a party and have people sign up for what you need.
Give it a try and you will find that is much easier than the back and forth of e-mails and allows for many more nuances than simple e-mailing can’t get at. So throw a party, have doodle help you set it all up and don’t forget to invite your favorite starving students.
cc licensed flickr photo shared by Joe Shlabotnik
IObit SystemCare
September 13, 2009 By
I’m one of those people who looks online continuously for computer programs that will help my computer become more lean. Be it defragging, antispyware, firewall, or antivirus software, I’m always looking for the greener pasture, and although this robs me of work time every now and then, it does mean my computer doesn’t have any viruses. When I think of computer programs that have improved my productivity, I sometimes actually think of an entire company–IOBit.
IOBit has three major products: Advanced SystemCare, Smart Defrag, and Security 360, which just left beta testing recently. These three programs will clean your registry, delete spyware, optimize settings, defrag, and protect your system from threats that one can easily pick up while downloading the latest Jessica Biel screensavers. While there are paid versions offered, the free versions work pretty much the same except with a few gimped settings, including their periodic scans being locked.
As said earlier, Security 360 is the latest addition to their arsenal and acts much like other anti-malware products do (except better). Being as the main selling point of these programs is how easy they are to use (and they really are), it only takes one click to scan your system for spyware, and another to protect your computer from malware actively, much like Spybot Search and Destroy uses the its “immunize” function. It also includes a scan for security holes and a privacy sweeper.
There really isn’t anything like trying these programs out for yourself though, and if it makes you feel any better, they are clean and easy to uninstall, too.
Digital Whitman
September 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment
This fall, students in Mara Scanlon and Brady Earnhart’s Digital Whitman class are collaborating with students at three other universities to explore the life and work of Walt Whitman. Students at each school will be investigating a different aspect of Whitman’s life, with the UMW class focusing on Whitman’s time in the South during the Civil War. Students at New York City College of Technology (CUNY) and NYU will focus their investigation on Whitman’s relationship with the city of New York. Meanwhile, at Rutgers University, students will be explore the poet’s late career, when he spent his final decades in Camden, New Jersey.
The entire cohort will build a digital presence for their work, sharing their discoveries and collaborating on projects. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the project will result in a persistent online repository of primary source materials from particular locations that Whitman inhabited.
UMW Class Website: http://marywash.lookingforwhitman.org/
Looking for Whitman Site: http://lookingforwhitman.org
Photo by bobster855 on Flickr
Digitally Literate Storytellers (EDUCAUSE Live! Event)
September 10, 2009 By
For the student researcher, digital literacy is about navigation, assessment, citation, and incorporation of credible digital information from ever-expanding resources. But digital literacy extends beyond intelligent consumption to encompass production and storytelling—skills that are emerging as essential to teaching, learning, and scholarship. This seminar will examine the importance of storytelling and related skills in teaching and learning.
The event is free, but registration is required and virtual seating is limited.
Special Guest: Joan Getman, Senior Strategist for Learning Technologies, Cornell University
Event Details: http://net.educause.edu/live0917
Register at http://net.educause.edu/RegisterNow/1023575
Technology Showcase: Digital Imaging
September 7, 2009 By
Making your images look good on a web page is a bit of an art, but with cool new tools, it's easier than ever. In our Digital Imaging workshop, we'll show you some simple ways to organize, edit, and publish your images to UMW Blogs. We'll also demonstrate some handy (and free) programs and web services that will allow you to post your images with just a few clicks.
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
Technology Showcase: Digital Imaging
September 7, 2009 By
Making your images look good on a web page is a bit of an art, but with cool new tools, it's easier than ever. In our Digital Imaging workshop, we'll show you some simple ways to organize, edit, and publish your images to UMW Blogs. We'll also demonstrate some handy (and free) programs and web services that will allow you to post your images with just a few clicks.
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
Technology Showcase: Zotero
September 7, 2009 By
In this showcase event, Patrick Murray-John will introduce Zotero, and lead a discussion about how it can be used for a variety of both traditional and innovative teaching and research practices.
We will do some hand-on work, so bringing your laptop is highly encouraged.
Who should attend:
The event is, of course, open to all, with any level of experience with Zotero. But it will be of particular interest to anyone doing research or teaching research methodologies. New faculty at UMW might be particularly interested, since we will also look at some uses of Zotero to help organize common paperwork-organizing tasks, such as managing your Faculty Annual Activity Report and planning reading lists for classes.
Learn more at:
http://zotero.org
http://zotero.umwblogs.org
http://www.umw.edu/library/zotero
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB. Space is limited to 30 participants.
Technology Showcase: Zotero
September 7, 2009 By
In this showcase event, Patrick Murray-John will introduce Zotero, and lead a discussion about how it can be used for a variety of both traditional and innovative teaching and research practices.
We will do some hand-on work, so bringing your laptop is highly encouraged.
Who should attend:
The event is, of course, open to all, with any level of experience with Zotero. But it will be of particular interest to anyone doing research or teaching research methodologies. New faculty at UMW might be particularly interested, since we will also look at some uses of Zotero to help organize common paperwork-organizing tasks, such as managing your Faculty Annual Activity Report and planning reading lists for classes.
Learn more at:
http://zotero.org
http://zotero.umwblogs.org
http://www.umw.edu/library/zotero
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB . Space is limited to 20 participants.
Technology Showcase: UMW Blogs
September 7, 2009 By
Details Forthcoming.
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
Technology Showcase: UMW Blogs
September 7, 2009 By
An in-depth look at how to design course spaces, personal sites, and web pages with UMW Blogs. This course will also provide an overview of themes and plugins, and the possibilities for framing a more powerful Personal learning Environment using UMW Blogs.
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
Technology Showcase: Digital Storytelling with Voicethread
September 7, 2009 By
Explore digital story telling with VoiceThread, a collaborative multimedia slide show that allows students to contribute to the discussion in a multitude of ways – commenting via voice or text, smart-doodling while commenting and linking related audio and video files. VoiceThreads can also be embedded on other websites and exported to as MP3 for mobility.
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
Technology Showcase: Digital Storytelling with Voicethread
September 7, 2009 By
Explore digital story telling with VoiceThread, a collaborative multimedia slide show that allows students to contribute to the discussion in a multitude of ways – commenting via voice or text, smart-doodling while commenting and linking related audio and video files. VoiceThreads can also be embedded on other websites and exported to as MP3 for mobility.
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
CANCELED: Technology Showcase: Google Docs
September 7, 2009 By
ATTENTION: DUE TO ILLNESS, THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELED. WE WILL WORK ON RESCHEDULING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
Learn more about Google Docs -- a free online application that you can use to manage word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Not only can you author these documents in your browser (without installing any software on your computer), you can collaborate with colleagues and students on them in real-time and publish them as public Web pages.
This workshop will introduce you to the basics of Google Docs and get you started with authoring and collaborating on files. We'll also push beyond these basics, learning about publishing options, setting up dynamic forms to collect data, presenting directly from within the Google Docs environment, and the basics of using Google Spreadsheets to create data mashups and live data visualizations.
Please make sure you have a Google account setup before the workshop. You can register for an account at https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount.
Register online for this workshop at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
Register online at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
CANCELED Technology Showcase: Google Docs
September 7, 2009 By
ATTENTION: DUE TO ILLNESS, THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELED. WE WILL WORK ON RESCHEDULING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
Learn more about Google Docs -- a free online application that you can use to manage word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Not only can you author these documents in your browser (without installing any software on your computer), you can collaborate with colleagues and students on them in real-time and publish them as public Web pages.
This workshop will introduce you to the basics of Google Docs and get you started with authoring and collaborating on files. We'll also push beyond these basics, learning about publishing options, setting up dynamic forms to collect data, presenting directly from within the Google Docs environment, and the basics of using Google Spreadsheets to create data mashups and live data visualizations.
Please make sure you have a Google account setup before the workshop. You can register for an account at https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount.
Register online for this workshop at http://bit.ly/dGGVB
DTLT Open House
September 7, 2009 By
Interested in incorporating digital technologies into your teaching and learning environment? Be it a small project focused on a single technology or an entire course redesign, DTLT would love to exchange ideas with you. Stop by for a conversation!
NMC Symposium for the Future
September 7, 2009 By
The 2009 NMC Symposium for the Future, the fourteenth in the NMC’s Series of Virtual Symposia, will explore actual and potential applications of technology that could impact issues of global importance over the next five years and beyond.
UMW Faculty should contact Martha Burtis (mburtis@umw.edu) if they are interested in attending this symposium.
More Details: http://www.nmc.org/2009-future-symposium
NMC Symposium for the Future
September 7, 2009 By
The 2009 NMC Symposium for the Future, the fourteenth in the NMC’s Series of Virtual Symposia, will explore actual and potential applications of technology that could impact issues of global importance over the next five years and beyond.
UMW Faculty should contact Martha Burtis (mburtis@umw.edu) if they are interested in attending this symposium.
More Details: http://www.nmc.org/2009-future-symposium
Flattening the Classroom: Buiding Collaborative Learning Environments (ELI Online Focus Session)
September 7, 2009 By
Join ELI September 23–24 for "Flattening the Classroom: Building Collaborative Learning Environments," the 2009 ELI Online Fall Focus Session. Hosted in Adobe Connect, this virtual event will be much more than just a "usual" online seminar. You’ll exchange ideas and collaborate interactively with the ELI community—all without leaving your campus. You'll also receive all the resources and guided activities you need to help frame discussion and organize team events.
UMW Faculty interested in attending should contact Martha Burtis (mburtis@umw.edu).
Details: http://net.educause.edu/elix09
