Fixing poor performance habits quickly and tactfully
It’s difficult for theater students to become aware of their habits and quirks until they can clearly see them. Kirby Wahl, Assistant Professor of Performing Arts, uses Kodak Playtouch video cameras to take easy shots of his students that help them identify their strengths and weaknesses on stage.
Read MoreCreating a Moodle Book
Guest post by Victoria Shropshire, Instructor in English Books in Moodle can be used for a variety of things, but I find they are especially helpful for long documents that are important, but not necessarily very engaging to students when they are simply posted as a document link. Information that can be segmented or compartmentalized can be easily converted to a Moodle book, and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! You can simply cut and paste the information you already have into a Moodle book. This works particularly well for sharing/teaching information that is a step-by-step process, as Moodle book chapters can be numbered and customized in a variety of ways to suit your needs. FollowShare on Tumblr
Read MoreSophie Adamson: Instilling Intrinsic Motivation
Sophie Adamson, associate professor of French, believes her students work much harder when they want to learn. She instills intrinsic motivation in her students by placing them in situations that require them to speak French. “I try to make my assignments feel real,” Adamson says. “If you don’t learn your grammar, you won’t have anything to say.” Adamson took one class to Avalon African Refugee Center in Greensboro, a predominantly French-speaking center, and had her students speak and interact with the refugees solely in French. Before the trip, she gave students a questionnaire asking them to rank their confidence in their speaking, among other things. Several weeks after the visit, she gave out the same questionnaire, and found that more than three-quarters of the class felt more confident in their French-speaking abilities. Adamson’s secret to keeping students on their toes: “It’s definitely variety. And public interactive stuff, either in small…
Read MorePowerPoint 2010: Audio and Video in Depth
In PowerPoint 2010: Audio and Video in Depth, Alicia Katz Pollock shows how to integrate and enhance video and audio to create a more engaging PowerPoint presentation. The course emphasizes the technical details necessary to make a multimedia presentation work: from working with appropriate file formats, to compressing video, to reducing the file size of multimedia presentations for sharing. Exercise files are included with the course. Watch today at www.elon.edu/lynda. Duration: 04h 38m FollowShare on Tumblr
Read MoreMobile tablets make their way into academia
Evolving mobile technology makes it easier than ever for Elon faculty to engage students, but incorporating it into teaching and learning can be a challenge. Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) recently held an Experience IT session to help faculty learn how their courses can receive a multimedia boost from mobile tablet devices, such as the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy. Lightweight mobile tablets are equipped with a variety of “apps,” mini-applications that offer endless opportunities for entertainment, news and even academics. Multimedia-packed mobile tablet apps serve as eye candy for students without much effort from instructors. Why bother to add a mobile tablet to your classroom? According to Phillip Motley, assistant professor in the School of Communications, faculty should keep up with new technology as much as possible. “Look what happened to Borders when they decided not to adapt to changing technology,” Motley said. “If you don’t keep up,…
Read MoreTeaching Class While on Travel
Teaching class while off campus can be a daunting task. Combining face to face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities may be a solution. This approach capitalizes on the best aspects of both face to face and online instruction. Classroom time can be used to engage students in experiences; while online assignments can provide students with multimedia-rich content and discoveries that reinforce materials learned in the classroom. Ideas The list below contains ideas to use while traveling. For more ideas contact Cheri Crabb or Ben McFadyen, with TLT, at 278-5006. Note where students can get technical support while you are away Develop rubrics for assignments & include in the syllabus along with stellar student examples Create a calendar of work to keep students on track Use portfolios as a mode of evaluation; the student is assessed by a progressive series of work Use web conferencing software to record a lecture or…
Read MoreTechnology staff help students get Connected @Elon
Instructional and Campus Technologies held their 4th annual Connected @Elon event on Sunday, August 28th during New Student Orientation. Created to help incoming students learn about the technology available to them on campus, Campus Technologies staff staged a game Family Feud, complete with commercials featuring technology services. Scott Hildebrand (Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies), Jacquie Adams (a senior from Mechanicsville, VA), and Brent Edwards (a junior from Mount Holly, NC) engaged first-year student contestants with questions about technology. The students were asked to name the top 5 things they should not do on Facebook, the apps available to them through their Google Apps for Education account, and the ways they can seek technology help. Students walked away from the show with an understanding of the ways they can stay “Connected @ Elon.” To learn more about ways you can stay “Connected @Elon,” visit our “New to Elon” section…
Read MoreWeb Conferencing Software: Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect is a teaching tool which can be used to enhance collaborative learning. It enables real-time interactive experiences, fostering a shared environment for students and faculty to view presentations, listen to lectures, collaborate on research, and discuss topics of interest.
Read MoreUniversity’s cell phone photography class teaches more than just how to take pretty pictures
A new cell phone photography class at Immaculata University, a suburban Philadelphia university, focuses on both the quality of the images and the ethical responsibilities that come with taking and publishing them.
Read MoreFrom Facebook to Resume: Using Social Networking Tools to Market Yourself
Did you know that 77% of employers are uncovering your online digital dirt by searching the Internet and that 35% of employers have eliminated a candidate based on information found online? Employers are Googling your name, and they are forming opinions of you based upon what they find. Have you Googled yourself recently? Kelly Reimer, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, and Kristin Griffin, a junior Finance major from Hingham, MA, presented at the 2011 Career Services Professional Discovery Week. Their presentation entitled “From Facebook to Résumé: Using Social Networking Tools to Market Yourself” helped students to understand the dangers of digital dirt and consider how they can use social networking tools to create a professional online identity and reputation. FollowShare on Tumblr
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