Those of us immersed in the real-time web like Twitter and Facebook are aware of the impact these tools are having on dissemination of information about breaking news — real (Egypt, Japan) and fake (various false celebrity deaths).
This week, Robert Quigley (Facebook, Twitter), the social media editor for the Austin Statesman, had students at the University of Texas re-imagine the JFK assassination. What would it be like in this age of smartphones, Twitter and Facebook? Continue reading
While many of my peers were breathlessly following the Apple iPad2 announcement, I was online with Howard Rheingold (@hrheingold) and a host of other educators and thinkers from around the world. The occasion was session one of Howard’s MindAmplifier class.
Ah, the experience of being back in the learner’s seat!
A reminder that every teacher would probably benefit from putting herself in a situation where she is not all-knowing. This nudge came to me as I struggled with my bluetooth headset, which failed to work, and then my login, which also failed to work, initially. Both speedbumps had me fall a little behind everyone else. It was a good reminder about pacing — something that I think that I’m aware of but …
In 2001 and 2002 I wrote a monthly “column” called <TFM>*. My goal was to explore issues in web design, specifically usability.
Even back then, some of my friends (and students) wondered if I had ever met a Web site that I liked. (I still get this question!) Unfortunately, even in 2008, finding examples to illustrate poor interface design and limited usability is much easier than finding exemplary sites.
How are social networks and social network sites being used by researchers? Guest lecture in Hanson’s COM529 class. [Two addenda!]
Institutions of higher education face many challenges; one is to provide a learning environment that acknowledges the unique skills and interests of the Net Generation. This paper explores these challenges within the context of computer-mediated communication (CMC) instruction. Specifically, the paper explores the use of social web technologies – blogs and podcasts – as methods of student learning and assessment.
Podcasting and blogs facilitate online communication in a community network; both combine old and new communication methods to rapidly and inexpensively deliver words, text and audio via the Internet. Most reports of the use of these technologies in an educational setting focus on teacher-centered communication, specifically, podcasts of lectures. However, these technologies can also be used as an alternative, experiential and innovative method for active student learning. The paper provides a framework to help others create similar learning opportunities; it identifies pitfalls and best practices; and it provides a set of recommended tools.
