I had the fortune to meet Ramesh from Play2Train when I was writing the ECAR Research Bulletin. The stuff they've been doing over there has been groundbreaking for some time now. I met Heide and Riad late last year when they, and Laura Nicosia, and I all presented at NEConnect. Congrats to all, this looks like an amazing effort.
http://irhbt.typepad.com/play2train/2008/03/seton-hall-univ.html
Sunday, March 16, 2008
If you knew Torley, like we now known Torley..."
I've been reading Torley Linden's blog for a while now. His videos rock, the guy is totally brilliant. Every once in a while he comes out with something that make me wince, but normally we're spot on. Here is one of his on the fringe posts, but I have to share it. This guy cracks me up.
Guess what videoblogging on your toilet is called?
POTTYCASTING!
No kidding. I was in the shower, and when that happens, all sorts of ideas come to mind. When shower's done, I scramble to my computer to write them down. Sometimes I have a voice recorder on, but with the amount of water noise and reverberance, it isn't that clear.
http://torley.com/guess-what-videoblogging-on-your-toilet-is-called
Guess what videoblogging on your toilet is called?
POTTYCASTING!
No kidding. I was in the shower, and when that happens, all sorts of ideas come to mind. When shower's done, I scramble to my computer to write them down. Sometimes I have a voice recorder on, but with the amount of water noise and reverberance, it isn't that clear.
http://torley.com/guess-what-videoblogging-on-your-toilet-is-called
According to expert Laura Nicosia...
Congrats to Laura for showing by doing, using technology to break down the traditional barriers of education.
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/new-literacies/
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/new-literacies/
MSU's very own Howard Stern?
I've heard absolutely nothing about this. I haven't read Thursday's Montclarion deeply yet, scanned it, know I didn't see anything like this.
Thanks to Google Alert, I found this in a Philly paper.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/20080315_ap_studentdjunderfireforracyvideospledgesnewshow.html
Thanks to Google Alert, I found this in a Philly paper.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/20080315_ap_studentdjunderfireforracyvideospledgesnewshow.html
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
“At what point does practicality trump pedagogy?”
“At what point does practicality trump pedagogy?”
That was a question I asked Tuesday at the SL Education Roundtable, which is held each week at 2:30pm PST (which is 5:30pm EST) on the Montclair State CHSS Island. Each week we start off with a subject and the conversation just goes from there. The session is only supposed to be an hour long but inevitably people stay longer.
The topic for our meeting on Tuesday the 11th was “Would your central IT shop say that your institution was ready for Second Life”. We had a number of instructors there and even a few IT people. Some of the instructors were complaining that the IT people didn’t even want to look at, or talk about, Second Life. Some of the IT people complained that all instructors do is demand, without caring what impact something might have on the organization as a whole. Both, of course, are right – for the most part. I sat and listened to the conversation with some interest because I’ve been part of this very conversation for so many years. As the founder and current co-leader of the EDUCAUSE Distributed Technology Support Constituent Group, we hear this all the time.
So, here is where my question came in. At what point does practicality trump pedagogy? At what point does an instructor’s request for the use of a tool in their teaching outweigh the technology shop’s ability to say, “no, you can’t.” At what point does something drain on the resources so much that an instructor simply can’t do what s/he wants? Of course, either answer is mangled up by an additional complication and that is the institution’s attitude toward this type of technology use.
I was astounded when one of the attendees told a story about the first night of class, a class in which this person was using Second Life. The class, although in SL, was taking place in a computer mediated teaching lab on campus. Someone from the central IT department came into the class and argued with the faculty member, in front of the class, that Second Life should not be used and that it was not appropriate.
I asked if the person who did this was just some rank-and-file employee or if it was, perhaps, the Director of IT. The answer – just some technician. I was flabbergasted. This shows a clear disregard for not only the educational process (certainly the conversation could have waited for some time when class was not in session or the tech could have pulled the instructor out of the class to talk) but it inverts the Pyramid of Educational Importance. Its not like this instructor has never used SL before or this was the first class at this institution to use SL.
So, the bottom line on this example is that it was an ill-prepared tech handling the situation poorly. But how much of it is that this is the somewhat hostile environment being created between techs and instructors at this institution. This just goes to show you, technical know-how is not the be-all-end-all.
That was a question I asked Tuesday at the SL Education Roundtable, which is held each week at 2:30pm PST (which is 5:30pm EST) on the Montclair State CHSS Island. Each week we start off with a subject and the conversation just goes from there. The session is only supposed to be an hour long but inevitably people stay longer.
The topic for our meeting on Tuesday the 11th was “Would your central IT shop say that your institution was ready for Second Life”. We had a number of instructors there and even a few IT people. Some of the instructors were complaining that the IT people didn’t even want to look at, or talk about, Second Life. Some of the IT people complained that all instructors do is demand, without caring what impact something might have on the organization as a whole. Both, of course, are right – for the most part. I sat and listened to the conversation with some interest because I’ve been part of this very conversation for so many years. As the founder and current co-leader of the EDUCAUSE Distributed Technology Support Constituent Group, we hear this all the time.
So, here is where my question came in. At what point does practicality trump pedagogy? At what point does an instructor’s request for the use of a tool in their teaching outweigh the technology shop’s ability to say, “no, you can’t.” At what point does something drain on the resources so much that an instructor simply can’t do what s/he wants? Of course, either answer is mangled up by an additional complication and that is the institution’s attitude toward this type of technology use.
I was astounded when one of the attendees told a story about the first night of class, a class in which this person was using Second Life. The class, although in SL, was taking place in a computer mediated teaching lab on campus. Someone from the central IT department came into the class and argued with the faculty member, in front of the class, that Second Life should not be used and that it was not appropriate.
I asked if the person who did this was just some rank-and-file employee or if it was, perhaps, the Director of IT. The answer – just some technician. I was flabbergasted. This shows a clear disregard for not only the educational process (certainly the conversation could have waited for some time when class was not in session or the tech could have pulled the instructor out of the class to talk) but it inverts the Pyramid of Educational Importance. Its not like this instructor has never used SL before or this was the first class at this institution to use SL.
So, the bottom line on this example is that it was an ill-prepared tech handling the situation poorly. But how much of it is that this is the somewhat hostile environment being created between techs and instructors at this institution. This just goes to show you, technical know-how is not the be-all-end-all.
MSU Professor in Article
I have a Google Alert set up for Montclair State and from time-to-time something pops up about a faculty member I know.
This is Carla Petievich from our History Department.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C11%5Cstory_11-3-2008_pg7_38
This is Carla Petievich from our History Department.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C03%5C11%5Cstory_11-3-2008_pg7_38
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Happy Rez Day
I'd like to wish a Happy Rez Day to two of my most favorite people here at Montclair State.
Les Writer's 1st Rez Day was on the 16th - so this is belated - which is no reflection on the respect I have for Les. He teaches in our History Department and is, hands down, one of the most respected faculty members at MSU (just ask his students AND colleagues).
Garrett Congrejo's 1st Rez Day is today, the 21st. Thanks to his vision and leadership, the CHSS is no longer all alone out in the metaverse. We now have neighbors to our north and its very exciting watching that space grow and develop.
Les Writer's 1st Rez Day was on the 16th - so this is belated - which is no reflection on the respect I have for Les. He teaches in our History Department and is, hands down, one of the most respected faculty members at MSU (just ask his students AND colleagues).
Garrett Congrejo's 1st Rez Day is today, the 21st. Thanks to his vision and leadership, the CHSS is no longer all alone out in the metaverse. We now have neighbors to our north and its very exciting watching that space grow and develop.
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