#astd2013, Hijacking technology to increase participant engagement with @larrystraining

It is always a pleasure to sit in on Larry Straining‘s presentations. He puts a lot of time and energy into making the presentations unique and informative; this presentation was no different. He began by encouraging us to tweet to #tu314 during the class. 

Straining pointed out that students are already bring the technology into the class. What we needed to do was change focus from external tasks to in class tasks. During the presentation, he focused on five tools commonly used that could be used in the classroom:

1. Twitter
2. Facebook
3. QR Code
4. Foursquare
5. Pinterest

Although, having nothing to do with technology, I really enjoyed his use of spider graphs or radar charts to assess participant tool usage . Basically, he had us plot out our usage of the various tools on one of these graphs and reassessed our positions at the end of the workshop. At least, I think he did; I had to depart early from the presentation.

Twitter

Straining started his talk on tools by focusing on Twitter. He began by discussing the Twitter backchannel. A backchannel is a way to follow a conversation relevant to a specific topic. Often the topics are filtered through the use of a hashtag or other keyword.

In the case that Twitter is being used in a classroom setting, participants can be grouped by pairing Twitter users with non-users so that everyone has an opportunity to participate. Twitter does not require a smartphone, it can be used on a feature cellphone by using the 40404 number. Twitter can also be used on computers. 

Twitter can be used prior to a session as a means to assess skill level and set expectations. During a session, it can be used to poll participants, assess understanding, and receive instant feedback. Twitter can also be used post session to continue the conversation and follow-up on questions.

Straining conducted a novel exercise to demonstrate the amount of information received on Twitter and the importance of filtering. He had all participants (over 100) stand up and simultaneously begin telling him about themselves… pure chaos. And then, through questions about a hobby, he was able to filter down the participants until he was able to listen to only one or two people. In this way, he was able to better follow the stream of information. He pointed out that a hashtag was used as:

• identifier
• filtering
• sorting
• reference
• searching

Straining also showed off some tools to get the most out of Twitter. Again, SAP Web 2.0 was used to engage with the backchannel. He also demonstrated

• Tweetdeck
• Hootsuite
• Tweetchat

He recommends using Alt-Tab to switch between presentation and Twitter tool while giving a presentation.

Here are some final thoughts on using Twitter in the classroom. First of all, Straining believes a backchannel is useful for a course or presentation. During virtual sessions, he recommended a facilitator monitor the backchannel thus freeing up the presenter. Finally, he pointed out that you archive the backchannel for later follow up.

Facebook

Straining moved on to Facebook, LinkedIn groups, Google+ and similar tools as a way to organize student activity and build community.

QR Codes

The last section I had time for was QR codes. Straining pointed out that if students have a cellphone with a camera, they then have ability to use QR codes. Naturally, a QR code reader has to be installed.

When creating QR codes, he recommended using bit.ly to shorten the URL which results in more easily decoded QR codes. Also, test QR codes on different devices and with different QR code readers.

Straining has a wealth of ideas for using QR codes. He quickly recommended using them to link to surveys, quizzes, reviews, polls, videos, how to videos, lectures, guests, etc. You can also use them to distribute lecture notes, copies of presentations, reading material, source data, etc.

You can get more ideas from his book, Learniappe: 111 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes.

Unfortunately, this is where I had to leave. This was another enjoyable and informative presentation from Larry Straining.

May 2012 issue of Geeks and Speaks is out

Geeks and Speaks

Here is the May 2012 issue of Geeks and Speaks, the monthly newsletter which highlights the great finds of the previous month. This issue focuses primarily a number of great articles on Evernote, Moodle, Photo Blogging.  Additionally, there are links to articles on blogging, Facebook Google Drive, Bump, social media, Twitter, and a hodgepodge of other relevant articles.

There are also links to  two new learning guides: Lync and Moodle. Enjoy!

February 2012 issue of Geeks and Speaks is out

Geeks and Speaks

Here is the February 2012 issue of Geeks and Speaks, the monthly newsletter which highlights the great finds of the previous month. This issue provides some great ideas relating to blogging, Creative Commons, and WordPress, and a hodgepodge of other relevant articles. There is also a link to book reviews that I wrote, and links to two new learning guides: Flickr and Pinterest. Enjoy!

January 2012 issue of Geeks and Speaks is out

Geeks and Speaks

Here is the January 2012 issue of Geeks and Speaks, the monthly newsletter which highlights the great finds of the previous month. This issue provides some great ideas relating to blogging, a number of articles relating to Google+ and Google Reader, discussion relating to instruction, a bunch of great iPad applications, a couple of QR Code ideas, and a hodgepodge of other relevant articles. There is also a link to book reviews that I wrote, and links to two new learning guides: RSS feeds and Google Reader. Enjoy!

Great Organizations are Constantly Learning and Improving

I would like to challenge you this new year to learn something new to improve your craft and organization. Two often, we become comfortable with what has worked for us in the past, and we are hesitant to try something new. We are afraid of failing. We are afraid what others think of us when we try and fail.

Great organizations become great organizations because the learn and adapt to an ever changing environment. There are many organizations and programs that failed to adapt and as a result are now extinct. Here is a list of good stores that never adapted quickly enough. These stores failed because they were content to doing it the same way.

I am interested in education. I am interested in my personal education, informal education, corporate education, extension education, higher education, non-profit education, adult education, technology in education, etc. What is fascinating is the more I read about education and learning, and the more I am involved in education and learning, the more disconnection I am finding. Dewey, Lindeman, Knowles, and others have been admonishing educators for over 80 years that the lecture method is not the best method for instruction, yet, it is the most common method in our schools today. We need to listen to their advice and make changes.

There are three areas I would like you to look at when you look for something new to try: subject matter improvement, instruction methods improvement, technology implementation improvement. As an educator, these are the three areas I consider most important. Presently, I am looking at it from the vantage point of extension.  Here are some ideas you might want to consider:

• Stay abreast of changes in your field of study by subscribing to or creating a Paper.li newsletter. More.
• Reflect on what you learn using a blog or podcast.
• Improve support to your courses with performance support and job aids. More.
• Make your course more engaging by flipping your instruction. More.
• Use QR Codes to enrich your physical documents. More.
• Use tools like Evernote, Diigo, Zotero, and Dropbox to become more organized in your research. More.
• Read a book on improving your instruction.
• Read a book on implementing new technology.
• Teach a class in a way that you never have before.
• Let others know what you are reading and why. More.
• Keep an eye out for what others are doing well and benchmark the ideas. More.
• Add fun and engagement to your class through gamification. More.
• Improve your operations by creating a checklist. More.
• Make time for learning, attend a Webinar, read a book, explore a program, just do it.

One of the most frustrating things I face is when people dismiss something on heresay instead of investigating it for themselves. I challenge you to honestly explore new methods, techniques, and technologies for yourself before dismissing them, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Make a commitment to yourself this new year to go out and learn something new. Try something new in your classes, your students will appreciate it, especially if you are not lecturing.