Its old but new

I was working with a new online faculty member the other day discussing some of the things to consider when designing an online class when we wondered into the discussion board conversations. Discussion boards...I won't get into my theory on discussion boards in this posting other than suffice it to say I do consider them "so 20th Century" - but given we use Blackboard - its what we have and in an online course it is a crucial teaching and learning component so embrace it we do! No what I am pondering at the moment is netiquette...another old "20th Century" term that I'm thinking still is crucial - maybe even more so now - than when it was first coined in 1988. (yes that is '88 according to wikipedia!)

Why so crucial still? Is it me or are students more and more casual today? This can be a good thing and this can be a bad thing. Good casual is when it translate into students feeling they can approach me and engage in a real conversation with me - that would be my definition of a good casual. Bad casual would be...let me give you an example...a student email:

xosweetsugarxo@emailname.com wrote: [slightly changed for anonymity]
i can't get my username and password to work.

I'm sure you have received many, many emails of similar nature or let's be honest - far worse! So in my conversation I found myself recommending she consider establishing netiquette or Etiquette rules from the start. Then - like always - I started to reflect on this and think about other perspectives...is this a good idea? I've always held to the idea that it is our job, as educators, to teach students that they need to know how to address people appropriately given their situation - its a life skill. Technology- given its now transparent existance in our relationships is no different. Addressing a prospective employer demands certain context, a best friend another, a teacher another, and so on. When you get down to it - its not even a technology skill per se - its a communication skill its just that the technology is beginning to consume a great deal of our communication and yet there is a presumed casualness about it that needs to be considered. Also, in my defense of why its our job to teach our students these things - its in our mission statement - is one of our colleges core values.

We acknowledge that accurate, clear, concise, respectful and transparent communication is fundamental to enhancing relationships, developing shared understanding and assuring the long-term success of our college.

So then why do I wonder if its the right thing to do? In gathering resources for this faculty member I came across an article and a student asks...are we in fact hindering students from contacting us? Are we putting up barriers to communication? This is a good question. What do you think? Is there a happy medium? Can we have guidelines without barriers? What would that look like?

Who defines usefulness?

Ever since I read the article posted in the Chronicle's Wired Campus the other day, about a faculty member considering banning laptops in his classroom because it is distracting to students who bring them (and even to those that don't bring them but can lurk on the screens from behind) I've been pondering and debating with anyone who will take the bait about this concept. (Poor husband loves to play devils advocate with me - we had a heated dinner conversation)

When I consider such positions I really do try my best to see both perspectives because I believe that whats good for one isn't necessarily good for everyone. While I have my beliefs, I do not for a minute believe - that everyone else should embrace that which I do. I also adhere to the idea that culture plays a crucial factor in so many perspectives and beliefs and no one person has the same cultural framework. My current thinking is that in this specific situation culture may play a big role. I was struck by a comment this very faculty member wrote in the comment section of this site, he wrote:

However, I must assert that the classroom is an environment in which I have a tremendous amount of legitimate authority. My students are not my customers. I reserve the right to eject someone for sleeping (and have, on several occasions), being rude and disruptive, or for answering mobile phones in class (which happens more than you might think).

So I also reserve the right to require that they do not stare at screens instead of me.

I have to admit I was really struck by this...it echoed in my mind for hours... "classroom...legitimate authority"... and I'll be truthful I was struck by how "direct instruction" it is....how...."20th Century Ivy League" it seemed to me, I'll even go so far as to say, how far removed it is from what constructivist learning research has taught us over these many years about how to really engage a student.

Then I had a thought. I'm throwing this out there - maybe, just maybe, a learning-centered community college might not embodied the same culture say...the University of Virginia Law School might?

It makes me grateful for my career in the community college where we believe that faculty are content matter experts and, yes, do have legitimate authority in their classrooms but not to the extent where they do not see their students as their customers. Students, in our culture, have a great deal to contribute to the classroom learning and what empowers them empowers everyones learning.

Of course I'm an avid laptop user and I use it for so many things. Do I multi-task on it? Absolutely. Truth be told, I did that before laptops - heck before the internet, I graduated college with a 3.9 while listening to lectures, taking notes, as well as, writing notes, letters, drawing, reading, staring out the window, and more. I admire the faculty who can embrace the technology, who can take that which "distracts" our students and embraces it to help take their learning forward.

Cogdog said it very eloquently recently in his posting about iGoogle themes, he wrote:

“How does this promote student learning? Isn’t this more of what in the old days of those mac applications were called “fritterware” - ways to fritter away your time?
...
but there would not be all of those iGoogle themes (and all of those delectable MySpace web designs) if our personal expression of who we are, or want to be, is not a core value. It’s not trivial, and any software, project that ignores the desire to personalize a technology experience is.. well.. maybe a macdink."

So I say...don't "ignore" the desire to use laptops...embrace it! It may be messy at first - but I'd be willing to bet that you might be shocked by the value added through student interaction, student engagement, and content acquisition, critical thinking, collaboration, and life long learning.

Go Green! Go 2.0

This is my new thought for the day. Go Green; Go 2.0

I got the dreaded "your mailbox is almost full" message and low and behold I looked and had 453 emails in my inbox and 566 in my sent - that pesky sent folder - I always forget to watch that too. Needless to say I started cleaning it out at 7:30 this morning and its now almost 1:00 and I'm down to....445 in my inbox that is right 453 to 445! As much as I cleaned out came back at me in that same time period - although I'm down to 42 in my sent so I'm making progress there. This caused me to tweet about how much I hate cleaning out my inbox - for those not following me - my twit read:
windygap96 Cleaning out my inbox & wondering how to reduce email waste. I'm thinking of starting a Go Green initiative for email-how does Go 2.0 sound? about 6 hours ago from web

Now that I've pondered it more I think this is a brilliant idea! The boss recently made me take a profiling assessment to determine my work style and true to my "profile" of being an "ideator" this is my new idea from my ideator self....now the question is... how realistic.

Given in the 6 hours I've been cleaning my inbox I've reduced my # by 8 I decided to take a look at my patterns. Apparently I contribute to that waste! With 42 outgoing emails that could have easily been IM's, wikis, or any number of other tools that don't litter my inbox - shame on me for not recycling.

About 9 of my emails today could have been accomplished in IM involving something that I am now moving to Bubbl.us - we'll see how it goes.

Those of you interested in joining my Go Green; Go 2.0 initiative:
I am windygap96 in:

• aol im
• ichat
• skype
• twitter
• myspace
• slideshare
• del.icio.us
  

jspinkstrickland in gmail and yahoo
windy gibb in Second Life

Please next time you email me...consider an IM, tweet, or text message! (Yes I realize I did not give my phone number for texting - I'm not that crazy! If you want it you gotta call me! :o)

See you online!
windygap96 aka: Jennifer

When is it too much?

One of the reasons I've not been too successful at maintaining a work blog when I have been fervently keeping a personal blog for over 2 years now is the blurring of the lines between personal and professional. When I first approached blogging in 2006 it was around the same time a faculty member in California had been fired over a blog post she wrote on her own personal blog that somehow came into her professional life - so I was pretty tentative. I can't avoid it though! Why? Blogging by its nature is a way to engage the community in conversation. Since it is my goal as an Instructional Technologist to have ongoing conversations with our campus/district community about the effects of technology in teaching and learning then blogging it will be!

A recent increase in the use of Twitter really has blurred the lines a lot more for me. If you aren't familiar with Twitter it is a microblogging program (which means you only 160 characters to speak). This has been used at Ed Tech conferences, it allows individuals to start micro-conversations about the presentations - usually during the actual presentations being discussed. Although you'll find the nature of Twitter lends itself to personal microblogging a lot. To tweett or not to Tweet - that is the question? I really liked cogdog's Twitter Life Cycle so where do you fall in the life cycle? Who at PV tweets? I know of 4 see if you can spot us in the Twitter gadget here on the right. Explore Twitter - even some on the presidential campaign trail tweet.

Apple Store Comes to Glendale

Good News! Apple is building a new store at the Arrowhead Mall in the north west valley!

iTech@PVCC goes Blogger

In an effort to begin to become that which we preach, more Web 2.0, we decided it was time we started using these tools in our professional lives! Sam and I both use many Web 2-0 tools in our personal lives - family blogs, sharing media, bookmarking, gaming, social networking, but haven't ventured far for our work as Instructional Technolgist so we are ready to start sharing the wonderful things we give our families and friends to the PV community! Subscribe today to see what's new! Included to the right is our del.icio.us bookmarks that you may find of value.