academic technology

"True innovation in Higher Ed will emerge from faculty-driven, open-source projects, not start-up commercialisation"

If you are looking for a way to convert, resize, rotate and flip an unlimited number of images, Converseen is worth a look. It's an open source program that supports over 100 image formats and the user interface is easy to use. The site for the program includes a FAQ area and this version is compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems

"5 Reasons Why Educators Should Network"

This video shows how to change the points possible per question for a 100-question Quiz in Canvas. The Quiz is exported, the export file is changed in a text editor and then imported back into Canvas.

Now comes the important part. Once we have an ordered list of learning objectives, we instructors have to choose a "cognitive cutoff point" at which student responsibility for mastery prior to class ends. "Below" this point, we expect students to master the learning objectives before class through guided practice. "Above" this point, some fluency would be nice, but these are long-term learning objectives and will serve as the focus for class activities.

BEFORE READING:  Preview & Build Anticipation
BEFORE READING: Set Purpose
DURING READING: Synthesize Along the Way
DURING READING: Ask Questions
AFTER READING:  Explain Lots of good subpages with procedures for each step

The POV series on PBS has been bringing a range of compelling documentaries to curious viewers for years. This recent installment from their talented crew presents the story of undocumented immigrants at a detention center in Geneva, Switzerland. Visitors can watch the entire program here and the website features interviews with the filmmakers, extra conversations with others involved in the production, and a teachers' guide. Interested parties will learn about the situation at Frambois prison and they can also watch a special interview with the film's director, Fernand Melgar. This moving film would be a wonderful addition to a class in human rights, international relations, and any number of related disciplines

What is most important about the world of American literature? It's an important question, and some would argue for the works of Twain, while others might speak eloquently about Richard Wright, and so on. This inventive 16-part series for college students deals with the foibles of American literature through a "diversity of voices" in a way that is eminently accessible and interesting. This series was created in 2003 by Oregon Public Broadcasting and it features segments like Exploring Borderlands, Native Voices, and Regional Realism. Each program is also accompanied by a number of lesson units, plans, and additional classroom activities. Visitors can also read detailed program descriptions, and look over a list of Related Resources

from Instacon speaker

online diagramming and collaboration. rec by Mike Caulfield. Diagram oriented, not photo or pix

A different kind of online community.
Working Examples is a place where people working at the intersection of technology and education collaborate to solve problems, share their progress (and missteps) and make exciting things happen. Come play with us!

"The ninth annual survey, a collaborative effort between the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board, is the leading barometer of online learning in the United States.  Based on responses from over 2,500 academic leaders, the complete survey report, "Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States, 2011" can be downloaded here."

He says 'effect sizes' are much the best way of answering the question 'what has the greatest influence on student learning'. An effect-size of 1.0 is typically associated with: * advancing learner's achievement by one year, or improving the rate of learning by 50%, * a correlation between some variable (e.g., amount of homework) and achievement of approximately .50. * average students receiving that treatment exceeding 84% of students not receiving that treatment. * A two grade leap in GCSE, e.g. from a C to an A grade. An effect size of 1.0 is clearly enormous! (It is defined as an increase of one standard deviation)

I found this post about using blogs in the classroom to be a helpful curation of teacher tips for student blogging. Mike G

Good Twitter how-to