Web 2.0 Tools for Presentations - Prezi and Work Report
I prepared a work report using Prezi. Please follow the link below to view the presentation. It will be presented to my supervisor and the colleagues. The work report summarized the work I've done for the summer II in the area of supporting faculties with instructional technologies.
https://prezi.com/secure/15d66fd92c3940625aeee752ac0d39e46514b555/
Welcome to Kye's Blog
Instructional Design
Blog Archive
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Week5: Reflections, Feedback, Networking/Social - Academia.edu Review
Name of the tool
Academia.edu
Url of the tool
http://www.academia.edu
Primary category of the tool
Reflection, Feedback, and Networking
(please note that there are some background noise due to the fact that the recording was done at the public place -- I lost an Internet connection)
Video cast is available at the following url.
http://www.screencast.com/t/NDUxMWQ2NmE
Description of the tool
academia.edu is a social and research network for those who share their research interests in higher education. Their homepage tag line reads, "Follow the latest research in your field." When you register for the first time, you are required to provide your status as a position holder in higher education, such as faculty or research post-doc in which department and university. Upon registering at academia.edu, you will see all the papers (peer reviewed) you published pulled out automatically by academia.edu. It was a bit of embarrassment to see only three papers listed when I registered. Later, you can add your books, papers, blog posts, update research interests, CV, and websites. A distinctive feature on the site is the question that pops up and asks, "What are you thinking about right now?" An answer to this question could be used for tagging purposes and possibly for followers. I don't think my answer to this question draw any followers. You can also find friends through Google or Google-Hosted Email account. Once, you find interesting friends, you may invite them to academia.edu. The academia.edu got started its presence in October of 2008, and it boasts more than 200,000 members in it. Although the scale is not near other social network sites, such as Facebook, it is quite a big research community considering the fact that most members are probably research faculties in universities. The academia reports having prominent member researchers as Stephen Hawking, Paul Krugman, and Noam Chomsky.
What do you need to know before using this tool?
No particular tools are needed,
What do you need to have before using this tool?
You wouldn't want to join the academia.edu if you do not have particular research interests with an academic status.
How do you use this tool?
1. Register at the site
2. You may upload your papers and books
3. You may share your research interests
4. You may find your friends, and invite them to academia.edu
5. You may follow work of someone whose research interests you.
Create an example with this tool and embed in your blog or submit the URL.
An example with this tool is the front page of my own website within the Academia.edu site, showing some of the features.
Description of a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment.
Since the academia.edu offers an unusual opportunity for students to follow prominent researchers' work in real time, the use of the site would be more appropriate for graduate courses or senior level undergraduate research seminar courses. For example, when I teach a course on mathematics computations in fluid dynamics, I can provide a list of possible research projects or areas to ask for students. Then, the assignments for students would be to find and follow researchers in that field in Academia.edu. This rare encounter with real researchers in the course that students are taking would spark their motivation for future research. Another use of this site in a teaching environment could be a project in a senior level mathematics course that asks students to find out a list of particular mathematicians whose research areas are the topics for the course. For example, students in Real Analysis might look for analysts in the Academia.edu and create a report on what their recent research activities are.
What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
The biggest advantage is students' exposure to research community in real time. Finding out what real researchers are doing on students' own interest areas would be invaluable for their motivation for further study.
What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
The success of this site would depend on whether it has most research members in each research interest area. Otherwise, it may lose its value in a teaching environment.
Academia.edu
Url of the tool
http://www.academia.edu
Primary category of the tool
Reflection, Feedback, and Networking
(please note that there are some background noise due to the fact that the recording was done at the public place -- I lost an Internet connection)
Video cast is available at the following url.
http://www.screencast.com/t/NDUxMWQ2NmE
Description of the tool
academia.edu is a social and research network for those who share their research interests in higher education. Their homepage tag line reads, "Follow the latest research in your field." When you register for the first time, you are required to provide your status as a position holder in higher education, such as faculty or research post-doc in which department and university. Upon registering at academia.edu, you will see all the papers (peer reviewed) you published pulled out automatically by academia.edu. It was a bit of embarrassment to see only three papers listed when I registered. Later, you can add your books, papers, blog posts, update research interests, CV, and websites. A distinctive feature on the site is the question that pops up and asks, "What are you thinking about right now?" An answer to this question could be used for tagging purposes and possibly for followers. I don't think my answer to this question draw any followers. You can also find friends through Google or Google-Hosted Email account. Once, you find interesting friends, you may invite them to academia.edu. The academia.edu got started its presence in October of 2008, and it boasts more than 200,000 members in it. Although the scale is not near other social network sites, such as Facebook, it is quite a big research community considering the fact that most members are probably research faculties in universities. The academia reports having prominent member researchers as Stephen Hawking, Paul Krugman, and Noam Chomsky.
What do you need to know before using this tool?
No particular tools are needed,
What do you need to have before using this tool?
You wouldn't want to join the academia.edu if you do not have particular research interests with an academic status.
How do you use this tool?
1. Register at the site
2. You may upload your papers and books
3. You may share your research interests
4. You may find your friends, and invite them to academia.edu
5. You may follow work of someone whose research interests you.
Create an example with this tool and embed in your blog or submit the URL.
An example with this tool is the front page of my own website within the Academia.edu site, showing some of the features.
Description of a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment.
Since the academia.edu offers an unusual opportunity for students to follow prominent researchers' work in real time, the use of the site would be more appropriate for graduate courses or senior level undergraduate research seminar courses. For example, when I teach a course on mathematics computations in fluid dynamics, I can provide a list of possible research projects or areas to ask for students. Then, the assignments for students would be to find and follow researchers in that field in Academia.edu. This rare encounter with real researchers in the course that students are taking would spark their motivation for future research. Another use of this site in a teaching environment could be a project in a senior level mathematics course that asks students to find out a list of particular mathematicians whose research areas are the topics for the course. For example, students in Real Analysis might look for analysts in the Academia.edu and create a report on what their recent research activities are.
What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
The biggest advantage is students' exposure to research community in real time. Finding out what real researchers are doing on students' own interest areas would be invaluable for their motivation for further study.
What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
The success of this site would depend on whether it has most research members in each research interest area. Otherwise, it may lose its value in a teaching environment.
Week 5: Reflections on Virtual Group Work
The processes and tools
Our group used the following tools and processes to collaborate on the virtual group project.
1. Google Wave to discuss matters synchronously
2. Emails for asynchronous exchanges of ideas and notices
3. Twiddla and WiseMapping for initial brainstorming (just an attempt)
4. MS powerpoint for initial draft of the presentation
5. Google Docs as repository of group presentation
6. VoiceThread to make suggestions/comment and place our commentaries on the slide.
Comparison with face-to-face group work
The lack of facial (face-to-face) communication almost caused a misunderstanding on what we meant during Google Wave chatting. Next time, I would try something like Skype to talk and see their faces at the same time to exchange facial communications too. However, the convenience of not having to meet physically was a big plus. For example, one of the group members was sick. She wouldn't have not met our last virtual meeting if it had have been a face-to-face meeting.
Personal experience
As a novice in the area of virtual group work, at first I felt it was awkward having a chatting session to exchange ideas. The main reason was that I had no way to detect how others perceive my ideas or suggestions due to the lack of bodily and facial gestures. I realized I relied upon such non-verbal cues to get feedback from others in face-to-face setting in the past. So, I quickly learned that I had to write it or say it to let others know how I really thought about their ideas more or less straight forward. This could lead to a misunderstanding. In this regard, I did a fine job for a first timer. But I think I need to improve communication skills in this virtual environment.
Could've been better if...
I wish we had have just one face-to-face meeting for a social before the virtual group work, just to know other group members a bit better. In our case, if I had known the group ahead of time, I would've spent some time with them during the face-to-face orientation meeting. The choice of Google Wave as an initial chatting tool was not optimal. In retrospect, Skype would've been better because at least we could see each other while discussing the matters. But, once we hammered out the important issues, the rest of the sessions were fine in the following virtual collaborations.
Our group used the following tools and processes to collaborate on the virtual group project.
1. Google Wave to discuss matters synchronously
2. Emails for asynchronous exchanges of ideas and notices
3. Twiddla and WiseMapping for initial brainstorming (just an attempt)
4. MS powerpoint for initial draft of the presentation
5. Google Docs as repository of group presentation
6. VoiceThread to make suggestions/comment and place our commentaries on the slide.
Comparison with face-to-face group work
The lack of facial (face-to-face) communication almost caused a misunderstanding on what we meant during Google Wave chatting. Next time, I would try something like Skype to talk and see their faces at the same time to exchange facial communications too. However, the convenience of not having to meet physically was a big plus. For example, one of the group members was sick. She wouldn't have not met our last virtual meeting if it had have been a face-to-face meeting.
Personal experience
As a novice in the area of virtual group work, at first I felt it was awkward having a chatting session to exchange ideas. The main reason was that I had no way to detect how others perceive my ideas or suggestions due to the lack of bodily and facial gestures. I realized I relied upon such non-verbal cues to get feedback from others in face-to-face setting in the past. So, I quickly learned that I had to write it or say it to let others know how I really thought about their ideas more or less straight forward. This could lead to a misunderstanding. In this regard, I did a fine job for a first timer. But I think I need to improve communication skills in this virtual environment.
Could've been better if...
I wish we had have just one face-to-face meeting for a social before the virtual group work, just to know other group members a bit better. In our case, if I had known the group ahead of time, I would've spent some time with them during the face-to-face orientation meeting. The choice of Google Wave as an initial chatting tool was not optimal. In retrospect, Skype would've been better because at least we could see each other while discussing the matters. But, once we hammered out the important issues, the rest of the sessions were fine in the following virtual collaborations.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Mod 4: Challenges and rewards in distance education
Please follow the link below to go to our group presentation for this week.
Kele, Lee, and Kye's group presentation on "Challenges and rewards for students, teachers, and institutions in distance education
We divided up the areas of the concern into three, and each member worked on their part.
Challenges and rewards
for students - Kele
for teachers - Kye
for institutions - Lee Anne
in distance education.
We collaborated on the group project using:
1. Google Wave to discuss matters synchronously
2. Emails for asynchronous exchanges of ideas and notices
3. Tried Twiddla and WiseMapping
4. MS powerpoint for initial draft of the presentation
5. Google Docs as repository of group presentation
6. VoiceThread to make suggestions/comment and place our commentaries on the slide.
Kele, Lee, and Kye's group presentation on "Challenges and rewards for students, teachers, and institutions in distance education
We divided up the areas of the concern into three, and each member worked on their part.
Challenges and rewards
for students - Kele
for teachers - Kye
for institutions - Lee Anne
in distance education.
We collaborated on the group project using:
1. Google Wave to discuss matters synchronously
2. Emails for asynchronous exchanges of ideas and notices
3. Tried Twiddla and WiseMapping
4. MS powerpoint for initial draft of the presentation
5. Google Docs as repository of group presentation
6. VoiceThread to make suggestions/comment and place our commentaries on the slide.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Mod 3: WiseMapping - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Tool
Name of the tool
WiseMapping
Url of the tool
http://www.wisemapping.com
Primary category of the tool
Critical thinking and problem solving
** Please click the following links to watch screencast version of the review **
#1: http://screencast.com/t/YzJjMDUzNTUt
#2: http://screencast.com/t/ODkzMDFmYz
#3: http://screencast.com/t/NGY2OTczN
#4: http://screencast.com/t/NGFkMTI4
Description of the tool
WiseMapping is a concept and mind mapping diagram tool that is available for free on the Internet. The key functionalities of mind mapping, from creating to archiving and sharing, are provided via the Web interface. Unlike other programs, such as Freemind - the very popular desktop mind map program and iMindMap - a heavyweight mind map software with many bells and whistles, WiseMapping is a simple Web 2.0 version of mind mapping tool. Thus, WiseMapping sticks to its core features of mind mapping: a) create topic nodes with boxes, b) add subtopics under any topic node, c) add subtopics to the topic node, and d) re-arrange the hierarchical structure of the map with drag and drop. The notable Web 2.0 aspects of the WiseMapping are the features that enable users to add a link to the topic node, to add a tag to the mind map for search on the internet, to share your mind map with others via either collaboration or viewing, and to publish your mind map on the Internet via the WiseMapping server. When you publish, you are given three options as to how you might embed your mind map in your document: a) simple url, b) direct url link, c) html code for embedding as iframe tag inside the html file.
WiseMapping offers only one association between topic nodes: the parent and a child. Children can have only one parent whereas a parent may have many children. However, this simplicity with easy collaborations via the Web is what attracts educators the most as a valuable tool in their teaching situations.
What do you need to know before using this tool?
No particular skills are needed.
What do you need to have before using this tool?
A computer with the Internet connection. Mac users need to use Mozilla-based browser.
How do you use this tool?
1. Register at http://www.wisemapping.com
2. Watch the video, "WiseMapping in two minutes."
3. Click on "My Wisemaps" link at the upper right hand corner.
4. Click on "Create a new map."
5. Watch the "First Edit" video by clicking the button in the lower left corner.
6. Click on "Shape" icon under the topic menu to determine the shape of the topic node.
7. Click on "Add" icon to create a topic node.
8. Double-click on the node to edit the title of the topic node.
9. To create a subtopic, add a topic and move it to the parent topic node. Once the parent topic node has at least one subtopic, you can create subtopics by clicking on "Add" or simply by clicking "Enter." When you add a node, it is created under the root topic node.
10. Click on a small circle attached to the node to expand or collapse the subtopics.
11. Click on "Note" icon to attach a note to the topic node.
12. Click on "Tag" icon to create a tag on the map.
13. Click on "Share" icon to invite collaborators or viewers for the map.
14. Click on "Publish" icon to publish the map on the Internet.
Example of WiseMapping
The following example of WiseMapping illustrates how students can use WiseMapping to collaborate on solving math problems on the Web. It has been always difficult to have students think about more than one ideas, let alone collaboration on multiple ideas when solving math problems. With WiseMapping, math teachers can achieve both: multiple perspectives and collaboration.
The topic nodes on the left illustrate multiple ideas of students. One upper right node is a question node. The node in the lower right corner is the summary node that concludes their effort on the problem. Icons are used to indicate different students working on nodes.
Please click the link below to view the example - only Mozilla Firefox is supported.
ProblemSolving-1
Description of a scenario of how WiseMapping might be used in a teaching environment.
Cooperative or collaborative learning in mathematics has not been as successful as in other subjects. The small group dynamics in mathematics classrooms often lead to peer teaching, dominated by one or two students in the group. Moreover, The two most important activities in mathematics, problem solving and proof do not lend itself to collaboration for many reasons. We often hear from mathematicians and students alike, “I do not remember what exactly went on when I solved the problem,” leaving little room for collaboration. A Web 2.0 tool such as WiseMapping - critical thinking and problem solving, could provide mathematicians and students with an opportunity to make their thought process of problem solving or proving a theorem visible to themselves and others.
As illustrated in the example of WiseMapping, math instructors can use WiseMapping to help students to expose their ideas to themselves and other students before leaping into a solution phase. This is what makes collaboration in mathematics possible, and WiseMapping is a perfect tool for the task. Consequently, I would use WiseMapping in any teaching scenario in which collaboration or multiple perspectives is a key to learning. I present two specific scenarios.
Scenario #1
I teach one section of low division precalculus each year. My teaching method - let students work on problems alone, let them collaborate on them, and let them present their work to the whole class with minimal lectures - has not been as successful as in my other upper division courses. One particular area of concern is the degree to which they collaborate in the beginning of each class. Firstly, they are not mathematically mature enough to exchange ideas toward a solution. secondly, it is questionable if they worked alone as they were supposed to do so before each class. I would ask students to use WiseMapping to exchange their ideas on the problems within each group. That way, students will be forced to work and share their ideas before each class. As a consequence, I as a teacher expect more lively discussions in class.
Scenario #2
Another difficult area in college mathematics teaching is to teach students to learn multiple perspectives about problem solving or proof. It should be noted that the two dimensional and nonlinear aspect of WiseMapping is a perfect environment for learning multiple perspectives. Almost all solutions of math problems show the linear, one way only characteristics. It would be very difficult for students to imagine other ways to solve the same problem in such environments. Hence, I would use WiseMapping in challenging problems and projects in my geometry class for educational majors in order to teach them there are always more than one way to do in math. The goal would be to have future teachers think about the challenging problem early on, then share their ideas together so that multiple perspectives are generated and appreciated by themselves.
What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
Two major advantages of using WiseMapping in teaching mathematics are: a) have students reveal their thought process of problem solving or proof, thus make possible collaboration on developing and sharing ideas toward problem solving or proof.
What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
One disadvantage of using this particular tool is the fact that the product is not supported either by the strong non-profit company or by a stable company. There is a chance that the product will cease to exist. Another disadvantage could be not having multiple association types between the nodes. Each node can have only single line of information.
WiseMapping
Url of the tool
http://www.wisemapping.com
Primary category of the tool
Critical thinking and problem solving
** Please click the following links to watch screencast version of the review **
#1: http://screencast.com/t/YzJjMDUzNTUt
#2: http://screencast.com/t/ODkzMDFmYz
#3: http://screencast.com/t/NGY2OTczN
#4: http://screencast.com/t/NGFkMTI4
Description of the tool
WiseMapping is a concept and mind mapping diagram tool that is available for free on the Internet. The key functionalities of mind mapping, from creating to archiving and sharing, are provided via the Web interface. Unlike other programs, such as Freemind - the very popular desktop mind map program and iMindMap - a heavyweight mind map software with many bells and whistles, WiseMapping is a simple Web 2.0 version of mind mapping tool. Thus, WiseMapping sticks to its core features of mind mapping: a) create topic nodes with boxes, b) add subtopics under any topic node, c) add subtopics to the topic node, and d) re-arrange the hierarchical structure of the map with drag and drop. The notable Web 2.0 aspects of the WiseMapping are the features that enable users to add a link to the topic node, to add a tag to the mind map for search on the internet, to share your mind map with others via either collaboration or viewing, and to publish your mind map on the Internet via the WiseMapping server. When you publish, you are given three options as to how you might embed your mind map in your document: a) simple url, b) direct url link, c) html code for embedding as iframe tag inside the html file.
WiseMapping offers only one association between topic nodes: the parent and a child. Children can have only one parent whereas a parent may have many children. However, this simplicity with easy collaborations via the Web is what attracts educators the most as a valuable tool in their teaching situations.
What do you need to know before using this tool?
No particular skills are needed.
What do you need to have before using this tool?
A computer with the Internet connection. Mac users need to use Mozilla-based browser.
How do you use this tool?
1. Register at http://www.wisemapping.com
2. Watch the video, "WiseMapping in two minutes."
3. Click on "My Wisemaps" link at the upper right hand corner.
4. Click on "Create a new map."
5. Watch the "First Edit" video by clicking the button in the lower left corner.
6. Click on "Shape" icon under the topic menu to determine the shape of the topic node.
7. Click on "Add" icon to create a topic node.
8. Double-click on the node to edit the title of the topic node.
9. To create a subtopic, add a topic and move it to the parent topic node. Once the parent topic node has at least one subtopic, you can create subtopics by clicking on "Add" or simply by clicking "Enter." When you add a node, it is created under the root topic node.
10. Click on a small circle attached to the node to expand or collapse the subtopics.
11. Click on "Note" icon to attach a note to the topic node.
12. Click on "Tag" icon to create a tag on the map.
13. Click on "Share" icon to invite collaborators or viewers for the map.
14. Click on "Publish" icon to publish the map on the Internet.
Example of WiseMapping
The following example of WiseMapping illustrates how students can use WiseMapping to collaborate on solving math problems on the Web. It has been always difficult to have students think about more than one ideas, let alone collaboration on multiple ideas when solving math problems. With WiseMapping, math teachers can achieve both: multiple perspectives and collaboration.
The topic nodes on the left illustrate multiple ideas of students. One upper right node is a question node. The node in the lower right corner is the summary node that concludes their effort on the problem. Icons are used to indicate different students working on nodes.
Please click the link below to view the example - only Mozilla Firefox is supported.
ProblemSolving-1
Description of a scenario of how WiseMapping might be used in a teaching environment.
Cooperative or collaborative learning in mathematics has not been as successful as in other subjects. The small group dynamics in mathematics classrooms often lead to peer teaching, dominated by one or two students in the group. Moreover, The two most important activities in mathematics, problem solving and proof do not lend itself to collaboration for many reasons. We often hear from mathematicians and students alike, “I do not remember what exactly went on when I solved the problem,” leaving little room for collaboration. A Web 2.0 tool such as WiseMapping - critical thinking and problem solving, could provide mathematicians and students with an opportunity to make their thought process of problem solving or proving a theorem visible to themselves and others.
As illustrated in the example of WiseMapping, math instructors can use WiseMapping to help students to expose their ideas to themselves and other students before leaping into a solution phase. This is what makes collaboration in mathematics possible, and WiseMapping is a perfect tool for the task. Consequently, I would use WiseMapping in any teaching scenario in which collaboration or multiple perspectives is a key to learning. I present two specific scenarios.
Scenario #1
I teach one section of low division precalculus each year. My teaching method - let students work on problems alone, let them collaborate on them, and let them present their work to the whole class with minimal lectures - has not been as successful as in my other upper division courses. One particular area of concern is the degree to which they collaborate in the beginning of each class. Firstly, they are not mathematically mature enough to exchange ideas toward a solution. secondly, it is questionable if they worked alone as they were supposed to do so before each class. I would ask students to use WiseMapping to exchange their ideas on the problems within each group. That way, students will be forced to work and share their ideas before each class. As a consequence, I as a teacher expect more lively discussions in class.
Scenario #2
Another difficult area in college mathematics teaching is to teach students to learn multiple perspectives about problem solving or proof. It should be noted that the two dimensional and nonlinear aspect of WiseMapping is a perfect environment for learning multiple perspectives. Almost all solutions of math problems show the linear, one way only characteristics. It would be very difficult for students to imagine other ways to solve the same problem in such environments. Hence, I would use WiseMapping in challenging problems and projects in my geometry class for educational majors in order to teach them there are always more than one way to do in math. The goal would be to have future teachers think about the challenging problem early on, then share their ideas together so that multiple perspectives are generated and appreciated by themselves.
What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
Two major advantages of using WiseMapping in teaching mathematics are: a) have students reveal their thought process of problem solving or proof, thus make possible collaboration on developing and sharing ideas toward problem solving or proof.
What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
One disadvantage of using this particular tool is the fact that the product is not supported either by the strong non-profit company or by a stable company. There is a chance that the product will cease to exist. Another disadvantage could be not having multiple association types between the nodes. Each node can have only single line of information.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Example of "Jing" Web 2.0 Creativity Tool
Here is an example of Jing application.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Dear Faculty members,
Welcome to online course development!
This short blog presentation will walk you through the Learning Management System (LMS) that you're going to use to create your online courses. More detailed face-to-face discussions will follow. I will be available through your entire online course development process.
The example course is English 1301, but the structure and navigation of the system will be similar to your future math courses. The snapshots and videos in this blog will show the teacher's view of the course, but it will be almost identical to what your students will see. Each course starts with the front page of the course that looks like this.
[[ The image was captured on my desktop with an option to get a copy of embedded html code for the image that has been stored in screencast.com at capture. In this way my blog page can download the image from the screencast.com to display properly. You have a second option to do the same by storing an image file on your computer, then you can upload it directly to your blog site through its editor. You have two options to adjust the size of the image: a) you can set the canvas size the way you want it when you capture the image in Jing, or b) you may adjust the width and the height of the image in the web-editor such as a blog html-editor, but in this case, the ratio of the width and the height should be the same as the ratio of the original image captured.]]
In the left pane, the course contents are organized in folders. The main frame shows the main cover page, the author's video window, and the modules for students to follow throughout the course. Each module consists of different activities such as video lectures to watch, reading assignment, discussion board, peer reviews, and others. Students can mouse over each module to see what kind of activities they will do in each module. The following video shows those modules and activities.
[[Jing allows us to embed a short video.]]
I like to present a particular learning management system (LMS) to faculty members who are new to the system, but want to write an online course themselves using the LMS. The presentation will provide them with an overview of the LMS so that they understand what features are offered, thus they can create a lesson plan for the LMS. Jing could be a good Web 2.0 tool for this purpose. Explanations are given in double brackets. Only the first part of this presentation is prepared for the purpose of Jing example.
::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::
Dear Faculty members,
Welcome to online course development!
This short blog presentation will walk you through the Learning Management System (LMS) that you're going to use to create your online courses. More detailed face-to-face discussions will follow. I will be available through your entire online course development process.
The example course is English 1301, but the structure and navigation of the system will be similar to your future math courses. The snapshots and videos in this blog will show the teacher's view of the course, but it will be almost identical to what your students will see. Each course starts with the front page of the course that looks like this.
[[ The image was captured on my desktop with an option to get a copy of embedded html code for the image that has been stored in screencast.com at capture. In this way my blog page can download the image from the screencast.com to display properly. You have a second option to do the same by storing an image file on your computer, then you can upload it directly to your blog site through its editor. You have two options to adjust the size of the image: a) you can set the canvas size the way you want it when you capture the image in Jing, or b) you may adjust the width and the height of the image in the web-editor such as a blog html-editor, but in this case, the ratio of the width and the height should be the same as the ratio of the original image captured.]]
In the left pane, the course contents are organized in folders. The main frame shows the main cover page, the author's video window, and the modules for students to follow throughout the course. Each module consists of different activities such as video lectures to watch, reading assignment, discussion board, peer reviews, and others. Students can mouse over each module to see what kind of activities they will do in each module. The following video shows those modules and activities.
[[Jing allows us to embed a short video.]]
Jing: Web 2.0 Creativity/Innovation Tool
Name of the tool:
Jing
Url of the tool:
http://www.jingproject.com
Primary category of the tool:
Creativity and Innovation - screen image and video capture with audio for presentations
Description of the tool: Jing
Jing is a tool that captures images or animations on your computer with your own voice narratives. That is, Jing records everything you see or do on a selected area of your computer screen for up to 5 minutes. Once captured, The images or videos can be available instantly on the Web if the user sends them through either screencast.com or saves them locally and uploads to the website, like your blog site. All of these tasks are done by following the very simple, but intuitive user interface Jing provides. One cannot underestimate the neat features Jing offers after the screen is captured. The user can add arrows and text boxes to attach textual information to some part of the captured screen. In addition, the user can highlight or frame the region of the captured screen. The user can choose the color of his/her choice on any screen elements Jing offers, such as red arrow or blue text box.
Jing
Url of the tool:
http://www.jingproject.com
Primary category of the tool:
Creativity and Innovation - screen image and video capture with audio for presentations
Please click the link below to listen to the podcast part I.
Description of the tool: Jing
Jing is a tool that captures images or animations on your computer with your own voice narratives. That is, Jing records everything you see or do on a selected area of your computer screen for up to 5 minutes. Once captured, The images or videos can be available instantly on the Web if the user sends them through either screencast.com or saves them locally and uploads to the website, like your blog site. All of these tasks are done by following the very simple, but intuitive user interface Jing provides. One cannot underestimate the neat features Jing offers after the screen is captured. The user can add arrows and text boxes to attach textual information to some part of the captured screen. In addition, the user can highlight or frame the region of the captured screen. The user can choose the color of his/her choice on any screen elements Jing offers, such as red arrow or blue text box.
Applications of this compact, but capable tool are boundless. You may use Jing to insert a simple visual information such as a map into an instant messaging conversation, an email as a link (url), and even a Word document or powerpoint presentation. But, the most compelling use of Jing should be where an instant image or video information is needed at the moment of ongoing conversation or collaboration on the Web. Jing's website aptly describes it as "Snap a picture of your screen, record video of onscreen action, and share instantly over the web, IM, email."
What do you need to know before using this tool?
The required knowledge is minimal. The only place where the user might be confused is when he/she copies the embedded html code from the clipboard. But, the knowledge of Html is not required.
How do you use this tool?
1. Download and install the free version of Jing from the Url listed above.
2. The clipped yellow sun (Jing application icon) is located at the corner of upper right-hand screen. It will appear when Jing is running.
3. Click on the Jing icon.
4. Choose an action among "capture, history, and more."
5. When "capture" is clicked, you can select the area of your computer screen with the cross-hair.
6. Once the selection is made, the menu icons of the Jing application screen appear; they are "capture an image, recored a video, record webcam with Jing Pro, and redo selection."
7. For an image capture, click on "capture image icon." You have an option to send the image to screencast.com or to save the image to your local computer. If the first option is chosen, the url link to the screencast.com site or the embedded html code containing html code for linking will be copied onto the clipboard so that you can simply paste it onto the editor or the document you're working on.
8. For a video recording, click on "record a video icon." Then, the recording screen appears. At this time, everything you see and do in the selected computer screen will be recorded, possibly along with your narratives. When, the recording is done, you can make it available the same way as you would with the captured image.
An example of using this tool
Please follow the link to the example:
http://kye5.blogspot.com/2010/07/example-of-jing-web-20-creativity-tool.html
A description of how I might use this tool in a teaching environment
I have quite a unique teaching style in college mathematics teaching. In most courses, my students need to present their mathematical work (either problem solving or proof) to the whole class. This particular technique is very powerful because the students' attitude toward their work is very different when they think they have to explain what they understood to the whole class in front of the teacher. They reflect upon their work relentlessly until they really make sure they got it.
However, it had some drawbacks in the past. Some (but not often) students simply cannot explain math in front of his/her peers and the teacher. So I had to let them do it in my office privately, which is very time consuming. Also, I usually have many students in my office during the office hours because some students want to rehearse their presentations before class. Jing has a great potential to remedy this situation. Some shy students may create a Jing document before their presentation and make it available to the teacher or to their group. This Jing document with images and voices could mimic what they would do during their presentations. The student in the same group may rehearse their presentations with Jing documents before class one another, which can save many hours of teacher's time. Extremely shy students now create Jing presentations for his/her teacher for grade. I admit some students either dropped the class or changed the section because of mandatory presentation requirement. With Jing, I have now an alternative.
Another use of Jing in a teaching environment is online tutoring. One difficulty of online (math) tutoring is the context in which the question arises. When a student asks a question online, he/she has to explain the whole context just to explain what the question is. This usually wouldn't be a problem in face-to-face to tutoring environment with textbooks and other materials available. If students are taking an online course, this issue of context is even more problematic because tutors often times do not have access to the web page the student is looking at. In this scenario, Jing can help greatly in that student can simply capture the question and its context, and insert his/her questions with arrows and text boxes onto any form of online tutoring - either email, IM, or web. Then, the tutor can return the Jing document with hints or suggestions. This exchange can continue until the student can get enough help they need.
What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
Jing generalizes the notion of a document that the students and a teacher communicate by. With the documents created by pencil and paper, the students and a teacher used to exchange textual and visual information efficiently in the form of homework and projects. In digital era, the students and a teacher were able to exchange textual information efficiently, but not images and videos. With Jing, the students and a teacher can now exchange information not only in terms of text and images, but also in terms of videos. For example, the teacher may read homework document submitted in any form, document or image, then insert comment on their work with Jing and return their work. The use of videos in presenting their work or projects that can be captured in their computer screens opens up a fascinating possibility in many academic learning and evaluating situations.
What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment
The reliability of information could be an issue. Images and videos are not reliable as textual documents. They may be easily corrupt during transfer. It also requires bigger data, which implies more Internet bandwidth for such data exchanges. It also requires more care to create images and videos, even with Jing.
What do you need to know before using this tool?
The required knowledge is minimal. The only place where the user might be confused is when he/she copies the embedded html code from the clipboard. But, the knowledge of Html is not required.
How do you use this tool?
1. Download and install the free version of Jing from the Url listed above.
2. The clipped yellow sun (Jing application icon) is located at the corner of upper right-hand screen. It will appear when Jing is running.
3. Click on the Jing icon.
4. Choose an action among "capture, history, and more."
5. When "capture" is clicked, you can select the area of your computer screen with the cross-hair.
6. Once the selection is made, the menu icons of the Jing application screen appear; they are "capture an image, recored a video, record webcam with Jing Pro, and redo selection."
7. For an image capture, click on "capture image icon." You have an option to send the image to screencast.com or to save the image to your local computer. If the first option is chosen, the url link to the screencast.com site or the embedded html code containing html code for linking will be copied onto the clipboard so that you can simply paste it onto the editor or the document you're working on.
8. For a video recording, click on "record a video icon." Then, the recording screen appears. At this time, everything you see and do in the selected computer screen will be recorded, possibly along with your narratives. When, the recording is done, you can make it available the same way as you would with the captured image.
An example of using this tool
Please follow the link to the example:
http://kye5.blogspot.com/2010/07/example-of-jing-web-20-creativity-tool.html
A description of how I might use this tool in a teaching environment
I have quite a unique teaching style in college mathematics teaching. In most courses, my students need to present their mathematical work (either problem solving or proof) to the whole class. This particular technique is very powerful because the students' attitude toward their work is very different when they think they have to explain what they understood to the whole class in front of the teacher. They reflect upon their work relentlessly until they really make sure they got it.
However, it had some drawbacks in the past. Some (but not often) students simply cannot explain math in front of his/her peers and the teacher. So I had to let them do it in my office privately, which is very time consuming. Also, I usually have many students in my office during the office hours because some students want to rehearse their presentations before class. Jing has a great potential to remedy this situation. Some shy students may create a Jing document before their presentation and make it available to the teacher or to their group. This Jing document with images and voices could mimic what they would do during their presentations. The student in the same group may rehearse their presentations with Jing documents before class one another, which can save many hours of teacher's time. Extremely shy students now create Jing presentations for his/her teacher for grade. I admit some students either dropped the class or changed the section because of mandatory presentation requirement. With Jing, I have now an alternative.
Another use of Jing in a teaching environment is online tutoring. One difficulty of online (math) tutoring is the context in which the question arises. When a student asks a question online, he/she has to explain the whole context just to explain what the question is. This usually wouldn't be a problem in face-to-face to tutoring environment with textbooks and other materials available. If students are taking an online course, this issue of context is even more problematic because tutors often times do not have access to the web page the student is looking at. In this scenario, Jing can help greatly in that student can simply capture the question and its context, and insert his/her questions with arrows and text boxes onto any form of online tutoring - either email, IM, or web. Then, the tutor can return the Jing document with hints or suggestions. This exchange can continue until the student can get enough help they need.
What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
Jing generalizes the notion of a document that the students and a teacher communicate by. With the documents created by pencil and paper, the students and a teacher used to exchange textual and visual information efficiently in the form of homework and projects. In digital era, the students and a teacher were able to exchange textual information efficiently, but not images and videos. With Jing, the students and a teacher can now exchange information not only in terms of text and images, but also in terms of videos. For example, the teacher may read homework document submitted in any form, document or image, then insert comment on their work with Jing and return their work. The use of videos in presenting their work or projects that can be captured in their computer screens opens up a fascinating possibility in many academic learning and evaluating situations.
What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment
The reliability of information could be an issue. Images and videos are not reliable as textual documents. They may be easily corrupt during transfer. It also requires bigger data, which implies more Internet bandwidth for such data exchanges. It also requires more care to create images and videos, even with Jing.
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