Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Staying abreast of emerging technologies

Carol, It sound to me that you are more experienced than you may think! You bring up a great point though, without consistent use it easy to forget how to navigate the interface or all of the tools available in say Edmodo and Blackboard. What technology do you have at your disposal? Do your students have access to computers during class time or are you looking for out of class resources that support your curriculum? Theresa Schmitt

Discussion Comment

Staying abreast of emerging technologies

Carol, Sharing new technology for the classroom during faculty meetings is a great idea- it is fantastic your new institution does this! It is a shame about the iPads where you previously taught, but without proper training, I can see how this could happen. I am glad you are taking away some new ideas from this course and your institution is looking to incorporate more technology in the classroom to engage students. I am not familiar with many interactive story writers, but have included a couple below that look user-friendly: http://storybird.com/ http://www.inklestudios.com/inklewriter Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa… >>>

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Teleconferencing

Sheryl, I am happy to hear you may incorporate video chat into your curriculum. I find students are very inspired by talking with graduates who are now successful in their field. Some of the websites mentioned in the sharing learning materials portion of this class are also great resources when seeking out guest speakers. Publishers such as Pearson and Cengage are also helpful when seeking out speakers. I have found they have a great network of professionals who are willing to present to both small and large groups. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Document management and media sharing

Marietta, The amount of paperwork I carry home each evening has reduced significantly since I got into the habit of collecting work digitally. I also scan everything submitted as a hard copy, which converts documents to a PDF so I can email graded papers back to students with my detailed notes. This is especially handy when returning work at the end of the term. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Technology that is relevant and successful

Tabitha, Student response systems, aka clickers, are a great way to keep students engaged and foster discussion; I enjoy using them as well. Below is a link for the discussion group outlining some strategies for using clickers in the classroom: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/technology/clickers/ Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Technology that is relevant and successful

Mike, I am glad you have given this a try and have found success with a class page. Thank you very much for sharing your experience with utilizing Facebook as a teaching and sharing tool. Do you find monitoring the content to be a challenge or overly time consuming? Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Technology that is relevant and successful

Patricia, Thank you for sharing some of the tools you employ in class. I think Instagram is a great app for sharing images, I would love to hear how you have incorporated this into your curriculum. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Social Media Networking

Patty, I agree, there is a line that should be drawn when connecting with students via social media tools. I believe LinkedIn is a safe bet and Twitter when used as a teaching tool. With so many schools restricting faculty from connecting via social media tools, it is always best to review the institutional policies concerning these matters. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Presentation sharing

Anthony, You bring up a good point. A student may lack the confidence to create a visual presentation and share it with a group, especially if their computer skills are weak. PowerPoints are a great tool for showcasing material and organizing thoughts when sharing information, but yes, there are inevitably a few who prefer to submit a written paper. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Incorporating new technologies

Anthony, YouTube is a fantastic resource for tutorials, and cooking demos are quite popular. Are there any channels you subscribe to that you would recommend and can share with the group? Theresa Schmitt