Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Gregory, I have heard that- it is a shame because utilizing electric devices for academic purposes is a great way to keep students engaged and comfortable with the learning environment. I fully understand not accepting the use of phones to check personal emails or to text during class time. Here is a great resources that allows students to turn their smart devices into learning resources: http://www.socrative.com/ user guide: http://www.socrative.com/materials/SocrativeUserGuide Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Christopher, I am glad you agree and have embraced these resources. I love it because my satchel is now 5 lbs. lighter than it was ten years ago- it is nice not to lug around a stack of papers day after day! Yours in learning, Theresa Schmitt

Brian, I agree, not all students are wired to succeed in an online environment. I feel it is important not to limit options to online classes only- especially general education offerings, which is a growing trend in proprietary education. Classes such as Algebra or English Comp is often quite difficult for students; having that face to face experience does not come close to the mostly asyncronous environment found in online offerings, where students often feel lost. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Edward, Excellent! I always embed videos and links into my PowerPoint presentations just to break the monotony- for the students and for myself. I find after lecturing for more than 15 minutes or so students need a bit of visual stimulation. Videos do a great job of reinforcing the topics covered that class. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Thomas, I can appreciate what a time consuming and labor intensive job this is! Capturing video archives for student playback is well worth the effort, as you say in your post, it does reinforce the concepts taught in class and assist students in meeting the learning outcomes. Wishing you continued success with this endeavor. Theresa Schmitt

Brian, That is a fantastic use of technology. I do not think many people realize the money that can be saved by purchasing items online second hand or directly from the manufacturer. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Diane, You have touched on something very relevant to each of us as educators- the true need for additional resources out there proprietary to our niche fields of study. Though there is a wealth of information out there, there are many untapped areas that demand attention. I know publishers such as Pearson and Cengage are feverishly working at identifying and developing these materials, and there is a great need for subject matter experts in many fields. For many Adjunct Professors, this is a viable revenue stream worth looking into. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

John, Online manuals, diagrams, and virtual simulators are a fantastic resource. There are so many learning tools out there today I wish I had access to as a student- a vast wealth of information! I believe in five years time when devices such as Google Glass become commonplace, we will see an amazing integration of these learning tools and a hands free way in which we can access information so we are "doing" as we are learning in a hands-free manner. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Craig, In order to keep the student/teacher relationship professional, I limit my current student interaction to LinkedIn, Twitter (class feed only), and the forum built into the student portal. I do not feel it is old fashion to limit social media interaction. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt