Each term Educational Technology Support (ETS) unit hosts a 3-hour orientation for new and experienced instructors and TAs. This session is supported and highly recommended by the Dean’s office.
In September 2014, the Educational Technology Support team facilitated two “Orientation to Learning Technology” workshops. We had a diverse group of attendees from every department in the faculty, ranging from PhD students teaching their first term to long-time Full Professors. However, everyone was united by their interest learning technologies and how they can use them to enhance their students’ educational experience.
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The workshop covered many different topics. Natasha Boskic and Sharon Hu discussed the pedagogical aspects of online and blended classroom environments. Bill Pickard went over the wide suite of learning technologies available to instructors and students, including Connect, Kaltura, Camtasia, and Collaborate. Ian Linkletter described the collaborative process of selecting learning technologies and configuring their most effective use. Instructors had the chance to explore these applications and exchange ideas about how they could use them in their classrooms.
Lots of information was passed around during the two “Orientation to Learning Technology” workshops, but the energy in the room remained high throughout both sessions. By the end of the 3 hours, attendees came away feeling confident and better equipped to take control of technology in the modern classroom.
Tech in Transit for September 2014 featured Jenny Ho and Austin Lee and their exploration of Piktochart – a website in which users can create infographics, banners, reports, and presentation. It offers a wide variety of premade templates that can be customized to suit individual needs. http://piktochart.com/
Jenny Ho and Austin Lee were both co-op students with ETS. Jenny holds the position of “TECwhiz” and supports Teacher Candidates with their technology needs, while Austin Lee is a “Tech Rover” and helps faculty members with using Connect and other educational technologies.
For the July 2014 showcase, Vandy Advandi discussed the topic of apps and web tools for effective teaching. Students respond well to lessons on smart board, iPads and laptops. Does that mean all apps and web tools qualify as “educational” tools? Certainly not! While most apps are animated worksheets, there are some valuable programs that serve as meaningful platform to display knowledge learning. Vandy showcased some cool apps and tools she knew and gave the opportunity for others to share with the rest of the crowd.
Vandy Advani was an Elementary Teacher Candidate, focusing on inquiry based learning. Vandy is passionate about engaging students and actively pursuing their interests. She believes in weaving technology with teaching in a constructive and meaningful way.
The March 2014 session was with Louai Rahal on Group Mind. Group Mind is an online tool that allow teachers to divide their students into randomly selected groups. The application takes the class list as an input and allows teachers to specify the number of students per groups. It can divide students into groups of 3,4,5,6 or 7 students. If teachers are not satisfied with the generated groups, they create new groups with one click. http://louairahal.net/GroupMind/index.html#
Louai Rahal is a PhD student in Human Development, Learning and Culture and taught for three years in the teacher education program at UBC. He has a strong passion for computer programming and enjoy creating computer scripts that help teachers create better classroom environments.
February 2014 featured Kidblog, as presented by Sofia Kristani and Manpreet Dhinsa. Kidblog is a blog environment tailored to students so they can get the most out of the writing process in the classroom. With Kidblog, teachers can monitor and control activity within their classroom blogging community as discussion moderators and content curators. http://kidblog.org/
Manpreet Dhinsa was an Elementary Teacher Candidate focusing on Personalized Learning and Technology. She loves to explore new ways to integrate technology into classroom settings that will enhance the learning experience for students.
Sofia Kristani was Elementary Teacher Candidate, focusing on Personalized Learning and Technology. She is passionate about teaching young children different funds of knowledge.
On October 3rd, 2013, Educational Technology Support hosted its first open house event. Together with members of the community, we enjoyed refreshments, games, and good conversation. Faculty of Education Dean Blye Frank joined us in welcoming faculty into our new space. This welcome extends beyond the open house, as we continually host workshops and events.
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On January 8th, 2014, Education student Curtis Weibe demonstrated Air Server at a Technology In Transit event. Air Server is software that allows up to 16 iOS devices to be displayed on a Mac or PC. Curtis uses Air Server to monitor iPad usage in the classroom and keep students on track.
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