To use or not to use technology in the Virtual Classroom?

I've been going over the study schedule and taking a look through the various activities - currently looking at the PowerPoint/ you-tube sections.
While I am generally a fan of PowerPoint and use it in a variety of personal applications and professional presentations, I have steered away from it in my current teaching of external NONA students.  I have found that videos seem to be more effective there for student learning as it offers a more humanised presence offering the best face-to-face teaching contact for external learners.  It also gives students more of a 'feel' of who you are, which in my experience, makes student more comfortable with calling/emailing me if there are any problems or concerns with their studies.
You-tube is one that I do use - sparingly I might add - on my moodle site.  The clips that I use are linked to specific areas of the modules that students are undertaking.  I have placed a link to one that I use and really like - have had great student feedback on this one - along with others, but thought I would share this one with you.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my students do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tjYoKCBYag

Age of Technology?

We are certainly living in the age of 'cool tools' in technology.  While we all see new technology emerging everyday if not every minute (!) and can certainly appreciate their 'coolness', as teachers, we now need to be addressing how we can use these 'cool tools' within our teaching.  The fact that many new technologies are popular and widely used doesn't always make them efficient or effective teaching tools.  I have seen quotes in recent research that highlight "Technology should not drive pedagogy", however many current technologies can be 'cool' as well as being effective teaching tools and have the potential to change the way we currently consider teaching and learning and technology implementation across our teaching specialisations - particularly for distance higher education students.  I am finding the 1st assessment piece in this course to be a real eye-opener as I come across a range of other 'cool' technology 'toys' that I think will be really beneficial in the teaching arena and look forward now to using more of these in my own teaching. Feeling a bit excited!

15th July 2011

My how times goes past quickly with an array of new technologies out there that I simply have no idea of, and potentially limited capacity to engage with!!?? Lets hope this is not the case...

Building the initial blog site was surprisingly more entertaining than I thought, and perahps more engaging than I had considered.

I am now actually looking forward to experimenting more as we progress and to developing a 'real' blog that is linked to the course that I currently teach..go figure!

Education Technology and the 'BLOG'

How would a Blog be useful in your teaching context? 12.07.11

Within the WIST course - Communication Pathways into University COMM40105 that I currently teach at CQUniversity I have student start a writing journal.  Writing this journal as part of their overall course work is aimed at engaging writing skills and critical thinking as well as being able to reflect on personal changes as they progress with their studies.
This said, I can see how an electronic blog could be equally, if not more effective.  However part of the journal writing that I encourage is also focused on the ability to keep a journal to outline some private thoughts, feeling etc and to use this as a venting space.  With this in mind some minor alterations would be required here to enable student/teacher view to commence with, and have further options for students to invite other students should they wish.