In July 2011, Blackboard announced the release of Blackboard Collaborate™ 11 web conferencing, the first product that combined the best of both Elluminate Live! and Wimba Classroom. Drawing from the best elements of these two long-competing products, it boasted a new, modern interface that represented a tremendous leap forward. However, it also meant that schools using Wimba Classroom faced an upgrade process that was more significant than any upgrade before. Wimba Classroom customers not only had to learn the new user interface, they also had to learn a new administrative system as well. In this presentation at 2012 SLATE Conference, learn how the technology team at Northern Illinois University balanced other technology upgrade initiatives and staffing requirements in order to ensure a smooth-yet-quick upgrade to Blackboard Collaborate, and ultimately, enjoyed a much easier upgrade experience than they anticipated.
Designing an Exemplary Online Course: Blackboard Announces Open Online Course to be Offered
Blackboard has announced a new open online course “Designing an Exemplary Course,” as part of the CourseSites Open Course Series. The course will run from September 26th – October 17th, 2012. Registration is free and opens Wednesday, September 19th.
Whether you are just getting started or are an advanced online educator, this course will provide you with a framework to help identify and apply best practices for designing engaging online courses.
You will learn from 11 instructors and instructional designers including distinguished Exemplary Course Program (ECP) Directors and several of the 2012 ECP winners. Using the Blackboard ECP Rubric as a guide, the course will focus on the four critical elements of a course: design, interaction and collaboration, assessment, and learner support.
You will have the opportunity to participate in weekly live, online sessions, learn with peers in focus groups, and complete optional assignments to aid your course development and improvement. A panel of course design experts will facilitate each group to provide you with valuable feedback.
The learning environment will offer learners the flexibility to choose their own learning outcomes and time commitments based on individual needs. To maximize benefits of participation, optional homework assignments will be provided each week to apply concepts to build out one’s own course structure and materials. The course will provide a framework for forming collaborative teams.
For more details or to sign-up to be notified when registration opens, click here.
Miscellaneous Texting in Teaching Resources
Here are a few other miscellaneous resources related to text messaging in teaching, not previously mentioned.
- List of SMS Gateways – Wikipedia
List of mobile carriers providing SMS transit via SMS gateways.
- How to Send Text Messages to Students via Email for Free
Instructions for how to send text messages to students via email for free, provided you know students’ mobile phone number and carrier.
Are you aware of another miscellaneous resource regarding texting that you’d recommend be added to the list above? Leave a comment with the name, description, and link.
Opinions and Commentary on Texting in Teaching
What perspectives have already been shared concerning incorporating text messaging into teaching? The following links to opinions and commentary provide individual perspectives on texting and education.
- Teaching to the Text Message – Andy Selsberg, NYTimes.com, 2011
The longest assignment could be a cover letter, and even that might be streamlined to a networking e-mail. I’d rather my students master skills like these than proper style for citations. - Should Schools Teach SMS Text Messaging? – Andy Carvin, PBS Teachers, 2006
You may think that today’s kids already know everything they need to know about SMS text messaging, but some educators are now arguing that students need to learn texting in the classroom. Are they on to something, or is it a waste of time? - Teaching Through Text Message: Cell Phones Emerge as Learning Tool – Kathleen Sheneman, New Legacy Mobile
Instructors at UNLV are now using text messaging as a tool to teach students about the English language. - Teachers Use Cell Phones in the Classroom – Jason Koebler, U.S. News Education, 2011
Educators arguing that encouraging students to use cell phones turns the phones into educational tools, not distractions or cheating devices. - Zero-Thumb Game: How to Tame Texting – Sara Bernard, Edutopia, 2008
English teachers take text messaging to task — as a teaching tool. - Saline High School Senior Builds Group Text-Messaging Service – Sven Gustafson, AnnArbor.com, 2011
developer of gText, 18 year old student! - Teaching by Texting Starts to Take Hold – Karen Schwartz, Aol News, 2010
Most teachers who use cell phones in class also find it useful to blast text messages to their students, reminding them of homework assignments and tests. - Blogs, Wikis and Text Messaging: What are the Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities, Center for Implementing Technology in Education, 2008
An Info brief by the Center for Implementing Technology in Education. - Teacher Sentenced for Text Messaging Student Thousands of Times – Mary Richards and Sandra Yi, KSL.com
Police have arrested a school teacher in an unusual case, a text messaging relationship with a student that went too far. That teacher is now in jail. In one month alone, he sent 5,000 text messages to a 13-year-old girl.
Are you aware of another news story or other perspective available online on use of text messaging in teaching that you’d recommend be added to the list above? Leave a comment with the link.
