Teaching and Learning with Technology

It seems fitting that I post a year later inspired by the same event as last year: LDSC10 (Learning Design Summer Camp) here at Penn State.  I wanted to capture some of the big ideas that intrigued me at the sessions, all of which were good, by prompting of Brett Bixler and my own need to reflect.

Dr. Sam Richards inspiring keynote, including disturbing visuals, who said something to the effect of "getting out of the way of the students so they can learn".  I coincidentally heard over lunch that a library expert said we should "dis-intermediate" ourselves from the information seeking of our users.  Both these came together to remind me that those who libraries help and librarians teach are not simple questions, they are information seekers with needs and expertise.  If you look at each person asking a question or each student in class, they have an interest in either there answer or an education.  Don't get in the way!

Another point was made by the dueling Cole Camplese and Chris Long during their Hacking Pedagogy talk that on the continuum of student engagement in the classroom there is a way to aim high.  If the range is student attention, engagement as the next level, interaction as greater, and collaboration as highest THEN we should set our goal as collaboration with students and at least we should get engagement.

Finally there was a breakout session on the Teaching With Technology Certificate that can be earned at Penn State.  Though began as a way for instructors and graduate assistants to train in technology in teaching, it provides what I think is a great mechanism for representing Teaching for promotion and tenure with its online portfolio.