Technology anxiety

Here I am, blogging at 3:43 in the morning because I clearly have some latent anxiety about teaching with technology, and perhaps technology in general.  In our last class, I was super pumped about the capabilities of social bookmarking and wikis.  However, I felt the first underpinnings of fear that students (and myself!) would become overwhelmed with "too much of a good thing."  I enjoyed poking around in Delicous and Pintrist but I can also see how these features could quickly become a time vacuum.  So, for four nights since our last class, I have awoken in the middle of the night, either because of unsettling dreams about teaching with technology catastrophies or because I was talking in my sleep about using technology.  (My poor husband!)  I know it sounds crazy.  However, in a way I'm glad that this anxiety has surfaced because it forces me to contemplate both the benefits and drawback of these emerging technologies. 

I can clearly see the beauty of using  Wikis for class; I feel that this technology can truly enhance a class experience and provide students with one platform for the entire class.  Wikis can also be sounding boards on which students can continue the dialogue after class---sometimes 3 hours just isn't enough time!  I feel that social bookmarking sites could be incredibly useful for organizing resources, but I think that this technology would be more useful for individuals and colleagues, rather than whole classes.  The scientific article sharing site that we discussed last week could be a great resource for students who are doing a project together. 

Now that I've gotten some of these fears off my chest, hopefully I can go back to sleep.  I'm glad to see that my dog isn't sharing in my anxiety, as he is curled up asleep on the couch beside me.  

Week 2: Technology with Tea

After spending a decent amount of time trying to figure out how to follow a fellow classmate's blog, I now have some fodder for this week's posting.  My initial reaction to blogging was that I was surprised at how easy it had seemed. And indeed, I still feel that the personal posting process is quite user friendly.  I have, however, come upon a challenge in trying to officially follow another blog that uses a different service (e.g. WordPress vs. Blogger).  It was quite easy to begin following John's blog because we share the same service.  Unfortunately, my attempts to find a spot for following Jeremy on Word Press was unsuccessful.  I'm sure this problem has a easy solution, it will just require more time digging around (a common attribute shared by most technological difficulties, in my experience). 

I found the TPI exercise to be quite useful and a good jumping board for facilitating discussions about teaching styles and perceptions.  A fellow biologist and I were discussing the results and Pratt's interpretations of the different styles.  Both of us had scored high in the Apprenticeship category and we found this natural based upon our field.  However, neither of us had approached the interpretation of the Apprenticeship category in the way that Pratt had discussed.  We had both approached this teaching perspective for the view of working with individuals rather than Pratt's interpretation of the collective group.  I had a secondary dominant category of Nurturing, which did not come as a surprise to me.  I feel that creating a comfortable environment and focusing on the students can lead to a wonderfully productive class experience. 

My last thought for the day: Most challenges in life, including those that involve technology, are best approached with a calming cup of Chai tea in hand....

Let's kick-off the semester!

Hard to believe that 2012 has already arrived!  Along with that date comes the realization that my time at UGA is down to the year and a half mark.  Along with my dissertation research, I've been enjoying my involvement with the Interdisciplinary Certificate in University Teaching.  The courses that I've had up until this point have been very interesting and useful.  I'm looking forward to enhancing my teaching experience through active participation in this course (EDHI 9040).  I feel that a course focused on technology in the classroom will provide students with knowledge that is sure to be needed as a professor in this age of technological advances.  My past experiences with technology in the classroom has been rather limited (both as a student and as an instructor).  One area in which I've had experience as a student and am currently trying to utilize as an instructor is the use of a Wiki.  One of my previous education courses used a Wiki, which I felt enhanced the class experience.  This semester, one of my lab mates and I are assisting our professor with a course on Freshwater Mussel Biology.  We have set up a Wiki for this course, which I hope will assist in increasing active learning and student participation.  One thing I would like to accomplish in this course is exploring the possiblities of SoTL research with Wikis and learning how to effectively evaluate student use and satisfaction. 

Looking forward to a great semester!