I arrived at around 8:20 and talked to some people at breakfast. Just before the sessions started we realized we needed a lot more stickies, power strips, and network cables. I ran to the bookstore and got some stickies and then headed get power strips and network cables. Once I got back to the Inn things were pretty much running smoothly.
Barbara showcased some very cool things being done in the high schools and made the argument that studetns were coming to campus prepared to do the sorts of things being discussed at SSUG and probably more. This was challenged by a number of people. Some argued that there are still a number of students who are not exposed to technology before college and that there are a number that really don’t feel comfortable using it or want to use it.
Some of the topics that came out for me in the morning discussion were:
- Make sure to focus on the outcome don’t let the tech direct things.
- Things work best when faculty have a need and i.t identifies a solution.
- Faculty want to see a showcase to get a feel for how the tech can be incorporated into the course.
- How does one overcome the barriers or perceived barriers of a particular discipline?
- How do we measure the impact of the tech?
We came up with the small group topics and posted those around the room. We then reorganized and collapsed things to get down to seven topics. It’s now time for lunch and after then the group work this afternoon.
Sometimes I'm an Instructional Technologist and sometimes I'm a Mathematician, but I'm crazy all the time.
