Banners, Blogs, and Courses

Posted on February 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

I remember when I moved this blog from typepad to wordpress and wanted a new look for it. I searched my own photography and found this Einstein Lego photo from our Father’s Day trip to Lego Land. It was exactly what I was looking for. But I labored over it way too much. Cropping, sizing, stretching, …

Today I just threw together this 4″ by 1″ banner for my Advanced Technologies in Distance Ed course using clipart and PowerPoint (did you know you could save to .jpg? How cool is that?).

research_banner

For those using a learning management system to host course materials, a banner at the top of your course home page is just minutes away…

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Web/Tech

We are not truly adults until our parents are dead.

Posted on February 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

I don’t claim to be a psychologist and I bet I’m not the first person to realize this, so consider this post as a placeholder for comments and links as I discover whether my perception has any reality to it.

This morning I was reflecting on a telephone conversation with my mother yesterday. It was a family trip being planned. Participants are my parents, their 3 adult daughters, and 4 of our under-18 children. As I hung up from the food planning/bringing conversation, I recognized ‘relief’ as my major emotion. My mother (retired) was taking on the bulk of the food planning, buying, bringing and cooking responsibilities for our joint weekend timeshare get-away.

And I let her.

They say 50 is the new 30. They say we have more college graduates in ‘failure to launch’ conditions living with parents than ever before. We know divorced adults often move back in with their parents for a season.

I am a parent as well. Of 10 year old twins. Of a 23 year old step-daughter, just married last June. A recent phenomena with my daughter as she’s entering ‘adult life’ is that I feel almost a commission to offer advice. And to pay the check when we go places. Essentially I may still be taking care of her. I think that’s good. Not developmentally stilting, but good. It’s my expression of love.

Back to me and my mother. I let her take care of me. As the conversation was progressing I thought I was behaving as an equal, but when I hung up I found I’m bringing the prepared main dish for only one meal and nothing else. What that conversation was really about was not divvying up responsibilities but my mother discovering what it is my family likes so that she can take care of us. She loves me. And I love her for it.

But I’m beginning to get an inkling of what a change will be coming to me when I no longer have her around to lean on.

Is it awful that I am glad I can probably avoid growing up for another 20 years or so because my 69 year old parents are in such great health?

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Off Topic

Blackboard Learn 9 – FREE

Posted on February 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

It’s called CourseSites. John Fontaine calls it “a reimagining” of what once was. The value-add for faculty, in my opinion, AND potentially for your institution are the Course Structures and Course Themes.

Course Structures allow the Instructor, alone without supportive designers, and without expertise in developing online experiences, to read about and choose from 1 of 30 pre-built “structures” for the organization of his or her course.

Course Themes provide the eye candy, the bells and whistles that hopefully more fully engage the student.

Coming from a background in an institution that has few faculty resources for venturing into electronic spaces, Course Structures and Course Themes make ALOT of sense.

So try it out. Build and run your course. FREE. https://www.coursesites.com

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Course Management, Teaching and Learning, Web/Tech

Transitioning platforms in support of teaching and learning… new LMS anyone?

Posted on January 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

I was reading up on Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania this morning, starting with an article about loaning out iPads in a business class, but also mentioning their legacy “LMS” platform called webCafe (cool name, don’t you think?). Unlike the rest of the University of Pennslyvania, since 1998, the Wharton School has used the eRoom business-based document sharing software package customized with some 3rd party tools like Cogix ViewsFlash survey software and the Questionmark Perception assessment platform. Undoubtedly these were chosen individually as best of breed at the time.

But, like many of the rest of us, Wharton has been evaluating a system upgrade.

What you need to hear is this : “Any transition of this magnitude will be difficult, so we need to make sure we get it right,” said Alec Lamon, Senior Director of IT at Wharton.

Since the rest of UPenn uses Blackboard, it was evaluated. I’m not clear on the reasons, but they chose to upgrade to a newer version of eRooms. What’s interesting to me is that their notions back in 1998 of what an LMS should be remain viable:

  • forums for faculty and students to discuss and vote on topics of interest (non-class based groups)
  • share documents
  • group calendars and task lists
  • collaborate on projects online
  • support and enhance regular accredited classes, faculty research and collaboration

A new LMS is a huge decision. Rather than focusing on the tool decision itself, I’m generally seeing that more resources need to be utilized in planning for the transition itself.

In the case of the Wharton School, it may be that their gap analysis of changes between the current, and at least one of their potential replacements, was the single most important factor that went into the the final decision. Too often the gap analyses are not done as part of the initial decision-making process, but are done during transition planning. Maybe we have that backwards?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Course Management, Support, Teaching and Learning

If you pay for an LMS, then you should use your LMS …

Posted on January 21, 2011 | 1 Comment

I quite agree with this well written article by George Washington U senior, Matt Ingoglia, in the student publication, The Hatchet.

Reasons he’s heard for instructors choosing not to use their LMS, Blackboard, are ubiquitous among faculty. It’s time for faculty to embrace technologies that help organizing learning (if not learning itself) easier for their students.

http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2011/01/20/Opinions/Matt-Ingoglia.The.Fight.For.Using.Blackboard-3969427.shtml

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

iStrategy clients receive Blackboard letter

Posted on January 12, 2011 | 2 Comments

I logged in over at edu1world.org again today to see Vicki’s follow-up.

Vicki has posted a letter purported to be that which iStrategy clients are receiving from Michael Chasen at Blackboard notifying them of the acquisition of iStrategy by Blackboard. Here is the link so that you can go read her account yourself (I believe account creation is necessary): http://www.edu1world.org/Home/36509

Full text available here without logging in: http://www.gilfuseducationgroup.com/blackboard-and-istrategy-join-forces-from-the-trenches

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Current Affairs

Blackboard adding to its portfolio

Posted on January 6, 2011 | 2 Comments

Still no press releases to confirm Vicki Tambellini’s 12/30/2011 post that Blackboard has purchased data modeling/tools/analytics company, iStrategy Solutions. The price is rumored to be $12.5 million plus $1.5 million worth of Blackboard stock.

Also potentially in the works (or is it already a done deal?), the acquisition of Presidium, a provider of 24/7 support for learning management systems.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Course Management, Current Affairs