ROUGH EDITED COPY

CSUNElluminate Live!April 18, 2008

CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY:ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION SERVICES, LLC

PO BOX 278LOMBARD, IL 60148

"This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings."

>>> Can anyone see the caption? I can see the caption as well. Should we move onto the website? Or do you want to, I can bring up a PowerPoint screen and we can brainstorm ideas for using this.

The ideas are questions for Dr. Garcia, I'm going to have to check it out myself later when I have time. I was working with the captionist, but it looked pretty exciting. I'm going to take you off the application sharing and go back to the PowerPoint. Remember we talked about the having six microphones in at different times.

Looks like Kathy has a question there. Any other questions for Dr. Garcia? >> I have one, Ashley.>> Okay.>> All right, I'm just wondering Thomas, is it significantly different than doing an exam on web CT? This is Sally, by the way.>> [Voice is distorted and echoing]. This is a newer feature so if we do have some problems with it, that would be why. Typically the instructor and students participate. We will need to go forward and be flexible while we're waiting for the captionist. Rachel had a good point.

I'm going to start us off. My name is Ashley. My biggest -- it sounds like a good point.>> Ginny are you Ashley Skylar 2? >> I'm going to continue. I hope the echo is not... [captionist asks that anyone not talking mute their mics please].

Following a class, I actually, you will get a URL for the link -- I have done it for the students who are absent within six to eight hours. What I did is posed a multiple choice question in here. This is called polling when you pose some questions within the body of your lecture and along the top you should see the letters A, B, C, and D. I'm Ashley 1, I'm not sure who Ashley 2 is.>> I think Ashley 2 is Ginny. I think Ginny might actually be logged on twice. I'm not totally sure.>> I don't seem to have an A, B, or C.>> It's along the top. Um, where you have your buttons. You look along the top up there... and I tend to use this feature about every three to four PowerPoint slides.>> Ashley, can I make a point about recording the conference? >> Mm-mmm, absolutely.>> I did it, I did one, I've only done one but I learned the hard way that A, it's very easy to forget to turn on the record button, so you probably need to do it way before you start, the other thing is, there's a tool that allows you to let people flip around and go back to other slides. If you turn that tool on, then the slides don't advance in the recording. So you have to make sure you don't turn that on.>> Oh okay. I found after all the web conferences that I've done with my classes, I would say about 30% of them I forget to click the record button. And even for this course I didn't turn it on until like 11:30. You have to put a sticky note by your computer to remind yourself.>> We did have some different ideas about Elluminate. Students that haven't selected um, an option, A, B, C or D, I'll queue them. For example, Jenny, Rachel, Ginny and Anne is our captionist. I would queue those students to select an answer. And at a snapshot you can kind of get an idea if students are on track or kind of following along correctly, but it gets a little more actively engaged.

Additionally I, as I troubleshoot with using Elluminate or teaching an online class, I've always felt that I really want to, at a minimum, bring them on campus for, I guess an overview session of the website, how the course is constructed, but with asynchronous, some of the students don't perhaps read the, in the notes catalog indicating to come to campus for a session, so last summer what I did, I didn't have an on-campus session at all, but what I did was prerecorded an Elluminate conference doing the web tour of the web CT site with the PowerPoint. It was about a 45-minute overview of the class. I sent the students a link with their CSUN e-mail and in that PowerPoint I showed them how to log into web CT with screen shots and such. So I expected them from there to go into the web

CT and send me a private e-mail with um, us introducing ourselves and in the web conference I actually gave a keyword, um, like Mickey Mouse and then I expected them to send me that keyword as well.

And interestingly enough, it's um, what I have done in the web conference with asynchronous like this, I did do a bi-weekly class where we had the web conferences and in a three-hour class I would perhaps have like an 1:45 conference and embed keywords until the lecture or web conference. I wouldn't put them in a PowerPoint slide because I really wanted to force them to listen. So, and they had to e-mail me all three keywords to get attendance points for the class.

So that kind of provides you a little flexibility. You feel like there's some content that can effectively be gotten across and perhaps just a PowerPoint per se. Additionally I have the students take a participation quiz on web CT and in the participation quiz I actually asked 10 questions about the organization of the course and it was in a, the quiz format on web CT. And then, you know, for example, the first question is, there's a total of blank quizzes for 10 points each in the course and if they had watched the recording and reviewed all the syllabus and materials, they would have selected 10. But anyway, this is my way of getting them into the course within the first week. I think it was real helpful for the students on getting started in an oral course. I'm teaching two sections this summer in oral, so I'll be doing something similar as well.

Any comments or thoughts on that? The hidden keywords really was effective. I don't know how I came up with that, but I think the students really, it kind forced them to, to watch the lesson and be a little more accountable for the material.

It's a little more work on the instructor because you're checking e-mails and giving them attendance points, but I feel it was worth it. I see some text messaging on the questions, um, what I can say is the different times I've used the web conferencing, um, it can be somewhat distracting. I'm not saying this to give you a hard time, but when you have like a separate conversation within the chat while the instructor's trying to lecture on content, it's kind of like as if you're in the classroom and you have students you know, talking about the back of the class and um, I truly didn't mean to be quiet, but as an instructor and you have side bar with text messaging, as the instructor whenever I see text messaging, I want to look at it because I think you're asking questions or they're lost or confused. I'm trying to read that as well as trying to lecture. So just wanted to make a point.

So any ideas, let's just kind of brainstorm a bit. We can use the audio, let's have people perhaps raise their hand for

ideas and then I'll call on you and we can put it on the, on the PowerPoint slide here.>> I raised my hand -- Ashley did you get my hand raising? [ talking simultaneously ]>> Although when I do the hand raising, you break up audio-wise. That's weird. I was just going to make a comment for those that process cognitively different than the average person, the whole idea of the chat box and the captioning in a separate box and layering all these windows, it's, it's very difficult to process all that at the same time. The captioning especially in a separate window that I have to layer in. I eventually just gave it up.>> Thomas you want to give us some ideas or thoughts on if you think that's pretty busy with all the windows? I had the same thoughts so it's good that you bring that up.>> It's something I've heard from students off and on too. Before the captioning. Elluminate in general, there's a lot going on. The idea of educating students how to use it, to know what they can turn off, what they can resize, that's important, but I think the nature of the multimedia is such that if you did, did close a chat box and that became vital for the course, you'd be left out of that aspect.>> I definitely am not indicating to close the chat box, but you definitely want to make sure it's more structured. As the instructor, you need to be able to, be able to look at those but not be confused about where you're going with your lecture as well. So... any ideas or thoughts on Thomas's type-->> That's what I'm doing and it still seems confusing.>> Thomas, are you fighting the confusing layering of the windows? >> It sounds like you definitely have to manage the windows. I think it's optimal to have you know, two different monitors that are synced up but I don't know that the students would necessarily have all those technologies to do that, but um... absolutely. Thomas has a doctorate in technology so it's probably easier to manage all the windows. I definitely see it as a challenge for students, it's busy.>> Students with visual disabilities, in other words, visual processing is really what I'm talking about. Not whether or not they have their full vision, that's a whole nother layer of complexity on this. I think as faculty we have to really consider our audience and all the different learning styles and processing styles... which is part of accessibility.>> Would you think [breaking up] before the class, accessibilites for all features regardless when you teach in the class? >> For myself, it would be regardless. I tried to embrace [breaking up] without having to know the particular learning

styles or physical disabilities. They're not always apparent. So I try to teach more universally and I think as we embrace, as we embrace technology for the future, this is critical because this is an aspect where the technological divide will leave behind large portions of people.>> I totally agree with you Sue. I don't know, I would have to agree that [breaking up]-->> I missed that last part.>> I don't know that Elluminate is [breaking up] -- I definitely see your point on the inaccessibility of it. I don't know if we look at other web conferencing tools at CSUN that might be more accessible.>> I'm going to move this forward. I've also found with um, I'm sure [breaking up] -- or your class websites in teaching an online course or a hybrid course that organization is just so key, having things spelled out in several places, you know, having that structure right from the get-go. For example, this is just a snapshot of, over here of my lecture notes within the body of my class, but I have it, in one class I had it organized by chapters, in another I had it organized by weeks. I do try to vary things each semester, each class and I think it's more for myself as I troubleshoot what tends to be more effective.

But definitely within your body of your website, um, posting reminders, having an assignment description (?) Due dates, points within the class.

Any thoughts or ideas? Some of you have been teaching online courses or hybrid. Any things you do you want to share [distorted]. Uh Sally? >> Just, Sue and I used a softchalk module this semester and last time. You have to have accountability. [Can hear typing over the voices]. It didn't really take in any of the content. We had to create a quiz that really, we had to require that they pass the quiz with about 75% accuracy in order to get credit for doing the module, otherwise they could do it in 10 minutes and not actually learn anything.>> Very good point. So with the, did you also build in points for completion of the, of the module to bring about [audio overlapping].>> We didn't the first two semesters. We weren't totally sure how good it was. We took the first two semesters to test it out and change it. Now we're pretty sure it's good so next semester we're going to have points attached to it.>> What about like a reflective piece on the content within the module? >> It was very concrete content. It doesn't really lend itself to reflection very well, but they have to know it in order to be able to do one of the assignments, so, I think in the end it has

that, that same effect.>> Absolutely. Any other ideas for creating organization within an online or hybrid course? Anyone else? I know Rachel has taught some online courses. Judy, I know you've been teaching some hybrid or online courses as well. Any other thoughts on organization or tips that you use?

Okay, we will move forward then. I also have in here just um, let me go back to the previous screen, Judy was indicating that her [inaudible] was on the white board. My student like half and half PowerPoint and web CT. So the evaluation of the chapter content, Judy, is that what you mean? Judy is your audio working by chance? >> Yes dear. [Audio distorted].>> Tips for facilitating a chat room, like I said, I posted things in many places within the body of the, the semester's schedule in the syllabus. I put a reminder on the homepage of web CT. Additionally I labor the iPod on web CT with the date of the chat, I think that helps.

The first on campus session, Kathy has a question? >> Yes, Ashley, when you do your, the previous screen you were just talking about your discussion, your chat room, is that everyone together at one point or is that just whenever they feel like coming online? [ talking simultaneously ]>> Real good question. What I actually do is um, we have a class size of typically 25 to 30. When I first started doing chat rooms, I actually had a group of 25 to 30 in a chat. It was completely disastrous and what I started doing, that has been effective or more efficient to break up the group into two separate groups of 10 to 12 and it's much more manageable in that I have a chat of, like a 50 minute or hour chat with each smaller group. So that really helps. Sally, question? >> Is there a way to do small group work during the Elluminate session that you can sort of send them off to separate chat rooms to do something and then they come back? >> There are break out rooms within Elluminate and I can tell you that's one of the features I have not trouble-shooted yet or used. So we're still learning, but it does have that capability in Elluminate, I just haven't used it yet.>> Thank you.>> Kathy did you have another question? >> Yes, die have another question.>> Okay.>> So you break them up into 10 and 10.>> Yep.>> Are you, are they doing this all through typing? You're talking to them? I'm just, since I've never done this I'm--

>> That's okay.>> Basic logistics.>> Within the chat room in web CT I think Ivor and Thomas have other tools they're going to share that they use. Within web CT it's kind of like instant messaging, just like we're all typing here. I'll type hello. You know, it's instant messaging and it gives the name next to the person as they type and as the instructor, I just facilitate the chat, but there's no audio, it's all um, typing with this type of chat. I believe Skype is the chatting with the audio. I've never used that tool, but this is just a sample here that I, a sample e-mail that I sent out to the students a few days before the chat reminding them which group they're in, which students are in that group, um, the, where to go to access that chat link, which link to click on and just this past week I actually had a chat room discussion with all three of my classes. I was on the computer for about ten hours this past week with my classes, but um, something new that we tried this time was to have each person within the chat share for about five to seven minutes. And while that one person was sharing, everyone else within the chat was asking that person specific targeted questions about their observations. So that really helped.

Um, and then after five or seven minutes, then I would thank you, Kathy, for sharing, you know, "let's hear from Rachel." She'd type up a discussion and everyone would pose questions to Rachel. I actually have a list of names on a piece of paper and then I'd check them off so that I made sure to keep track of [breaking up]. Kathy, question? >> Have you ran across people who are really, really slow typers?

>> I had one student say that she couldn't type that fast and I just hold her just keep her typed responses short and concise. That helped. Rachel -- [breaking up]. Rachel a question? >> Um, I was just going to-->> If by chance you don't have the audio if you click on [no sound] -- it should be in yellow if you have the audio. Rachel want to try again? >> Ashley? >> Uh-huh.>> Um, every time I raise my hand I lose the audio.>> Ooh, that's good to know.>> Let's stop raising our hands and maybe if we just do a smiley face next to our name. Let's see if we lose audio if we do something like that.>> It took me a while to get to my smiley face.>> That's okay. Rachel do you want to try your audio? >> Can you guys hear me?

>> Yes, we can hear you.>> Okay, good.>> I was just asking Rachel, um, you know, I think she had some really good ideas for chat room, like having a student be a facilitator of the group and such, so I didn't know if she wanted to share a bit about that at all or....>> Okay....>> Um... I'm going to move on. I'm not sure if Rachel has the audio or not, if she can hear the audio. But I do always, I, I do tend to keep a discussion going by posing more questions. If it looks like only a few are participating and everyone has questions, then everybody starts typing questions. Pretty effective. Any ideas [audio overlapping].

So we can't hear Rachel's audio? Um... now that's very interesting Rachel. Can you type a couple key points? Maybe right on the PowerPoint slide? Grab a draw tool. Judy is suggesting a structured prompt. That would be great. That's a great idea. Dr. Bernstein must have just joined us. Welcome. Nancy, you want to test out your audio? So facilitator helps with managing the students, someone's asking Judy if she can give an example of a structured prompt. Can everybody hear the audio because I don't hear anyone else.>> I can hear you Ashley.>> Nancy do you want to test out your audio real quick? Um....>> Can you hear me now? [ talking simultaneously ]>> Yes, Nancy we can hear you.>> All right! Yay!>> So any other ideas um, on the chat room? Looks like you guys have some great ideas. Um, on the white board, maybe you can put your name before you're typing. That would give us, just like Judy's doing, that let's us know.

Okay, tips for facilitating a threaded discussion. Additionally on the website I'll note the due dates for the postings. You can see here it says the type of postings. If I have more than one posting throughout the semester, um, I'll actually change that heading and the due date to reflect the newer posting that's due. Um, additionally if I have any URL links to access an article, or material for a posting, um, I'll post you know, a copy of that picture of the journal or the article and I'll have that link right on the homepage of web CT. I think that's helpful. Within the discussion there's actually a link as well with the headings for that. Also in the syllabus I have it noted and I always have a timeframe, you know, it doesn't, it has to be due by a certain date, but I let them know like a whole week that they have to work on it. It makes them feel like they have more flexibility if you put some due dates.

Distribution in the syllabus. Additionally my discussion postings, I've always identified points for those postings in the syllabus as well.

Um, any ideas or thoughts on structuring questions? [Breaking up].>> I had a question.>> Okay.>> I have a question.>> Uh-huh.>> Can I talk? Okay... um... so what is the difference between a threaded discussion and a chat room? >> Threaded discussion is [audio distorted]. You can post something and then hours later go back and read what others have written on that topic.>> Okay, I got it. So it's just like how I use the discussion board, but the chat's in class, realtime? Sometimes I'll say a paragraph, three to four sentences. I always have them do a reflective posting for someone else's. I think that's a really good point. I have them do an initial posting and then I have them do reflective posting on the peers. If you look at the previous slide, I have two separate due dates identified. One says 129 and the other one says 2-3. On a Monday they have to do an initial posting and then by Sunday, at the end of the week they have to reply to peers. You have to have two different due dates, if you don't, you'll have students posting initial response on Sunday and people won't have time to do the reflective posting. Just something I learned with due dates. Any other thoughts or ideas on that?

Tips for using quizzes. I'll be quick here. I have the duration set here, timeframe set as well. You can have results available immediately or after the time is up. Multiple choice, true and false is what I more commonly use so students get the results right away, however I have been using the short answer with my 400 and 504 class and then the results are made available at the end of the time period. Any questions. [Audio distorted].>> Ashley? >> Uh-huh.>> I use the web CT quizzes with my 611 class and I give them unlimited timeframe because they said that we're using them for reading assessments, we can just make sure they do the reading and they have told me that by having an unlimited timeframe, they can use the quizzes as sort of a guide to what's really important in the chapter and they really, really like that. They said you have to read the whole chapter to do the quizzes, but you can tell by doing the quiz what's really important and it really helps guide their acquisition of the content.

>> So just to um, touch on what you said, you said you give [breaking up]? >> Yeah, and they can even print them out and do the reading with the quiz next to them. So right, Judy, it's almost a study guide.>> Still give them a midterm and final then for the class? Covering the content or just the quizzes alone for content? >> They have a midterm and a final in the class so the quiz is just two make sure that they're accountable for the reading. We have six of them during the semester. Six quizzes that cover all the reading.>> Um, and for example in the 401 C, I have 10 quizzes with the timeframe, but they don't have a midterm or final. Um... so I mean, what I've found with the timeframe is that the students that don't do well, I will let them know that it's real important to prepare more, as if it's an on-campus, closed note quiz and you won't have time to look up every answer. I think it forces them to prepare as if it's more of a typical on-campus midterm or final. [Breaking up] just my thoughts on that.

For 505, I did use it more for content, but then I followed up with the final um, exam on more case studies where they had to pull it all together for that. Um... and I have also, extended the duration for students requiring double time constraints. So it does provide that accessibility where you can reset it for a student with six for 60 minutes or however long they need. But I mean, I think that's a good feature too.

Different ways of using the quizzes, some good ideas. Any other thoughts on quizzes? Okay, I'll move us forward. Here we're going to move to see who's next. We already had Dr. Garcia share. Before everybody joined the conference at 1:00, we had some people troubleshoot the application sharing. So um, Ivor, if you want to test that out, see if you can bring up your website. Ivor doesn't look like he has audio, there he is. Ivor, testing audio. No audio, Ivor? Ivor, let's have you um, share your site.>> Can you hear me now? >> Yes.>> Yes, we can hear you.>> Okay, great. All righty so I'm just going to do the application sharing. Okay, can you see that? >> No. Not yet. Ivor do you have your audio? >> Hold on. I have my audio on.>> Okay, let's, I'm going to take it off, push on that button again and tell me what your pop-ups are? >> The audio button.>> Click on the application sharing with the hand in the box.>> Okay, I've got my website in there and I'm going to click on

it.>> Did you do share desktop? >> I believe so, let me see.>> [Commenting]. Open it up in a different browser, Safari or Firefox. It's coming up, Ivor.[talking simultaneously]>> It's not on mine.>> Okay, um, do you have another computer, can you see your website? >> Um, now I can. Can you see it? >> It does take a second. Do you have um, your website maximized or is it minimized? We did see it earlier, remember? >> Yeah, I'm trying to figure that out here.>> It's okay.>> Someone has control of this other than me. So what I'm seeing on my desktop, the application sharing is the Elluminate screen by way of Netscape. I'm looking at someone's e-mail. I'm looking at Virginia's e-mail.>> Oh, okay.>> Ivor, try again on application sharing.>> Rachel, you're funny.>> What about now? >> Hey Ivor we're looking at [breaking up]. While Ivor's loading this up, as you can see it really takes a bit to load. Um, you know, it's not [inaudible] here. Um, just know that, I mean, we're definitely using some functions that are probably not as common as you might use if you were to do a regular lecture with a class. Ivor did you want to try again or did you give up? >> Let me try it.>> Okay, most of my web conferences, to be honest, are strictly PowerPoint slides with if you open a question slide you cannot type text from a student. But I mean, we're really going above and beyond by having simultaneous audio, um, you know, trying to-->> Right.>> -- you know, we're definitely stretching it. But it's good to test some of these features out. You know what, do me a favor, do you see a globe? >> No I don't see a globe. Actually I was looking for that. Can you give it to me.>> Um... let me see... uh, moderator. Okay, I just gave you-->> Got the globe, we can do it that way.>> Yeah.[talking simultaneously]>> Go ahead.>> I was just, um, it comes up quicker using the web tour, it's an instructor, it's a blue globe on the top.

>> Can everybody see that? >> We can see you now.>> You should see me. Just want to make sure. I look at that a lot. Okay so this is my website, it's not compliant. I just want to say that. I'll be working on that during the summer. One reason I went with a commercial web posting platform is because I was very frustrated by the infrastructure and what the university was able to provide. So I find um, this platform is hardly ever down, people can access it really easily. It's tripod likus (?) And I really, it's really simple to use and my students find it easy to navigate as well.

Um, and they don't need to have multiple passwords or anything to get into it. But I have, I'm just going to go straight to the blogging. One thing I will show you before I do that, everything's accessible through my webpage and also um, do some Skyping, so students, you can see in this area here, if students want to contact me but can't make it to the university or it's late at night and happen to be up and want to schedule an appointment for 10:00 p.m., say, I don't mind accommodating them, but I prefer to do it during you know, regular hours.

Um, and a lot of students have taken advantage of that. If you go here to reading and assignments, I'm going to highlight quickly what Ashley said, that is, I found, even with the syllabus, they can download the syllabus on the second link at the top of the navigation bar, that giving them a prompt, and usually I've gone through a three-week prompt. They can plan a little and see what's due and they don't have to download the syllabus. I encourage them to download the syllabus, there 24 hours a day. There at school they can just do that. The other thing I do, all the lectures, you can see, I'm teaching 504 and 400 right now are put on the web and put in advanced classes. They can either download it and/or bring a laptop to class. I've been encouraging my students bring laptops. I'd like to see all my students bring laptops and you know, be able to download the stuff and have it there with them in class.

But anyway, I wanted to show you that and then, let me just take you to the class blog. Um, I've used the class blog as a way to link or bridge our classes together. So, the disconnect that one feels between Wednesday night and following Wednesday night, I just found I needed to, there were things I needed to say that I most generally forget or they needed to say something so we have this. So it's really a discussion board. It's a threaded discussion board. It's provided by Google and um, it's been really good. So for instance, um, this was Monday February 18th, I actually used this as an online class and I just want to thank Ashley for gently encouraging me to get on board and do

some Elluminate because it's been great. And she came to my first class and did it and so, it made a huge difference for me.

And anyway, they had to read an article. It was a critique of Mel Levine's work. One thing I like to do, students should not only write about their thoughts, but expand upon a fellow classmate's thoughts. So in order to get the points down here, they have to first of all post and then critique someone else's post. They have to read the article which was short post, then read all the posts and they have you know, three hours to do it. So... and all of them get it done and I'll show you what their comments look like.

And here are the posts and so I can go through this and read them and I also, while they're on there, I interact with them and once again, it's um, it's a discussion board, not a chat.>> [Commenting].>> Yeah? >> On the um, the discussions, we're not seeing that. Do we, did you [breaking up], comments is that where you're at? Towards the bottom? [ talking simultaneously ]>> Is that where you're at? >> Yeah, and it comes up in a different window. What should I do then? >> That's okay, I just want -- the only thing with the web tours, when you're taking a tour and you have a pop-up going to a different area, you need to direct the students to go with you. That's okay... but you actually have to tell them scroll down, click on 77 comments [breaking up].>> Okay. But can you guys, that, that uh, 77 comments is not a live link right, for you guys to click on? >> It is live. All your links are live for us.>> 77 comments, a little pop-up window should come up. And you should be able to see the comments, right? >> Yes.>> Now if you scroll down all the way, you'll see a box that says "leave your comments." I could type a comment and then I'd either put in my Google username or password or there's something over there called an open ID that many others can just use. It'll come up sometimes, you'll see anonymous. What I tell my students to do is put their name next to anonymous. They do it because they know there are points attached to it. It hasn't been a problem. I'm going to click out of the 77 comments and I just want to take you behind the um, the blog. So I'm going to sign in.>> Ivor, can I ask a question real quick? >> Right.

>> Blogging linear, we're there, it's -- [ talking simultaneously ]>> Linear, where they, it's, they're not responding to a direct person's blog? I don't....>> Yeah. They, they are, they'll say, I agree with, with Sally's assessment, but I think that bla bla bla. So they do. That's part of the assignment. You can't just leave a comment because, I think that, not intentionally, but the last person to leave a comment has no original thought, you know? Everything's most probably been said so if they comment on someone's post and find something unique to comment on that, then they are engaging in some sort of cognitive exercise instead of just fulfilling a, you know, an online blogging.>> Um, my only question -- [ talking simultaneously ]>> Do you see -- go ahead.>> I was just, as I think about using web CT and testing out blogging in the future, one of the components I like about web CT discussion is that I can post a comment right underneath that person's comment instead of it, so it almost looks like a chain, um, you know, if Rachel put a post and you put a post and I want to reply to Rachel's and not yours, I can actually put a post that will show directly underneath Rachel's comment instead of at the bottom of yours? >> Right, and I think trying to use the blog, I just showed you an example where blogging is most probably not the most effective if you're trying to do an online class. Um... or trying to use it as a discussion board, which is really is. Um, or um, you know, you could, web CT would be far more effective as you just said. It's not a chat. But what it is, and, I just showed you example of, not using it um, appropriately, but I, I didn't have Elluminate that night so I used it as best I could.

I think what it does is it, it helps with that disconnect that students might feel between Wednesday's class, but you know, I use this blog a lot more to talk about my thoughts about the reading, um, some of my opinions, which even might stretch out beyond education but has some sort of relevance and be related. So it's just another way, I think, to give students access to you that doesn't feel so academic. You know? Because web CT feels very, you're still in that very academic relationship with the student. And I think that you, one thing now that I'm doing with Elluminate, I see I have to do more on the other end of it, and that is do some more things that are a little more personal. We're all losing that face time and are losing that opportunity to interact, so why not use the technology to maybe bridge that gap? >> No absolutely. Ivor, [breaking up].

>> Ivor, can you hear me? >> Yeah.>> When you talked about that you spend additional time writing about your thoughts on the [no sound]-->> Just lost you.>> Kathy? >> I'm here. Hello? >> I didn't hear you question, I'm sorry.>> Oh, when you talk about time you spend writing these blogs about your personal thoughts and so forth, what kind of time are we talking about? >> Oh not long. Not much time at all. I mean uh, I tell them don't worry about grammar and spelling and all that and I do the same. It's more of a, sometimes it takes me 15 minutes to write something, ten minutes, I feel like sometimes I leave class and um, maybe a day later I go "man that was a good point" and so, that helps. That really um, it's less, it's less formal, it's more informal. So it doesn't take that much time.>> So are the students required to go back and look at that before class or...? What are the guidelines for the student? >> I've done it multiple ways. One is they can go to that page if they're interested and blog, um, I think students are [can hear person typing loudly] if you don't assign some [inaudible] to it, they don't do it.>> Right.>> I think that's a matter of conditioning. I've had success doing it both ways, you know? I haven't had the numbers obviously, I get guaranteed numbers.>> Okay, thank you.>> Okay, I'm done.>> Okay, great. Rachel and Sally? >> Okay.>> Ashley can I give [breaking up] -- please? >> Can you guys see that? >> Yes.>> Yes.>> Yes.>> Rachel and I are both in the room here so, um, but I'm the one at the computer. [Person typing overvoices].>> Teaching people to use the QRI informal reading assessment. It's very, very concrete. It's content we thought they could do on their own. It doesn't have a lot of higher level thinking or anything, it's really just learning the tool. Rachel helped us create this module. It's on our web CT page right here. Students just click on the module and they get to this page, the QRI content. This is the first half of the content. Right now we're just doing half of the content with them and then we do the

second half in class the following week because we were worried that they might have questions that we couldn't answer so we're not totally comfortable doing all the content.

Anyway, they click on the module, they get to the opening page and then they basically just work their way through the, the uh, module. You can see the module begins here, it has an introduction, everywhere you see these little brown texts you get a pop-up box, that gives them information. Um... so here's a pop-up box that should have a jpeg of the cover, but for some reason it's not loading. And then, so, here's they're learning about the levels of an IRI. You can see the frustration level less than 90% instruction level, independent level, et cetera. They have those pop-up boxes and there are activities along the way they get scored on. This one's a cross word activity. The level of text in which a student needs help in order to read fluently would be instructional. And you can see over here it gives them a little score, there's a total of 19 points that they can get throughout the module.

So they work their way through the module learning all about the QRI, um... page to page with a lot of activities along the way. That's basically it. We um-->> Sally? >> Yeah.>> Sally, this is Kathy.>> Hi.>> Can I talk? >> Absolutely.>> Okay, um, how long does it take to get through this module? >> Well that's the tricky part. Students can go through it in about 15 minutes, but they won't learn anything. For them to really go through it and, and actually um, integrate it and make some sense of it, they have to spend some time on it. So we found the first semester, a certain percentage of the students rushed right through it because there was no accountability. So, so the second semester we added a quiz and told them they had to get 90% or more on the quiz um, in order for us to give them credit for having done the unit. So they could open the quiz in web CT and go back to the module as much as they needed to in order to get the answers on the quiz right. That made a huge difference.

So I would say in order to make sense of it they probably have to spend like an hour on it.>> So is this a homework assignment? >> Doing it -- [ talking simultaneously ]>> I'm sorry, we're what? >> Go ahead, I'm echoing.

>> We're doing it in instead of an um, a class meeting. So they have to do the, they have to do the modules and they have to do the quiz and that takes the place of one class meeting.>> Okay great. Rachel? [ talking simultaneously ][audio echoing]. [Various voices overlapping]. [Loud screeching sound].>> We've got some major feedback going on for some reason, but what Rachel said was that-->> You know what happened -- can I interrupt.>> It took us a long time to make the module. It really took quite a long time. The hardest part about making the module is you have to write down all the stuff you'd say in class.>> I see. So and this was one three-hour class? >> Yeah. So it, it probably, I would say, it took us 8 to 10 hours maybe to make this module. We've now used it twice. We've recouped six hours of time. After a couple semesters we will have really recouped our time plus more.>> Is this something that it's an assessment tool they have to use in real life? >> Yeah, there's a big assignment attached to their use of this assessment tool. It's like 1/3 of their grade. It's a three-part assignment. We found this semester, they used the tool very effectively and learned the first half of using this tool using this softchalk module.>> Okay so you felt like it was worth it because in the long run they could do the assignment much better? >> Yeah, and it's the kind of thing where um, they don't, they really don't need to get it from us, it's very concrete content so it makes them happy to be able to do it at home. Sorry about the bird noise. It's my clock.

Anyway, so they really like the fact that they can get this content without coming to school and they get to stay home on that night and do it on their own time.>> Thanks for sharing.>> Sure, are we done? Oh wait, I have to show you one more piece to this before I go.>> I think Ashley went away.>> I want to show you the video piece. This is kind of cool. Sorry Rachel to do this to you, but we have an example of using the word lists. You can see how I've scanned in the word lists here so they can see how we scored it. Then we have the video where they get to practice themselves watching Rachel.

[Video].>> Anyway, so that's what they do and then they check their scoring. They check their scoring on the, on the web, you know, on the softchalk module. They get a whole bunch of opportunities

using the tool online. So that's basically it. That's basically how it works. Any questions? >> I have one.>> Okay.>> It's Ashley. When you embed the quizzes in softchalk, does it [inaudible] [echoing].>> You're cutting in and out Ashley, can you say that again? >> I'm scared to talk right now because of the echo. Okay, um, Rachel [breaking up] was really helpful. Lots of good ideas. Um, Kathy are you ready? >> Yes, but Ashley I'm not really sure what I'm sharing. Everyone's aware of web CT. At this point.>> Um... myself, I find it really helpful when other people's um, web CT sites, because I take a look at the different, I mean I learn when I take a look at Rachel's for 400 and Beth's for 400, it's just the cycle as we see how people organize it differently.>> Okay.>> That's my thought.>> All right so, are you all seeing my web CT? >> No.>> Okay so I have to go back up to the box with the hand? >> Yes. And share and hit okay. And let me, now you're seeing my desktop. Okay, so here's my um, my web CT page. So you can see I use it for all of my classes. I'm going to click on the 403 and 506 because as you can see I have all my classes in one web CT. This one's probably the most creative. I have different students, I have 403 students, I have semester one interns, semester two interns and I actually have a fourth later for semester three interns. They have different syllabi which is interesting and then they have different forms and different assignments and so, I found it easier to just create different icons for each of them. I used, I put all my stuff up in Microsoft Word through the table of contents. I have no idea if that's the correct way to do it, but it works for me. So this is all the stuff they can download.

I include their assignments and rubrics and that's a separate icon for syllabi which they can download. I'll take you next to my 402. This one is really nice. I do all my lecture notes, which is posted ahead of time. So every week I post it typically we have class on Monday, I post it by Friday. They can download the notes. The students can also bring their laptops to class. It's about, um, oh probably 70/30. 30% of the students bring a laptop. I put all my lecture notes into Microsoft Word. And... the other nice thing about it is that I also have made templates for all of the assessments they do. So they download the templates and they type their information directly onto the template so that all of the assignments are um, typed when I get

them. So they really like that. It obviously makes it much easier when they can access the forms for that without having to recreate them.

I have a separate, for the directions and rubrics for all the assignments, I give them samples so they can see what a good paper looks like. I tell them 100 times that the directions for the assignments and they're very detailed directions. I spend a lot time being very clear and half the time they don't refer to the direction. I constantly have to tell them to go back to web CT and read the directions and of course there's rubrics for every assignment.

It looks like somebody asked a question. Do the students in the other seminar classes have the ability to talk? Yes, they do, in fact, let me go back to, let me go back to 403, 506 because when I put the web CT page together, I included all of those classes so they're automatically included. Let me look, discussion.

So... here was our first online discussion. So here's my directions, I do my discussions for one entire week. I do Monday through Sunday. I list topics they have to talk about. They're required to make several posts. They have to give one initial comment regarding one of the topics that I lift and then they have to talk, they have to respond to each other's comments as well.

And I really am consistently pleased with the responses I get as you can see they're very um, some are smaller than others, but typically they are very, um, thoughtful and they constantly bring up great ideas. They talk to each other a lot. Um, I stand in the background. Every once in a while I go on and read what's happening. If I feel like somebody is not participating, I'll send them an e-mail to remind them. But um, yeah, I'm really pleased with it.>> Okay. That's great.>> Are there questions for Kathy? >> Web CT has one discussion section option unless you divide students into groups.>> I have never used a group.>> Thank you, Rachel.>> Thank you, so much, Kathy. That was real helpful. I think it's just good to hear how other people structure and use different tools. Judy, I'm so glad she could join us a little later, but we're so glad to see you that you were able to come. Did you still want to share um, on the things that you were going to share on? I think it was [inaudible].com, I think? >> Can you hear me, Ashley? >> Yep.>> Okay, I'm going to share my desktop.

>> Okay.>> Can you hear me? >> I'm going to try to share my desktop.>> Okay [breaking up]. On the [audio distorted].>> I'm sorry I didn't hear that. .>> Can you see that? Now what I am going to show you is public domain. It's not password protected, okay? >> Judy um-->> Yes? >> I'm going to put you on web tour then.>> That's fine, honey, whatever.>> It's so much better.>> Yeah, that's great.>> In the clarity.>> Okay... beautiful.>> Okay... I've given you moderator privileges.>> Yes, ma'am.>> Click on the blue globe-->> Yep. One step ahead of you.>> Thank you.>> Thank you. And slow me down or interrupt me if you can't hear me or if you have questions. This is Letter Pop. I'm going to publish the URL. I had a real challenge in my classes when I wanted them to do news letters, brochures, different kinds of desktop punishing between the Mac and the PC format. Some of them had Microsoft Publisher. Letter Pop is a cool tool online. It doesn't matter whether you have Macintosh or PC, you can create fliers, brochures and software online. Introduce all your own graphics, pictures, whatever you like simply by entering an e-mail and registering. You can e-mail the links for your Letter Pop to other people. So I had a student create a, a flier, let me see if I can pull up her Letter Pop. The URL is a little long, so give me just a moment, please.

Okay can you see some pictures of a student? >> Yes, we can see them.>> It says Family Reflections, right? >> Correct.>> Okay, so here's a student who um, decided to have her students do family heritage and if they didn't have their own family pictures, they could get representative ones off Google images or some other image sites and here she is with her baby and this is actually her mother, her grandmother with her, but um, basically what this was, this was an assignment on Jewish heritage during the Holocaust. So students had to find pictures of Jewish families doing different things such as getting married or having children and juxtapose them next to images from modern day, off Google. For example, something like that. Here's a holocaust

era and here's a modern picture of his family. Had I is a social studies lesson. This is something you can do on Letter Pop. Questions? >> I have one.>> Yes, ma'am? >> [Audio distorted].>> I always pair my lesser advanced students, I always have more advanced students in technology and I put them in families of two or three people and that leaves one person in each class advanced technologically. I do teach them to use the site in class. I pair them with a more advanced technological person or allow them to e-mail me for additional assistance.>> That's great.>> Other questions? Just a simple tool. Sally told me they were able to use this for schools and family parent news letters. One student used it for, her students made brochures for book reports. Um, Ashley can you comment? We're getting some echo now. Ashley, I don't have any other websites at this time. I think I've already shared my inspiration and Picture Trail.>> Okay.>> Unless you need me to do something there and I'll do it.>> No. No.>> Thank you.>> Is everyone hearing like an echo from me as well? >> No Ashley, it sounds good now.>> So kind of as a wrap-up, I just wanted to brainstorm a bit where we go from here. You know, type of things that we've learned, ideas for the next um, TEC faculty meeting. Would we like to meet this summer or wait until the fall? So maybe if we could start with things we learned, that's helpful or ideas or thoughts? >> Something I was thinking Ashley was maybe um, it's interesting that so many different faculty members are using so many different tools, and I wonder if um, we need to be careful about helping our students figure out ways to apply those tools with their students.

For example, my softchalk module or web CT Kathy did, they use them to do their own class work, but I'm wondering if they're thinking about how to apply with their own students in their own classes.>> Very good thoughts or ideas. That definitely would be a good discussion for next time. So I'll put that down. We can have a brainstormer idea.>> Sally would students in public schools, meaning our students, teacher, candidates have access to things like web CT and softchalk? >> I have to tell you, I mean, softchalk is really cheap. You

can buy membership for like $20. It's really cheap. A lot of schools I'm going to, they have a lot more technology than I have. They have um, you know, smart boards or and kinds of stuff. They have access to a lot in their classrooms.>> This is Ivor, can you hear me? >> Yes.>> I just wanted to say um, I just wanted to say that it's also shifting um, one's perspective because I've been thinking about something lately and that is um, we're, the way that we're using this is just to deliver content to students. And I think Sally brings that you point up but if you combine that with, not only with what they can do with their students, but, to show them that some of these things are, make them so much more efficient, such as the exam professor and other things. Um, they're more likely to come away with um, having you know, more significant thought about this and applying it. They're not just looking at it as tools to deliver content but as ways to, to live, you know, by technology.>> Okay, very good point Ivor.>> Um, I, I agree. I think the more exposure we give them to different tools and the students are out there using them as well and teaching our own students how to use some of those tools, so... um... any of those thoughts on maybe the next technology meeting? Ideas?

Okay, so Judy, more ways to get school, personnel and students using Elluminate. And I mean, I definitely can, I'll check with online instruction. I do send the Elluminate link out to school district teachers and such, but don't necessarily attend CSUN so I don't see why our students couldn't perhaps use that. I'll check on that to what extent we can, you know, have Elluminate out there to other people. So sharing tools was helpful, what about the a hands-on workshop to use softchalk? I know within the college Rachel and Sally have done that.>> Personally for me I just need to sit down with, I think it's easier for me to sit down with somebody who's been doing this for a while, because I really am having difficulty understanding how this stuff gets delivered. I mean, I'm just, I've never been online and I'm having a difficult time with understanding how you get content out there when you don't talk to people.>> Um so we're going to have-->> I'm curious to see-->> Yes we are Ashley, we are. I'm curious to see, I'd love to see other people's examples. It's really helpful to see the actual examples of their content and PowerPoints and what they do.>> So maybe in the next session we can um, be even more specific about assignments or modules? Um... and such. Um, any ideas or

thoughts on meeting in the summer or the fall? Does anyone have a preference? Do you think it's be helpful to meet in the summer or just wait until the fall? >> Can you hear me? >> Yep.>> Okay, it's Ginny. Since I'm going to start using this more in the 505 I'm teaching starting the end of July, um, I'd like some support whether we all get together as a group or just you and, Ashley you've always been so generous in offering, so I think either way, one-to-one or one to two with Kathy-->> That would help me.[talking simultaneously]>> I think that's a good idea, Ginny.>> Just to do some brainstorming and talk about it too.>> Ashley you broke up a lot. I didn't hear that Ashley. Could you say that again? >> Maybe this summer all three of us to talk about the classes and, and the how to and such?

Any other thoughts or ideas? Are we okay with meeting in the fall or...? Looks like Thomas might have left. We're slowly moving people. I think if is very worthwhile. I learned a lot. I troubleshooted some of the tools within Elluminate. Maybe we're increasing that comfort with people. [Audio echoing].

You can see that that audio is a bit, can be a bit [breaking up] if you're talking over people or losing each other.>> Ashley? Are you going to, are you going to share this PowerPoint or is there some way we can download and see it? >> Yep, yep. I have three [breaking up] in session. I'm going to send that within the next day um, to, to all of you. I didn't hit the record button though until 11:30. So we kind of missed a little bit of but the beginning was kind of, we wanted to miss part of the recording [breaking up] which I really hated to have to go back and explore. (?).>> Okay.>> Um, so the link will be sent, big thank you to the captionist. Sorry we had some problems with troubleshooting access there in the beginning. Um... thank you everyone for showing up and I'll get those [breaking up] processing early next [breaking up] can go out in a timely manner. So, all set? Any other thoughts? >> Bye Ashley. Thanks for everything.>> Thank you.>> Thank you, Ashley.>> Bye Ashley.>> Thanks Ashley.>> Bye Ivor.>> Bye.>> Bye everybody.

[Meeting closing].>> This is like the Walton's "bye Billy Bob.">> Incase you have a straggler who's hesitant to ask a question until everybody's gone. Who knows? >> Hmm.>> Is it just you and I? Ginny? Thank you Anne. Bye.

I will send the notes to you. Have a good day! You're welcome. Bye.

"This text is being provided in a rough draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings."