Current & Emerging Technologies by Gwen Little

E-Books

Inside this

issue:

Faculty

Spotlight 2

Teaching &

Learning with

Technology 3

Consultant’s

Corner 3

Timely Topics 4

STIC

Workshops 4

Winter 2011 Volume 6, Issue 1

From the

Marygrove

College

Educational

Technology

Services

Department

Student Tech Talk by Jennifer Meacham

Heighten Your Cyber Security, On-Campus and Off

An electronic book, better

known as an e-book, is defined

as a “text and image-based-

publication in digital form pro-

duced on, published by and

readable on computers or other

digital devices.” E-books have

been available since 1971.

These books were first avail-

able for portable personal com-

puters. They were originally

produced for limited audiences

containing such subject matter

as technical manuals for hard-

ware. The 1990s was a decade

that saw many firsts for e-

books: the first software to

read e-books, the first e-book

reader, and websites devel-

oped to sell e-books.

Although the actual e-book is

inexpensive, the reader can

cost between $100 and $189.

Its inexpensiveness is one ad-

vantage, but there are also

others. E-books never go “out

of print,” may be translated

into many different languages,

have text-to-speech software

and can be purchased/

borrowed, downloaded and

used immediately. There are

also disadvantages to e-books.

Some of the disadvantages to

purchasing e-books are they

may need to be converted to

different file types over time,

there are no guarantees that

copies will last, the reader may

malfunction and lose data, and

there are no current markets to

sell used e-books.

Another issue to take into con-

sideration when purchasing e-

books is Digital Rights Manage-

ment. Digital Rights Manage-

ment may cause an e-book to

be linked to a specific com-

puter or device. This limits the

number of times a person can

use the book on additional

computers or devices. If the

purchaser upgrades or re-

places the item the e-book is

loaded on multiple times, ac-

cess to the e-book may be lost.

E-books are becoming popular

with college students and fac-

ulty because of their low cost

and immediate accessibility.

They are becoming so popular

that they’ve surpassed the sale

of paperback and hardcover

books. To browse for interest-

ing e-book titles, visit

www.ebooks.com.

As much as we all use technol-

ogy — daily, even hourly — are

we really doing enough to en-

sure that our property, our

identities, and our very reputa-

tions are protected?

The National Cyber Security

Alliance has done a great job

of identifying what individuals,

and college students in par-

ticular, can do to increase their

cyber security. Here are just a

few of their tips.

Passwords: Use different ones

for different accounts, incorpo-

rate both letters and numbers

into them, and don’t share

them with anyone. Ever.

Electronic copies: Whether it’s

an English 312 paper or a

photo of your sister’s new

baby, if you couldn’t stand to

lose it, back it up.

Social networks: Make sure

you read and understand their

privacy settings. Be very care-

ful about the information you

share: even if you don't think

your identity is worth stealing,

someone else might! And re-

member, once you post it, it

never goes away.

Online shopping: Stick with

sites you know and trust. Look

for “https” in the site’s url to

make sure it’s safe to send

credit card or bank informa-

tion.

Public workstations: Remem-

ber that the computers in the

Library, the STIC, and else-

where on campus are available

to the whole college commu-

nity. Always— always — log off

before you leave.

For more tips on cyber security,

go to StaySafeOnline.org.

E-books are accessible

through a variety of devices

Faculty Spotlight

Page 2 Marygrove Monitor

“Technology

touches all

aspects of our

lives, so it’s

no surprise that

it is

transforming the

way professors

teach and their

students learn.”

The Faculty Spotlight of The

Marygrove Monitor is a place

to highlight the innovative ways

in which Marygrove faculty are

using technology in their

courses.

This month’s Spotlight focuses

on Chukwunyere Okezie,

Ph.D., Associate Professor of

Education and Coordinator of

the Griot Program.

Describe the ways in which you

have integrated technology

into your courses.

“It has been reported that the

use and integration of technol-

ogy by students and teachers

nationwide lags far behind the

expectations. The reason for

this discrepancy is the lack of

preparation and technology

training for teachers. Without

the proper training and profes-

sional development in technol-

ogy, teachers are hesitant to

use it for instruction.” Despite

this report, I have integrated

technology into my courses in

several ways: First, with Foun-

dations of American Education

and second, with Introduction

to Educational Research. In

Foundations of American Edu-

cation, I experienced it when I

taught the course with my col-

league Dr. Maryann Dalton,

SSJ. During that time, we col-

laborated with each other

every step of the way and we

learned and continued to col-

laborate with each other as we

practiced and experimented on

any new discoveries. This ex-

perience was made easy be-

cause of a one-on-one tutorial

from Linda Brawner specifically

on improving course organiza-

tion and on Blackboard man-

agement, setting up all the

assignments and creating a

folder for each week’s assign-

ments. During this tutorial,

several features were intro-

duced which I incorporated

into my courses (Course Man-

agement tools on Blackboard,

Blackboard Discussions, Chat

Groups, Gradebook usage,

etc.). Also, Linda’s staff (John

Stabile and Gwen Little) in the

STIC Lab were very helpful to

me and my students who con-

tacted them for assistance.

What did the students think of

these experiences?

For students who are very fa-

miliar with technology, aside

from the “fun and novelty fac-

tor,” “technology gives them

the convenience of attending

classes no matter where they

are.” Through this means, stu-

dents are able to chat with

each other, exchange docu-

ments; watch videos or Power-

Point presentations their in-

structors set up, conduct a

meeting, or listen to lectures.

This process allows them to

transmit and receive graded

work via this system and check

their progress in the online

grade book. This platform

allows for both synchronous

and asynchronous learning. It

provides a virtual classroom in

which instructors and students

can interact in real time using

audio and video. On the other

hand, for those who are not

familiar with technology, it can

be a very difficult experience.

One good element is that as

students continue to attend

tutorials organized by the STIC

Lab staff; they become more

comfortable with using technol-

ogy to do their own work as

well as their class work. One

drawback is that a lot of our

students themselves do not

have computers at home to

reinforce what they are learn-

ing in school.

Which of these experiences

had the most positive impact

on learning?

Almost all experiences had

impact in one way or another.

However, the one that students

rave about the most is their

ability to respond to their col-

leagues’ postings on a given

topic. Their colleagues’ re-

sponses to some issues help

them to either adjust their own

thinking or to reconfirm what

they already know. Some stu-

dents liked it and “the flexibility

was compatible with their busy

work schedule.” Some others

believe that “it allows them to

work at their own pace.” An-

other application that had a

positive impact was the chat.

During chats, students are

geared up for the discussions

that ensue as the chat begins.

How so? Students are aware

that the professor is also online

and is watching who partici-

pates and who doesn’t. They

are also mindful of their post-

ings as they participate in their

discussions since they are

being graded on the extent of

their participation and the qual-

ity of it. I do emphasize to stu-

dents that their participation is

a necessary part of the learn-

ing experience, and the class

will be more interesting if they

come to class on time, are

prepared and participate.

What are some of the lessons

learned from these experi-

ences?

On my part, it is important to

continue to be up to date in my

skills so that I can be able to

meet the demand of online

teaching. It requires careful

preparation and well-thought-

out plans as to how to struc-

ture the assignments, discus-

sions and chats. If the plan is

effectively implemented, it

becomes a win-win for all in-

volved. However, on the part of

the students, it is worth noting

that many of our students are

not computer literate and

therefore, without the acquisi-

tion of these skills, students

cannot successfully engage in

any meaningful critical thinking

and problem solving activities.

And as a consequence, learn-

ing will not take place. If pro-

fessors and students are to be

successful, there has to be

constant training and updates

to support this teaching strat-

egy. Another observation was

that some of our graduate stu-

dents are having difficulty with

this teaching strategy, and my

recommendation will be for

(Continued on next page)

Teaching & Learning with Technology by Linda Brawner

Activities for Online, Hybrid, or Web Enhanced Courses

Consultant’s Corner

Page 3 Volume 6, Issue 1

When a new feature becomes

available in Blackboard, faculty

often say, “it’s a great feature,

but how can I use it in my

course?” In anticipation of this

question I always do a bit of

research ahead of my consulta-

tions with faculty so I’m ready

with a helpful response. Usu-

ally my goal is to suggest activi-

ties that can help make their

courses exciting and meaning-

ful, are easy to implement, and

are usable in online, hybrid or

web enhanced courses. Unfor-

tunately, space limitations pre-

vent me from including exam-

ples here; however, I have in-

cluded a list of activity types

supported by Blackboard with

links to examples, case stud-

ies, and plans to guide you with

implementation.

Peer Review: Asking students

to comment on each other’s

work is a common way to get

feedback on assignments,

essays, and reports. The Peer

Review feature of the Discus-

sion Board in Blackboard

makes it easy to incorporate

this form of review into your

course. cit.duke.edu/ideas/

projects/category/type/

blackboard-great-ideas/

Debate: When facilitated cor-

rectly, the Discussion Board in

Blackboard can be the perfect

place to conduct an online

debate. onlinelearn.edschool.

virginia.edu/debate/home.html

Journal: The Journal tool in

Blackboard can be useful for

getting students to reflect on a

class discussion, lecture, pres-

entation or log experiences

throughout the semester. They

are private by default, and only

instructors can comment on a

student’s journal.

web.presby.edu/writingcenter/

newsletter/journals.html

Blog: Unlike in Journals in

Blackboard, blogs are public by

default and can be viewed and

commented on by everyone in

the course.

www.emergingedtech.com/200

9/05/blogging-in-and-out-of-the

-classroom/

Wiki: Blackboard wikis provide

a space for students to work

collaboratively to construct

documents such as an online

newspaper, stories, and re-

source lists.

www.teachersfirst.com/

content/wiki/wikiideas1.cfm

Summaries: In large classes

with lots of interactivity, asking

students to write summaries is

a great way to reinforce mate-

rial and help them synthesize

what they have learned. The

Discussion Board, blogs and

even journals can provide a

good place for students to

summarize what has been

covered.

As always, the Educational

Technology Services depart-

ment is available to work with

you to develop and implement

any of these activity types.

What made you choose to at-

tend Marygrove?

Initially I chose Marygrove for

the simple pleasure of playing

basketball and not being too

far from my community. How-

ever, once my time in high

school started coming to an

end and I began to receive

other offers from schools in

and out of state, other criteria

for my school started coming

into play. I visited the Mary-

grove campus and met a lot of

interesting people, very lively

teachers and, to me, the possi-

bilities seemed endless. I could

The STIC’s Student Consultants

are an integral part of the op-

eration of the lab. They provide

computer support and knowl-

edge in other subject areas.

Consultant: Michael Jackson

Major: Computer Information

Systems (CIS)

pursue my major, my passion,

and be far enough away from

home to not be attached to my

family but close enough to see

them when I wanted to. With all

this favoring Marygrove, plus

my relationships with players

and coaches growing over the

summer, my choice was rela-

tively easy.

Why did you apply to work in

the STIC?

I wanted to work here ever

since I was a Freshman but the

absence of Work/Study on my

financial aid made it impossi-

ble. So when I was finally

granted Work/Study, I took full

advantage of it. Working in the

STIC lab not only gives me ex-

perience with computer appli-

cations but also in applying

those applications to everyday

life. I have also gained commu-

nication skills and learned how

key patience is to any job that

pertains to working with the

public. I knew I would acquire

these skills working here, so

why not do something you en-

joy while getting some job ex-

perience, and a little bit of

money on the side?

(Cont’d from previous page)

graduate students to take the

same technology assessment

that is given to undergraduate

students, with the result sent

to their respective program

coordinators. This will help

those who might want to take

an online class or use it in their

own practice.

A variety of teaching strategies

are used to provide students

with a better understanding of

how to provide differentiated

instruction. Examples of teach-

ing strategies utilized include

discussion, lecture and coop-

erative learning activities.

The Education Department

clearly demonstrates a strong

commitment to technology. The

department has identified

some technology-based com-

petencies in its conceptual

framework. Students have

many opportunities to demon-

strate an understanding of

technology in their teaching

experiences.

What are your plans for the

future with regard to technol-

ogy integration?

Technology integration is here

to stay. Technology touches all

aspects of our lives, so it’s no

surprise that it is transforming

the way professors teach and

their students learn. Marygrove

certainly is no exception to this

national trend. “Today, the

distinction between classroom

instruction and online activity

is blurred.” What is more, fac-

ulty are integrating technologi-

cal tools such as interactive

whiteboards, response

“clickers,” and virtual presen-

tations with the traditional

course lectures. All in all, I find

the experience fulfilling. I will

continue to integrate technol-

ogy into my courses.

Faculty Spotlight

The Marygrove Monitor is a publication of the Department of Educational Technology Services. The mission of the ETS department is to

provide technology training and support to students to enable them to succeed at Marygrove and beyond, to assist faculty in success-

fully integrating technology to enhance the teaching and learning process, and to help staff develop and improve the technology skills

necessary to increase productivity.

Physical facilities are located in the lower level of the Library, and include the Faculty Technology Center (FTC) and the Student Tech-

nology Instruction Center (STIC). Services provided include access to computer workstations, numerous workshops, individualized

tutorials, and useful training documents.

©2011 Marygrove College

Marygrove College

Educational Technology Services Department

Website: marygrove.edu/ets

Linda Brawner

Director

Jennifer Meacham

Reference & Instructional Technology

Librarian II

Gwen Little

Technical Training

Specialist II

John Stabile

Technical Training

Specialist

STIC Workshops

Timely Topics by John Stabile

PowerPoint’s Photo Album Option

Scenario 1: You went to a new art gallery

and took lots of photos; now you want to

share them with others in a group presen-

tation.

Scenario 2: The trip was fabulous and you

need to discuss it with a group of people

and show them what you saw and did!

PowerPoint 2007 has a feature making

this easy with a few clicks. You don’t

have to individually select a picture for

each slide and insert it. The Photo Album

feature will bring in all your photos and

automatically place one on each slide.

1. Have all your photos in a file that is

easily accessible.

2. Open a blank PowerPoint document.

3. Click on the Insert tab and in the Illus-

trations group, click Photo Album.

4. Click New Photo Album

5. Click the File/Disk button, which opens

an Insert New Pictures dialog box.

a. Locate the file with the photos and

select those to be placed on a slide.

i. [Ctrl+A] selects all the items in the

folder

ii. Holding down the [Ctrl] key and

then clicking on the individual

photo lets you select certain ones

b. Click Insert. The names of the se-

lected photos appear in the Pictures

in album: section and a miniature

version in the Preview area. Rotate,

contrast and brightness are available

beneath the image.

c. Album Layout: Use the Picture Layout

menu to select the number of pic-

tures per slide and an optional title

on each slide. An example of the

option you choose appears just to

the right of the choices area.

6. Click the Insert button; all the slides are

put into the presentation as selected.

It’s now easy to rearrange, remove, add a

design and transitions and any other op-

tions readily available with PowerPoint.

Now get those photos and put together a

presentation you’ve always wanted to do

but didn’t have the time. There’s no ex-

cuse not to create it!

Word 2007: Basic

Tues., Feb. 8, 10 - noon

Thurs., Feb. 10, 6 - 8 p.m.

Word 2007: Intermediate

Tues., Feb. 15, 10 - noon

Thurs., Feb. 17, 6 - 8 p.m.

Word 2007: Advanced

Tues., Feb. 22, 10 - noon

Thurs., Feb. 24, 6 - 8 p.m.

PowerPoint 2007:

Quick Learn

Mon., March 14, 10 - noon

Wed., March 16, 2 - 4 p.m.

Mon., April 4, 10 - noon

Wed., April 6, 2 - 4 p.m.

PowerPoint 2007: Basic

Tues., March 1, 10 - noon

Thurs., March 3, 6 - 8 p.m.

PowerPoint 2007:

Intermediate

Tues., March 15, 10 - noon

Thurs., March 17, 6 - 8 p.m.

PowerPoint2007:

Advanced

Tues., March 22, 10 - noon

Thurs., March 24, 6 - 8 p.m.

Excel 2007: Basic

Tues., March 29, 10 - noon

Thurs., March 31, 6 - 8 p.m.

Excel 2007: Intermediate

Tues., Apr. 5, 10 - noon

Thurs., Apr. 7, 6 - 8 p.m.

Excel 2007: Advanced

Tues., April 12, 10 - noon

Thurs., April 14, 6 - 8 p.m.

Excel 2007:

Creating Charts

Mon., Feb. 21, 11 - noon

Wed., Feb 23, 2 - 3 p.m.

Mon., March, 21, 11 - noon

Wed., March 23, 2 - 3 p.m.

Mon., April, 11, 10 - 11 a.m.

Wed., April 13, 2 - 3 p.m.

SPSS v. 17 for Beginners

Tues., March 15, 2 - 4 p.m.

Mon., April 11, 6 - 8 p.m.

All workshops are FREE to current Marygrove students, staff, and alumni,

but seating is limited!

Please call 313-927-1582 to reserve your seat.