Hello internet, it has been a while.
I have wanted to do more blogging recently. Yet, I keep running into the issue of starting a post with an awesome idea, but keeping the post in draft form indefinitely because it is not high enough quality or I feel there are pieces missing.
I need to interrupt this pattern. SO, today how about an update on work and life?
Trainings
Lynda.com FLC – This has been one of my largest projects of the semester. I am training faculty on how to use Lynda.com content for instructional purposes. From supporting student learning of softwares to having students curate and share their own Lynda.com playlists, the activities and discussion for this FLC have been extremely rewarding.
If you are interested in this project, you should take a look at the website I have built (and am still building) for this training:
OU Create Trainings – Another of the programs at the university I have been excited about is OU Create. (You can read more about OU Create here.) Over the summer, I got to help with the redesign of the OU Create website by generating support resources for this program, including a FAQ section and curating relevant Lynda.com instructional videos:
I am also hosting introductory training for OU Create several times during the semester. There are three in-person sessions and one online session being offered. The online session was my first opportunity to host training using Google Hangouts on Air. Here’s how that experience went:
Projects
Android Phone Screencasts – Google recently released an update for the YouTube Gaming App that allows users with Android OS 5.0+ on their device to record the contents of their screen. Although this feature is intended for game capture, you can record your screen in any App on your device. Therefore, I have been investigating how this could be leveraged for instructional purposes. Here is a sample of my exploration:
TSI Presentation – Next month, I will be presenting with my colleague John Stewart (http://www.johnastewart.org, @jstew511) at the Teaching Scholars Initiative (TSI). The title of our presentation is Amplifying Every Student’s Voice: Mobile Blogging. Together, we will be discussing how blogging can be utilized to give every student a voice and how the affordability of mobile devices can make blogging more accessible to students. I am very excited for this presentation and hope to solicit discussion about some of the questions I have been pondering recently.
For instance, I have been thinking about the lowest common denominator in terms of what technologies are required for a student to participate in digital learning experiences.
Part of this process has been exploring a range of devices to see what is capable of providing students with viable learning experiences. So far, I have been experimenting with Windows Tablets ($79), Fire Tablets ($50), unlocked Android phones ($50), and many other low cost devices.
I still have some research and exploring to do, but I am often amazed how the cost of a device does not contribute to its functionality in a linear relation. In plain english, a $50-$100 smartphone possesses 80% of the functionality of a $650 smartphone. It is eye-opening to see what some of these low-cost devices are capable of doing.
Gaming
There have been many fun video game activities in the last few month too!
Star Wars Battlefront Beta – I LOVED the Star Wars Battlefront Beta! It was exceptionally good experience since my wife also enjoyed playing this game with me. Not that we don’t play games together, but finding shooter games that we both like to play has been challenging in the past. If you would like to experience the magic of Star Wars in video game form, here is some footage I recorded from that event:
Live Streaming – One thing I have always wanted to try is live streaming video game footage. Using my cheap gaming computer, Open Broadcasting Software, YouTube Live Streaming, etc. my wife and I streamed some gameplay of the Wii U game Splatoon last month. If you are interested, you can view my first time streaming live gameplay here:
Closing
Although I included a lot of content in this post, these are actually just highlights of everything that has been going on at work and in life. Concerts, twitter events, other trainings—the list could gone on and on! In fact, many of the topics discussed in this post may be expanded upon in the future as I see opportunities to provide guides/feedback about solutions and workflows I am developing/discovering. Overall, I am having a blast learning new things and improving my teaching craft; and all of this is in preparation for the projects I have in mind for Spring 2016…. 🙂
Until next time internet!