Models and Best Practices for Using Clickers

i>clicker inventor, Tim Stelzer, presents “Models and Best Practices for Using Clickers” at the University of Michigan on September 1, 2010.

i>clicker!

ISS is pleased to announce the adoption of a new student response system, i>clicker, which will replace the Qwizdom system as of Fall 2010. i>clicker is a flexible, user-friendly and reliable system that works on both Macs and PCs and will allow instructors to incorporate websites, media and virtually any other type of application. Check out the story in the University Record.

ISS will be conducting workshops on how to use this new system throughout the summer. Faculty can sign up for one of these workshops at http://www.umich.edu/~teachtec.

To register as an i>clicker user for Fall, please sign up on the Instructional Consulting page.

New Google Docs

I don’t know how we missed this update, but on April 15th, Google debuted an updated Google Docs editor with real-time collaboration!  One of the biggest issues people have had with Google Docs is that it takes a little while for the edits to show up on the collaborators’ screens.  Not anymore!  It now updates in real-time, similar to Google Wave.

Check out Google’s blog for more information and instructions on how to enable this and other new features: A rebuilt, more real time Google documents

How to Manage a Group Project in Google Wave

The mere promise of Google Wave inspired a rainbow of potential use cases, but Wave’s best real-world use boils down to this: it helps a group get things done together. Here’s how to manage a group project in Wave.

Fun Use of Technology in Classroom

TeacherTube: A YouTube for Educators

A new site for educators, TeacherTube, takes the sharing, production, and community-building aspects of YouTube and offers an educator’s version. According to TeacherTube’s founders, “We seek to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners.”

The site officially launched in March 2007 and is slowly but surely gaining popularity. I’ve been sharing it and working with teachers in various districts to learn to take advantage of this kind of opportunity. What a great place for us to upload short instructional videos — or long ones; there’s no limit on size files or video length.

The World Digital Library

The World Digital Library makes it possible to discover, study, and enjoy cultural treasures from around the world on one site, in a variety of ways. These cultural treasures include, but are not limited to, manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings.

Items on the WDL may easily be browsed by place, time, topic, type of item, and contributing institution, or can be located by an open-ended search, in several languages. Special features include interactive geographic clusters, a timeline, advanced image-viewing and interpretive capabilities. Item-level descriptions and interviews with curators about featured items provide additional information.

Navigation tools and content descriptions are provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Many more languages are represented in the actual books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and other primary materials, which are provided in their original languages.

The World Digital Library

Attention Qwizdom Users

Current and Future Qwizdom Users:

We would like to share some information about using Qwizdom for Fall of 2009 as well as some wrap-up information if you do not plan to use Qwizdom in the near future.

1)  Qwizdom Reservations
As in the past, we ask that you complete a Qwizdom Reservation form for each course and term in which you plan to use Qwizdom. This form should take about 5 minutes to complete. Since you may not yet have all the information required to complete the form, include as much information as you know.  The critical information is marked with an asterisk. The information we collect via this form enables us to work with the Showcase to ensure adequate supplies of student units and to plan for training and support needs. All forms for Fall 2009 Qwizdom use must be complete by August 2nd. We will understand that you do not plan to use Qwizdom in future terms if you do not complete the form! Follow this link to complete your reservation: https://sitemaker.umich.edu/iss_instruction/qwizdom_instructor_use_form. If you have any questions about completing the form, contact ISS Instruction (iss-instruction@umich.edu) for assistance.

2)  Instructor Units
If you are not planning to use Qwizdom in the near future (Fall of 2009) your instructor unit can be returned to LSA Instructional Support Services. These units can be dropped off at the LSA ISS Loan Office, 340 Mason Hall, or we can arrange for someone to pick up your unit.

It has been our pleasure working with you this semester and we hope to continue to that work in the future!  As always, we encourage you to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about Qwizdom  or other instructional technology needs.