A window into the world of higher education

The Chronicle of Higher Education is one of the top publications in the country in terms of coverage of higher education. Graduate students typically discover The Chronicle when they begin the job search for a university position, as The Chronicle is a source of job announcements -- both in the print version and on The Chronicle's Web site.

When our class meets again, on Monday, Sept. 8, we will discuss issues that affect higher education teaching.

To help you prepare for that discussion, I gave each of you an issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education and asked you to identify three topics for discussion. Remember, that you are to be thinking like a teacher (i.e., teaching assistant or faculty member) and not a student.

You will be bringing a one-page summary of those three topics. To help us get ready for our discussion, please post a comment about one of your topics.

Team blogging as a new teaching and learning strategy

The start of each school year is a great opportunity to think about previous teaching experiences and consider how to make the next teaching experience even more successful for your students -- and yourself. I'm encouraged to do that because I teach Mass Communication Teaching. If I'm going to help you become more effective teachers, I need to be trying to help us all be following best practices in teaching. 

An issue that plays a greater role in the lives of teachers now than 10 years ago is technology. Ten years ago, lecture and the chalkboard were the primary teaching tools for many college faculty members. With video projection units in many classrooms and students having their own computers, the options for including technology in teaching increased.

But how can we as teachers use that technology effectively?

• PowerPoint -- Students can spend much of their college life watching PowerPoint presentations often in darkened classrooms. PowerPoint can help organize a class presentation but also can confine the class -- eliminating class discussions and making students focused on getting the PowerPoint slides and often not the bigger picture those slides should highlight.
  
• Course management systems -- UF's e-Learning system can provide a framework for the course, from class online discussions to posting grades. But the e-Learning system can be slow and tedious for both students and teachers.
  
• Wireless ability -- UF is wireless in almost all locations. How can that help improve learning, and how can wireless ability perhaps distract students. 
  
• Mobile learning -- Almost every student and teacher has a cell phone. The majority of undergraduates in our college have laptops. How can we take advantage of those mobile technologies?

The issue of technology use is even more important in our college, as most of our undergrads will be trying to get jobs in the media industry, which is using more and more technology applications.

So I decided to set up a team blog for us to use -- gatorcyberslate.blogspot.com 

Having our discussion on Blogger gives us a media-related experience beyond what we would have in a group discussion in e-Learning. 

We'll work on the guidelines for best practices for using a team blog as we use blogging as a teaching and learning tool this semester. I've had a blog before but not a team blog. I look forward to us sharing readings, ideas and questions through blogging together.

I'd be interested in your comments about:

• Your blogging experience. Do you regularly read blogs? Do you have a personal blog? Have you blogged as part of a job?
• Effective technology use in an educational setting. What have you found to be helpful uses of technology in classes you've taken or taught?