Professional Development at TILT

Teaching with Technology Workshops

This workshop series explores the uses of technology to support the achievement of learning and teaching goals.

Each presentation begins with an overview of a key goal—such as increasing student participation during class, helping students understand complex processes, or engaging and assessing students—and continues with a discussion of technological tools that might be used to achieve that goal.

The focus of the workshops, as a result, is not on the technology, but on the use of technology in the service of learning and teaching. Registration is not required.

For more information about the series, please call Shirley Guitron at 491-3132 or send a message to Sally Hibbitt at Sally.Hibbitt@ColoState.edu.

Fall 2009 Workshops
Thursday Afternoons, 4:00-5:00 pm — 202 Weber Building

Teaching a Large Lecture Course with a Tablet PC

Presenter: Jake Roberts,
Department of Physics
Date: September 24, 2009

Description: Tablet PCs are notebook computers containing hardware and software that allow users to write on the computer screen, and have that writing stored and displayed.

In the context of larger lecture courses, the Tablet PC can replace the use of an overhead projector, allowing the instructor to work problems, add annotations to slides, and write answers to student questions while speaking and doing other classroom tasks.

This talk will describe how the Tablet PC is used in teaching introductory Physics courses, and will note the advantages of using Tablet PCs in presenting and recording lectures.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the improvements made in their use over the course of several semesters. Instructors who have used Tablet PCs have found them to be highly useful and convenient.

View View a Video of the Presentation

The (Recording) Pen is Mightier than….

Presenters: Alexander Hulpke
Department of Mathematics
Date: October 22, 2009

Description: Calculus has a strong procedural component which requires that students know how to work out problems using algebraic equations.

Students with the weakest basic algebra skills are the ones who struggle the most. They would benefit from being able to see and study more examples of problems that have been fully worked out—including all of their basic algebraic components and details—at their own pace.

Doing so in class isn't feasible and is also a poor use of valuable class time. One solution that will help protect your in-class teaching time is to provide an online video collection of "solved" calculus problems.

The essential components of the recording need only be the visual image of a whiteboard displaying each problem, and an appropriate explanatory audio track.

After some attempts with a smartboard and a pen tablet, hear how one department is now using a recording pen as a tool. This presentation will cover how they create, edit, and distribute their videos.

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Spatial Thinking: The Role of Geospatial Technologies in the Classroom

Presenter: Melinda Laituri
Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship
Date: October 15, 2009

Description: Geography explores the question, "the why of the where." Understanding why things are situated where they are is central to spatial perspectives and key to visualization of outputs in the form of maps.

With the increasing use of Virtual Globes (Google Earth, Virtual Earth, ArcGIS Explorer), understanding the underlying concepts of spatial thinking and their application is critical to 21st C. citizens.

This workshop will define the value of a spatial perspective, consider the "spatial turn" in science that provides a rich arena for cross-cutting initiatives and provide an overview of geospatial technologies (geographic information systems, global positioning systems, remote sensing, web mapping and virtual globes) and how they are and can be used in the classroom.

View View a Video of the Presentation
View View the Spatial Thinking Presentation
View View the Google Earth activity