Interesting evening of “chat” with WordPress Happiness Engineers as I attempt to finalize moving my David-in-Carroll-land work and Curious-David-in_Carroll-land writings, photos, and videos to my CuriousDavidRedux venue. I do admire the patience, persistence, and expertise of such individuals. I developed similar admiration for my Wikipedia Fellows course instructors last semester.
It has been a challenging experience working across three different WordPress accounts with three different payment plans and different options. I plan to introduce my research students to some in-depth WordPress instruction in a few weeks.
I’ve been so busy lately that yesterday I almost didn’t have time to change out of my academic regalia before beginning my PSY205 Statistics and Experimental Design course. Thanks to Jenny Percy for capturing this “precious moment”.
My social media day usually begins at 5:30 a.m. with a quick look at my Carroll email, my Twitter feed, my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. If I see an article from the Chronicle of Higher Education or Inside Higher Education worth sharing, I pass it on to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook followers. My restricted “Twitter feed” often appears on the left of the window of applications I am using like this WordPress software.
Here is what I mean (courtesy of my Snagit capturing software and Screencast.com).
Twitter primarily serves me as a personal professional development tool. Facebook is a rich source for my staying in touch with alumni (NO, Kim and Ryan, I DO NOT WANT a party in 2019). LinkedIn has proven to be a wonderful way to reconnect and stay connected to Alumni —So great reconnecting with you recently, Dave Verban!—, Members of the Board of Trustees, and Schneider Consulting Clients.
Time to meet with my colleague and FB “friend” Peggy Kasimatis.
Recently there has been a campus-wide discussion about the need to include writing experiences across the curriculum and across a student’s learning years here. I’ve become a strong believer in giving students opportunities to use blogging software and to give them mentored practice in writing thoughtful, civil responses online to articles which are published online.
I asked two of my research assistants (Alison and Lizzy) , before I left today, to create for me a screencast tutorial using the Camtasia software they just had learned about a basic student guide about how to use WordPress. In their guide they show how to create an account, how to follow someone else’s blog pieces, and some of the many capabilities of WordPress.
I am quite impressed how on short notice, with no supervision from me, they were able to exceed my high expectations. How fortunate I have been across the years from my first student assistant, Larry Jost, until now to work closely with such wonderful fellow learners!
Here is Alison and Lizzy’s tutorial:
Any comments or feedback would be much appreciated.
With baseball season approaching (and a vague but definite retirement date in sight of no later than May, 2019), it is time to focus on accomplishing a number of things in the near future. One goal is to better master the capabilities of WordPress. A good way to do that is to write a lot. I’ll be experimenting with different WordPress “themes” (and different widgets). I welcome your feedback or advice.
I also want to master creating screencasts and to “publish” electronically some student-written guides to the use of internet learning tools. I envision continuing to write, to teach, and to learn even after I formally leave “Carroll Land”.
I’m discovering that one can indeed teach an “old dog” new tricks:
This semester I have much more time to reflect, to learn, and to finish tasks (some of which I began up to 10 years ago!) because my Research Seminar was canceled for not having at least 10 students. Hence, I am teaching only one class PSY205 (two sections) with its two laboratories. Fortunately I have four VERY good student research assistants who are willing to learn with me so we’ll have fun, learn much, and be productive. Right now two of them (Arianna and tia) are next door preparing a Camtasia Studio screencast. Let’s see what they have produced. What I am sharing below is TOTALLY their “production” after my giving them guidelines of what I wanted. I am impressed.
We’ll see what the other two team members can do when they come in shortly.
Hints for teaching a large online course. Germane to a Task Force I am on exploring the viability of online courses—-perhaps at a graduate level— at my institution.
Finished reading last night David Mitchell’s erie, spell-binding, soul-sucking novel Slade House. Maybe those Atemporals caused the Carroll computer to crash just now necessitating my completing this blog on my cell phone!
I’m beginning to find myself handicapped by the limitations of TypePad and motivated to explore the additional “power user” features of Word Press. Thanks to Jane Hart for extending her Ten New Tool Challenge and her blog software comparison activity for nudging me into this transition.
