What are you doing different this year? My classes begin in the next two weeks and while it is easy for me to do the same thing I did the last time, I ask myself - what am I doing differently this year? How am I going to use technology effectively - not just to use it because it is there, but to use it to enhance my student’s learning experience?

I will be using Google Docs with my students. Google Docs is Google’s word processing program. This application is great for peer reviews, collaboration work, and a good way to stop the excuse of, “I left it at home, or my computer crashed, or the floppy drive in the library didn’t work.” I can always respond to the student, “The Internet is not down, you can pull it up through Google docs.” But, using Google Docs is not new.

I am thinking of setting up a Twitter account for my classes. Twitter is a “social networking micro-blogging.” This would be a great way to communicate to my students when I am not in the class and little reminder notes about their homework, tid-bits of help, or brief announcements. I can post a note saying I am leaving the office so the students know that I am on my way or that I will be late. When I am having virtual office hours, I can let students know that the v-room is open, closed, or filled.

I have thought about setting up a text group so I could do the same things but some phone plans charge for incoming text and my phone really stinks when it comes to texting;’ unlike using the iPhone for texting.

I don’t use slides (gasps!) but if I did, I know that would be one area to check (thanks to Frequently Asked Q for the reminder). But, I am searching for new things to do. I will go through Mike Qaissaunee and Gordon’s Synder’s Web 2.0 presentation from the SAME-TEC 2008 conference to update my knowledge. What are you doing different this year?

Mark Viquesney