Year: 2009

Free Survey Tools: Choosing the best for you!

Working on a research project that requires a survey? Once you have decided on the goals of your survey, the time comes to choose a tool that will help you best implement.  Here are the things that you need to consider: How many questions will the survey contain? What types of questions will be used?  (e.g….Continue Reading Free Survey Tools: Choosing the best for you!

Speaking of Searching, just what can a simple Google search do?

Last week, the TTL blog talked about new and interesting search engines that provide information in a wealth of ways! But how can you make your simple Google searches more effective and efficient? Patrick Crispin, Instructional Technology Coordinator at California State University, Long Beach has done some research into Google and provides some hints as…Continue Reading Speaking of Searching, just what can a simple Google search do?

Looking for a cool new way to search the web?

Search engines have become a staple of our everyday lives, and, in general, they all seem pretty much the same.  You go there, type in a word, and get a list of results.  But what if your search could be different? Now it can!  Next time you’re out searching the web, try something a little…Continue Reading Looking for a cool new way to search the web?

We know you thought the world was round….

but we are here to tell you that the world is actually flat!  Not geometrically flat, that was dis-proven way back in 1521 by  Ferdinand Magellan when he circumnavigated the earth, but virtually flat. Through economy, trade, and technology we humans have succeeded in virtually flattening our world. Thomas Friedman was one of the first…Continue Reading We know you thought the world was round….

Like that software but don’t want to pay the hefty price?

In the world of expensive software this is often a problem.  Not to worry, Alternative To is here to help you! Alternative To (http://alternativeto.net/) is an innovative new site which allows you to to input a software title and retrieve listings on alternatives to that product.  The suggested alternatives are ranked by site visitors so…Continue Reading Like that software but don’t want to pay the hefty price?

Think clickers are just for your TV?

Think again! Personal Response Systems, often referred to as Classroom Performance Systems (CPS) or just ‘clickers,’ are becoming a common educational tool used in a myriad of classes. Students are given a small wireless polling device that bears a strong resemblance to a TV remote control.  This polling device is used to submit responses to…Continue Reading Think clickers are just for your TV?

Turn your classroom upside down!

If you attended the Food for thought last week on Naked Teaching you may also be interested in a related teaching strategy called the Inverted Classroom.  In a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/article/Teach-Naked-Effort-Strips/47398/) Jose Bowen urged his colleagues to “teach naked,” a phrase he coined to describe class time that is…Continue Reading Turn your classroom upside down!