iPodcast.

Thanks to Break Drink and almost a year of broadcasting weekly shows, I can official say I am a podcaster. Does this mean anything to anyone? Probably not – but for me it sure has. The Campus Tech Connection (#CTCX) has helped me to engage and inquire about all things tech, student affairs, higher education and then some. Break Drink recently celebrated the 100th Podcast by bringing the entire group of podcasters together. The BreakDrink team, which includes the #StudentAffairs, #OnDuty, #CTCX, #EDUsports podcastor and contributor ARL275, were able to reflect and share their own podcasting experiences. 

I have been producing and participating in the podcasting since 2007 [first with the Academic Advising & Career Centre at UTSC], however my recent podcast times with Break Drink have been more frequent and regular. Unlike a blog, podcasting allows me to put a real voice behind some thoughts, resources and ideas. With my co-hosts,  Jeff Jackson & Jeff Lail, I have learned and engaged more in my academic and professional development. 

Here is a past presentation I pulled from my archives for others who might be interested in entering into the podcast realm. This is just  a start, however perhaps it will kick start your podcasting plans.

Here are just a few things I have learned and enjoyed as a Break Drink #CTCX podcaster:

• You have to ENJOY it – if you like what you’re talking about it keeps the listeners interested & coming back for more
• It is a Process – we have learned & improved along the way; it is okay to make mistakes
• Gadget & Tools – identify what hardware and online resources work best for YOU. There are LOADS out there free & paid
• Be Genuine – you are there to have a bit of a chat; be yourself
• Plan – it’s okay to have a plan/script to keep you on track especially if you have many hosts & multiple interview questions
• Co-Host Backchannel – we use IM on Google Chat to keep the flow & avoid talking over each other
• Get to Know Your Audience – engaging in the Meebo room & the #CTCX backchannel on Twitter lets your live listeners play
• Ask & Invite – We have invited some pretty amazing guests who we would not have talked to if we did not ask them to join 
• SHARE! – not only do we talk, but we also post links & resources on a blog each week to follow up from the show
• Be Open – to feedback, collaboration and new ideas! 
• Teamwork – it has been great to put a schedule, invite guests and plan topics a a group
• Always More - The learning never stops – there is always more trends, innovations, happenings and questions to ask 

Campus Tech Connection is “On The Go” with Ed Cabellon

After a week off for Labour Day, the Campus Tech Connection crew had @EdCabellon join in for CTC podcast #12.

Photo c/o http://edcabellon.com/

Ed has worked in higher education & student affairs for 13 years and he is currently the Director of the Campus Center at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.  He is a strong advocate for engaging in social media at his campus and a large proponent of sharing and growing with the emerging media resources, which has let LTE Consulting (Leadership, Technology & Education) evolve for professional development of colleges, universities and small businesses.

I have been fortunate to connect with Ed through #SAChat, and read his posts on The Student Affairs Blog. This interview provided our CTC group with a bit more information about Ed and his workings with social media in higher education.

Be sure to join us on Monday (September 20th) at 7 pm CDT when the Campus Tech Connection are LIVE with Tom Krieglstein founder of SwiftKick & red rover

An Open Educator

Last September I joined a pretty interesting course I heard about on Twitter called EC&I 831: Social Media & Open Education. Little did I know how much learning and engagement an online course could provide in just one semester.

Dr. Alec Couros , from the University of Regina, is the faculty who facilitated this open, online graduate course and I participated as a non-credit student during the Fall 2009. Although this course did not go towards any specific degree requirements for my Ph.D. program, it did influence my practice with social media as a learner, researcher, and educator. Along with other students (credit & non-credit), I was introduced to a myriad of #edtech topics, online resources, pioneers in the #edtech field (See ARCHIVED Fall 2009), and, of course, it helped build my personal learning network.

The Networked Teacher c/o courosa on Flickr

So it was only fitting that just shy of a year later, I am fortunate to discuss the great impacts EC&I 831 made on me and more! Dr. Couros shared his philosophy on open education, his open tenure application, involvement in social media & justice and his experience as an open educator using social media for instruction, research, publications and professional development.

The Campus Tech Connection had a very enjoyable chat with @courosa on the CTC #10 podcast to discuss his experience and process as an open educator. Both @jacksonj and I agree – that he was a delight to talk with and learn from. We would welcome him back anytime in the future as a guest, or heck, even an honorary host of the #CTC podcast.

Are you interested and have time to take a class this Fall? Then I would strongly suggest you participate as a non-credit student in EC & I 831: Social Media & Open Education.

See you NEXT week for the Campus Tech Connection #11 on Monday, September 13, 2010 at 7 pm CDT with guest Ed Cabellon (@EdCabellon).

For now enjoy LAST week’s show with Alec HERE

UPDATE:

Dr. Couros just posted about his Open Graduate Course & Call for Network Mentors on his blog… including a great new promo video for the course:

Second Life, WOW & Augmented Reality… OH My!

Last week, on the Campus Tech Connection Show #10, we had a lovely chat with guest Sarah @Intellagirl Robbins.

Sarah discussed her experiences with new media as a graduate student and now as an instructor in the realm of emerging technology. Being on the forefront of this evolving digital landscape allowed her to participate, experiment and contribute to the dialog  for new media in higher education curriculum.  Sarah  co-authored the book Second Life for Dummies and she provided our podcasting crew with ideas for managing emerging technology in the early days.

It was interesting to hear about Sarah’s best practices for incorporating  gaming and virtual worlds into the classroom. I am not an active participant in the realm of Second Life or World of Warcraft (WOW), however I am aware of the great capabilities these online communities provide to users. Both faculty and staff in higher education are exploring these  virtual spaces to engage in learning beyond a traditional campus experience.

Later our discussions moved towards the power of geotagging, location based applications and the evolution of augmented reality. Here are a few of the great resources we discussed during this show for you to explore:

• Gowalla
• Foursquare
• twitter 360
• Layar
• Own This World
• SCVNGR

Tune in tonight as we talk with Dr. Alec Couros, a great open educator from the University of Regina, on our Campus Tech Connection show at 7 pm CDT: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/breakdrink/2010/08/31/campus-tech-connection-10

Join the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #CTC or by calling in with a question (646) 652-2342.

Back To School Time is Here!

In honor of back to school time of year, the Campus Tech Connection (CTC) crew hosted a two part series discussing online tools, resources, gadgets & more on the latest podcasts. Both professionals and students in higher education should take advantage of a few tech tools this coming academic year.

Photo credits: Back to School Kids! by jumpergirl on Flickr

This initially started with a blog post from Steve Wheeler (@timebuckteeth), a great edtech educator in the UK who discussed Tools of My Trade in a blog post back in March. In thinking about a few techie things we want to try out this year, we thought the CTC show would be a great forum to discuss and share.

Both episodes were jam packed with resources, so to keep you (and us) on track we archived both podcasts and the many links to all the tech tools that you might want to engage with during this school year. From personal learning networks, to screencasting and new apps to try  – these two podcasts have something for every educator.

Back to School Tech Tools, Part I Podcast & Resource List from August 2, 2010.

Back to School Tech Tools, Part II Podcast & Resource List form August 9, 2010.

Other great back to school techie lists out there:

• 10+ extensions for better back-to-school browsing with Google Chrome
• Back to School: 15 Essential Web Tools for Students
• Top 25 Back to School Web 2.0 Tools/Sites
• Teachers Pick Their Top 5 Back-To-School Tech Tools

We would LOVE to hear from you! Please contact the Campus Tech Connection with your feedback, suggestions, comments & more. Leave a message at 732-98-BREAK (27325), tweet with the hashtag#CTC or post a comment on the Break Drink Ed Tech Section and let us know what you want to learn about in the world of higher ed & technology: http://breakdrink.com/category/ctc-podcast/

Although we are off to pack our back packs this week, we shall return next Monday at 7 pm CDT for more Campus Tech Connection news. Stay tuned for the next couple of shows we have planned with some spectacular guests:

o      August 23^rd – Sarah Robbins http://ubernoggin.com/ & @Intellagirl

o      August 30^th – Alec Couros http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/ & @courosa

Campus Tech Connection Archives for July

As the summer rolls along, so does the next month of the Campus Tech Connection (CTC) podcasts – have you heard what’s been happening during the month of July on CTC. As I just caught up on the podcasts happenings, I can say that they are worth the listen.

Check them out:

Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics => July 12, 2010 CTC Podcast #5

Photo from http://outsidethetext.com/main/

The University and the Future of Knowledge is an excellent talk given by Dr. Parry.

David Parry, Assistant Professor at University of Texas Dallas in the Emerging Media & Communication program

=> July 19, 2010 CTC Podcast #6

Live Video Interview with @ReyJunco from Ed Cabellon on Vimeo.

Rey Junco, Associate Professor in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling & the Director of Disability Services at Lock Haven University => July 26, 2010 CTC Podcast #7

Join the Campus Tech Connection show Monday nights from 7-8 pm CDT here => http://www.blogtalkradio.com/breakdrink

We would love to hear from you, so feel free to connect with us during that hour by:

1. Calling in live with a comments and queries – [Phone Number to be posted on Twitter during the show time slot]

2. Tweet your questions/thoughts with the hashtag #ctc or #breakdrink

3. Shy? Or missed us during that time slot? Leave us feedback, thoughts or suggestions by calling 732-98-BREAK (27325)

Advising Tech Presentations & Resources, Part Deux

To follow up with the Advising 2.0 webinar from May, I was fortunate to help facilitate a couple more sessions on the topic of Advising & Technology for the Innovative Educators group. Here were the topics and presentation resources from the sessions:

1. Advising Technology: The Needs Assessment & Implementation Process with George Steele, Ohio Learning Network

Webinar resources can be found in this The Needs Assessment & Implementation Google Doc.

2. Best Practices in Online Academic Advising Delivery with Clay Schwenn, University of Washington

Webinar resources can be found in this Best Practices for Online Academic Advising Delivery Google Doc.

Although I enjoyed participating in these sessions, often these online sessions were the starting point for many departmental/campus academic advising groups. It seemed like attendees from these webinars were at various levels of engaging with technology in advising – either just at the drawing board and looking for ideas or in the process for assessment and measurement of current practices. We hoped to provide a springboard for development for some, and hopefully a point of contact, information and resources for others in their dive into advising with technology. In any case, we encouraged participants to stay connected and engaged amongst the great technology in advising network that is starting to thrive online.