Technology in Education: Professional Development Workshop Series Guide

Technology in Higher Education - Professional Development Series Prepared for: Faculty and Staff of Educational Leadership, Research & Technology and Teaching, Learning & Educational Studies, College of Education and Human Development, Western Michigan University Prepared by: Josh Kohnert, Digital Identity Development Specialist / Academic Advisor, College of Education and Human Development, Western Michigan University

!1Technology in Higher Education - ProDev

SUMMARY Objective To introduce faculty and staff to technology that can be used and implemented within their respective departments and practices when working with each other and students.

Goals Upon completing each workshop session, faculty and staff will be able to:

• Perform basic functions of the technology tool presented in each session • Identify at least two ways the technology tool impacts student learning • Describe at least two ways the technology tool can be implemented into their

practice • Describe at least two ways the technology tool can be used by students

Tools Presented as Part of the Professional Development Series The tools listed is not the order in which the series will be presented. The tools that will be a part of the Professional Development Series are:

• Prezi • Google Drive • iPad Apps • Twitter • Digital Identity -

Academia.edu / Social Media

Series Format The Professional Development Series are designed for one hour interactive sessions.


SERIES OVERVIEW The following are overview/descriptions for the Technology in Higher Education - Professional Development Workshop Series.

Prezi Prezi is a presentation alternative to PowerPoint. While PowerPoint utilizes the "slide" function to display linear progressed shows, Prezi escapes those boundaries by providing an opportunity to visualize and story tell. Prezi is design as a canvas where you zoom to different components of your presentation. This session introduces the basic functions and discusses the "Do's and Don'ts" to using Prezi. At the end of the session, participants will walk away with their first Prezi presentation.

Google Drive The collaborative and sharing nature of Google Drive greatly improves the efficiency of group work. The session on Google Drive introduces the tool and interactively shows features that would be attractive to develop better internal office communication of knowledge. It is also a tool that then can be shared with students as a means for better group collaboration and success with group projects.

iPad Apps The app store for the iPad is full of resources for faculty and staff. This session introduces several free apps for the iPad that could improve work. In additional, apps will be shared that could greatly improve the ability to work with students, and have students successfully work in the classroom. Apps that cost money may be shown, but not expected to be purchased by a faculty and staff during the session.

Twitter The micro-blog social media platform, "Twitter" is a great tool to use in classroom engagement both in and out of the classroom. It is also a platform most faculty and staff do not use already, thus making it easier to create a spot for students to connect with faculty. The session will include a walkthrough of the basic functions of the site and demonstrations where this tool could be applied to the classroom and beyond.

Digital Identity - Academia.edu / Social Media Building a positive digital presence will be discussed through the site Academia .edu as well as discussing the use of social media personally and as a department.


Presentation Plans Walkthrough Guide


PREZI Goal of Session • Introduce Prezi visualization through quick introductory presentation • Create Prezi EDU accounts and upgrade already created accounts to EDU accounts • Create first Prezi presentation while introducing the functions and features • Introduce support materials for continued learning

Materials Computer lab or every participant brings their laptop computer

One computer hooked to a projector

Prezi EDU accounts

Prezi Quick Guide Handout

Prezi to D2L Guide

Agenda of Event 1. Warm-Up Introductions - Name, Department, What makes a great presentation?

2. Introduce Prezi style with Prezi about presenting

3. Have person create their Prezi EDU accounts. For those that have Prezi accounts but are not EDU accounts, assist in updating their account

4. Once logged-in to Prezi, identify and walkthrough their profile. Be sure to indicate the profile section so that they can build a positive digital identity. Give a second for editing of profiles

5. Create new Prezi and point out templates. From there, walkthrough the creation of a prezi from start to finish. Included in each Prezi will be:

• Title • Subtitle • Frame • Picture • YouTube Video


• Symbols • Paths • Presentable

6. Point out better practices when working with the different features 7. Sharing feature both in and out of the Prezi 8. Prezi Support 9. Final Thoughts, Q&A 10. Conclude

Bigger Discussion - Why is this important? Prezi may not be the tool that you end up using, but it eludes to a much larger discussion of presentation material in and out of the classroom. The current state of PowerPoint is painful. We encourage our students to get creative, but are left to build presentations based on what they have experienced. The end result is often a text heavy presentation in which the students spend their time not presenting, but rather, reading the slides to the class.

As we continue to discuss the ideas that students learn differently, they also think and work differently. Prezi's canvas and zoom feature may connect with a student in a much more powerful way than PowerPoint.

When discussing classroom engagement, changing how the presentation looks and changes from even "slide to slide" can create new engagement in class. Though advertised to function opposite of PowerPoint, Prezi can be designed to function like a slideshow, but will transition differently than PowerPoint.


GOOGLE DRIVE Goal of Session • Introduce the storage tool • Discuss the key functions of the tool • Describe differences between web based and tablet based • Go through implementation and use through the department



Google accounts registered with @wmich.edu email addresses

Google Drive Quick Guide Handout

Agenda of Event 1. Share quick presentation that introduces, "Why Google Drive?"

2. Have those who have not registered yet to register their Google account using their @wmich.edu email address

3. Describe the basic functions of the Google Drive

4. Provide tutorial specifically on Google Docs, indicating several functions carry over into Google Slideshow and Google Sheets

5. Discuss implementation within the department

6. Final Q&A

7. Conclude

Bigger Discussion - Why is this important? We offer and often require our students to participate in group work throughout the course of the semester. Often it is the final project. Whether a final presentation or paper, the expectation for the longest time is that the group members would meet face-


to-face to complete the assignment. It was often attached that there would be time in class to complete it, but that has for the most part disappeared in order to cover the content of the course. As result, we rely on our student's ability to coordinate, schedule, meet, and work out their projects. The result is often a lot of aggravation and wasted time. By using Google Drive, collaboration, either at the Faculty level or Student level, is simpler, and a much more efficient use of time.

In addition, access to materials extend past the personal hard drive as mobile technology would have access through the various apps. More advanced uses would include saving resources to the drive while you are away from the computer so that you can then access them upon return to the computer. It obviously can not house certain information, but for the most part, information can be stored and then shared among the team.


IPAD APPS Goals of Session • Introduce apps for the iPad that can increase personal success • Covers productivity, organization, and note taking apps • Discuss how this could impact the work environment • Describe how a student may find these apps useful

Materials Faculty and Staff with their iPad, iPads will not be provided

iPad connection to a Projector

iPad app guide with descriptions of apps covered in session

Agenda of Event - What apps will be covered/shown? 1. Evernote / Microsoft OneNote

2. Google Drive / Dropbox

3. Drafts

4. Any.Do

5. Agenda Calendar 4

6. Easy Bib

7. Notability

8. Socrative

9. HaikuDeck / Prezi

10.Apps Gone Free / App Advice

Bigger Discussion - Why is this important? As the popularity of tablet technology continues to increase, it is important to look at the different applications that could increase personal, and more importantly, student


success. Only a few apps were selected as paid apps, which helps for those students on a budget, but overall even the paid apps are less than 3 dollars, which in the world of apps for iPad, is a reasonable price for the app.

Notable apps that are highly encouraged are Google Drive, Dropbox, Prezi, Evernote, and Microsoft OneNote for their web based component, which adds to the productivity and success as the user moves from the tablet, to the computer, and back to their tablet.

Almost all of the apps are with the student in mind. The only two apps that are really focused on the Faculty/Staff Member are Notability and Socrative. A student will need Socrative as well, but not in the same capacity as a Faculty/Staff member. The apps with the students in mind are also very applicable to Faculty/Staff members as well.


TWITTER Goals of the Session • Describe basic functions and terminology of Twitter • Discuss impact for own personal Digital Identity • Identify uses in and out of the classroom with students



Twitter accounts

Twitter Quick Guide Handout

Agenda of Event 1. Revisit (Introduce) some of the key ideas from the Digital Identity / Social Media

Session about connectivity and interaction with students

2. Go through the use of Twitter, setting definitions to Twitter's terminology

3. Identify uses for personal professional identity development - Mostly hashtag chats

4. Identify and discuss implementation strategies for engagement inside and outside of the classroom

5. Final Q&A

6. Conclude

Bigger Discussion - Why is this important? An increase of student engagement leads to greater successes in the classroom. Collectively, the use of tools like Twitter provide students with an additional way of communicating not only with you, but with their classmates. The microblog format of Twitter teaches the importance of being able to say a lot with very few words and forces the students to reflect on their writing prior to sharing. In addition, it can further add to the conversations of personal brand development, digital civility, and all the other lessons being added to the life lessons outside of the classroom.


DIGITAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT (Academia.edu and Social Media)

Goals of Session • Introduce the concept of Digital Identity Development • Identify personal use of social media for personal and professional development • Discuss practices within the department to increase department's digital identity • Create accounts and work with academia.edu • Describe practices working with students and assisting in their Digital Identity

Development process.



Academia.edu accounts - One paper/publication they could upload

Social Media Accounts

Academia.edu Quick Guide Handout

Agenda of Event 1. Warm up with the "Social Media Revolution 2013" video

2. Discuss the concept of Digital Identity Development

3. Have group share how they use social media currently

4. Discuss the ways the department is building a digital identity

5. Have group go, like the department Facebook Page and post a link to a recent resource they have found.

6. Go to Academia .edu and have accounts made and go through the site

7. Have group join department community and upload one paper/publication

8. Begin discussion on how they can help students with their digital identity development


9. Final Q&A

10.Conclude

Bigger Discussion - Why is this important? The topic of digital identity is certainly a new topic. While most developmental theory can apply to the development of a person online, there are unique characteristics one the digital component is added. At the very minimum, looking at it from a career development perspective, a person's digital presence can help or drastically harm the opportunity for employment.

At an institution/department level, maintaining a digital presence has an impact on both the recruitment and retention of students. While the realm of higher education seems to move slower than say the business world on innovation and technology, social media can be, if introduced correctly, can be a very easy addition to the work of the department. In building a community, whether digital or physical, it requires 100% engagement of all persons involved at the very minimum level of engagement to have it stand a chance of existing in the long run. It can not be held to the responsibility of one or even a handful of people.

In looking at ways of continually separating and raising the bar of the program, building a digital community that supports and provides resources to the students it serves is one way, especially in higher education, to be on the leading edge.


CONCLUSION The Professional Development Series is responsible for two key areas. The first is personal professional development. It is important to continue to learn about areas, in this case technology, that can improve the profession and the individual work within the profession. It keeps a person relevant to the field and maintains the integrity of the department.

The second part is to subsequently share with students the different resources. In a world that is becoming more technological, it is important to keep the student the focus. Not only to focus in how to communicate and work with the student, but how the student can use these tools for their own personal success through their schooling and beyond into the work place.


Technology in Education: Professional Development Workshop Series Guide

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