On October 13, the International Studies Office is holding the second of three meetings for Interim program instructors. During the second half of the meeting, I am going to lead a discussion about technologies that might be integrated into student assignments.
Why use technology?
- To encourage focused observation while students are exploring a new culture and to facilitate reflection on these observations
- To allow parents and others to follow the students’ experiences from home
What to avoid?
- Using technology to keep in such close touch with home that students miss out on the experience of being abroad (see this article: “The Role of Technology in Study Abroad” /from Institute for Shipboard Education)
Types of assignments (pre-departure, during trip, post-trip):
- Learning about the new culture or topic by reading articles and books, watching films, and listening to audio
- Observing and documenting life in another culture (products, practices, perspectives)
- Reflecting on connections between observations and readings, observations and other experiences, observations and values
- Writing more typical academic papers
Types of media:
- Reading texts (xeroxed articles, books, electronic files, e-books)
- Writing text (paper journal, Word file, Google doc, blog)
- Taking photos (digital camera, smartphone)
- Recording audio (digital recorder, smartphone, iPad)
- Recording video (flip camera, smartphone, iPad, handheld video camera)
Types of technologies:
- Blogging
- Blogger & WordPress:
- Description: Blogging and web publishing platforms
(WordPress Overview / WordPress Tutorial / Kaliber 10000 / Background Labs - Uses: Pre-departure reflections, observations and reflections while abroad, post-trip reflections / Easily combines text, photos, and video
- Examples: Global Semester 2010 / St. Olaf Term in the Middle East / Environmental Studies in Australia / St. Olaf Choir Tour / Aventuras i Norge / Emma’s Blog / Journals from the Road, Bradley University /
- Collaborative Writing
- Google Docs:
- Description: Online document collaboration platform (Overview)
- Uses: Writing reflections and observations
- Photos:
- PicasaWeb: Online photo albums from Google (Example)
- iPhoto: Photo organizing and editing software
- Picnik: Online photo editing site (Overview)
- Uses: Photo essays / Photo journals
- Examples: Photo essays /
- Audio:
- GarageBand:
- Description: Audio recording and editing software
- Uses: Recording and editing audio reflections and observations
