Teaching & Learning with Technology

http://www.lulu.com/

Lulu is a web-based self-publishing service, providing online access to the tools an individual needs to design, publish, and print original material, including books, brochures, reports, calendars, and posters. Self-publishing offers an alternative to traditional publishing by allowing authors and creators of content to decide what gets published and in what form, allowing anyone to publish a book inexpensively and much more quickly than with traditional publishing. Faculty can use the service to publish more timely textbooks and other material for courses, and by having access to the tools of production, students can see and understand the processes involved.

http://www.flickr.com/

“Flickr is a photo-sharing website where anyone can upload, tag, browse, and annotate photos, as well as participate in self-organizing topical groups. In this way, it provides a venue for sharing experiences and building relationships. Flickr embodies “Web 2.0″ by relying on user-contributed content and fostering the development of community among users.

Flickr affords an opportunity for students studying photography or other art-related subjects to receive feedback and engage with a community of experts and amateur enthusiasts, exposing students to the reality of professional practice. This dynamic can be extended to other fields, as evidenced by the success that digital storytelling projects have had in using visual media to share personal experiences. Students who are engaged with content demonstrate better learning outcomes, and the immediacy of visual media facilitates that sense of connection to subject material. At the same time, Flickr exposes students to participatory learning by capitalizing on the ubiquity of digital cameras and students’ desire to share their creative work. By introducing users to social, collaborative technologies, Flickr provides an easy, comfortable platform for students to engage with content and a community in the process of collective knowledge creation.” http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7034.pdf

http://www.skype.com/

7 things you should know about Skype: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7032.pdf

http://twitter.com/

According to the New York Times, Twitter is one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet.

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Why? Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely.

Steve Dembo’s Teach42 blog has an interesting post titled “What I learned from Twitter Today” which gives yet another interesting perspective on the use of Twitter in education.

Twitter for Academia – list of uses of Twitter in a university class based on actual experience.