A Millennial Professor's View of Higher Education

Last Reminder - Please Help the MILLENNIAL PROFESSOR Blog! Take this SHORT Questionnaire about the Blog! :)

2012-01-16T10:59:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am in need of your SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, AND IDEAS for 2011! Please help me by completing the QUICK questionnaire below.

Thanks!

J. Edwards

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Action Item - Do Not Forget About the "Adobe Products in Higher Education" Contest!

2012-01-16T09:29:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This is just a soft reminder about the "Adobe Products in Higher Education" contest that the Millennial Professor blog is sponsoring with the Communication in Higher Education blog (http://www.commhighered.com/). Dr. Helvie-Mason and I are avid users of the Adobe Creative Suite and we are offering the following contest for all of you!

If you have a GREAT idea for using Adobe Products in Higher Education, please feel free to submit the idea on the form below...

The WINNER of this contest will receive free software products from the ADOBE COMPANY! Very exciting right? I am elated! :)

If you have ANY questions, please type them in the blog response box below.

The contest ends mid-February! So, enter the contest as soon as possible! :)

Good luck!

Sincerely,

Dr. J. Edwards (and Dr. L. Helvie-Mason)

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Quick Reminder - Please Help the MILLENNIAL PROFESSOR Blog! Take this SHORT Questionnaire about the Blog! :)

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am in need of your SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, AND IDEAS for 2011! Please help me by completing the QUICK questionnaire below.

Thanks!

J. Edwards

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - Please Help the MILLENNIAL PROFESSOR Blog! Take this SHORT Questionnaire about the Blog! :)

2012-01-05T10:48:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am in need of your SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, AND IDEAS for 2011! Please help me by completing the QUICK questionnaire below.

Thanks!
J. Edwards

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Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - Wandering Wednesdays - "Historian on the Run"

2012-01-04T14:54:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This week, I have seen a wealth of posts about effectiveness and productivity levels. However, I have not seen many professors post on their academic or writing goals for the new year. Thankfully, there are a few! :) So, for this week's Wandering Wednesday post, we will visit several professor's blogs that are focused on goal setting for the 2012 school year.

Historian on the Run

This "30-something" professor is focused on health and academics! She posted eight goals for the 2012 semester, which are divided into running and health goals, writing and professional goals, and personal goals. I like how she divided her goals into three distinct categories.

Also, here is a great video about something that is in my horizon...the end of the tenure process..

Did I miss YOUR goals from YOUR blog?

Sincerely,

J Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - Your Turn! - Action Item - Submit an Entry for the "Great Ideas for Integrating Adobe Products in Higher Education" Contest

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am SUPER excited to sponsor this wonderful contest with one of my best colleagues, Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason from the Communication in Higher Education blog (http://www.commhighered.com/). Dr. Helvie-Mason and I are avid users of the Adobe Creative Suite and we are offering the following contest for all of you!

If you have a GREAT idea for using Adobe Products in Higher Education, please feel free to submit the idea on the form below...

The WINNER of this contest will receive free software products from the ADOBE COMPANY! Very exciting right? I am elated! :)

If you have ANY questions, please type them in the blog response box below.

The contest ends mid-February! So, enter the contest as soon as possible! :)

Good luck!

Sincerely,

Dr. J. Edwards (and Dr. L. Helvie-Mason)

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - My Goals for 2012 (Reflections from 2011)

2012-01-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Happy NEW YEAR! I am energized, excited, and ELATED to spend this next year in higher education (and blogging). During the weekend, I started thinking about my goals (research, teaching, and blogging goals) for 2012!

2012 Goal #1 - Keep a steady focus on my research interests (social media and organizations, communication technology, work-life balance of the millennial generation) and write at least one journal article every three months (a minimum of four in total by December 31, 2012).

2012 Goal #2 - Keep a high-level of organization in my personal and professional lives. Using my Google Calendar, personal labeler, color-coded file folders, and Post-it notes will definitely help me to keep my life organized.

2012 Goal #3 - Involve at least 100 students in undergraduate research endeavors (inside and outside of the classroom environment). At least three of these students' papers need to be accepted for publication.

2012 Goal #4 - Take some time for myself. I love gardening and reading non-fiction books, but sometimes my professional life takes priority over these simple pleasures. I need to carve some time in my schedule for those tasks that help me to reduce my stress.

2012 Goal #5 (Goal Extension from 2011) - To promote my blog and to gain at least 50 additional followers. (I will need some help with this one).

2012 Goal #6 (Goal Extension from 2011) - To promote my business and to gain at least 5 additional speaking engagements this year.

2012 Goal #7 (Goal Extension from 2011) - To lose at least 10 pounds by next December

Here are my goals from last year (2011)...

New Year's Goal #1 - To write at least one journal article every two months.

Done! Four of the articles were published this year! I am very thankful!

New Year's Goal #2 - To read at least one non-fiction book a week.

Done! I LOVE non-fiction books and there are MANY new books focused on organic gardening.

New Year's Goal #3 - To promote my blog and to gain at least 50 additional followers. (I will need some help with this one).

Not complete. I created a Facebook page this year, but I need to gain more additional followers, but I still think that this is an attainable goal.

New Year's Goal #4 - To promote my business and to gain at least 5 additional speaking engagements this year.

Not complete. I enjoyed traveling to various conferences this year and reviewing Adobe products, but I am interested in working with some additional companies and affiliate programs. Any suggestions?

New Year's Goal #5 - To lose at least 10 pounds by next December (to accomplish this, I am giving up bread for Lent and beyond)...

Due to unforeseen circumstances and LOTS of work, I am definitely planning to reach this goal by June 2012, but we shall see! ;)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

The Year in Review - Top 10 Wired Campus Blog Posts in 2011 & Freebie Friday!

2011-12-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am an avid blog reader and sometimes it becomes overwhelming to visit my Google Reader and to read all of this wonderful information from various authors from across the world! Here are some great lists from various sources focused on the top higher education blogs in 2011!

Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus - 10 Most-Popular Wired Campus Articles of 2011

Here are the top three articles from their list:

1 - Pearson and Google Jump Into Learning Management With a New, Free System

2 - NYU Prof Vows Never to Probe Cheating Again—and Faces a Backlash

3 - Students Push Their Facebook Use Further Into Course Work

Readers - Here is our last FREEBIE of the year! Something for YOU and for your students!

Free $10 Kindle Textbook Credit! - Prior to making a purchase, enter the code ETXTBOOK and click the "apply" button. Your $10.00 credit will be automatically applied to your amazon account. This offer is valid from December 30, 2011 to January 9, 2012. PLEASE tell your students about this great offer!

Click Here to Learn about this Offer from Amazon!

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

The Year in Review - Top 10 Education Technology Apps for Higher Education in 2011

2011-12-29T11:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I have had an iPad1, iPad2, and I am very excited about potentially purchasing the iPad3 when it debuts in a few months. So, I am eager to stay abreast of the new educational technology apps that are available for the higher education environment. Here is my top 10 list of #edtech apps for higher education....

1 - Blackboard Mobile Learn (FREE)

2 - Goodreader (Great for Organizing PDFs)

3 - Evernote

4 - Ebscohost

5 - Gradekeeper (Great for Attendance AND Grades) - LINK OR LINK

6 - Adobe Connect

7 - iMovie

8 - iHourglass (Thanks Jenna @ http://ecampusnews.com/)

9 - Inkling

10 - Course Smart

Converge Magazine - The Top 4 Higher Ed Stories of 2011

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

The Year in Review - Top 10 Technology Trends in 2011 (and projections for 2012)

2011-12-28T13:07:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am a sucker for technology at home (i.e. - the iPads, iPods, etc.) and I admit that my work is filled with technology as well! Here are a few of the best higher education #edtech tools for 2011 (according to various sources)...

According to CNN, here are five of the "Top Ten Tech Trends for 2011"!

1 - Touch Computing

2 - Social Gestures

3 - NFC and Mobile Payments

4 - Beyond the iPad

5 - TV Everywhere

According to Tech News World, here are five of the "Top Ten Tech Trends for 2012"!

1 - Voice Command (like Siri)

2 - E-mail Decline

3 - Cable Box Decline

4 - Hosted Services

5 - App Stores

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

The Year in Review - Top 10 Higher Education News Stories in 2011

2011-12-27T11:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

2011 has been an amazing year! Here are the Top 10 Higher Education News Stories in 2011 (according to various sources)...

Heritage Foundation - Morning Bell: Top 10 Education Stories of 2011

CampusExplorer.com - Top Education News Stories of 2011

HerCampus.com - The Top 10 College News Stories of 2011

Higher Ed Morning - Top 10 Stories of 2011

Converge Magazine - The Top 4 Higher Ed Stories of 2011

Faculty Focus - Our Top 11 Most Popular Articles for 2011, part 1

Faculty Focus - Our Top 11 Most Popular Articles for 2011, part 2

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

The Year in Review - Top 10 Millennial Professor Blog Posts in 2011!

2011-12-26T14:43:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This has been an amazing and exciting, yet tiring year! This week, we will review several TOP TEN lists that are focused on higher education! Today's list is focused on the Millennial Professor blog!

Monday - Top 10 Millennial Professor Blog Posts in 2011

Tuesday - Top 10 Higher Education News Stories in 2011

Wednesday - Top 10 Technology Trends in 2011 (and projections for 2012)

Thursday - Top 10 Education Technology Apps for Higher Education in 2011

Friday - Top 10 Wired Campus Blog Posts in 2011 & Freebie Friday!

Here are the Top 10 Millennial Professor Blog Posts in 2011:

By the way, THANKS for visiting our blog this year! We had 7,087 visits and 10,297 pageviews!

#1 - How to Cheat on Blackboard (1,078 views)

#2 - iPads in the College Classroom - The iPad Pilot and Loaner Programs (763 Views)

#3 - My Online Academic Portfolio (ePortfolio) via Google Sites! - Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards (161 views)

#4 - This Week is OVER! The To Do/Completed List (147 Views)

#5 - iPod Touch: Classroom Response System (138 Views)

#6 - HBCUs vs. Historically White Colleges and Universities (127 Views)

#7 - My Goals for 2011! - Five Simple Things to Make Me Happy! (119 Views)

#8 - Netflix in the Classroom? (108 Views)

#9 - My 5 Favorite Educational iPad/iPod Apps (105 Views)

#10 - iPad Pilots in Higher Education - iPad Pilots (103 Views)

Enjoy! Thanks for all of your views this year! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Freebie Friday - Request a Kleenex Cool Touch Sample!

2011-12-23T23:20:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I have been REALLY blessed NOT to have a cold this season, but I have had the pleasure of using this new product - Kleenex Cool Touch Tissue.

My review - This is one of the most AMAZING tissue products EVER! It IS really cool to the touch and I sincerely think that the product will be around for a LONG, LONG time! Request a free sample from Sam's Club here - LINK

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

EDUCAUSE 2011 Annual Conference - Streamed Sessions (Another Professional Development Opportunity)

2011-12-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Here is ANOTHER great resource from the EDUCAUSE website. I hope that I am able to attend next year. Our financial resources for travel are very small, but I hope that I am able to gain a sponsorship to attend the conference next year. :) Any takers?

Each of the following links include archived tweets from the session, a video of the session, a podcast of the session,

Here are several of the FEATURED sections of the conference:

Privacy in an Era of Social Media - Sponsored by Desire2Learn, Gold Partner danah boyd, Social Scientist, Microsoft Corporation

IT from Both Sides of the Executive Table Michael A. McRobbie, President , Indiana University

ECAR Student and IT Study Eden Dahlstrom, Senior Research Analyst, EDUCAUSE Tom de Boor, Senior Analyst, Grunwald Associates Peter Grunwald, President, Grunwald Associates

DIY U: Edupunks and the Future of Higher Education Anya Kamenetz, Senior Writer, Fast Company Magazine

Innovation Trenz Linda Y. Cureton, Chief Information Officer, NASA

Analytics Today: Getting Smarter About Emerging Technology, Diverse Students, and the Completion Challenge Mark David Milliron, Deputy Director, Higher Education, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

There's Never Been a Better Time to Be an Innovator Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, United States Office of Science and Technology Policy James H. Shelton, III, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, United States Department of Education

Open Educational Resources: Access, Impact, and Sustainability Through Policy Cable Green, Director of Global Learning, Creative Commons Joel M. Smith, Vice Provost & CIO, Carnegie Mellon University

As Learning Goes Mobile Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Projects

Chronicle Tech Trends: Challenges for the Future Josh Fischman, Senior Editor, Research and Technology, The Chronicle of Higher Education Jennifer Howard, Senior Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education Marc Parry, Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education Jeffrey R. Young, Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Transforming Learning Through Analytics: A Conversation with George Siemens and Vernon Smith George Siemens, Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute, Athabasca University Vernon C. Smith, Vice President, Academic Affairs, Rio Salado College

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Our Animoto Christmas Card! - Happy Holidays from the Texas Social Media Research Institute (TSMRI)!

2011-12-21T11:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This semester, I learned SO MUCH about social media from Ms. Yvonne Mulhern (Tarleton State University). She introduced me to a WEALTH of new social media tools. Most recently, she informed me about ANIMOTO! :)

Here is our Animoto Video Christmas Card!

http://animoto.com/play/wA1Jm5U10u73gK7hOyjd2A

Thanks Yvonne (@misscybrarian)! You are amazing!

Here's some more information about Animoto and the new iPhone App!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Educause and Professional Development from HOME or the OFFICE

2011-12-20T11:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am always seeking neat professional development activities that I can integrate in my everyday (very busy) life without spending a registration fee.

The Educause website never ceases to amaze me, because they are always posting innovative videos. Only current members are able to access the videos that have been released during the past six months, but EVERYONE is able to access videos that are slightly older than six months.

Here are some of the videos to which EVERYONE has access:

Digital Content in Higher Education – Practical Findings

Textbook Affordability: Emerging Solutions in Ohio

A Tale of Two Redesigns

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference 2011 (#SMC2011) - 6 Awesome Reflections from the Conference

2011-12-19T21:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

The Social Media Conference reached over 200 people! We were very excited about our conference attendance and sessions!

Here is some of the press and blog posts from our conference:

Ms. Yvonne Mulhern (@misscybrarian), one of our TSMRI co-directors, recently created the following...

1 - A Storify Link for #SMC2011 - LINK

She has been an AMAZING person to work with this semester! I am SO glad that she is a co-director of TSMRI!

2 - Mr. Kurt Mogonye, wrote a flawless media release about #SMC2011! He also took MANY pictures during the conference and we are VERY thankful for him!

Here is his article - Tarleton hosts first social media conference

The J-TAC 2011

3 - Our student newspaper, the J-TAC, published a story titled, "Interest to Pinterest From recipes to wreaths, social media site encourages users to get crafty"

4 - Mr. Justin Carrell (a #SMC2011 Presenter) published a blog posted about our conference - LINK.

5 - Ms. Amanda Pape, an AMAZING librarian at Tarleton State University and #SMC2011 Presenter, wrote the following post on her genealogy blog, "Social Media in Genealogy and Family History: Tech Tuesday Tip".

6 - One of our conference attendees, the Ambitious Cowgirl, wrote this post about our conference, "Sorry for not blogging!".

Do you have any suggestions for next year? We would like to make the conference BIGGER and BETTER next November! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Pinterest in Higher Education Series (#PinterestinHigherEd & Febreze Freebie Friday) - 5/5 Ways to Use Pinterest in the College Classroom Environment (My Pinterest Boards)

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Today is the DAY that I share my boards with you! Many of my colleagues (from my university and conferences) and a lot of my students are on the Pinterest website as well! Here's my Pinterest Account - Follow Me! :)

I have 16 Boards and here are a few...

Academic Life and College

Millennial Research

Organizational Tips

Fantastic Food Ideas for Meetings and Home

Eco Ideas - Green Lifestyle

****I plan to work on a social media board and an infographics board very soon! :)

Also, here's a freebie, because it IS freebie Friday! I love to place a Febreze plug-in on the walls of my house and in my office. These plug-ins create a holiday ambiance for the students (as well as myself during the grading process).

Febreze NOTICEables Trade-Up Program ($3.50 Check via Mail)

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Pinterest in Higher Education Series (#PinterestinHigherEd) - 4/5 Ways to Use Pinterest in the College Classroom Environment (Cruising Boards)

2011-12-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Yes, I am ENJOYING the Pinterest blog topic! As I write this post, I am pursing boards and pins to place on this post. I plan to post at least 15-20 blog posts that might be relevant for your college courses.

Here's a disclaimer - There are A WEALTH of boards created by primary and secondary teachers. USE these boards to create your higher education boards and gain ideas for your research. For example, here is a board from DoReMiGirl (I assume she is a elementary school teacher).

On her "Around the School Teaching" board, she has a few great ideas and infographics that can be used in various college classes.

Bucket List - Great for goal formation.

Bucket-O-Fun (Featuring ping pong balls) - Great for an extemporaneous speaking activity or reflection activity!

Just What Does Your State Do Best - Great for presentations

Here's another great board from Ryan Paul Smith titled, "Images for Presentations"

http://pinterest.com/ryanpaulsmith/images-for-presentations/

Enjoy! Please let me know if you find another board or if you have great ideas for the Pinterest website in higher education.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Pinterest in Higher Education Series (#PinterestinHigherEd & Wandering Wednesdays) - 3/5 Ways to Use Pinterest in the College Classroom Environment (Gaining Teaching Ideas via Pinterest))

2011-12-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This week's Wandering Wednesday post is focused on a local university, Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. Their Center Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) always has a WEALTH of great and inspiring blog posts - LINK. In November, Amy Collier posted an awesome post titled, "Some Thoughts on Teaching with Pinterest"

In her post, she focuses on the following:

1 - Emphasis on visuals and visual appeal.

2 - Easy collecting and sharing of topics, ideas, and interests.

3 - Easy management and organization of resources.

Here is her teaching and learning board on Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/amcollier/teaching-in-higher-ed/

Thanks for some amazing ideas!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Pinterest in Higher Education Series (#PinterestinHigherEd) - 2/5 Ways to Use Pinterest in the College Classroom Environment (Finding and Organizing Infographics)

2011-12-13T13:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

One way to use Pinterest in Higher Education is to search for and organize infographics! Lately, I have started to use infographics in my upper-level communication classes and also in the Texas Social Media Research Institute's (TSMRI) events/activities.

Now for definitions! A infographic is a pictorial representation of data in a potentially engaging format. <- Hey, I just made that up! ;)

Personally, I think that infographics will replace conference poster presentations in the next few years! The images seems to be more engaging than a traditional poster format. Which is GREAT for conference presentations, because you want the participants to visit YOUR poster! :)

Also, students can use their self-created, infographics on blogs and in their in-class presentations. The only downside is the preponderance of ink that might be used to create the "infographic poster".

Pinterest can be used to ORGANIZE your infographics! Here's an example of one user's infographic boards on higher education (among other issues) - http://pinterest.com/hexiaobo/infographics/

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Pinterest in Higher Education Series (#PinterestinHigherEd) - 1/5 Ways to Use Pinterest in the College Classroom Environment

2011-12-12T13:39:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This semester, when I needed some downtime outside of the university, I started visiting the Pinterest website on my computer and iPad (thanks Melissa)! One of my students introduced me to this wonderful resource and I have been HOOKED on this pictorial social media networking website.

I always ask my students, "How can you use XYZ website as a scholarly or organizational tool as well as the social tool?" Now, I will have to ask myself the same question, "How can I use Pinterest as a research, classroom-based, or organizational tool?"

This week, I developed a few strategies and activities for using Pinterest as a social networking tool in higher education. Let me know what you think!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Happy Finals Prep-Week! - Treat Yourself at Marriott Properties During the Winter Break!

2011-12-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

During the break, I plan to accomplish A LOT of tasks! Non-academic tasks include wrapping gifts and placing the ornaments on the tree. Academic tasks include finalizing the spring syllabi, answering students' e-mail, finding grants, and finishing tasks for the Texas Social Media Research Institute (TSMRI).

Despite the full schedule, I plan to take advantage of some wonderful last minute reservations at a Marriott hotel (or two) during the break. My hotel stay is always relaxing and I am more productive at a Marriott desk than I am at my own desk (whether at work or at home). There are just so many distractions at home and at work! Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself! This is such a funny video!

If you are interested in the Marriott Rewards program, please click this link...

https://www.marriott.com/rewards/rewards-program.mi

If you need a referral, please let me know! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Happy Finals Prep-Week! - The Mini-Mental Vacation (Professors and TV Series)

2011-12-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

http://blog.hootmag.org/

Readers,

During finals prep week, I allow myself to do SOMETHING to veg out for a few minutes each day! This rest enables me to focus on other activities that comprise my daily mini-mental vacation! Every semester the mini-mental vacation is always focused on a different activity. Past semesters focused on television series (thank Netflix)! I admit, I love Bones, Law and Order, Criminal Minds, and Mad Men! Yes, I have reached the semi-middle-aged threshold that looks forward to the 5pm and 10pm news!

This year, I focused my efforts on Pinterest (because I do not have time for anything else). :) Next week, I will focus on how college professors can use Pinterest in their classrooms.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Happy Finals Prep-Week/Wandering Wednesdays - Frugal Scholar: Lessons from a Lifetime of Frugality

2011-12-07T14:52:00.000-06:00

http://blog.hootmag.org/

Readers,

During this time of year, I am always searching for good deals for Christmas and for the month of January (which is always an economically LEAN month for our household). I am always reading frugal mommy blogs and frugal couple blogs to gain ideas and insight into how our household can save money. Here's my hidden secret, I also spend money on my "mobile classroom" at the beginning of each semester (even throughout the semester). The items that I purchase include the following: post-it notes, markers, in-class incentives, kraft bags for in class activities, books, etc.).

Now, I am super excited to feature the following frugal professor blog (one of the first that I have ever seen). Introducing the Frugal Scholar Blog - http://frugalscholar.blogspot.com/. This author (who does not identify herself) describes herself as a, "pathologically frugal professor, wife, and mother".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sado27/4917385326/

I will definitely follow her blog via Blogger and I cannot wait to discover which subject she teaches and for which university she is employed.

Her recent posts in the months of November/December include:

Pre-Finals Week/Wandering Wednesdays - More Specials I Will Not Avail Myself Of: Black Friday and Beyond

Cheap Gifts for Your College Student, Adult Child, or Yourself: Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker

Gifts for Teachers: FRUGAL Gifts for Teachers, that is

Enjoy!

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Happy Finals Prep-Week! - The Long-Semester To Do List

2011-12-06T13:15:00.000-06:00

http://blog.hootmag.org/

Readers,

I am very excited about next week...finals week! While preparing for finals week, I have to persist through my end-of-the-semester to do list. This list usually includes:

- Saving several blackboard data files in PDF format.

- Clean my office "pantry" (a clear Rubbermaid box with snacks) and refrigerator.

- Finish grading extra credit assignments.

- Distribute pre-finals grades to students.

- Return library books and other "borrowed" items.

- Save blackboard courses and place data back into the course repository.

- Plan the Communication Department's Winter Party.

What is on your end-of-the-semester to do list?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference (#SMC2011) - Weekly Planning Meeting Healthy Snack List - Popcorn Indiana, Kroger, Sprouts, Ozarka Water

2011-12-05T23:56:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This weekend, I was able to gain a few extra hours of sleep (this is the rest that I lost during ECW2011). I am so thankful for wonderful faculty, interns, and an amazing conference!

Throughout the semester, the interns requested to plan the end of the year party and I kindly obliged, because I used a lot of my personal funds to purchase snacks for each of the meetings. However, I do have to point out Ms. Mulhern and Dr. Maben's generosity during some of the meetings this semester! They were amazing!

Later, I discovered that this party had a distinct theme. ;) I will post more about this themed party later. :)

Usually, I shopped at Kroger (Granbury, TX) or Sprouts (Fort Worth, TX) the night before the meeting to make sure that I had fresh snacks and healthy foods to bring to each of the TSMRI meetings.

Usually, our weekly snacks consisted of the following:

- Popcorn Indiana - Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn (This was a FAVORITE among of the 15 members of TSMRI.) - http://www.popcornindiana.com/

*In fact, I called the Popcorn Indiana company to see if they would be interested in providing samples or coupons for the Social Media Conference next year!

- Crunch Pak - Apple Slices (http://www.crunchpak.com/)

- Oreos

- Ozarka Water (http://www.ozarkawater.com/)

*We always had a gallon of cold Ozarka Water on our meeting table.

- Vegetable Trays

- Fruit Trays

- Cupcakes

Overall, we were FULL by the end of each meeting and we remained relatively healthy throughout the semester.

I hope that we are able to gain meeting sponsors and event sponsors throughout the year! Does anyone want to function as a food sponsor for the Texas Social Media Research Institute or the Social Media Conference 2011? :)

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference 2011 (#SMC2011) - A Wonderful Event Sponsored by the Texas Social Media Research Institute (TSMRI) (Conference Recap)

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Today was the BIG day! Here are several highlights and wonderful pictures from the event:

- #SMC2011 Registration began EARLY in the morning!

- We had an amazing presentation from Ms. Rossi-Scott, a lawyer who specializes in school law (she is based in Fort Worth/Arlington).

- We awarded TWO iPod Touch devices to conference attendees!

- Our university president, Dr. Dottavio welcomed conference attendees during our dessert reception!

- The Stephenville mayor, Ms. Nancy Hunter, welcomed conference attendees!

Here's our wonderful team!

Here is the registration form for the event!

http://www.tinyurl.com/SocialMediaConference2011Reg/

We have an amazing group of interns and faculty who are dedicated to this great event! More information about this event will be posted soon! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference 2011 (#SMC2011) - Tomorrow is the BIG Day!

2011-12-01T23:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Tomorrow is the BIG day! One of my colleagues is traveling from New Orleans, LA to Stephenville, TX to attend the Social Media Conference and I am SUPER excited to see her! Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason is amazing! I cannot wait to HEAR her presentation!

Here are the final documents for the conference:

Conference Session Titles and Abstracts - LINK

Final Conference Schedule at a Glance (HTML Format) - LINK

Final Conference Schedule at a Glance (PDF Format) - LINK

PS - I cannot WAIT to sleep more than four hours on Saturday! This week has been rewarding, but very exhausting!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference 2011 (#SMC2011) - How We Marketed/Promoted the Event

2011-11-30T12:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I thought that this would be a great time to share our marketing methods for the conference.

- Our wonderful Marketing and Communications Department (Tarleton State University) posted an article focused on our conference. - LINK

- A great article was written about the conference by our campus newspaper, the J-Tac. - LINK

- Flyers were distributed across campus

- We were featured on the downtown marquee!

- Every student, faculty, and staff received e-mails from TSMRI in August, September, October, and November reminding them to register for the conference!

- We posted the conference on a WEALTH of social media, information sciences, and communication studies websites.

- We used social media (i.e. - Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, etc.) to communicate with potential attendees and sponsors!

Do you have any suggestions for next year? We would like to make the conference BIGGER and BETTER next November! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference 2011 (#SMC2011) - The T-Shirt Design (Thanks AdobeEducation) & Our Social Media Outlets

2011-11-29T09:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Today, we have THREE more days until the 2011 Social Media Conference and I wanted to show our t-shirts!

I designed the conference logo this summer using Adobe Photoshop (as part of the Adobe Creative Suite). Yay for great software!

Here are our social media outlets:

Here are our Twitter hashtags - #TSMRI & #SMC2011

Our blog - http://tsmri.blogspot.com/

Our Facebook Account - http://www.facebook.com/TSMRI

Our Linked In Event - http://events.linkedin.com/social-media-conference-texas-847198

Our Foursquare Check-In Link - LINK

Check us out during the conference! Our faculty and interns are AMAZING!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Social Media Conference 2011 (#SMC2011) - Countdown to the BIG Event!

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This week, I am focused on teaching my classes while preparing for Friday's Social Media Conference! A few professors and I thought of this idea last May and now the conference week is FINALLY here! Unfortunately, I do not think that I will be able to sleep much this week, but I am EXCITED about this great event!

Here is the registration form for the event!
http://www.tinyurl.com/SocialMediaConference2011Reg/

We have an amazing group of interns and faculty who are dedicated to this great event! More information about this event will be posted soon! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 5/5) - "But Why Do I Have to Take This Class"

2011-11-25T11:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :) I am highlighting some activities from our university's 8th Annual Excellence in Teaching Conference.

Here is our five highlighted activity! - "But Why Do I Have to Take This Class" by Tracey Holley (I am so proud of her! She is my colleague in the Communication Studies Department!)

A Small Description of the Activity:

Instructors of General Education courses face an uphillbattle with student mentality. Eachsemester for twenty-three years I have launched the first day session with anquery as to why the students have chosen to take my class. Each inquiry has resulted in the sameresponse; they did not choose to take my course, it was forced upon them in theguise of a "requirement." After approximately 186 repetitions of this question I have come to twoconclusions: 1) simplified, students do not want to take my class. If given a choice they would enroll inunderwater basket weaving before Fundamentals of Communication. Students do notsee an inherent use for the theories or skills associated with Communicationstudies. 2) It is my job to not onlyengage the student in a class that begins with a preconceived notion ofuselessness, but to inform the student of not only the necessity of obtainingthe skills and information the course provides, but the helpfulness of applyingthat knowledge in their everyday lives.

I plan to present mytechniques for involving students in a core class from day one. These techniques include perception quizzes,critical listening skills, critical reading, and cultural applications ofskills. However, these skill are not presented to the student with the singleobjective of involvement, but also to ensure they understand the link betweencore classes and critical thinking/reading skills. A final objective of these techniques is toenable the students to apply their knowledge to various situations, not justacademia.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Holley_PP.pptx

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Holley_PP.pdf

Supplemental Material:

Ms. Holley used to ask her students why they are taking thecourse. However, now she provides thestudents with quiz questions

- Examples - math, ... brain teasers

- Test their Frame of reference - 'take from' vs 'subtract'

- Critical reading and listening - animals on Moses' ark

- 'A bird in the the Hand' - stereotypes and perceptionprocess

- Nonverbal - nickels and coins

- Frames of reference - eg., napkin and serviette

- Repetition signifies importance - wood burning stove

- Gestures = importance

- Thought process

- Show them the necessity for the course and why it isrequired

- Recommended book to read is The Disappearing Spoon

- (See attached PowerPoint)

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 4/5) - "Using Adobe Captivate in Online Classes"

2011-11-24T23:49:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Here is our fourth highlighted activity! - "Using Adobe Captivate in Online Classes" by Dr. Christopher Guthrie.

A Small Description of the Activity:

Based on my personal experience, I will discuss thestrengths and weaknesses of using Adobe Captivate to present course content inonline classes. My overall thesis willbe that even thou there are some drawbacks to using this presentation software,the benefits outweigh the liabilities. Iwill show pieces of my Captivate lectures to illustrate this presentation.

Activity Handouts:

Dr. Guthrie provided a short demo on how to use Captivate(an eLearning content capture and creation tool) to create interactive tutorialsfor instructors who design, create, and modify software demonstrations,interactive simulations, branching scenarios, and quizzes.

Features include:

- SWF (shockwave file) commenting

- Professional project templates

- Customizable widgets

- Roundtrip PowerPoint workflow

- Table of Contents and Aggregator

- Text-to-speech functionality

- Rich animations

Supplemental Material:

http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 3/5) - "Microblogging with University Students 24/7: "Twitter Comes to Tarleton""

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Here is our second highlighted activity! - "Microblogging with University Students 24/7: "Twitter Comes to Tarleton" by Dr. Ingrid Graves.

A Small Description of the Activity:

This study presents the quantitative and qualitative resultsof a Universal Design (Behling & Hart, 2009) modification to a face-to-faceblended learning environment intended to quickly disseminate classroominformation and provide for a diversity of learning styles.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Graves_Handout%20(2011).pdf

Supplemental Material:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Graves_Microblogging%20with%20University%20Students%2024.pdf

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 2/5) - "A System for Developing an Online Class that Works for Me"

2011-11-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Here is our second highlighted activity! - "A System for Developing an Online Class that Works for Me" by Frank Ewell

A Small Description of the Activity:

In the process of constructing online classes over the years, I have developed a procedure that works for me. I believe that this system could work for other faculty in similar disciplines or at least help them plan and construct their online class. This is not a fixed system and I expect it to evolve as new technology becomes available.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Frank%20Ewell%20CITDEconfer.pptx

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Frank%20Ewell%20CITDEconfer.pdf

Supplemental Material:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Ewell_12%20Steps.pdf

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Interactive Assignments and Activities for Undergraduate Classrooms (Post 1/5) - "Ticket in the Door"

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I love searching for new activities to integrate in my undergraduate classrooms (either face-to-face and hybrid classroom environments). Every year, our university hosts an Excellence in Teaching Conference that highlights innovative activities that Tarleton professors are integrating in their classrooms.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to attend this annual conference because it always occurs on the same week as the Southern States Communication Association conference. However, under the direction of Dr. Credence Baker and Mr. Doug Hanna, this conference has blossomed and has become one of the primer events on our campus.

This week is dedicated to interactive assignments and activities for undergraduate classrooms! :)

Here is our first highlighted activity! - "Ticket in the Door"

A Small Description of the Activity:

To ensure that students are prepared for class, a Ticket in the Door is required. The Ticket may be a highlighted reading assignment, questions for group discussion, information from websites that collaborate or dispute information from text, etc.

Activity Handouts:

http://online.tarleton.edu/fdi/EIT_SC/Calahan_Tickets.pdf

Supplemental Material:

http://teachers.tulpehocken.org/bdavis/Shared%20Documents/Learning%20Focused%20Resources/Ticket%20Out%20the%20Door%20Ideas.pdf

What do you think about this activity?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

National Communication Association #NCA2011 (Post 5/5) - Walking Around Conference Exposition Halls!

2011-11-18T10:10:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I always enjoy strolling around the exposition hall and interacting with the book publishers. This year was special for TWO reasons: I discovered the workbook that I edited over the summertime and my friend Lora and I met with an editor about a book proposal.

Here's a copy of the workbook. We use the workbook in our Fundamentals of Speech, Public Speaking, and Business and Professional Speaking courses.

The exposition hall is always full of freebies and conversation! During my first NCA conference in San Diego, I accepted the preview books with gratitude (and regret when I boarded the plane and had to pay for luggage that was over the weight limit). Now, I scan the book ISBN or cover with my RedLaser app OR I take a picture of the literature with my iPad to avoid walking and flying with more paper that I actually need.

Quick Question - How do you navigate conference exposition halls?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

National Communication Association #NCA2011 (Post 5/5) - Making Your Conference Round Table Presentation Attractive!!!

2011-11-18T08:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Today, I had TWO conference round table presentations! Both of the presentations were focused on technology (specifically Google Docs).

Presentation 1 - Utilizing an Interactive Activity to Enable Stakeholders to Discover Innovative Ways to Re-frame their Negative Perceptions about Stakeholders

Presentation 2 - Utilizing Google Documents to Write a Training and Development Guide for Local Non-Profit Organizations and Small Businesses (Service Learning)

Usually, when I visit round table sessions, the presenter's display is very dull. This year, I decided to integrate the following elements on my table:

1 - Business Cards

2 - A Note Card with a QR code and link to the activity on Google Docs.

3 - Copies of the Actual Activity

4 - My iPad for additional explanations.

5 - Candy! I knew that my students could spare a few pieces! :)

I've discovered that people like to LEAVE your table with SOMETHING in their hand to remind them about your presentation! :)

How do you make your presentations more appealing?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

National Communication Association #NCA2011 (Post 3/5) - Traveling to Academic Conferences with Posters...

2011-11-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

My first presentation for the National Communication Association Conference was a competitive poster presentation on Google Documents! I was super excited about this presentation, because Web 2.0 technologies are my passion!

Here is the only negative aspect of a poster presentation... YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL WITH THE POSTER! Unfortunately, it seems that most airlines require passengers count the poster tube as one of two pieces of their carry-on luggage. Since today's airline passengers usually carry all of their luggage on the aircraft, this additional piece of carry-on luggage might place a wrinkle in someone's luggage plans (no pun intended).

So, a few years ago while attending and presenting a poster the annual meeting for the Council on Undergraduate Research in Odgen, UT, I decided to adopt a new approach... I decided to use pieces of paper to create my poster presentation!

This approach enabled me to adapt my poster to the space provided and to add neat details at the bottom of the poster to appeal to my potential walk-though audience members. I always place a business card holder and poster note card at the bottom of each of my poster presentations.

Here's a question for you! - How do you make your poster presentations unique?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

National Communication Association #NCA2011 (Post 2/5) - Pre-Conference Prep!

2011-11-16T09:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This has been an amazing week so far! Before attending a conference, I have to prepare my students for my temporary disappearance from campus. To help them through this "transition", I still keep my virtual office hours during each and every conference.

Do you keep in contact with students when traveling to conferences?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Submit an Idea for the "Great Ideas for Teaching with Adobe Products" Mini-Contest!

2011-11-15T21:51:00.001-06:00

Readers,

Today is the FIRST day of the "Great Ideas for Teaching with Adobe Products" Mini-Contest!

Participants:

Faculty, Staff, and Students are encouraged to submit an idea! We encourage ideas focused on (but not limited to) the following:

- Classroom Ideas (Face-to-Face or Hybrid)

- Student Activities/Student Affairs

- Student Organizations

- Admissions and Recruitment

- Campus-Wide Events

- Supplemental Instruction

- Learning Communities

- Online Instruction/E-Training

Voting Period

The readers will vote on the best entries from Monday, December 5th to Friday, December 9th. The WINNER of the contest will receive a copy of the CS5.5 Master Collection!

Submit Your Idea Here:

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***This contest is a collaborative effort between the Millennial Professor blog and the Communication in Higher Education blog.***

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

National Communication Association #NCA2011 (Post 1/5) - Pre-Conference Prep!

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

I am looking forward to attending the National Communication Association's Annual Conference this week! I plan to tweet during the sessions, so please remember to add me on Twitter @COMMTechProf

Also, this conference is always special, because I always catch up with my undergraduate professors and I network/plan with one of my favorite peers in the communication profession, Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason. Follow her on Twitter - @lhelviemason

Also, my students are following me on Twitter via my university account for their extra credit assignment - @drjtedwardsTSU

I will post updates from the conference very soon! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Texas Blackboard Users Conference (5/5) - Dr. Rena Palloff and Dr. Keith Pratt's Presentation

2011-11-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

The last day of the conference, we had the pleasure of listening to authors, Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt! Here are three of their books:

The Future of Online Education...

- Bandwidth has increased, storage has increased, access has increased, technology is more reliable, and internet access is ubiquitous.

- Collaboration and social networking are becoming the norm.

Barriers to Online Education...

-A percentage of students still dial up.

- Some students cannot afford computers at home.

- As technology becomes more complex, additional training is needed.

- People resist the use of technology that is not simple or that affords clear benefit to them.

- Social networking is blurring boundaries.

The Introduction of New Hardware is Driving Online Learning
- iPads and other Personal Access Devices
- Cell Phones - Smart Phones
- Presentation Technology

Games and Virtual Words- We are likely to see increased development and use of applications like Second Life in education.

- The ability to use simulation for application activities is likely to increase as a result and move us thruther awway from tests and quizzes to measure competence.

Personalized Learning- Self-paced, modular, and based on individual studnet needs.
- Networks and conversations rather than content.
- Learning Management Systems (LMS) may go away in favor of a collection of tools or applcations to support individualized learning.

Thank you Wiley Publishing for the FREE book! I hope to post a review soon!

Processing Question (from the presentation) - How will you prepare for the future? How can we prepare our students for their future?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Texas Blackboard Users Conference (4/5) - New Developments on Blackboard

2011-11-10T13:34:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Today is the first official day of the T-BUG conference! The opening session (breakfast) was amazing! Plus, they gave away an iPad during the breakfast session! :)

Blackboard Idea Exchange

Also, today I discovered that Blackboard has the Blackboard Idea Exchange (BIE). I hope to join the group soon.

BbWorld

This conference is coming up in July in New Orleans! I hope to submit a session proposal soon!

Also, here are some Blackboard Updates:

1- My Blackboard (an online social learning space similar to Facebook for students)

2 - Google Docs Integration

3 - Learning Project Repository (This is a great for academic departments who need to have embedded question for assessment purposes.)

4 - ePortfolio Updates

5 - Native Editor (You can download and upload documents without having to save separate copies on your system. I am not sure how this works, but we shall see!)

6 - Outcomes System (A tool to evaluate surveys and to post survey content.)

7 - The Blackboard Learn App (Our institution does not have access to this app yet.)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Texas Blackboard Users Conference (3/5) - Conference Schedule & Our Session (Establishing Collaboration Opportunities in Your Online Class)

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Readers,

Today, I have to examine the T-BUG schedule to figure out which sessions I plan to attend.

Here's the schedule: http://www.t-bug.org/2011TBUGprogram_dallas.pdf

I downloaded this PDF schedule to my iPad library for easy access (even without internet or 3G access - which can be VERY spotty in hotels).

Here are the session tracks:

UPGRADE:

Of interest to anyone who is going through an upgrade, about to go through an upgrade, or thinking

about doing an upgrade.

SUPPORT:

Held Desk, Technology Teams, Student Support Staff,

Faculty Support Staff, Instructional Designers. Of i

nterest to anyone who supports Blackboard users.

TEACHING AND LEARNING:

Instructors, Adjuncts, Teaching Assistants, Course

Designers, Instructional Designers. Of interest to

anyone who delivers or designs instructional contents.

VENDOR SHOWCASES:

Come see what the vendors are doing and how they

collaborate with Blackboard to enhance your current

system

Here's our session:

Room: Longhorn IV

Establishing Collaboration Opportunities in Your Online

Class

Credence Baker, Tarleton State University
Jennifer T. Edwards, Tarleton State University

In this session, you’ll be introduced to several different free

web-based tools that can be used to foster collaboration among

students in your online class. Incorporating collaboration

opportunities gives students a chance to sharpen their virtual-team

skills, and allows you to provide students with real-time scaffolding

and feedback, monitor progress, and keep track of who has

contributed to a project

Processing Question: Every session seems very interesting! Which sessions should I attend?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Texas Blackboard Users Conference (2/5) - While I am Away from Campus...

2011-11-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

Readers,

As I prepare to attend the T-BUG Conference, I have to prepare my face-to-face and online courses for my temporary transition from campus.

Here is my conference to do list for this week:

1 - Remember to bring my iPad and laptop (plus snacks).

2 - Remind students about the "Virtual Assignments" for this week in the daily class agenda that I post on the board before each class begins (while I take attendance).

3 - Post my weekly announcements/checklist for the online students.

4 - Remind students that they might experience a two-hour delay in my e-mail replies, but I remind them about my Google Voice account.

5 - Create 50 Google Documents for the students to post their undergraduate research reflections.

**I never post a "out of office" message on my e-mail, nor on my voice mail, because usually I am able to respond to messages in a timely manner.**

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Texas Blackboard Users Conference (1/5) - Anticipation and Apprehension

2011-11-07T14:28:00.000-06:00

Readers,

This week, I am excited about attending the "Texas Blackboard Users Group" Conference in Richardson, TX. However, I am slightly apprehensive about integrating Blackboard 9 in my online and hybrid courses, because our university is still in the pilot phase of the LMS integration period.

So, I plan to attend this conference with an OPEN mind and hopefully I will meet some individuals who can change my mind about Blackboard 9. This shall be interesting!

Also, I would like to formally thank Dr. Credence Baker for including me in this awesome opportunity! Here is some more information about T-BUG: http://www.t-bug.org/.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Student Affairs and Technology Series (4/4) - The Office of Academic Advising at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

2011-11-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

Readers,

I understand that this is a SHORT series, but I wanted to make sure that I highlighted Eric Stoller's Blog, Student Affairs and Technology (hosted by Inside Higher Ed).

Recently, he wrote a post titled, "#AcAdv: Social Media Spookiness & Strategy from UWGB".

In his blog post, Stoller wrote, "The Office of Academic Advising at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay" has, according to Sanders, "taken to the social web in a big way since July. They've ditched safe and cautious, for risky and fun. This isn't a social web success story, it's a story on the reevaluation of current communication practices... daring to stand out, putting in the extra effort, not fearing failure."

Here's their Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/uwgbadvising

Here's their Facebook account: http://www.twitter.com/advising/

Here's one of their most recent Youtube videos:

Processing Question: Since this department is currently using Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter, how could they use Foursquare or Blogger to reach students?

Here's shoutout to Eric for having such a terrific blog! - Follow Eric Stoller on Twitter @EricStoller

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Student Affairs and Technology Series (3/4) - Journal of Technology in Student Affairs

2011-11-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Readers,

One of my first short articles was published in the Journal of Technology in Student Affairs (A Student Affairs E-Journal). I have always been a HUGE fan of this online publication, because it provided great (easy-to-understand) tips for student affairs professionals!

Their most recent issue was published in Summer 2011 and here are the articles:

Rethinking Facebook: A Tool to Promote Student Engagement

Technologically Capable Armed Forces: Attributes of Graduates of the National Defense University of Malaysia

The Use of an Online Social Networking to Introduce and Connect Newly Admitted International Students

Are They Listening? Social Media on Campuses of Higher Education

College Cyberbulling: The Virtual Bathroom Wall

Processing Question - Which article was your favorite?

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Student Affairs and Technology Series (2/4) - Student Affairs and Youtube! (University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio)

2011-11-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

Readers,

This is an amazing Youtube channel from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. They are VERY creative and a few of them attended my conference session at TACUSPA!

Here are two of the most recent Youtube podcast episodes:

They had a GREAT Chili Cook Off Program!

Here are the results!

Processing Question - How does your student affairs or academic department use Youtube?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Student Affairs and Technology Series (1/4) - Social Media Technology in Student Affairs Departments in Texas (Presented at the TACUSPA Conference)

2011-11-01T08:05:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Last month, I was fortunate to attend the Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators in Austin, TX. I learned a WEALTH of new information about student affairs and higher education. I strive to stay abreast of new developments and research in the student affairs field.

This week, I will focus on STUDENT AFFAIRS and TECHNOLOGY (one of my favorite topics). I am thankful to have been selected to present a session on student affairs and technology at the conference! A week prior to the conference, I dispersed an informal survey on Facebook to the TACUSPA membership on Facebook to gather responses focused on HOW different higher education institutions integrate technology in their courses and WHICH technologies they integrate in their departments!

Here is the presentation:

Processing Question: What was the most interesting aspect of the presentation?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 31/31): Series Reflection & Great Ideas for Integrating Adobe Products in Higher Education" Mini-Contest

2011-10-31T17:30:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Unfortunately, this is the last post in the "31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education" series. It has been an AMAZING series though which I reflected on my academic and student affairs experiences in higher education. I have not been able to combine both of my interests in such a way in a LONG time.

I am EXCITED about planning next semester's classes and integrating the Adobe Creative Suite in the course creation process for the Social Networking course.

Today, I am switching back to the weekly series. However, starting on Tuesday, November 15th, I will start a "Great Ideas for Integrating Adobe Products in Higher Education" Mini-Contest with the "Communication in Higher Education: Life on the Tenure Track at a Teaching Institution" blog (http://www.commhighered.com/).

"Great Ideas for Teaching with Adobe Products" Mini-Contest.

Participants:
Faculty, Staff, and Students are encouraged to submit an idea! We encourage ideas focused on (but not limited to) the following:
- Classroom Ideas (Face-to-Face or Hybrid)
- Student Activities/Student Affairs
- Student Organizations
- Admissions and Recruitment
- Campus-Wide Events
- Supplemental Instruction
- Learning Communities
- Online Instruction/E-Training

Voting Period
The readers will vote on the best entries from Monday, December 5th to Friday, December 9th. The WINNER of the contest will receive a copy of the CS5.5 Master Collection!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 30/31): Adobe Apps for Grofessors-on-the-Go

2011-10-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

I know that this is one of my last posts in this series, but I wanted to highlight Adobe Apps. Yes, we use computers ALL OF THE TIME, but for some professors-on-the-go continual computer access is a luxury! As a result, a few of us use iPods and iPads as a supplement to our office and home computer.

Adobe Carousel - Use this app to get consistent, high-quality results on computer and the iDevice using the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software.

Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop CS5 - Use this app to create custom colors for Photoshop.

Adobe Eazel for Photoshop CS5 - Use this app to create beautiful paintings on your iPad!

Adobe Nav for Photoshop CS5 - Use this app to navigate around your computer's CS5 software.

Adobe Photoshop Express - Use this app to QUICKLY edit and share photos from your mobile device. :) My husband uses this one! :)

Processing Question - Are you using one of these apps? What do you think? Which one of the apps is your favorite?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 29/31): Integrating Adobe Captivate in our University's Learning Management System

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

After writing yesterday's post, I wanted to discover MORE about integrating Adobe Captivate in our university's Learning Management System, Blackboard.

Here's a great post from the Captivate blog titled, "Distributing Adobe Captivate Courses through LMS" - http://blogs.adobe.com/captivate/2011/09/distributing-adobe-captivate-courses-through-lms.html

Here's a great video from the Adobe E-Learning Youtube Channel titled, "Configure Captivate Projects for LMS":

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 28/31): Migrating Your Learning Materials with Adobe Captivate 5

2011-10-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Next semester, I am teaching a Social Networking in our Communication Studies Department. I am one of those CRAZY people that tries to integrate education technology in every course and I plan to integrate Adobe Captivate in my course. This should be an easy embed/upload into Blackboard (at least I hope).

Here is a great Adobe Acrobat file of slides titled, "Migrating Your Learning Materials with Adobe Captivate 5".

Processing Question: Do you use Adobe Captivate? What do you think of the program? Does it work well in your online and/or hybrid classes?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 27/31): Creating Virtual Tours for Your Classroom and/or Academic Building

2011-10-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Here is one of my favorite entries in the 2011 Educators' Choice Awards competition, the Harold B. Lee Library Virtual Tour. This tour (and similar virtual tours) would be an incredible resource for academic and student services departments who wish to provide prospective and online students with a glimpse into their building.

Here are the subsequent videos in the tour:

HBLL Virtual Tour - Level 1

HBLL Virtual Tour - Level 2

Processing Question - Does your department or campus have a virtual tour? How do the students react to the virtual tour?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 26/31): Creating Fillable Forms in Adobe Acrobat X Professional (A Great Classroom/Departmental Tool)

2011-10-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Usually, we use Google Forms or Microsoft Word to create fillable forms for departmental events and services. Now, we have the option to use Adobe Acrobat X Professional to create the forms. I LOVE the crisp nature of Adobe Acrobat forms and I look forward to using these forms for our next conference and/or departmental event!

Here's a great video focused on Adobe Acrobat X Professional and creating fillable forms:

Processing Question - How can you use the fillable forms feature in your classroom or department?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 25/31): Creating Lesson Plans, Streamlining Classroom/Administrative Tasks with Adobe Acrobat X Pro

2011-10-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

Readers,

I like to STREAMLINE almost everything in my face-to-face and hybrid classrooms. When I use the word "streamline", I am referring to optimal automation in responding to students, creating assignments, making transitions from semester to semester, etc.

Adobe Acrobat X Pro can be used to generate lesson plans and streamline classroom/administrative tasks.

Generating Lesson Plans

Check out the Adobe Education Exchange's "Guide to Generating Lesson Plans with Adobe Acrobat X Pro": http://edexchange.adobe.com/posts/a8db182766

Here's the Description: Planning daily coursework for your students can be a daunting task. When you create forms in Acrobat, you automate lesson planning and save valuable time. In this guide, learn how to create custom lesson-plan forms with which you can quickly map out your teaching plan for your students.

Streamlining Administrative Tasks
Check out the Adobe Education Exchange's "Guide to Generating Lesson Plans with Adobe Acrobat X Pro":
http://edexchange.adobe.com/posts/3a5773839e

Here's the Description: Communication and Collaboration, Technology Operations and Concepts

Additional Ways to Use Adobe Acrobat X Pro to STREAMLINE Your Classroom:

- Typing and Organizing Icebreakers

- Creating Lesson Plans

- Organizing Science Labs (Experiments)

- Organizing Class Announcements

You can TRY Adobe Acrobat X Pro for Education for FREE here - http://www.adobe.com/education/products/acrobatpro/index.html

You can PURCHASE Adobe Acrobat X Pro here - LINK

Processing Question - Any additional ideas?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 24/31): e-Portfolios and Higher Education (Highlighting Student Work and Performing Program Assessment)

2011-10-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

Readers,

I am pleased to announce that MY STUDENTS READ MY BLOG! Here's the interesting aspect, they connect some of my blog posts to the classroom discussion. They have been particularly interested in e-portfolios and how they can be used in their job and internship searches.

They are excited about the Adobe Acrobat e-Portfolio system. I plan to explore the system next semester. Also, we could integrate the e-portfolio system in our departmental assessment each semester.

Here is a great video focused on e-Portfolios and how they are used in higher education institutions in California.

Processing Question - Does your institution use e-Portfolios? Which system do you use? How do your students react to the system? Will they have access to the system after they graduate from your institution? <- This is a BIG question for our students.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 23/31): Using Adobe Connect in the Virtual and Hybrid Classroom Environment

2011-10-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Here's another post focused on Adobe Connect. I started using the software over the summer to attend webinars via my iPad or iPod Touch. Through these mobile devices, I can connect with colleagues virtually from almost anywhere via a 3G connection to discover new concepts about the higher education classroom.

Lately, I started thinking of ways to integrate Adobe Connect into my online and hybrid classrooms. I think the experience would be valuable for both my students and myself. However, I am not sure if this software can be integrated with Blackboard. I know that Blackboard uses Wimba, but Wimba seems very complicated and difficult to use. I hope to discover more details about both types of online software soon.

Purdue University uses Adobe Connect Professional to provide their professors and students with virtual, yet interactive experiences. Here's a glimpse into their interactive online learning environment.

Processing Question - If your higher education institution cannot afford Adobe Connect, how can you provide your students with these virtual, interactive experiences?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 22/31): Providing Students with National and International Presentation Experiences without Leaving the Campus

2011-10-29T08:11:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Over the past few semesters, our department (Communication Studies) has started to focused on providing our students with REAL experiences (interactive, out-of-the classroom experiences focused on classroom content) for our students. For example, I teach Organizational Communication and Intercultural Communication. We have a conference every fall semester to showcase our students' work and also to provide students with critical thinking experiences (especially when presenting information to an audience and answering their questions).

Adobe Connect would be the PERFECT outlet for our students to reach a larger audience without the manpower and financial overhead it takes to plan a large conference. We could advertise the monthly sessions via the Communication Studies Department's Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TarletonCOMSDept) and Twitter page (http://www.twitter.com/TarletonSpeech/).

Here is an example of how the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health disperses research through informative lectures delivered around the world via Adobe Connect.

Processing Question - What are some ADDITIONAL ways that Adobe Connect can be used in the classroom setting?

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 21/31): Single Edition - An Academic E-Publisher's Dream!

2011-10-29T07:05:00.000-05:00

Readers,

I am too excited to announce an amazing feature for InDesignusers! Recently at Adobe's MAX Technology conference in Los Angeles, thecompany debuted their new tool, "Single Edition".

This e-publishing software enables users (and our students)to create apps for iOS devices from files created with Indesign CS5.5 (i.e. -interactive books, brochures, magazines, etc.). Here's the neat thing - thissoftware enables the novice designer to create e-reader iPad applicationswithout ANY coding experience required. This software option would be availablefor slightly under $400 per application.

This might be great option for academic departments who needto publish an alumni magazine or a student-based magazine. I know that somefaculty members in my department would probably be very excited about thisopportunity!

Single Edition for iPad will be available late November.Read more about the software here -http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/10/05/adobe-intros-ipad-app-creator-for-indesign.aspx

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Freebie Friday! - Visit Officemax.com OR OfficeMax and Save 20% Off Your Entire Purchase!

2011-10-28T17:53:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Since many academic and student affairs department budgets for office supplies are small this year AND you might want purchase a few post-it notes for your home, please TAKE ADVANTAGE of this great offer!

From October 30th to November 5th, you can save 20% on ALL of your purchases from Office Max! This deal is available online AND offline!

Here's the link to the coupon: LINK

Here's my list (also great for Christmas gifts):

- Post It Notes
- Mechanical Pencils
- Colored File Folders
- Wireless Mouse
- Sandisk Drive
- K-Cups (We have a new machine in the office and I think that I will give everyone K-cup gifts this year!) -

Please feel free to redistribute the link!!! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 20/31): 20+ Beautiful Logos for your Inspiration

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Yesterday, I introduced a few logos that I designed for our Communication Department. However, it is time for YOU to become creative as well! Check out this list (and display) for 20 Beautiful Logos for your Inspiration. I was definitely inspired and I hope to design a logo soon.

http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/20-beautiful-logos-for-your-inspiration

Here is a website focused on logos: http://tasteofink.com/gallery/logos

If you (or your students) designed a logo for your department (or student organization), please send me an e-mail because I would like to post your information and the logo graphic on this blog post! :)

Have an wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Dr. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 19/31): Two Logos I Designed for My Department & Logo Contest Idea!

2011-10-27T08:06:00.000-05:00

Readers,

I use InDesign for almost anything that involves creativity and a computer. This ranges from flyers and brochures to picture modification and logo creation. Speaking of logos, I spent a few hours this summer making the logo for the Texas Social Media Research Institute & the Social Media Conference.

These were fun to make and I hope to have an opportunity to become creative over the Christmas break as well (when I do not have to grade papers). :)

Here's an idea for your classes: You could sponsor a logo contest for the students in your department. You might receive some logos and additional ideas that you did not anticipate receiving from your creative students!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 18/31): Spicing Up Your Syllabus Using Adobe Software (InDesign & Video Format)

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Sometimes, we recycle our syllabi from semester to semester. When I mention "recycle", I do not mean the physical act of placing the syllabus in the bin for the recycling process to begin, I mean actually reducing the number of brain cells used to create the syllabus and to reuse the same syllabus from last semester.

Yes, its harsh, but I am being honest! Personally, I always add new items to my syllabus (a new link to a social media technology, a new reading, etc.) to prevent myself (and my students) from becoming stagnant (and to keep us on our toes)!

Here are two ways you can SPICE up your syllabus using Adobe Products:

Adobe InDesign and the Virtual Syllabus (Magazine Format)

To create my class syllabus and assignments, I plan to use InDesign (or Illustrator). Alternatively, I could create a "virtual/e-magazine" to disperse core course content instead of the standard syllabus. This way, the syllabus could take an organic (instead of a stagnant) approach and it could potentially be more engaging than the traditional PDF or Word format.

Adobe InDesign and the Virtual Syllabus (Video Format)

Alternatively, a professor could use Adobe Captivate to make a video of their syllabus and to feature frequent questions and answers from past semesters. This might be a great item to embed in an online course.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

31 Spooky Ways to Integrate Adobe Software in Higher Education (Post 17/31): iDevices (iPods, iPads, etc.) & Adobe Products

2011-10-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

Readers,

Smart phones (and smart devices) are becoming popular among college students (and professors alike). I teach students attending a mid-sized institution in central Texas (a rural regional university). Here's the interesting part, only three of my 95 students actually have a iPad (or a similar device) and slightly over 60 percent of them have a smart phone. None of the students indicated that they have a Nook or a e-reader device.

iPods for All?

However, it would be interesting if individual departments (or a Junior/Senior Learning Community) would require to their students (and faculty) to purchase iPods (if they do not already have an iPhone) as part of the upper-level courses they complete. These students and faculty would integrate the iPod in their classes (i.e. - responding to in-class quizzes, listening to assigned podcasts, watching Youtube videos and responding to the video in class). This would alleviate the need for some classes to be held in computer labs.

The Social Media/Social Networking Course and iDevices

Interestingly enough, I am teaching a Social Media/Social Networking course in the spring. If most of the students have iDevices (or if I set this requirement before the class starts), I think that the class will take an interesting (and great) turn for the better. I am frantically searching for a computer lab around campus, but we have not had any luck finding one for my class time.

Using Adobe Nav to Modify Photoshop Photos! (Great for journalism classes and classes that include photostory assignments (i.e. - service learning, etc.)!)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41