Blackboard Blogs

New YouTube Video by Michael Wesch (Blackboard DevCon 2008 Keynote Speaker)

Kansas State University Professor Michael Wesch, well-known within the YouTube community for the series of innovative videos he created in collaboration with his media and anthropology students, as part of their digital enthography of YouTube project (read their blog), posted an intriguing new video last month titled "Twitter and World Simulation":

I really look forward to Prof. Wesch's upcoming DevCon 2008 keynote address -- next month in Las Vegas.  I know that reads like a plug for the conference.  And, well, yeah, it is, sure.  But I really am excited to hear Prof. Wesch speak in person -- I'm traveling to the conference a day early, to ensure I won't be trapped in an airport three states away while waiting for a connecting flight that for some reason never arrives.

Until DevCon, over on the BlackboardTV Channel on YouTube, there’s a playlist that may interest you, The Future Is Now.  We’ve collected a series of interesting videos -- recommended by Blackboard users and found by BlackboardTV crew members -- that visualize the use of technology in teaching and learning, including more videos by Prof. Wesch and his students.

Technology Makes the World Smaller, Closer and More Connected

Watch this YouTube video clip of an e-Learning conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (and recorded two years ago, almost to this day), and compare how similar it is to the footage captured by a BbWorld conference attendee last year during BbWorld '07 in Boston, USA, which I discussed in a post yesterday:

If you'll be attending BbWorld '08 in Las Vegas, July 15-17, and plan to bring your video camera, please let me know at BlackboardTV@blackboard.com.  And watch for BlackboardTV crew members filming there.  During a session break we can discuss how wonderfully small, close and more connected the world is becoming because of technology -- both e-Learning and video.

Do You Have Video Footage or Photos from BbWorld Europe '08 in Manchester?

During BbWorld '07 in Boston, a conference attendee from the Netherlands captured this footage of action across the exhibit hall floor -- from the "Ask Dr. C" kiosk to partner booths to the opening reception:

The image is blurry.  The camera movement is dizzying at times.  And the sound nearly inaudible.  But I love this footage!

To be able to capture a few minutes of an experience like this, spontaneously on a mobile phone or a tiny camera, is exactly why I love technology.  And I was in the exhibit hall when this footage was shot, probably also walking around, but I saw a completely different set of events and conversations.  To be able to see this experience so easily from someone else's perspective?  Fascinating.

If you recorded video footage or took photographs during BbWorld Europe '08 in Manchester, please let me know at BlackboardTV@blackboard.com.  I'd like very much to see the spontaneous and serendipitous moments you captured, and share them with the Blackboard community via the BlackboardTV Channel on YouTube, so your peers can view them.  And maybe themselves.

Viva the camera phone!

From BbWorld in Manchester to BbWorld in Las Vegas

BbWorld Europe '08 occurred recently in Manchester, England.  Alas, I wasn't able to attend the conference, co-hosted by the University of Manchester, but learned registration was filled, 30 clients presented during the break-out sessions, and over 350 users attended, traveling from more than 26 countries, including Italy, Turkey, Botswana and South Africa.  Cool.

Our next users conference, BbWorld '08, will occur in Las Vegas, July 15-17.  Attendees are expected to travel from not just North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but also Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.  Very cool.

Blackboard International President Juan Lucca extends his invitation to attend:

Also, there'll be a keynote speaker in Las Vegas whom I'm very keen to hear: Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer.  Geek cool.

Tim Hill Invites You to Dinner at BbWorld '08

Blackboard Professional Education President Tim Hill invites you to attend our annual users conference, BbWorld '08, in Las Vegas, July 15-17:

Tim and the ProEd team also invite you to join them for a Customer Appreciation Dinner during the event:

• Tuesday, July 15, for our government clients
• Wednesday, July 16, for our corporate and “for-profit education” clients

For more specific information about the conference, I recommend viewing the list of very useful client-led sessions reviewed and chosen by the BbWorld Program Committee, comprised of 325 Blackboard clients.

Jessie Woolley-Wilson Invites K-12 Educators to BbWorld '08

Blackboard’s K-12 president, Jessie Woolley-Wilson, invites you to attend our annual users conference, BbWorld '08, in Las Vegas, July 15-17:

The BbWorld Program Committee, comprised of 55 Blackboard clients, reviewed more than 325 submissions from peers seeking to present at the conference this year.  Among the client presentations selected are a high number of very useful sessions for K-12 educators, that directly address the priorities, opportunities and challenges within K-12 education.

BbWorld '08 Video Invitation to the Higher Ed. Community

Many Blackboard team members are involved with the planning for BbWorld ’08, our annual e-Learning conference for members of the global Blackboard user community, so BlackboardTV recorded a series of short videos in which some of the planners just sit and discus a few things about the conference that they look forward to, and extend an invitation to join them in Las Vegas, July 15–17.

Here’s a message from Blackboard's senior vice president of Product Development, Jessica Finnefrock, who, in her office, has the most comfortable arm chair I may have ever sat in:

(The music at the end?  From one of my favorite songs: "Big Butter and Egg Man" recorded in 1926 by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five.)

You can find Jessica's video invitation and more BbWorld clips at the BlackboardTV Channel on YouTube.

How-To Videos . . . Helpful or Harmful?

Greetings, blog lovers.  Welcome to my first post to the BlackboardTV Blog.  I'm a graphic designer at Blackboard, handling some of the creative needs for BlackboardTV, so I spend some of my time online, searching for innovative trends in design and video use.

I think you'll agree with me that the Internet, and more specifically YouTube, can be a powerful educational tool. Where else can you learn how to fry a turkey, fix a leaky sink, or paint portraits like a master artist just by watching a short video clip?

Typing "How To" into the YouTube search field brings up a variety of instructional videos, like a detailed explanation of how to fold a shirt in two seconds or how to plant a tree, and even how to train a cat to turn on a light switch (I'm not kidding).

Watch Videos of the BbWorld Commerce '08 Keynote Addresses

BbWorld Commerce ’08 drew a large contingent of Blackboard clients to Phoenix in March, to share best practices and hear the latest product news from Blackboard, including the release of Blackboard Video Surveillance and the integration of Connect-ED mass messaging.

A highlight of the conference this year was the line-up, in the morning sessions, of arguably the two best keynote presentations we’ve ever had:

• Dr. Mark Milliron of Catalyze Learning, who discussed the newest generation of students and how they prefer to learn
• Dr. Adrian Sannier from Arizona State University, who discussed the evolution of strategic campus technology alliances

Many conference attendees told me how insightful they found both of these speakers and how useful the information provided in their addresses was to them.  Several people specifically wanted to share the speeches with their colleagues back on campus.

Well, now you can watch and share videos of the keynote addresses.

Using Video to Teach "The 3 R’s”

On Earth Day everyone who entered the lobby here at Blackboard’s DC office building was given a gift by the property's management company: we could choose an apple, orange or banana.

This small gesture in recognition of the 38th Earth Day, coupled with an increase in recycling opportunities around our offices, actually seemed to lead to a raised sense of environmental consciousness.

Of course we could all spend a bit more time thinking about ways to be more strategic in the reduction of our global footprint.  For example, even though I commute to and from work by bicycle, and consider myself a decent recycler, this Personal Footprint Calculator from the Global Footprint Network is a sobering reminder of just how much more I could and should be doing.

On a positive note, I think the concept of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” appears to come naturally to our contemporary generation of learners (like a new “Reading, ‘Riting & ‘Rithmetic”).  Perhaps this stems from a natural sense of environmental awareness or maybe it’s something else . . .

Anyone remember what the animated TV series "Schoolhouse Rock!" did for math, grammar and civics lessons?  Famous artists are now creating their own public service announcements about the environment spun to catchy, keyboard- and percussion-infused tunes, like this video for Jack Johnson’s song “The 3 R’s”:

I have a feeling if you teach in a classroom you may have integrated Earth Day ideas into your lesson plans this past week.  If so, did you use video?

At BlackboardTV we’re always looking to publicize and share great examples of how you’ve used video to complement important themes in your teaching, so please send them along to me at BbTV@blackboard.com.

Engaging Students through Music

Does anyone else think of music when the seasons change?  This morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.  With a daily routine that relies heavily on music, I turned to Pandora radio to see if I could quickly catch a listen to “Spring.”

I was instantly successful!

In addition to an immediate desire to be outside, I also remembered a time where Vivaldi proved to be an invaluable resource in my classroom.  While teaching English abroad several years back, I often turned to my limited music collection for inspiration in my efforts to enrich the learning experience of my students.  Fortunately, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons helped bridge the language barriers between teacher and a class full of nine-year-olds.

Reflecting back on those days trying to introduce new English words to fourth graders in a remote village, I thought about how I would plan the same lesson today. 

After doing a quick YouTube search for Vivaldi, I found this great video accompaniment from a 1998 film made in Venice featuring this excerpt of “Summer”:

With a rich resource like this at my fingertips, I’m certain my students and I could have engaged in deeper discussions of instruments, sound, architecture and geography.

I welcome you to share with me stories of how you have used music and video to engage your students and enhance your lessons.  I’m always looking for your stories, so please send them along to me at BbTV@blackboard.com.

"Information R/evolution" by Mike Wesch

A short post today, to share one of the several thought-provoking and creatively produced videos by Mike Wesch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology, Kansas State University, who with others is compiling an ethnography of YouTube (details can be found here).

Also, I recommend the Digital Ethnography blog kept by KSU faculty members and students.

On the Digitial Ethnography Channel on YouTube, Prof. Wesch describes his video (embedded below), titled "Information R/evolution":

This video explores the changes in the way we find, store, create, critique, and share information. This video was created as a conversation starter, and works especially well when brainstorming with people about the near future and the skills needed in order to harness, evaluate, and create information effectively.

Please let me know what other clips you'd like to see added to the video archives assembled by BlackboardTV.  I can be reached at BbTV@blackboard.com.