Technology in Blackboard

Technology in Blackboard is really more about using various technologies and medias to enhance the effectiveness and quality of your course site. THis is particularly important when it comes to hybrid or web-based classes. Blackboard itself has some great tools that can meet some of the technology needs of a technologically elevated course site, however perhaps more advantageously, it allows you to upload or import media that meets this need.

Social Technology

Some of the recent social networking sites and technology mediums are a fantastic tool for enhancing a course site and allowing students to learn using familiar tools. This generation of students have a far greater awareness of what it means to be technological savvy, however their technology savvy comes not from an intense knowledge of technology itself but from "playing" and "networking". Sites such as Facebook and MySpace are where they hang out virtually; YouTube is their online video repository; Second Life their...well, second life. As instructors we have to start looking at how we can use and manipulate these virtual networks. How can we establish such tools as a basis for enhancing the learning experience and becoming an integral part of the pedagogical participation?