The Tools Team - Revision history

Jharrow at 17:35, 15 May 2009

2009-05-15T17:35:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:35, 15 May 2009
Line 8:		Line 8:
	* [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]]		* [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]]
	* [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED, and General Feedback"]]		* [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED, and General Feedback"]]


	~~[[Image:toools.jpg]]~~

	== Our Goal ==		== Our Goal ==
Line 18:		Line 15:
	Fourteen years have passed since the statement above, and - while we've augmented IIF with a course wiki and additional high-tech tools each week - we still bothered to get together in person for two hours a week, and we expended effort and money bringing terrific outside guests into our classroom. So, while we met once a week in the real world, we used a lot of different tools to augment these interactions.		Fourteen years have passed since the statement above, and - while we've augmented IIF with a course wiki and additional high-tech tools each week - we still bothered to get together in person for two hours a week, and we expended effort and money bringing terrific outside guests into our classroom. So, while we met once a week in the real world, we used a lot of different tools to augment these interactions.

	Indeed, incorporating new technology tools and assessing their value was one of the goals of this course (for a list of tools that members of the course discussed during a pre-meeting for the course, see [[Template:Tools\|here]]. As such, our job was to occasionally step back and examine the tools we were using to see if they added to the in-person experience, detracted from it, or went beyond it. We also tried to get people to think about the audience for their sessions and for this seminar in general: if we were to incorporate new technology into each week's session, who were the intended beneficiaries? The students in the seminar? Other law students? Future students? The general net-connected public at large? [http://seesmic.com/freidawolden Freida], the hat lady on Seesmic?		Indeed, incorporating new technology tools and assessing their value was one of the goals of this course (for a list of tools that members of the course discussed during a pre-meeting for the course, see [[Template:Tools\|here]]). As such, our job was to occasionally step back and examine the tools we were using to see if they added to the in-person experience, detracted from it, or went beyond it. We also tried to get people to think about the audience for their sessions and for this seminar in general: if we were to incorporate new technology into each week's session, who were the intended beneficiaries? The students in the seminar? Other law students? Future students? The general net-connected public at large? [http://seesmic.com/freidawolden Freida], the hat lady on Seesmic?

	Once we got our operation up-and-running, we had two mini-discussions about the use of [http://www.twitter.com Twitter] and then about [http://www.seesmic.com Seesmic] (in fact, the discussions were far too mini, in our opinion - but for more on how we think we did our jobs and how we think others can do our jobs better than we did, see our not-so-secret Teacher's Manual below). We then led a final, hour-long breakfast recap session that was more wide-ranging and included a few points of comparison to other organization's practices, like those of [http://www.ted.com TED], which we based an [http://iif.podbean.com/ introductory podcast] around.		Once we got our operation up-and-running, we had two mini-discussions about the use of [http://www.twitter.com Twitter] and then about [http://www.seesmic.com Seesmic] (in fact, the discussions were far too mini, in our opinion - but for more on how we think we did our jobs and how we think others can do our jobs better than we did, see our not-so-secret Teacher's Manual below). We then led a final, hour-long breakfast recap session that was more wide-ranging and included a few points of comparison to other organization's practices, like those of [http://www.ted.com TED], which we based an [http://iif.podbean.com/ introductory podcast] around.

Mahmadian.jd11 at 16:07, 15 May 2009

2009-05-15T16:07:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:07, 15 May 2009
Line 10:		Line 10:


	[[Image:toools.~~bmp~~]]		[[Image:toools.jpg]]

	== Our Goal ==		== Our Goal ==

Mahmadian.jd11 at 16:03, 15 May 2009

2009-05-15T16:03:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:03, 15 May 2009
Line 10:		Line 10:


	[[Image:~~tools~~.~~jpg~~]]		[[Image:toools.bmp]]

	== Our Goal ==		== Our Goal ==

Mahmadian.jd11 at 16:00, 15 May 2009

2009-05-15T16:00:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:00, 15 May 2009
Line 8:		Line 8:
	* [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]]		* [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]]
	* [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED, and General Feedback"]]		* [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED, and General Feedback"]]


			[[Image:tools.jpg]]

	== Our Goal ==		== Our Goal ==

Jharrow: /* Summary */

2009-05-15T14:50:12Z

Summary

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:50, 15 May 2009
Line 70:		Line 70:
	=== Summary ===		=== Summary ===

	In the end, we think incorporating such a variety of tech tools was a journey well worth taking. Some tools were used to great effect and showed us first-hand how Internet technology can really improve our educational experience and, indeed, our society more broadly; others showed great potential and need to be developed; still others ultimately fizzled out. Our recommendation going forward, then, is to keep trying new things but really ~~thinking~~ hard about the best way to incorporate ~~such~~. As the Internet develops, we ~~realize~~ that technology isn’t just good for technology’s sake, but because, when used properly ~~and~~ with the proper thought and care, it has the potential to make our world a better place and to make us better citizens ~~of it~~.		In the end, we think incorporating such a variety of tech tools was a journey well worth taking. Some tools were used to great effect and showed us first-hand how Internet technology can really improve our educational experience and, indeed, our society more broadly; others showed great potential and need to be developed; still others ultimately fizzled out. Our recommendation going forward, then, is to keep trying new things but to really think hard about the best way to incorporate them. As the Internet develops, we should keep in mind that technology isn’t just good for technology’s sake, but because, when used properly with the proper thought and care, it has the potential to make our world a better place and to make us better citizens.

	== General Recommendations for Using Technology in the Future ==		== General Recommendations for Using Technology in the Future ==

Jharrow: /* Category 3 – Tech Tools That Took Things Off The Table */

2009-05-15T14:48:11Z

Category 3 – Tech Tools That Took Things Off The Table

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:48, 15 May 2009
Line 66:		Line 66:
	* '''Twitter.''' We have a detailed discussion of the use of Twitter in this class [[Tools: Twitter in the Classroom\|here]], but, looking back, we think the overall verdict – as evidenced by the virtual ban on laptops that began during the last half of the semester – was that Twitter was too big of a distraction to meaningfully add to the goals of the class. Perhaps focused twittering could be a workable solution, but unfiltered twittering from the entire class greatly undermined the ability of the speakers to lead a top-flight discussion.		* '''Twitter.''' We have a detailed discussion of the use of Twitter in this class [[Tools: Twitter in the Classroom\|here]], but, looking back, we think the overall verdict – as evidenced by the virtual ban on laptops that began during the last half of the semester – was that Twitter was too big of a distraction to meaningfully add to the goals of the class. Perhaps focused twittering could be a workable solution, but unfiltered twittering from the entire class greatly undermined the ability of the speakers to lead a top-flight discussion.

	* '''Unfocussed Laptop Use.''' Maybe it’s heretical to say that using laptops in ~~class~~ is a net-negative in this seminar, but if so, we’re willing to accept the resultant shunning. Laptop use for certain specific activities can absolutely be a plus, but in a seminar like this – where verbatim notetaking shouldn’t really be an issue – the distraction factor (Gmail, Gchat, Twitter, Facebook, the New York Times, etc.) greatly outweighed any positive effects of the whole class having Internet access. Sadly, we don’t yet live in "The Matrix"; we can’t yet download electronic information directly into our brains. If we want the whole class to be engaged and invested in the discussion, they can’t be constantly distracting themselves with the Internet. We strongly recommend that class discussions be conducted without the class having laptops open, and, if people are allowed to use laptops, it should be limited to specific, discrete purposes.		* '''Unfocussed Laptop Use.''' Maybe it’s heretical in an Internet law seminar to say that using laptops in the classroom is a net-negative in this seminar, but if so, we’re willing to accept the resultant shunning. Laptop use for certain specific activities can absolutely be a plus, but in a seminar like this – where verbatim notetaking shouldn’t really be an issue – the distraction factor (Gmail, Gchat, Twitter, Facebook, the New York Times, etc.) greatly outweighed any positive effects of the whole class having Internet access. Sadly, we don’t yet live in "The Matrix"; we can’t yet download electronic information directly into our brains. If we want the whole class to be engaged and invested in the discussion, they can’t be constantly distracting themselves with the Internet. We strongly recommend that class discussions be conducted without the class having laptops open, and, if people are allowed to use laptops, it should be limited to specific, discrete purposes.

	=== Summary ===		=== Summary ===

Jharrow: /* What We Did Wrong; or, What You Should Do */

2009-05-15T14:38:39Z

What We Did Wrong; or, What You Should Do

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:38, 15 May 2009
Line 101:		Line 101:
	=== What We Did Wrong; or, What You Should Do ===		=== What We Did Wrong; or, What You Should Do ===

	Looking back, we think the next group should do at two things a little bit differently, and may want to do more of a third:		Looking back, we think the next group should do at least two things a little bit differently, and may want to do more of a third:

	# '''More individualized planning.''' Rather than just providing retroactive feedback, the next version of the Tools Team should try to think through how best to use certain tools with the other members of the seminar as they plan their substantive sessions. We're not sure what form this would take; perhaps it would involve individual meetings with each seminar, meetings in groups, email exchanges, or anything else. But the key is that we think Tools Team 2.0 should, from the very beginning of the seminar, start thinking about how technology should be employed for the course of the seminar in order to help groups further their goals without undermining what they're trying to do. We attempted something like this with future groups starting mid-way through the course, but by that time most people's lesson plans were already set; in addition, we hadn't established any track record of being able to do this well. For those reasons, it didn't work for us - no one took us up on our offer. But if the Tools Team in the next iteration of this course gets in early and establishes that they can really provide some value, it could really be productive to have another view from outside helping groups think about the way they want to use technology.		# '''More individualized planning.''' Rather than just providing retroactive feedback, the next version of the Tools Team should try to think through how best to use certain tools with the other members of the seminar as they plan their substantive sessions. We're not sure what form this would take; perhaps it would involve individual meetings with each seminar, meetings in groups, email exchanges, or anything else. But the key is that we think Tools Team 2.0 should, from the very beginning of the seminar, start thinking about how technology should be employed for the course of the seminar in order to help groups further their goals without undermining what they're trying to do. We attempted something like this with future groups starting mid-way through the course, but by that time most people's lesson plans were already set; in addition, we hadn't established any track record of being able to do this well. For those reasons, it didn't work for us - no one took us up on our offer. But if the Tools Team in the next iteration of this course gets in early and establishes that they can really provide some value, it could really be productive to have another view from outside helping groups think about the way they want to use technology.
	# '''More "quickie" feedback sessions.''' Among the three different ways we contributed to the course in person - grabbing ten minutes to talk about Twitter, trying to re-focus a brief discussion during a larger session initiated by the Professors, and finally having our own "breakfast session" toward the end of the course - we think the short burst of feedback worked best. Just from a practical point of view, scheduling an optional session outside of class is quite difficult; it took us several weeks to schedule our final session, and even then only about half the class was able to attend. Even more the point, though, we think that waiting for a while after using the tools and then condensing all that talk into one (or a few) discrete sessions is both less interesting and less helpful than checking in more often with shorter sessions. After all, for these feedback sessions, the Tools Team doesn't really need much time to lay out a major theoretical framework. Instead, given that (hopefully) the next Tools Team will be working more closely with each team in advance, the feedback sessions can just be short sessions to see how effective the class as a whole views certain tools.		# '''More "quickie" feedback sessions.''' Among the three different ways we contributed to the course in person - grabbing ten minutes to talk about Twitter, trying to re-focus a brief discussion during a larger session initiated by the Professors, and finally having our own "breakfast session" toward the end of the course - we think the short burst of feedback worked best. Just from a practical point of view, scheduling an optional session outside of class is quite difficult; it took us several weeks to schedule our final session, and even then only about half the class was able to attend. Even more the point, though, we think that waiting for a while after using the tools and then condensing all that talk into one (or a few) discrete sessions is both less interesting and less helpful than checking in more often with shorter sessions. After all, for these feedback sessions, the Tools Team doesn't really need much time to lay out a major theoretical framework. Instead, given that (hopefully) the next Tools Team will be working more closely with each team in advance, the feedback sessions can just be short sessions to see how effective the class as a whole views certain tools.
	# '''More podcasting.''' This is a recommendation not just for a future Tools Team per se, but also something that we think future Tools Teams should recommend as they think about what tools should be used during the course. We did [http://iif.podbean.com/ one podcast] for our session at the very end of the seminar, and no other groups chose to create any podcasts, either before or after their sessions. But looking back, we think it's a great way to incorporate a guest without cutting into any discussion time, and it could be a great way to share certain components of the seminar with the world at large. It's been quite successful for other educational enterprises (see iTunes U [http://deimos3.apple.com/indigo/main/main.xml here] - note that link goes to the iTunes Store), and we think this type of course could also benefit from podcasts for both internal and external communication.		# '''More podcasting.''' This is a recommendation not just for a future Tools Team per se, but also something that we think future Tools Teams should recommend as they think about what tools should be used during the course. We did [http://iif.podbean.com/ one podcast] for our session at the very end of the seminar, and no other groups chose to create any podcasts, either before or after their sessions. But looking back, we think it's a great way to incorporate a guest without cutting into any discussion time, and it could be a great way to share certain components of the seminar with the world at large. It's been quite successful for other educational enterprises (see iTunes U [http://deimos3.apple.com/indigo/main/main.xml here] - note that link goes to the iTunes Store), and we think this type of course could also benefit from podcasts for both internal and external communication.

Jharrow: /* The Not-So-Secret Teacher's Manual */

2009-05-15T14:37:48Z

The Not-So-Secret Teacher's Manual

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:37, 15 May 2009
Line 86:		Line 86:
	== The Not-So-Secret Teacher's Manual ==		== The Not-So-Secret Teacher's Manual ==

	The final section is a reflection on how we did our jobs, and, more importantly, how the next people can do it better - because if one thing that we can say for certain on this page, it's that ~~the next people~~ ''can'' do our jobs better than we did.		The final section is a reflection on how we did our jobs, and, more importantly, how the next people can do it better - because if there is one thing that we can say for certain on this page, it's that a subsequent group ''can'' do our jobs better than we did.

	=== What We Did ===		=== What We Did ===

Jharrow: /* Our Goal */

2009-05-15T14:27:26Z

Our Goal

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:27, 15 May 2009
Line 19:		Line 19:
	Once we got our operation up-and-running, we had two mini-discussions about the use of [http://www.twitter.com Twitter] and then about [http://www.seesmic.com Seesmic] (in fact, the discussions were far too mini, in our opinion - but for more on how we think we did our jobs and how we think others can do our jobs better than we did, see our not-so-secret Teacher's Manual below). We then led a final, hour-long breakfast recap session that was more wide-ranging and included a few points of comparison to other organization's practices, like those of [http://www.ted.com TED], which we based an [http://iif.podbean.com/ introductory podcast] around.		Once we got our operation up-and-running, we had two mini-discussions about the use of [http://www.twitter.com Twitter] and then about [http://www.seesmic.com Seesmic] (in fact, the discussions were far too mini, in our opinion - but for more on how we think we did our jobs and how we think others can do our jobs better than we did, see our not-so-secret Teacher's Manual below). We then led a final, hour-long breakfast recap session that was more wide-ranging and included a few points of comparison to other organization's practices, like those of [http://www.ted.com TED], which we based an [http://iif.podbean.com/ introductory podcast] around.

	This page is an attempt to synthesize and reflect on some of the ideas that emerged out of those sessions, but we've also created pages with a lot more specific information on [[Tools: Twitter in the Classroom\|"Twitter in the Classroom"]], [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]], and [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED"]]. In sum, in our ongoing quest for meta-ness, those three pages represent our specific reflections on certain tools other groups actually used during the course, this page reflects on those reflections, and the [~~[Tools~~ Teacher's Manual~~\|Teacher's Manual]~~] reflects on reflecting about those reflections. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM1VXhZT37E Got it]?		This page is an attempt to synthesize and reflect on some of the ideas that emerged out of those sessions, but we've also created pages with a lot more specific information on [[Tools: Twitter in the Classroom\|"Twitter in the Classroom"]], [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]], and [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED"]]. In sum, in our ongoing quest for meta-ness, those three pages represent our specific reflections on certain tools other groups actually used during the course, this page reflects on those reflections, and the [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/iif/The_Tools_Team#The_Not-So-Secret_Teacher.27s_Manual Teacher's Manual] reflects on reflecting about those reflections. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM1VXhZT37E Got it]?

	=== A Brief Digression As To Why We Care About Implementing New Technologies ===		=== A Brief Digression As To Why We Care About Implementing New Technologies ===

Jharrow at 00:41, 15 May 2009

2009-05-15T00:41:02Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:41, 15 May 2009
Line 7:		Line 7:
	* [[Tools: Twitter in the Classroom\|"Twitter in the Classroom"]]		* [[Tools: Twitter in the Classroom\|"Twitter in the Classroom"]]
	* [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]]		* [[Tools: Seesmic\|"Seesmic"]]
	* [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED, and ~~Closing Thoughts~~"]]		* [[Tools: Lessons From TED\|"Lessons From TED, and General Feedback"]]

	== Our Goal ==		== Our Goal ==