December's Session

This session featured two faculty members demonstrating ways in which they are using the Nook and the iPad in the classroom.  Dr. Dave Jackson (Education)  purchased five color Nooks for student use in his classes.  This purchasing decision was driven in part by price (cheaper than the iPad) and functionality--his classes primarily needed Flash and the ability to do simulations. Now his students have internet access without having to make the trip to the computer labs as well as access to a wide variety of useful apps. 



Eric Heukeshoven (Music and Technology) billing himself as the "free range presenter," was able to walk around the room with his iPad while his presentation displayed on the screen (apple digital adapter required).  In his work with music students he has developed multiple uses for his iPad including performing, recording, composing, and presenting. He wowed the crowd with his video of alpine cows being serenaded by a dixieland band and his jamming on a standard blues riff. Eric claimed that he can now can use the iPad for the majority of his computing needs. After the session this was abundantly clear.


Missed the session?  View it here on Tegrity

November's Session: The Wanderer

 As the Horizon Report correctly predicted, mobile technology has arrived and is changing how we communicate. In this session participants highlighted the ways in which the library has responded to these changes and demonstrated how library resources can now be accessed wherever patrons may wander.

Reference Librarian, Ruth Ann Torstenson LeMasters, described the new text messaging service from Mosio that the library  inaugurated this fall. Since texting seems to be the preferred method of communication for students, librarians wanted to be able to provide a reference service students would be most likely to use.



 Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, from the music department, clearly enthralled by the Naxos Music Library database and the ease with which its app can be downloaded and used both for student learning and pure listening  pleasure, most definitely passed her enthusiasm on to the audience.  Librarians now  may need  to increase the number of users allowed on the database at one time.


Up next Carol Dahl Elhindi, Instructional Services Librarian, demonstrated how to load and use the EBSCO app which gives mobile users access to a wide variety of databases including Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier and ATLA.  Not only can users search for and read articles with this app, they can also use the library's link resolver to order articles not in full text through interlibrary loan.

Ruth Ann then described how to load apps for the library's Gale databases and for Science Direct. The presentation  highlighted the fact that each app has its own loading peculiarities.  See a help sheet for downloading each of them.




Carol ended the session by explaining  how the university community can access  library books and media collections  on their mobile devices using both WorldCat Local and WorldCat Mobile. No apps to download here, access to these catalogs is simply through a browser. 

Be sure to check out this rousing portrayal of the Gale app for Access My Library College Edition on YouTube.

Missed the session?  View it here on Tegrity. 

October's Session

In this well attended session, panelists Sarah Bearbower, Joe Dulak, and Mat Klosky discussed the University's embrace of Google Apps--why did we make the transition, what applications are part of the package, and how can we benefit from them? Sarah noted that campus wide dissatisfaction with the old email system coupled with Office Logic's  failure to bring new features to the program prompted IT to look for alternatives.  The switch to Google Apps not only offered the University a dynamic email system but also  included many other features--Google calendar, docs, blogs,etc.

Sarah talked about the transition timetable. Expectations are for the entire community to be migrated by the end of Christmas break. A survey of the participants  in the session revealed that most had made the transition to Google Apps and all were happy with the change. Sarah then highlighted some of the new features in the g-mail system and took comments and questions.

The session concluded with panelists demonstrating the collaborative features found in Google Apps.  Mat was a hit when he demonstrated how his meat pie recipe could be improved upon online by his wife Tricia  with help from Joe and Sarah using the apps.

If you missed the session you can  view it on Tegrity

Upcoming Sessions

Friday Oct 21
12:00 to 1:00
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"
Tired of wasting time trying to keep your online life organized? The solution may be at hand. GoogleApps has come to Saint Mary's . Now, not only will your email no longer feel "clunky," but you will be amazed at how easy it is to use Google Docs to "create, store, and share online documents, spreadsheets, and presentations." Sarah Bearbower, with a panel of early adapters, will share the inside scoop on the all-campus transition to GoogleApps and its benefits.

Friday Nov 18
12:00 to 1:00
"The Wanderer"
If you're "the type of guy who likes to roam around" with your technology, and your computer is "never in one place," come and find out how you can take the library with you on your travels. Soon you can access the library catalog, look at your borrowing record, and search library databases like EBSCO and Naxos all from your mobile device. Get some specifics about how mobile technology is changing the ways in which the university community accesses information. Stay on the move, but don't be "going nowhere."


Friday Dec 9
12:00 to 1:00
"You've Got the Magic Touch"
In this session you'll see how faculty at Saint Mary's are teaching minds and touching screens. Eric Heukeshoven and Dave Jackson will demonstrate how they use iPads and Nooks to create magic in the classroom. Want the glow of new technology under the Christmas tree? Come and get a first-hand look.

September Session: Summertime Blues

To open the Fall Chat Chow season,  faculty members from the Business Department-- Tom Marpe, Theresa Speck, and Jeff Hefel-- reported on their experiences teaching online classes over the summer.  These were classes for undergrads that had never before been taught online. The group presented information about the rationale for online courses, the technologies used, cost strategies, materials used, assessments, student responses, and more.  They shared not only what worked well, but also what they would change for next time.  The audience added questions and suggestions to the discussion including stressing the importance of discussion boards.

Missed the session?  View it here on Tegrity.

May's Session

The May 4th session, "Fajitas de Mayo," featured a menu in celebration of Cinqo de Mayo and a discussion of the future for educational technology. Jason Sparks, Director of Instructional Technology, led off with a report from the ECAR Study of Undergraduates that gave us a snap shot of where students are now with regard to the use of technology. We watched the Horizon Report video to see what that organization is predicting for technology usage in higher education--one year out, 2-3 years out, and 4-5 years out.

Reference Librarian Ruth Torstenson Le Masters gave examples of trends that are here already or will be within the year--the e-book and mobile technology--mashing these trends with some of the data in the College of 2020 Report. Carol Daul-Elhindi, Instructional Services Librarian, followed with a look at augmented reality and game-based learning, technologies that are expected to be main stream in 2-3 years, again tying these predictions to those made in the College of 2020 Report. Similarly, Spartz gave us a look at gesture based computing and learning analytics for a glimpse into what we might expect 4-5 years from now.




Greg Sobolewski, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Theology, talked about how Saint Mary's can engage future students not just to become competent users of technology and well equipped job seekers, but also to become spiritually sophisticated.

Marilyn Frost closed with congratulatory remarks for the attention faculty and staff have paid to these issues during the Chat Chow sessions, providing a wonderful end of the year wrap up for the sessions.

The Chat Chow team would like to thank all those who presented this year, as well as all those who attended the sessions. We are looking forward to a bringing you more programming next year. Watch for a survey coming around that will solicit your ideas for new topics, dates, times, etc.

Missed this session? Watch it now on Tegrity. Take a look at the Power Point here for links to more information about these new technologies (great U Tubes!)