On the last session of the semester faculty and staff were invited to participate in a technology "petting zoo." Campus innovators were encouraged to bring in their mobile devices and their ideas about how to use them in the classroom. Bookstore staff brought in e-readers. The library put an iPad, an iPod, and a Nook on display. Participants browsed the displays and lively conversations ensued.
In this session Dean of Education, Dr. Scott Sorvaag, aided by several of his former students, described how they created and sustained not just a paperless classroom, but also a real community of learners. Since the class was Global Issues and Sorvaag's focus was sustainability and community, the paperless component was part of an overall theme and not just an attempt to employ new technologies. Students were given a choice, and all of them chose to go paperless. Some of the tools employed included a free, cloud-based collaboration program called Typewith.Me; the audience response system, Poll Everywhere; the free zooming presentation editor, Prezi; smart phones; and Sorvaag's syllabus which was loaded with links. Students kept up with their work through discussions in the blogs and wikis they created in Typewith.Me. Rather than taking notes in class, the group spent the last 10 minutes of every session recouping what they had learned and putting it into the class wiki. When they watched videos, the students were encouraged to contribute their reactions into the Poll Everywhere program. Prezi was used for student presentations. Listening to the Sorvaag and his enthusiastic students it was clear that not only had they learned some new technologies, but that they had also learned a good deal about how to create community and promote global sustainability as they moved toward future careers.
Since Twitter has become an industry standard for journalists, Beckman requires the use of Twitter in two of his classes. Students are awarded up to 25 points for tweeting activity. They are expected to use Twitter as professionals and to follow events and people in their field. Beckman said Twitter has also become an important networking tool for student job seekers. Like Bodsgard, Beckman sees Twitter as a valuable method for keeping in touch with alumni.
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. 
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. 
