Education for a Digital World Advice, Guidelines and Effective Practice from Around Globe, 2008a

26 – Techno Expression
learning environment gives both instructors and students
amazing possibilities in this area. There really are
so many pathways to techno expression, it is staggering.
We hope to see your examples on the Internet some day!
There are a number of factors that go into successful
techno expression. You can establish asynchronous or
synchronous timeframes, depending on your goals. For
brainstorming and presentations, synchronous activities
work well. For reflection, research, and collaboration,
asynchronous activities give students time to generate
original ideas.
Since students seldom get a chance to share their
thoughts in academic settings, they may be tentative at
first, though given the number of student accounts in
social networking areas like MySpace and FaceBook,
perhaps they will jump right into it. Either way, techno
expression works best when students have a safe environment
in which to try new things.
There are a number of tools that enable techno expression,
and that list will continue to grow. Whatever
media type you choose for the students—print, audio,
video, multimedia, or multiple forms of interaction in
an online environment—be sure to align the end result
with the learning objectives. Students will be able to
express their views, regardless of the medium.
Finally, allowing students to state their opinions does
not automatically add work for the instructor, nor does
it necessarily pull students away from the underlying
learning objective(s). Instead, techno expression can
inspire students to go well beyond expectations, as Michael
Jones and Gail Benick learned during their wiki
experiment. Students will appreciate any efforts you
make to let them speak their minds. They will appreciate
even more your acknowledgments, feedback, and responses.
When designing a course, techno expression
can be a way to add meaning to the assignments for the
students. Be sure to make it fun for you, too!
Glossary
Flaming. The practice of sending angry or inflammatory
messages online (http://www.computeruser.com
/resources/dictionary/definition.html?lookup=6608)
Multi-literate. Being literate in in the sense of being
able to understand information in a number of contexts.
“… students will draw on a range of knowledge and
contexts from many disciplines, as well as on multiple
modes of communication” (O’Rourke, 2002, para. 8).
Netiquette. Internet etiquette, usually based on the
Golden Rule (“Treat others as you want to be treated”).
Really Simple Syndication (RSS). A format for syndicating
Web content (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM
/R/RSS.html)
Techno expression. A technology-based process by
which one or more people, either individually or collaboratively,
use words and/or media to articulate ideas
or thoughts.
References
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Division Catalog. Retrieved October 19, 2006, from
Shorecrest Preparatory School website: http://www
.shorecrest.org/a-txt/UD/UD-coursecat2005.html
(2006). CCIT 205 Student Comments. Retrieved October
21, 2006, from CCIT 205 Wiki on Wikispaces:
http://www.wikispaces.com/Wikispaces+Update+Feb
ruary+2006+More+CCIT+205+Comments
Alfano, Christine (2005, January 3). Blog Assignment.
Retrieved October 20, 2006, from online syllabus for
e-rhetoric course at Stanford University: http://www
.stanford.edu/group/erhetoric/w05/assignments/blog
.htm
Bryant, Todd (2006, September 26). Using World of
Warcraft and Other MMORPGs to Foster a Targeted,
Social, and Cooperative Approach Toward Language
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Academic Commons website: http://www.academic
commons.org/commons/essay/bryant-MMORPGs-for
-SLA
Carter, Jimmy (1977). Address at Commencement Exercises
at Notre Dame University, May 22, 1977, Public
Papers of the Presidents: Jimmy Carter, Vol. 1977,
Book 1, p. 958. Washington, DC: United States Government
Printing Office.
Chen, Milton (2001). Edutopia: Success Stories for
Learning in the Digital Age. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Cox, Ruth (1999). Web of Wisdom: A Field Study of a
Virtual Learning Community. Doctoral Dissertation,
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA.
Cruickshank, Dan (1989). In S. Bailey (Ed.), Commerce
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Davidson, Hall (2004, April 5). Meaningful Digital Video
for Every Classroom. Retrieved October 15, 2006,
from Tech Learning website: http://techlearning.com
/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=18700330
Einstein, Albert (n.d.). Motto for the astronomy building
of Junior College, Pasadena, California. Retrieved
426 Education for a Digital World