Kevin Blissett: Out of the Cave » applications

Classroom Use of GoogleApps

Kevin Blissett — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:14:23 +0000

Helen Barrett explains how GoogleApps can be a one-stop shop for creating centralized, dynamic, and effective e-portfolios. I’ve been using Blogger for my students’ blogs and had considered using other applications alongside, but Helen does a great job here showing how it can all work together. I’ll definitely plan on working more applications into my curriculum map. She has also created a group site where educators can share ideas about how one fully can use GoogleApps in the classroom.

BYU 2nd to Harvard Among Students Accepted

Kevin Blissett — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:00:11 +0000

Of course, I have to give a shout-out to my alma mater on this story. It appears that, of applicants who are accepted to universities across the U.S., Brigham Young University is rated second only to Harvard as a percentage of those students who actually arrive on campus the first day.

Here’s one thing Harvard and BYU have in common – of all universities in the nation, both have the highest yields of students that choose to attend out of those who are accepted.

A recent study by U.S. News and World Report named Harvard as the most popular university in the nation according to this measure (79 percent yield), with BYU coming in close second with 77 percent.

The study was based on statistics from the fall 2007 entering class and was the second year U.S. News and World Report has conducted the study. Last year, BYU tied with Harvard at the highest national yield of 79 percent.

Go Cougs!

Social Media in the Classroom

Kevin Blissett — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Christopher Sessums breaks down an article on businesses’ use of social media and wonders whether the same questions asked of those engaged in business media should be asked of educators wishing to use social media in the classroom.

Sessums states:

What I like most about Chandler’s metrics is their candor. For example, a question like “How does this application further our goal?” begs the question: “What is our goal?” — a great place to start!

Questions such as “How do we measure the results?” and “Do our customers [nee users] want to communicate this way?”

The questions I’m asking are “How would I use social media in the classroom?” and “How would I measure the results?” Certainly there are a number of ways to write in social media, but the fact is that the most writing people do is to update their status. I would be interested in investigating applications for the classroom. I enthusiastically use social media in my personal and professional life, but I’m straining to see how my enjoyment could extend to my students in a concrete and productive way. I would love some comments and ideas.