Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Assignment #2

I read Scanner Pro Turns iPad, iPad into Portable Scanner.  The technology that is now available is so difficult to keep up with, but so important for us to be aware of as instructors.  A student can very easily (and quickly!) make a copy of a test using a scanner App on their cell phone.  This creates a PDF which can then be edited to include answers, notes, etc. and then shared (or sold) very efficiently to other students.  This is a potential issue in many of the courses that I teach since we often reuse tests each semester.  Even if the tests are changed, the material covered is very similar and if some students have access to old tests with solutions, they would have an unfair advantage over students who haven't seen them.

Academic integrity is a big issue at the college and technology like this can create even more issues, especially if we as instructors do not know what is not only possible, but very likely happening in our classrooms.  I currently request that students put their cell phones in their backpack or pocket.  However, it would be very easy for a student to quickly scan it while I'm turned away or talking to another students.  How far do we have to go when handing back tests?!



Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Lifelong Learning

Learning is what makes life fun!  Who wants to do the same boring things all the time?  Learning new skills and trying new things is exciting and gives us personal satisfaction. 

I am currently learning: how to raise my kids (without going crazy), how to run my household more efficiently (where does the time go?), how to teach more effectively (thanks Eva!), and working on expanding my cooking repertoire (fresh oysters anyone?)