• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

This country desperately needs a functioning Fourth Estate.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

T R E 4 5 O N

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Books are my comfort food!

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

When we show up, we win.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

I really should read my own blog.

Mobile Menu

  • Four Directions Montana
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2024 Elections
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Science & Technology / Asking the Experts

Asking the Experts

by John Cole|  November 7, 20071:00 pm| 33 Comments

This post is in: Science & Technology

FacebookTweetEmail

Currently sitting in on the “Ask The Experts- Tips, Techniques, and Creative Strategies for Teaching Online” panel at the 13th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning. Looks to be a very promising workshop- all the award winning educators from previous years will be sharing tips and advice.

Had a nice salad poolside after a morning of browsing the vendors. I decided during the vendor visit that I have some form of ADD- if someone can not tell me why I need their product/services in about 15-20 seconds, the sad fact of the matter is I probably don’t need their product. After that first 20 seconds, the next 20 seconds involve me exploring new and creative ways to end the conversation. Maybe it isn’t ADD and is just common sense.

And, I presume, at some level, I am always offended by people who need to hand me crap- pens, balls, thumbdrives, drink cards, etc., rather than just tell me what they do and why it is valuable. What a waste of resources.

*** Update ***

The first presentation is “Silk from a Sow’s Ear,” discussing the value of old asynchronous discussion threads as learning tools.

Turned out to be rather valuable- there are a few little changes thatg the presenter suggested that will ease the use of these boards and simplyh make sense.

*** Update #2 ***

Second panel: “The Orchestration of Faculty Excellence in Online Teaching.” Not sure about this one. “Excellence” is one of those words that, when used in an academic setting, know I am in for a load of bullshit. “Journey” is another one of those words.

*** Update #3 ***

The second panel was a total waste of time. Very nice woman, not sure exactly what she was doing presenting in this workshop. I actually walked out for coffee and a bathroom break, and as such, have no clue what the third presentation is, as it had already started prior to my return.

*** Update #4 ***

4th and final panel- “Building on what we know: using theory and research in learning to design online education.” This one has potential.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Tarrists It Is, Then
Next Post: My New Hero (On This Issue) »

Reader Interactions

33Comments

  1. 1.

    Michael D.

    November 7, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    John: Let me know your impressions of the conference. I haven’t heard of it. I am always interested in online learning. Is that what you do for a living? We should talk. I have a lot of experience in this area.

  2. 2.

    MNPundit

    November 7, 2007 at 1:25 pm

    And, I presume, at some level, I am always offended by people who need to hand me crap- pens, balls, thumbdrives, drink cards, etc., rather than just tell me what they do and why it is valuable. What a waste of resources.

    You’re offended by swag.

    What.
    The.
    Hell?!

  3. 3.

    John S.

    November 7, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    What a waste of resources.

    Thanks for confirming a theory of mine.

    I’m in advertising, and everytime my company presents at a tradeshow, we bring along a few giveaways.

    My theory is that the only people that take the giveaways are people who don’t care what you have to sell – they just collect all the free shit everyone gives away because they are cheap assholes. The people that come to your booth to talk business hardly ever take the giveaways because they actually have more important things to do.

    And yet, we still pass out the giveaways to all the freeloaders that are just there for the stress balls and pens because people expect that. It’s quite the conundrum.

  4. 4.

    jrg

    November 7, 2007 at 1:28 pm

    if someone can not tell me why I need their product/services in about 15-20 seconds, the sad fact of the matter is I probably don’t need their product.

    Marketing Gurus have been pointing this out for years. How on earth someone can get a job selling something without being able to rattle off the widget/service’s most compelling features is beyond me.

    If you cannot differentiate your solution in the span of a 10-storey elevator ride, you should not be trying to sell it.

  5. 5.

    MNPundit

    November 7, 2007 at 1:30 pm

    My theory is that the only people that take the giveaways are people who don’t care what you have to sell – they just collect all the free shit everyone gives away because they are cheap assholes.

    Yeah I guess that’s me.

  6. 6.

    Dreggas

    November 7, 2007 at 1:35 pm

    And, I presume, at some level, I am always offended by people who need to hand me crap- pens, balls, thumbdrives, drink cards, etc., rather than just tell me what they do and why it is valuable. What a waste of resources.

    Dude one of the highlights of E3 the year I went (other than it was the year that Doom 3 was coming out and the fact that they had real life chicks in a mini wrestling ring re-enacting Rumble Roses) was the swag!

  7. 7.

    John S.

    November 7, 2007 at 1:38 pm

    Yeah I guess that’s me.

    Stay the hell away from my booth, freeloader!

  8. 8.

    Jake

    November 7, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    the 13th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning.

    Ha! I knew it!

  9. 9.

    Tax Analyst

    November 7, 2007 at 1:41 pm

    Our company has to do the Trade Show bit. Fortunately I’m not in Sales, and they know better than to have me at these things…if a potential customer asked about the software I’d automatically start discussing good points (quite a few) and then areas I think could or should be better. A couple years ago we had an Office discussion about “Promotional Items” for these affairs. We agreed they were crap and brought in Zero business, but we did them anyway…you’d be amazed how many people (the free-loaders) actively bitch about a booth that doesn’t give that shit away, so we do it to keep the negative noise with our name attached down, but in some cities we also do a little prize raffle – something like a modest “dinner-for-4” at a moderately-priced Italian place. Probably doesn’t bring in any new business either, but it’s a nice little touch and doesn’t cost much in relation to all the other Shows fees and expenses involved.

  10. 10.

    John Cole

    November 7, 2007 at 1:47 pm

    Ha! I knew it!

    Did I miss something? Were we trying to guess where I was?

  11. 11.

    RSA

    November 7, 2007 at 1:57 pm

    If you cannot differentiate your solution in the span of a 10-storey elevator ride, you should not be trying to sell it.

    This is something I tell my grad students when they go to a conference to give a talk (and thereby try to sell themselves). Have three separate spiels prepared, aside from the talk: a 30-second summary of your research, for those elevator situations, a two-minute expansion, in case someone says, “Go on,” and a five-minute expansion for someone who actually seems interested. Oh, and

    After that first 20 seconds, the next 20 seconds involve me exploring new and creative ways to end the conversation.

    Me: Thanks! (walk away)

  12. 12.

    srv

    November 7, 2007 at 2:19 pm

    My cousin is taking a stats class that has materials completely online (but still have a class session). The presentation interface has the nice habit of not showing mathematical nomenclature correctly, or even completely.

    Nothing like learning Neyman allocation and having an incomplete formula.

    His mom is probably at that conference, since she teaches online out of St. Augustine.

  13. 13.

    Haltelcere

    November 7, 2007 at 2:26 pm

    A previous company of mine ordered hundreds of keychain devices, with the company logo, designed to open the annoying plastic covering of CDs. Unfortunately the trade show was soon after 9-11, and everyone who grabbed our device got it confiscated at airport security (it contained a tiny razor blade) when they tried to fly home!

    For another trade show, the shipper misplaced our booth equipment until the very last moment before the end of setup. But by the time the booth equipment was found we had improvised a Plan B (it isn’t good to have an open booth space at a major trade show) which entailed renting a margarita bar and creating a “Where in the world is our booth?” guessing game / lottery for an equipment giveaway (home AV stuff).

    Anyway, people were not as quickly to flee our sales pitch when they had a drink in their hands, and everyone definitely remembered us the following year.

  14. 14.

    Mary

    November 7, 2007 at 2:30 pm

    srv, encoding anything apart from the ASCII characters used in English, especially in Flash, can be unpredictably difficult. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, of course, even if you have to use brute force.

    John, what kind on online learning are you involved with? And do you know anyone who’s actually using an LMS that’s SCORM 2004 compliant? My major client has been promised that the company providing their LMS will upgrade from SCORM 1.2 “soon” — since 2005.

  15. 15.

    Justin

    November 7, 2007 at 2:36 pm

    Had a nice salad poolside…

    It didn’t take long after signing up as a Democrat, did it?

  16. 16.

    John Cole

    November 7, 2007 at 2:37 pm

    We use Blackboard/vista v.4, and it is scorm compliant, but we don’t use SCORM because it is just insanely expensive.

    Easier to develop our own materials.

  17. 17.

    DrDave

    November 7, 2007 at 2:42 pm

    John:

    I attend a CE conference at the Caribe every couple of years. Do what I do: Head up the block to Landry’s, park yourself at the bar for a cold one and an Oyster Po Boy, then go back and enjoy the pool!

    BTW, you don’t have ADD. Attend enough vendor-laden programs and your brain learns really quickly how to discriminate between what you need/want to see and what you don’t. 20 sec. intervals sounds just about right.

  18. 18.

    Punchy

    November 7, 2007 at 2:50 pm

    Wow…John…the evidence just keeps piling up:

    Had a nice salad poolside

    Tossed?

    Very nice woman, not sure exactly what she was doing presenting in this workshop

    They’re often there to smell and look good. Just enjoy the eye candy and pretend that you’re bagging that.

  19. 19.

    Jake

    November 7, 2007 at 3:03 pm

    Did I miss something? Were we trying to guess where I was?

    In the Airport thread, Tim F. mentioned how close people got to guessing when he was on vac., so I gave it a try. It wasn’t that hard ‘cos, no offense, but the idea of John Cole going to Disney World just for fun … it didn’t fit.

  20. 20.

    HyperIon

    November 7, 2007 at 3:26 pm

    Wrt online instruction (aka Distance Learning because some folks want you to believe it’s about delivering education to area unserved by a university):

    First, most university profs at teaching institutions hate it (at least the ones I have talked to). They rightly comprehend that fewer staff are needed to “serve” the students. The chemistry faculty is saved by the necessity for labs; but departments like English and, ahem, Mass Comm will likely shrink as this trend increases. As a former academic who thinks a lot of tenured profs are dead-weight, I don’t think this shrinkage is necessarily a bad thing.

    Second, it relies heavily on lecture. Sure, you can provide an email address for questions but there is no classroom synergy. If one is motivated and has access to resources, one can learn. But the 18 to 20 year olds in my science classes were NOT motivated. I’m pretty sure that online instruction does not motivate. It’s too easy to remain passive. So I remain skeptical about the educational merit of distance learning.

    Teaching is most effective in those happy circumstances where it is least needed.- Edward Gibbon

  21. 21.

    MNPundit

    November 7, 2007 at 3:27 pm

    Stay the hell away from my booth, freeloader!

    Perhaps I was already at your booth.

    I always listen attentively as I slowly shove all the free stuff into my complementary convention/conference bag.

    I’ve actually taken flatware and dishes as well…

  22. 22.

    Libby Spencer

    November 7, 2007 at 3:44 pm

    I’m with you MNPundit. I love me some free schwag when it’s useful but it helps to be in the right profession. Best stuff comes from booze salesmen and pharma companies.

  23. 23.

    Face

    November 7, 2007 at 3:46 pm

    I am always offended by people who need to hand me crap- pens, balls, thumbdrives, drink cards, etc.,

    If you’da stopped after “thumbdrives”, I’d agree with you.

    Just think–merely 2 years ago, John would have demanded free bags of Cheetoes and trail samples of Spittle Remover.

  24. 24.

    Dreggas

    November 7, 2007 at 3:49 pm

    MNPundit Says:

    Stay the hell away from my booth, freeloader!
    Perhaps I was already at your booth.

    I always listen attentively as I slowly shove all the free stuff into my complementary convention/conference bag.

    I’ve actually taken flatware and dishes as well…

    Just so long as you aren’t one of those people who has the wife bring a purse with plastic bags in it to a buffet in order to keep making trips to snack on as “leftovers” like my grandparents…

  25. 25.

    F. Frederson

    November 7, 2007 at 3:55 pm

    Sure, you can provide an email address for questions but there is no classroom synergy.

    I took an online class and we had to do small-group (3-5) chat sessions of 50-60 minutes using AIM or somesuch, and then we turned in the transcript for part of our grades. It wasn’t a substitute for in-classroom discussion, but it was a little better than having students email in questions separately.

  26. 26.

    jrg

    November 7, 2007 at 4:00 pm

    Best stuff comes from booze salesmen and pharma companies.

    Insurance and Annuity wholesalers give away good free stuff, too. Any rich company who’s products are boring and/or addictive is likely to have good, free crap.

  27. 27.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    November 7, 2007 at 4:05 pm

    And, I presume, at some level, I am always offended by people who need to hand me crap- pens, balls, thumbdrives, drink cards, etc., rather than just tell me what they do and why it is valuable. What a waste of resources.

    You’re offended by swag.

    What.
    The.
    Hell?!

    Seriously. He who bags the most swag wins.

  28. 28.

    tBone

    November 7, 2007 at 4:36 pm

    What’s really funny is attending a tradeshow devoted to companies selling tradeshow swag. They have to bolt down anything they want to keep or attendees will pick their booth clean.

  29. 29.

    Sirkowski

    November 7, 2007 at 4:53 pm

    Take all the free crap you can and send it to me!

  30. 30.

    MNPundit

    November 7, 2007 at 5:17 pm

    Just so long as you aren’t one of those people who has the wife bring a purse with plastic bags in it to a buffet in order to keep making trips to snack on as “leftovers” like my grandparents…

    No. I never take food. The only thing I put in my girlfriend’s purse are plates and silverware. Oh also candle holders.

    What’s really funny is attending a tradeshow devoted to companies selling tradeshow swag.

    They have those?!

  31. 31.

    John S.

    November 7, 2007 at 6:02 pm

    I always listen attentively as I slowly shove all the free stuff into my complementary convention/conference bag.

    LOL

    I think you have been to my tradeshow booth.

  32. 32.

    Jake

    November 7, 2007 at 8:59 pm

    Seriously. He who bags the most swag wins.

    And he who shags the most hags … never mind.

  33. 33.

    MNPundit

    November 7, 2007 at 9:22 pm

    And he who shags the most hags … never mind.

    Probably wishes he had bagged more swag.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Comments

  • Chip Daniels on Humpty Trumpty (Open Thread) (Apr 17, 2024 @ 6:27pm)
  • Hoodie on Humpty Trumpty (Open Thread) (Apr 17, 2024 @ 6:26pm)
  • Trivia Man on Humpty Trumpty (Open Thread) (Apr 17, 2024 @ 6:25pm)
  • Trivia Man on Humpty Trumpty (Open Thread) (Apr 17, 2024 @ 6:24pm)
  • Jackie on Humpty Trumpty (Open Thread) (Apr 17, 2024 @ 6:23pm)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Balloon Juice Meetups!

All Meetups
Talk of Meetups – Meetup Planning
Proposed BJ meetups list from frosty

Fundraising 2023-24

Wis*Dems Supreme Court + SD-8
Virginia House Races
Four Directions – Montana
Worker Power AZ
Four Directions – Arizona
Four Directions – Nevada

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
Positive Climate News
War in Ukraine
Cole’s “Stories from the Road”
Classified Documents Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Twitter / Spoutible

Balloon Juice (Spoutible)
WaterGirl (Spoutible)
TaMara (Spoutible)
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
ActualCitizensUnited

Political Action 2024

Postcard Writing Information

Balloon Juice for Four Directions AZ

Donate

Balloon Juice for Four Directions NV

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2024 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!