HiTech Podcast

In round two of our discussion on gamification, we open up several real examples of instructors using games or gamification strategies in their classrooms. Hopefully these examples provide insights into how gamification can be a one-off or semester-long experience. After that, we skip a formal app to talk about two specific video games and how they work in education. For more information on t...

Will and Josh get to one of their favorite subjects: games. They detail their thoughts on gamification, game-based learning, and some of the methods you can use today in your classroom. Pair that up with PollEverywhere , and you've got a games-for-learning starter pack! For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For all of our episodes and reso...

In our interview with VoiceThread's Steve Muth , we shared many great ideas and thoughts about the impact of tech on teaching and learning. However, Steve said something that resonated with us: we need to "make the technology disappear" when it comes to integration into the teaching and learning process. Check out this two-part conversation where we investigate what this means and why it is so imp...

In our interview with VoiceThread's Steve Muth , we shared many great ideas and thoughts about the impact of tech on teaching and learning. However, Steve said something that resonated with us: we need to "make the technology disappear" when it comes to integration into the teaching and learning process. Check out this two-part conversation where we investigate what this means and why it is so imp...

Join our conversation with Steve Muth, the president and co-founder of VoiceThread . In this interview, we dive into the deep end of all things virtual media and teaching. Steve not only loves his product and "gets it", but he sees first-hand how tools like his can impact college students like his own kids. For more info, check out the episode page here . Make sure to listen to our original episod...

We're back for more! Part two of our conversation on How to Design for Learning. After the chat, we talk about Rise 360 and how you can use it for designing engaging and effective online learning. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For all of our episodes and resources for each app we discuss, head over to our website at hitechpod.us .

Join us for a two-parter! In this short series, we take on what it means to effectively design learning experiences. We hope that this conversation gives you some ideas for how to tackle your next activity or curriculum design. To accomplish some fun and effective designs, consider using H5P for more interactivity and engagement in your online content. For more information on these tools and...

While many of Will's jokes might fall flat, this episode does not! We talk about collaborative learning, what it is how, how to incorporate it, and then detail the collaborative music notation platform Flat . You might not be a music teacher, but stick around for the full conversation in case you might recommend this one to others. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check ou...

An ironically long conversation on the topic of short form instruction. Listen to Josh and Will as they process a technique that we can add into our teaching toolbox. Then, we get a two-for-one episode: in the Honorable Mentions category, AutoDraw and WordClouds.com . Hear how we might use these two smaller tools to augment your teaching. For more information on these tools and our conversation, c...

Get ready to listen to us talk about talking in a talkative and albeit roundaboutly talkable manner: sorry, I'll stop.  This interview finds us chatting with the CEO and Founder of Parlay , Bobby McDonald. During our chat, we hear about the origins of the name of the product, the intentionality behind the product design, and a few hints towards the future. For more info, check out the episode...

Josh and Will discuss the impact of inclusive practices in digital spaces. The goal of physical and virtual learning spaces is to ensure that learners feel safe and respected. To help us accomplish this goal, we suggest a tool called Equity Maps for reviewing and reflecting on the impact of equity in your classroom discussions. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check o...

This episode brings us into the world of Skills-Based Instruction: we suggest that audio/video is the primary tool to make this happen in online education. Tune in to the conversation to hear why we are so adamant about this idea. Even better, we suggest how VoiceThread might be your one-stop-shop to accomplish this! For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the epis...

Josh and Will discuss the background and value in Digital Storytelling as an activity and as a genre, which sets them up to discuss Adobe Spark for all of the ways it can support the creation of digital stories. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here. For all of our episodes and resources for each app we discuss, head over to our website at h...

It's happening. We're finally finding out what's inside Josh's brain: or rather, what contains it. We survey the landscape of wikis and discuss one of our favorite apps, Notion . For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For all of our episodes and resources for each app we discuss, head over to our website at hitechpod.us .

This interview takes us in depth with Brian Lukoff, CEO and Founder, at Perusall . Pedagogy, statistics, Optical Character Recognition, and much, much more are the focus of this episode. Bring a cup of coffee and settle in for the wonderful insights on Perusall and its future. For more info, check out the episode page here. Make sure to listen to our original episode on Perusall before you check t...

Soapbox alert! Josh and Will wrestle with assessments and how to make them more effective. Drawing on personal experiences in college and theories learned later on, they advocate for one more tool in your tool box. Add some Twitter for Education into the mix, and you've got a full house experience. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For...

Josh stokes Will on for a good ol' soapbox on how to teach language online! The conversation leads the two through many examples and ideas about what it would take to teach a language online. For an app, they talk about how Duolingo is great for personal study of languages or for assigning in a classroom.  For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page he...

Part 2 of a two-part conversation on student engagement. We wrap the conversation by broadening the topic from assessment to the wide-world of engagement: the buzz word, the research concept, the marketing ploy. The conversation takes us into some interesting options for considering engagement in our educational practices. Afterwards, we introduce the tool ThingLink : it creates interactive videos...

Part 1 of a two-part conversation on student engagement. Josh and Will start the conversation on the idea of interactivity for assessment: if we want students to engage then we should find good ways to observe the engagement. Then they turn to EdPuzzle for ideas on how to do this with video-based learning content.. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode pag...

In this round, Josh and Will focus on the actual practice of finding apps: resources like Twitter, Alternativeto.net, professional communities, and Will. After that, they chat about one of their favorite research and resource repository apps: Mendeley . For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For all of our episodes and resources for each app we...

Josh and Will share some jokes and thoughts with Don Carney, CEO and Founder, from MathWhiteBoard . They discuss the product, how it came to be, the complex ideas of AI and annotation software, and how it all brought us one fantastic (and free) tool. For more info, check out the episode page here . Make sure to listen to our original episode on MathWhiteBoard before you check this one out. Co...

One of our favorites! Engaging our students with effective technology. Much like advertisements, the tools and methods out there are ubiquitous: gain your students attention; keep them engaged; five ways to improve your students' quiz grades through engagement practices. This week, we tackle some of the assumptions behind engagement and offer up the Nearpod tool as one simple solution to help. For...

The conversation focuses on the variety of educational models today: online education, hybrid teaching, and the traditional face to face experience. Then, Josh and Will introduce MathWhiteBoard and its many, magical features. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For all of our episodes and resources for each app we discuss, head over to our we...

Will and Josh talk about... talking! This episode finds the duo discussing the value of and challenges around online discussion forums. Then, they look at Parlay as an idea for changing your online discussion forums. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . For all of our episodes and resources for each app we discuss, head over to our website at...

We digest the ideas of digital annotation and the impact it can have on learning. Then, we talk about a big player in the digital annotation movement, Perusall . This idea and tool is not only good for your students but good for all folks who are trying to improve their comprehension of reading materials. For more information on these tools and our conversation, check out the episode page here . F...