Teaching with Web 2.0 Technology

Teaching with New Media has created practical application of many of the communication skills necessary in today's world. I approach class assignments as opportunities to not only perfect a student's communication but provide the opportunity to provide practical application of skills and materials needed in a job search or chosen profession.

A recent speech assignment had students’ use impromptu speaking situation to learn networking, resume and interviewing techniques by building a virtual portfolio. Here are some assignments that were exceptional. We held mock networking scenarios in class and follow up with presenting our virtual portfolios. The majority of the class produced outstanding products and it was hard to choose! Here are some examples of some exceptional student portfolios: Alexis, Amy, Megan, Erica, Jamie, Melissa and Cindy and Pawel.


Posting course work such as homework assignments and speech critiques instead of turning in hard copies as been another way that blogs have been incorporated into speech communication course work. Here are some illustrations of some assignments and speech critiques from some of my courses. A full review can be seen by linking to a course on the sidebar. Network Assignment Posting, Self-Performance Critique What's Your EQ?

Speech critiques have been included in our blogs in two ways. Students have had the opportunity to tape themselves with webcams and upload to youtube for review later by themselves or other fellow students. Additionally, they have posted their critiques with feedback for an assigned student to the blog. Speech Critique and Youtube speech.

The summer session (2008) blogging was added as an online componet to a Gender Communication course taught in Blackboard. It was very succesful. Copyrighted material and academic discussions were limited to Blackboard. The blogging component created a classroom discussion on gender issues that students began to identify with as they progressed throught the coursework. Students were required to each create their own blog and post responses from the original class blog post on their blog and the class blog. Additionally, they were required to respond to at least two blogs per week in addition to other course work contained in Blackboard. Student responses were very positive with most students feeling it was the first time that they really connected with other students in a distance learning situation. Here is the link to the Blog used in the Gender Communication Course.