New Blog Site!

Hello NASPA TKC followers!

With the launch of the new NASPA website, we are happy to announce that the Technology Knowledge Community blog will be moving! From now on, all of our posts can be found here!

If you have any questions, let us know!

Beth

NASPA TKC Publications Coordinator

elisabeth.poling@gmail.com

 

 

You can book me- A timesaving online scheduler

Do you use Google Calendar? Do you feel like you spend unnecessary time setting up meetings with individual students or colleagues? If you answered “yes” to both questions, you might be interested in using an online scheduling service called Youcanbook.me.

You Can Book Me links up with your Google calendar and allows individuals to see which times you are available and schedule an appointment. The best part? Even the free version of the program offers a robust platform for customizing the service for your needs. A few highlights:

• You can set the minimum and maximum appointment length
• With a customizable ‘minimum notice’ setting, you won’t be surprised by a last minute meeting
• Upload your college or department’s logo, as well as change nearly every part of the appearance (including font, color, layout)
• Determine which days/times will be shown
• As soon as you put something on your calendar, that time immediately become unavailable to individuals using your You Can Book Me link
• Receive immediate notification when someone sets up an appointment
• Typically hold office hours? You Can Book Me can also be set up to only allow appointments during those times

I began using You Can Book Me this year to set up conduct meetings and have already saved an incredible amount of time. But the best part is that it’s allowed students to perceive me as accessible. I put the link to my You Can Book Me calendar in my email signature, as well as in a QR code on my office door.  I’ve already had several students take the initiative to schedule conversations with me about a variety of topics.

When asked, all of the students who reached out to me in this way indicated that they enjoyed how easy it was. One student in particular told me “the fact you have the link in your email signature sends the message that you actually like talking with students”.  This response was certainly amusing, but it also reminded me that as our students utilize technology more and more each year, it is important to engage them in ways that work for them.

Of course, streamlining my day is also a pleasant benefit.

If you’d like to learn more about You Can Book Me, or how I use the service, I’m happy to geek out with you. Feel free to email me at kenfield@cord.edu, find me on Twitter at @MikalResLife – or use my You Can Book Me site to schedule a phone meeting! You can find it at http://mikalkenfield.youcanbook.me/

#SATech Tweets of the Week!

Ed Cabellon ‏@EdCabellon 8m

( #SAtech } What Does Your Facebook Status Say About Your Personality? http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2013/10/02/study_most_popular_facebook_keywords_by_age_gender_and_personality.html … (via @slate)

Nick Voelker ‏@NyuNick 28m

“Technology is fundamentally changing education…&we must adapt with its evolution” David W. McLaughlin #NYU Provost #firstthursday #satech

Lisa Endersby ‏@lmendersby 20h

Writing Instruction Using an Online Assignment Planner http://bit.ly/1hkc30V  #sachat #satech

Christopher Conzen ‏@clconzen 29 Sep

Technology and the College Generation (with quotes from @ericstoller & @reyjunco ) http://buff.ly/18CGT1A  #SATech

Kristen Abell ‏@kristendom 2 Oct

This is so important for us all to remember: Not Everyone is a Digital Native | Inside Higher Ed http://buff.ly/1eZzq36  #satech #sachat

Josie Ahlquist ‏@josieahlquist 1 Oct

Relationship btw Facebook Intensity, Friendship Contingent Self-Esteem & Personality in College Students http://www.cyberpsychology.eu/view.php?cisloclanku=2012042901&article=2 … #satech

Issuu: Self-publishing is easier than you think

Looking for a cool way to present information to your students, their parents, coworkers, or other audiences? Make any document into a flippable online magazine using Issuu!

Issuu is a free publishing tool that anyone can use to create polished, professional looking online magazines. Once you upload your document, you can embed it, share it directly via social media, or send the link. It has been a great tool for creating newsletters that my students will actually read, sharing information with colleagues in my department about different topics, connecting with parents, and more. Get more info and check out a few examples here!