“Then, I said, let us begin and create in idea a State; and yet the true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention.” Plato – The Republic- Book II
I have almost successfully missed the entire first week of school, stuck at home with a sinus infection. Good times! And by good times I obviously mean, outside of exams days, there is no worst class to miss than the first one. I started thinking, what can be done to accommodate students who, for whatever reason, have to miss class? I came up with a few options:
1. Old school! Since the dawn of civilization, if you miss class, you ask someone for their notes. That is awesome BUT things always get lost in translation. If I’m taking notes in class, I write down the things that are most important for me to remember; that may not be helpful for another student.
2. Enter the 90s.. mini-tape recorders. This is way more effective than simply reading notes. However, I doubt listening to the Corporate Finance class I’ll miss tonight on tape will help me grasp the concepts that will be demonstrated on the board.
3. Enter innovation ::harps and whimsy sounds:: There are some great options that will let you listen/view the entire class presentation with a clear view of the board.
Panapto is lecture capturing software that is actually available some places on campus already.
Explain Everything is an app that will let the professor or a classmate record the lecture over a Power Point and annotate any additional notes that might not be included in the presentation.
Skype, Google Hangout, LiveStream If its okay with the professor, you can go to class via live video stream. That way, You can still ask questions or be called on. You would actually still be apart of the class while not physically in the room.
There are options! Technology allows us to come up with innovative solutions for everyday problems. Thinking about solutions to my missing one week of school sparked the question: How can we make learning easier for students with disabilities or chronic illness who habitually have to miss class or drop out of school because they couldn’t go to class?
Any idea?
