What's Up with Digital & Portable Chalk Boards?

By Maureen Whitehurst, Ph. D.

You may have noticed Biological Sciences faculty pulling an unusual-looking suitcase around the halls of Palmer Campus, such as when Maureen Whitehurst brings the iPad Rolling cart to Palmer classroom 108. This rolling cart contains iPads used for Microbiology and Anatomy classes. To allow use of iPads in classrooms, WiFi improvements were required. Dr. Lou worked with TTC IT to improve Wi-Fi in this classroom and also in Palmer lab 160. Now an entire class of about 24 students can access the internet simultaneously using college supplied devices.

The TTC Foundation provided funding for several iPads and the charging/synching Rolling Cart. Larry

Walker, Connie Bryant, and Maureen Whitehurst received TTC Foundation mini-grant funding to acquire the iPads and their individual cases. The Rolling Cart was also purchased through a TTC mini-grant and allows for secure storage and group charging of several devices simultaneously. Dr. Lou provided a locking cabinet to house all of this property in the Science and Mathematics adjunct faculty office. Sgt. Singleton advised on the device security arrangements and Mike Kennedy installed the locking devices in the adjunct office. Cindy Greenberg (now at Main Campus) identified the proper storage cabinet.

The iPads have been used by Doug Florian, Biological Sciences Adjunct faculty, for Anatomy and Physiology students, Alecia Lee, visiting faculty from Main Campus. In Maureen Whitehurst’s Microbiology lab, students photograph lab results with the iPads, email these illustrations to themselves for inclusion in lab reports. Students also post lab result photos on D2L so that the entire class can view experimental data. Students access a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) app, ‘Solve the Outbreak’ CDC Solve the Outbreak link (try it – its fun!) as an active learning exercise to solidify knowledge. Students can do quick research during class on such topics as ‘should you vaccinate your child against measles virus?’ by using the iPads, and thus relate current events to textbook learning objectives. Anatomy and Physiology students photograph anatomical models, emailing emails to themselves, or posting images to class Facebook pages to facilitate review of laboratory curriculum. The chalk board has gone digital at Palmer Campus.