Today I started a newly redesigned course in our Bachelor in Educational Sciences study program called 1.6.2 Introduction to Educational Technology.
And I had prepared two very nice and beautiful keynotes with inserted movies, etc. But, in a very tragically comical way (this year again), I had some technical issues, problems and mishaps… It’s somewhat un-/discomforting to launch a course on the integration of *new* digital (computer) technology into teaching and learning AND having to first handle a mass of tech problems… because ironically this demonstrates how vulnerable ICT-supported/-enhanced teaching and learning settings can be… If the computer does not properly boot, on which you have your slideshows and your movies, then how can you work decently..?
If moreover, that machine does not have the required presentation and movie player software (or movie codec plugins) to play your multimedia support materials, then you may start to feel somewhat desperate…
WELL, I didn’t… I simply told a joke (“I’m going to paint and draw all my slides and movies on the whiteboard for you, if the computer refuses to work”), kept confidently believing in my ICT-literacy and in Apple hardware 🙂 and finally everything was up and running…
Oh, I nearly forgot that, by surprise, I had to improvise in another area too. I had to switch to another language for the oral presentation, because I had 3 incoming mobility students in my class… Fortunately that was no problem for me… because I’m fluent in English, French, German and Luxembourgish… Moreover I think that this will create a good authentic foreign language environment for my other students (future teacher students!).