We all do it.
On January 1 we tell ourselves that we’re going to do something to improve our lives. Perhaps this year you’ll resolve to hit the gym more often or eat healthier. Or maybe you’ll want to try something new in your classroom when the semester starts.
But for most of us, regardless of what our resolutions are, the craziness of our daily lives gets in the way. We don’t have enough hours in the day to hit the gym, or we just don’t have the willpower to pass up that chocolate in the break room.
Sticking with a resolution is touch, but our friends may be able to help you. There are people all over the world using Mediasite in exciting ways. Regardless of where you are, you can watch their webcasts and follow their examples, and perhaps they’ll motivate you to follow through with your resolutions all year.
- Get in shape & eat healthy foods:
Lack of time to get to the gym isn’t an excuse anymore, because Baton Rouge’s Louisiana State University, University Recreation (LSU UREC) streams workout videos from its popular UREC GroupX series, as well as healthy lifestyle tips from professionals online via Mediasite. Students and the public can access the classes for free via the UREC home page. An instructor walks you through a 30-60 minute workout, including a warm-up, a specific style of workout and a cool-down.
“Mediasite has allowed LSU UREC to create an online environment that enables students and the public to participate in fitness programs and learn about living a healthy lifestyle from any computer with internet access,” said Scott Belanger, LSU UREC.
It may be difficult to jump in your car and make the trek to the gym, but there’s really no excuse why you can’t turn your computer on and make a couple clicks to find a workout video from the comfort of your home. So get to exercising!
- Get out of debt and/or be more financially savvy:
Want to become better at handling your finances and saving money? The Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin-Madison hosts free webinars on the second Tuesday of every month to provide academic and practitioner perspectives on research promoting family and household financial security. The webinar series engages people across campus and the world to build more secure financial futures.
“Mediasite facilitates the dissemination of applied research to a national audience and has enabled the Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to reach practitioners who are working to improve the financial lives of Americans,” said Nicole Truog, Associate director for the Center for Financial Security at UW-Madison
Start the year off right by visiting http://cfs.wisc.edu/.
- Educators, try something new with technology in your classrooms:
Since the education industry and the way students learn is always changing, your teaching methods should probably change with the times. If you’re timid about trying something new, you’re not alone. However, technology is a part of almost every aspect of your students’ lives. They’ve got smartphones glued to their fingertips and can access anything from the palm of their hands. So the old school ways of teaching just don’t cut it anymore. Plus, more and more studies show that technology integration in the curriculum improves student success.
Take Clemson University for example. Faculty use Mediasite to enhance classes both on and off campus. They’ve developed several innovative uses of Mediasite, including study abroad student orientation, student digital portfolios and off-site student nursing training. The teaching lessons are recorded and archived to make sure students can easily review the material, which also frees up educators’ time for more quality interaction.
Faculty have experienced increased student comprehension through Mediasite, and innovative applications of the technology are continually discovered, further increasing student and faculty success.
“For many of the students, technology is just an extension of their body so they’re pretty savvy,” said Pam Havice, associate professor at Clemson, adding that when she surveyed students, 100% said they felt streaming rich media presentations is a valuable and effective part of her course.
But you don’t have to take Pam’s word for it. Check out what some of the other Mediasite users in higher education have to say about how technology is improving student success.
- Stay on top of the latest technology news and trends:
If you’ve got 30-60 minutes each month to watch a webcast you’re in good shape, because Sonic Foundry’s continuing best practice series of webinars brings the latest technology trends in education, government, healthcare, events, the corporate world, etc. to your attention. Each month an expert in a particular topic visits Sonic Foundry in Madison, Wis. to share with the world how they’re using technology and discuss the hot issues.
These webinars are streamed live and archived for on-demand viewing and are free to anyone interested. For example, last month our VP of education Sean Brown presented about the future of video in education and the enterprise and his vision for 2013 and beyond. Plus, event planner Liz King shared the Top 10 Tech Strategies to Support Your Hybrid Event.
Take a minute to check out some of these webinars on-demand in your free time and be sure to watch for upcoming webinars so you can keep up to date.
In the midst of your day-to-day hectic lives, remember to appreciate the small things and smile often. Here are some light reading materials and videos to check out when you’re feeling down in the dumps.
Hi-Tech Holiday Greetings From Shorewood Elementary and Sonic Foundry
Families Greet Troops for July 4th via Mediasite Webcast
Super Scary Scenes Streamed Straight to your Screen via Mediasite
Musicians Form Band, Practice Via Webcasts – See all their performances here.
Happy New Year everyone, and we hope these resources help you stay on track all year round. Good luck!
