This is a slide deck to show how I use Etherpad In the classroom -- for Journalism classes and Social Media Classes

1. School of Media and Public Affairs | smpa.gwu.edu/
805 22nd Street, NW Washington, DC 20052

2. Etherpad: Instructional Use and
Collaboration
Nikki Usher, PhD
The George Washington University
@nikkiusher

3. What is Etherpad
• Collaborative notetaking software
• Real-time
• Editable by anyone with the link
• Often used for chatrooms and virtual learning
as backchannels
• Cloud-based and hosted

4. Let me show you what it is, first

6. • TRY IT NOW:
https://etherpad.mozilla.org/0OAfYBqF5r

7. Welcome to MoPad!
This pad text is synchronized as you type, so that
everyone viewing this page sees the same text. This
allows you to collaborate seamlessly on documents!
Please be cognizant of whether you are using a
public pad or private/team pad, and take
appropriate precautions with data you post here!

8. How I use it
• Introductions: From the FIRST DAY OF CLASS
• Suggest everyone use it, collaborative notetaking
• Everyone gets the same set of notes
• Everyone has to sign in
• Trial by fire. I demo by typing while asking a
student to edit me
• I keep etherpad open at all times and flip back
and forth at times (add links I’ve gone to, etc.)
• I do not confirm student notes

9. Why I Like it
• Collaborative learning
• Common document
• Crowdsourcing
• Builds community (chat room), snark,
• Extends classroom discussion
• One place as a class record
• CLOUD
PROBLEM: FREE RIDER ISSUES. I’m OK with that.

10. Evaluations
• Keep students on their toes
--instaquestion on the Etherpad – I write,
someone random has to answer
• Check sign-ins
• But really, it’s a learning tool. I care more
about students having a common reference
than grading them. And I care about
community.