ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY

     My focus in this ever-changing arena is on adapting mobile & network solutions to advance the study of natural systems.


IN THE FIELD
     Students use Tablet PCs to collect data in the field & we’re able to maintain a peer-to-peer intranet (or personal cloud) in the field using a portable USB-powered router, which allows students to collaborate wirelessly in-real-time on class data sets.  We can operate this cloud in any field setting; we've even used it in my Costa Rica field-course. 


     The Departmental vehicles are also equipped with 1500W power-supplies that allow field-labs to operate large VAC equipment - like high-lumen portable digital projectors.

 IN LAB
     Students use Tablet PCs that communicate wirelessly to a network projector.  When a student group finds something interesting; they can present & share it directly via the classroom screen in-real-time.


     The students are also able to access a Network Accessible Storage (NAS) device that has useful electronic resources; such as help-guides, data-entry templates, and even previous field-studies.

IN LECTURE
     I use a wireless audio/video adapter that allows my RMP faculty Tablet-PC (with a touch-screen) to write directly onto my PowerPoint lectures.  This also means that I can hand the tablet over to a student and ask students to respond and interact directly on to the slide being displayed.  

IN WORKSHOPS
     Students get a chance to explore novel applications with emerging tools, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (or drones) to study landscape ecology.  Using a drone-mounted digital-camera, we've been able to employ image-analyses to better inform mitigation strategies of invasive-species in Southern California wetlands as well as Oak re-forestation strategies in Mexico's western Sierra Madre.



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