November 30

the death of seesmic.tv

I just learned yesterday that my favorite asynchronous video conversation/discussion tool http://seesmic.tv is being shut down on December 1. (tomorrow) i am devastated by this news.

I know I am being hypocritical lamenting the loss of this tool…I always tell the faculty I work with NOT to get attached to “tools” as they change, get bought and killed, or just disappear… I tell them to be fearless and that there are tons of tools, so that if one goes away, there are others to take its place http://www.appappeal.com/web-2-0-application-world-mosaic/ I tell them that you need to start with a learning objective, NOT the tool, and you just need criteria to evaluate tools – Does it help you achieve your learning objective “better, faster, safer, easier, or cheaper?”

So, I made the mistake of getting attached to this tool… I LOVE http://seesmic.tv/alexandrapickett for many reasons and am very sad that it is going away. It is the only tool I know of of its kind and would really appreciate any suggestions for alternatives.

I love it

  • Because it is NOT youtube.
  • Because it facilitates online asynchronous VIDEO threaded discussion.
  • Because it is simple and beautifully designed  – a simple idea and simple to use.
  • Because the embed widget is beautiful and functional.
  • Because it enhanced my connections to and conversations with students and colleagues all over the world.
  • Because it facilitated conversations with those I consider “rock stars” in my field. People I do not know in RL that I never would have met or had opportunity to talk to otherwise.
  • Because it allowed me to teach “outside” the box of my course management system and blur the boundaries of my online classroom walls.
  • Because it allowed me the opportunity to invite the world into my online classroom to converse with my students. –  and they came!  See: http://seesmic.tv/threads/2s7FBTpoND & http://seesmic.tv/threads/zoJ4Uxx9JO 7 http://seesmic.tv/videos/whfffNRvSL – The people in these conversations are my ROCK STARS!
  • Because it allowed my students to have access to and to interact and converse with experts.
  • Because it allowed me to express and enhance my social and teaching presence in my online course and allowed my students to do the same.


I <heart> seesmic and am not ready to let it go. This tool has so much potential for online teaching and learning.

I wish there was a way for small tools like this to be saved from extinction for use in education.

Category: Uncategorized | 2 Comments on the death of seesmic.tv
August 13

bringing the "outside" into my course with seesmic

The conversation below is an effort to blur the boundaries of my online course to expose my students to the world “outside” the walls of our online course, and to invite the world “in” to our course to enhance our current discussion on how to engage online learners. This activity also serves as an example and model of an activity i am using to “engage” my own online students in this course.