I am really looking forward to the trainings and presentations for the upcoming semester. In particular, I am excited about hosting GOBLIN for the first time (more details below). In addition to GOBLIN, here’s a list of trainings I am offering this semester through CTE (descriptions, schedules, and sign-up links provided where available):
Mobile Blogging & Scholarship
Mobile Blogging & Scholarship (MBS) is about teaching the nature of blogging from a mobile device. Starting with tablet fundamentals and progressing through blogging elements including text, video, and graphics, participants will experience and demonstrate their understanding of each of these topics. In particular, attention will be given to instructional and professional use-cases of mobile blogging to provide participants with content that will be immediately applicable.
A couple days ago, I finished facilitating Mobile Blogging & Scholarship for the 3rd time! I had an awesome group of faculty who where fun to work with and gave me some great feedback on this professional development.
Schedule: January 11 & 12
Academic Technology Expo
Academic Technology Expo (ATE) is tomorrow! This year, John Stewart and myself will be presenting over Mobile Blogging, Scholarship, & Cultivating Student Success. Our presentation will be hands-on and center around discussion and interaction. So, come prepared to participate! 🙂
Schedule: January 15 @ 10:00AM
OU Create Training
OU Create Training, like previous semesters, will take place multiple times during the semester. Each session will be dedicated to getting participants setup within create.ou.edu and on their way to producing their own website. Specifically, users will be introduced to domains, cPanel, and installing and using WordPress on their OU Create space. Each of these trainings is identical and I suggest attending only one.
Schedule: January 20 @ 9:00AM January 27 @ 1:00PM February 5 @ 9:00AM March 23 @ 1:00PM (Online)
GOBLIN
Games Offer Bold Learning Insights Nowadays (GOBLIN) is an interactive adventure game that is, first and foremost, a vehicle to experientially teach pedagogical concepts. GOBLIN aims to synergistically combine professional development, storytelling, and a role-playing game into a memorable, engaging learning experience for instructors. Over the course of GOBLIN, topics ranging from scaffolding and overcoming failure to team-based learning, game-based learning, and gamification will be discussed and experienced firsthand.
The remainder of GOBLIN is under wraps for a little while longer. John Stewart and I have been working on this training since last semester and plan to release more details soon!
Schedule: TBD (February - March)
Professional, Instructional, & Advanced Series
This semester, I will offer several series of trainings from various perspectives: professional uses, instructional uses, and advanced uses. Instructors may participate in one session from each topic or all three as desired. Each training will cover different information that is connected but not prerequisite. The following topics will be part of these three perspectives:
WordPress Training will be offered to supplement OU Create training. The Professional Use session will focus on e-portfolios and professional blogs. The Instructional Use session will cover engaging students with blogging. And the Advanced Use session will emphasize plugins and WordPress functionality.
Schedule: January 20 @ 10:30AM (Professional Use) January 27 @ 2:30PM (Instructional Use) February 5 @ 10:30AM (Advanced Use)
Google Hangouts on Air Training, like the WordPress training, will be offered in three flavors. The Professional Use session will aim to provide participants with the knowledge to participate and host a Google Hangouts on Air. The Instructional Use session intends to teach participants how to utilize Google Hangouts on Air in the classroom, potentially as a solution to conduct online office hours, etc. Finally, the Advanced Use session will cover using some of the built in features of Google Hangouts on Air (Cameraman, Control Room, etc.) to demonstrate the full potential of this broadcasting tool.
Schedule: TBD (February - March)
Twitter Training will also benefit from three perspectives. The Professional Use session will focus on Twitter as a networking and communication tool. The Instructional Use session will emphasize how to incorporate Twitter into the classroom. And the Advanced Use session will introduce Twitter visualization like TAGSExplorer.
Schedule: March 21 @ 1:00PM (Professional Use) March 30 @ 9:00AM (Instructional Use) April 8 @ 9:00AM (Advanced Use)
Summer Planning
After all of these trainings take place, I will shift my focus to summer (and likely fall) professional development planning. At the moment, I am considering a Faculty Learning Community that focuses on the skill required to participate in a professional development MOOC (such as CLMOOC), but nothing is finalized yet.
Regardless, 2016 is poised to be a very promising year and I am excited for everything to come!