News from DTLT: November 10, 2008

Greetings from DTLT!

We hope that you're semester is going smoothly! As we move into the end of the fall semester, we wanted to share some information and opportunities with you.

Technology Showcase Series
This fall, DTLT, in collaboration with the UMW Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning, is kicking off a Technology Showcase series. The series will include a number of seminars and workshops on both campuses. We began last week with two seminars on Pedagogy 2.0: Teaching and Learning for the Knowledge Age. This week, we'll be following up with workshops on UMW Blogs, and, in early December, we'll be hosting two workshops on Social Networking. Details about the series and dates of events can be found in DTLT's space on the Teaching Center Web Site: http://teachumw.org/groups/38 .

As part of the Technology Showcase Series, interested faculty are invited to partner with DTLT staff to complete a project based on the topics covered -- a chance to put theory and concept into practice.  More information about the partnership opportunities will be presented at each workshop.

NITLE Opportunities
Last spring, the University joined the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE). As part of our membership, we've purchased a number of program units which can be used to participate in NITLE events. Many of these events are held online in NITLE's Multipoint Interactive Videoconferencing Auditorium, making them more accessible in these tight budgetary times!

Below are a few upcoming online NITLE events that UMW faculty may be interested in. For details about all NITLE events, please visit http://www.nitle.org/www/events . If you're interested in participating in a NITLE event, please contact Martha Burtis (mburtis@umw.edu) to check on availability of program units.

* GIS and Correlation/Causation
November 18, 2008, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
Delivered online in NITLE MIV Auditorium
Registration Deadline: The registration deadline has passed, but limited seats are available.
http://www.nitle.org/www/events/837-gis-and-correlationcausation

* Teaching with Digital Games
November 19, 2008, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
Delivered online in NITLE MIV Auditorium
Registration Deadline: The registration deadline has passed, but limited seats are available.
http://www.nitle.org/www/events/851-special-topics-in-digital-teaching-5

* Teaching with Virtual Worlds
December 10, 2008, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST
Delivered online in NITLE MIV Auditorium
Registration Deadline: Register online by November 21, 2008.
http://www.nitle.org/www/events/854-special-topics-in-digital-teaching-6

In addition, NITLE has invited member institutions to participate in a survey about social software and Web 2.0 tools. If you'd like to weigh in on this topic, please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cWAlzEZpcYhU20pNjtXC7g_3d_3d .

EDUCAUSE Reading
The latest issue of EDUCAUSE Review, a bimonthly magazine about IT and higher education, is now available online, and two former Faculty Academy presenters, Bryan Alexander and Alan Levine, have an article in it titled Web 2.0 Storytelling: Emergence of a New Genre (http://connect.educause.edu/library/erm0865 .) The entire issue is available at http://connect.educause.edu/er .

Faculty Academy Planning
Speaking of Faculty Academy, DTLT is gearing up to start planning for the 2009 conference, and we're looking for a small group of faculty to consult on program planning. If you'd like to be a part of planning FA2009, please contact Martha Burtis at mburtis@umw.edu.

Pushing the Wordpress Boundaries
Are you interested in learning more about how Wordpress can be used in higher education? If so, consider attending WordCamp Ed on November 22 at George Mason University. Co-sponsored by the GMU's Center for History and New Media and the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University, Wordpress Ed will include a morning of scheduled speakers (including UMW's own Jeff McClurken and Jim Groom), and afternoon sessions organized entirely by conference participants to discuss topics of interest. You can find out more at http://dc2008.wordcamped.org/ .

Apple Education Seminar at CGPS: Emerging Technologies and the Practical Professor
On November 19 at 2:30, Apple Education will be sponsoring and presenting a seminar at CGPS aimed at introducing college faculty to the company's innovative technologies and their potential uses in education. You can read more about the event at http://edseminars.apple.com/seminars/event.php?eventID=1374 .