20 ways to grow my PLN

Personal Learning Network

Having a Personal Learning Network is vital to my career. Networking is a prime form of 21st century learning and the world is much smaller thanks to technology.  I have a diverse set of options at my disposal to learn and collaborate. Right here at Babson I have a professional network that allows me to both share discoveries and learn from my colleagues. Other opportunities are NERCOMP, Educause, ELI, NMC, and many more...

Why? Learning networks are based on the theory of connectivism, or learning from diverse social webs.  Connectivism implies that learning relies on communicating ideas with others.  PLNs facilitate learning through meaningful interactions.  The advantages of PLNs today are two-fold.  In one way, they can improve my skills as an instructional technologist and help me develop new projects. On the other hand, they act as a form of communal intelligence that grows the field and the players. Great article from te@chthought on 20 Ways to Improve Your Professional Learning Network.

Google Blogger for Faculty Websites

A faculty website can be created using Google Blogger.This may be a good choice for faculty because of it's ease of use, customizability and because it's a Google product it easily integrates with other Google services such as Google Docs, Google+, Google Analytics and Picasa. This free authoring environment can provide faculty a venue for posting a Homepage, Curriculum Vitae, Publications, Research, Teaching and News or Links to external websites.

McGraw-Hill Connect

We are Piloting McGraw-Hill Connect for Fall 2015 with Shay Blanchette-Proulx 

Course: 2015Fall-ACC3500-00 Intermediate Accounting I

SYS ADMIN 

• Data sheet
• Admin Guide for Blackboard Learn 9.1 v2.2

FACULTY AND STUDENT

• Course Pairing Quick Start Guide 
• Instructor Guide for 9.1 v2.2
• McGraw-Hill Building Block: Faculty Training Tutorial
• Pair Your Blackboard and McGraw-Hill Connect Courses
• Add McGraw-Hill Connect Assignments to Your Blackboard Course
• Deploy Your McGraw-Hill Connect Assignments to Your Blackboard Course
• Preparing Your Students for Using McGraw-Hill Connect within Blackboard 

Rotman Trading

Dr. Ryan Davies

Met with Ryan Davies, Professor of Finance and Faculty Director of the Cutler Center for Investments and Finance. He teaches UG and MBA Financial Trading Strategies and Risk Management. He incorporates Rotman Trading simulation software into his courses. His trading competition team has been very successful at the annual Rotman International Trading Competition.

He wants support in the beginning weeks of classes for his students in the use of the Rotman Trading Software.





Software: http://rit.rotman.utoronto.ca/videos.asp click on downloads to download the client and 32 bit EXCEL.

Demo

the Liability Trading 3 case file here, and the step-by-step trading tutorial here.

Dr. Curtis Bonk - Online Teaching Seminar

Dr. Curtis Bonk is Professor at Indiana University where he teaches psychology and technology courses. I met him in June and asked him to talk to our group about E-Learning, his books, and more.  Below are links to find out more about him.

Website:

http://php.indiana.edu/~cjbonk/

Blog:

http://travelinedman.blogspot.com/

Books:

• http://worldisopen.com/bookshelf.php
• Adding Some Tec-Variety http://tecvariety.com/
• Virtual Learning - Is it for you? https://youtu.be/xiwSIryPzsQ

You have to plan ahead when you are teaching in an online environment. Recording of synchronous is good for absent students to review missed content.

Support and motivate instructors?

• Continuous support? Ch 14 Tec-Variety book talks about supporting reluctant instructors. Pg 284-288
• Access to technology: Free tablets, free laptops.
• Monetary incentives for faculty: Award in Technology for faculty who integrate technology in their classroom.
• Develop a faculty framework- start with simple tech training and move to reflection & motivation.
• Non-tech savvy users should be prepared in a face-to-face setting.

His talks: http://www.trainingshare.com/workshop.php

Carbondale: http://www.trainingshare.com/workshop.php#itday2015

Bonk, C. J. (2015, August 12). IT Day 2015 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Presentation Slides:

1. Keynote: Living in Tech City: 50+ Technology Trends and Innovations Transforming Workplace Learning, Education, and Our Lives

Color PDF Handout: http://www.trainingshare.com/pdfs/Living-in-Tech-City_Bonk_USI_Carbondale.pdf

PowerPoint Slides: http://www.trainingshare.com/pdfs/Living-in-Tech-City_Bonk_USI_Carbondale.ppt

2. Breakout Sessions:

Masterclass #1: Engage Number One:Models for Motivating and Retaining Online Learners (TEC-VARIETY AND R2D2)

Masterclass Part II: Where Are You R2D2?: Addressing Diverse Learner Needs with the Read, Reflect, Display, and Do Model

Color PDF Handout: http://www.trainingshare.com/pdfs/Masterclass_TEC_VARIETY_R2D2_Bonk_SIU.pdf

PowerPoint Slides: http://www.trainingshare.com/pdfs/Masterclass_TEC_VARIETY_R2D2_Bonk_SIU.pptx

Dropbox Link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fmdej5xayooget8/AAD6Z6-g26KaNpqcqTGCVWvma

Pearson MyLab

Installed the Pearson MyLab and Mastery Building Block today.
Admin/Instructor support site

Instructors interested in using:

• George Recck - Fall 2015 MyStatLab for QTM 1000/1010
• Jessica Simon - Spring 2016 MyEconLab

• 
  

McGraw-Hill Connect

Just installed the McGraw-Hill Connect Building Block.

• McGraw-Hill Connect Access to McGraw Hill e-Books, teaching resources and digital products seamless use mapped to the textbook in course. PowerPoints, test banks, animations. Single sign on with Blackboard for instructor and students. Grading integrated.
• Video tutorial (Overview)
• How to set up in Blackboard (instructors)

I have a list of faculty who may want to use this:

1. Dhruv Grewal
2. Norman Govoni
3. Robert Kopp
4. Michael Mozill
5. Sandra Metraux
6. Stephen Shapiro
7. Jessica Simon

Sent this email today:

Good Morning,

I was given your name as a McGraw Hill user. Are you going to be using McGraw Hill materials in your course this fall?  If so I'd like to check in with you and see if you'd like to take advantage of the tools within Blackboard. I can set up the McGraw Hill “Connect” in your Blackboard course and show you how to use it. 

* There is NO fee for instructors to use this. Students will be prompted to register and pay when they use the “Connect” materials.

Here is a link to the Instructor Guide.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Website for Instructors

Website for Instructors 

Lunch and Learn with Support Desk Staff

Information updates on projects for the Support Desk

Vanessa (Link to slides):

• Blackboard Ultra: What I learned at BbWorld15
• HBSP Coursepack. Harvard Business Publishing Coursepack. As of July 1st, if you use any Harvard Business Publishing cases in your classes, you will create your own coursepack. We had a few information sessions, the next one will be on August 5th and also during ITSD’s Technology BootCamp on August 25th..
• Digital Measures. Faculty website for tenure and promotion
• Hardware upgrades: Classrooms, laptops and copier/printers. We have some new printers, you need to re-connect to printers following the Pharos upgrade and Canon hardware upgrade to be able to print. Call IT for more information. Those of you who have the T431s laptops, are eligible for a new shinny powerful laptop upgrade! (The upgrade takes 24hrs. Be prepared to live without your laptop for that long.)

Lisa:

• Innovation Pipeline: Emerging technologies, pilots and implementations.
• BootCamp: Schedule, registration (Qualtrics)
• Tableau. We are not at the point to have an enterprise license. We can currently request licenses for a course, for example, that lasts for the duration of that course. Students ask how they can continue to use it. Students and faculty can request on their own student or faculty version of Tableau (for free) for one calendar year based on when they requested it.

Bb's new Grader App for iPad

Bb Grader App

July 29, 2015. I installed the Bb Grader App today on my iPad Air IOS: 8.4 Will be testing.

Blackboard Grader App Guide

Bb Style Guide & Icons

http://daily-innovations.blogspot.com/p/bb-style-guide-and-icons.html