Work
It was a crazy week. I think the EDU was offering all programming simultaneously – Instructional Skills Workshop, Course Design Workshop, D2L Work Sessions, Curriculum Review orientation, all at the same time. It was great to see so many people coming together in the EDU. Space planning is interesting, and we had to shuffle a few bookings to make room for everyone, but it worked out great. I got to wear a few hats, which is always great – and we had a couple of instructors working in the Faculty Design Studio. Can’t wait to see what they make.
I sent out the communication packages for the Learning Technologies Support Program this week, so people in all faculties can start planning what they want to do, and how they want to hire their Coaches.
And, we’re hiring again – Online Learning Environment Specialist – an extremely important role, working with instructors to support their integration of various learning technologies.
Read
Edtech-ish
- Amanda Tattersall, Honorary Associate, Department of Geography at University of Sydney: How do we ‘change everything’ as Naomi Klein suggests? Let’s start by getting ‘adversaries’ to listen to one another
- Bryan Alexander – Most campuses still refuse to recognize faculty using technology This is something we are changing at UofC. Providing real domain-specific coaching in all faculties, and recognizing this work by instructors as valuable.
- Campus Technology
- Charles Severance: Abstract: The Next Generation of Teaching and Learning Tools
- Colin Madland: The Most Important Ed Tech Development
- Michael Ullyot: Mentoring New Faculty
- CEDP – Integrating Technology Module produced through the College Educator Development Program. Part of a series of interesting-looking modules. Not sure how packaging it as a forced-navigation SoftChalk package adds to the experience, above what a well-produced video would do. Feels like using “interaction” to keep production costs down?
- 2015 CTLT Annual Report | UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology – we will be putting together annual reports for the Taylor Institute and EDU. Not sure I want something as glossy as this, but it’s nice.
- Doug Ward – New classrooms to help promote active learning Interesting classroom designs to support active learning in classes from 60-160 students.
- Adapt Learning Project Community looks like it makes “Grandma and Me” hidden navigation a bit too easy, but with some good taste and design decisions, this tool could be very powerful for creating responsive content. Will have to play with it a bit. Thanks to George Kroner for the link.
Miscellanea-ish
- The City of Calgary: Planning healthy communities: If you are what you eat, then you are also where you live
- The Gauntlet / U of C student discusses online shaming after deleted tweets end federal campaign Teenager posts stupid things on her twitter account, as teenagers (people!) do. A few years later, twitter archives are dredged up to torpedo her chances of running for office.
Other
I rode my bike 3 days this week. I skipped Thursday, after riding home into some fun headwinds Wednesday evening. And I took Friday off to make it an extra-long-weekend. Feeling stronger, and am hoping to keep riding until the snow piles up. I don’t think I have winter riding in me anymore…