I have been invited to offer the opening plenary for “Accreditation in a Changing Environment, the 2012 Annual Conference of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.” I have been asked to speak about emergent forms of teaching and learning and how recent trends have disrupted the traditional notions held within education. While I will clearly speak to new forms of conversations occurring online, I will also discuss recent disruptions not just to individual classrooms, but to the entirety of the academy. With the accepted rise of MOOCs and the vast amounts of dollars being poured into education technology startups by venture capitalists, I will work to expose the landscape as it exists today and help shape a discussion about what this means to us all going forward.
Speaking
Keynote: 3/15/2012: Association of Collegiate Computing Services of Virginia
I have been invited to be one of three keynote speakers at the annual Association of Collegiate Computing Services of Virginia conference. I will be speaking about the nature of engagement in teaching and learning with technology. I will revisit thoughts from the past and work to integrate some new examples pulled from my work teaching CI 598 this semester and the Occupy Learning project in general.
Keynote: 3/1/2012: Pennsylvania Association of School Personnel Administrators
I have once again been invited to act as keynote speaker to the Pennsylvania Association of School Personnel Administrators. I last spoke to this group in February of 2010 and while much has changed, the messages are still similar — it is critical for us to find ways to engage at all levels of our educational system. This group is an interesting one in that these are not typically teachers working directly with students, but people whose jobs focus on making our schools a better place from an administrative perspective. I will do a survey of the current state of education technology, provide some concrete examples of how technology can support various modes of communication, and share some interesting stories from the Internet. I am looking forward to addressing this group once again.
Keynote: 7/7/2012: AACC Presidents Academy Summer Institute
I have been invited to be the keynote speaker for the AACC Presidents Academy Summer Institute (PASI). This an annual professional development program for CEOs/Presidents of member community colleges, provides intensive focus on current challenges, emerging trends, and opportunities unique to that position. I am planning to discuss the role of technology has in inspiring faculty and students in the contexts of teaching and learning. I am sure a big focus of the talk will be on the results of the CI 598 inspired Occupy Learning project and the associated outcomes.
Keynote: 9/29/2011: Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
I have been invited to speak to the PA Newspaper Association at their annual get together happening in State College, PA. I will be discussing the role of social media in creating new types of conversations as it relates to today and the future of news. I am sure I will have quite a bit to say about the events of Bloomsburg and the notion of the cone of silence surrounding small communities. Â It should be a challenging and interesting opportunity.
Program Faculty: Educause Institute Learning Technology Leadership Program 2011
For 2011 and 2012 I have been asked to act as Faculty in the EDUCAUSE Institute Learning Technology Leadership Program. From the website, “this program is designed to broaden perspectives and develop leadership abilities, enabling participants to assume leadership roles in applying learning technology to improve teaching and learning within their institutions. Designed as a leadership immersion experience, the program is intense, with participants engaged in active learning experiences throughout the day and into the evening.”
Working with my colleagues to design a killer program has been demanding and has already helped me personally grow. I am looking forward to spending the week with such a talented and inspiring group of faculty as well as with the packed house of those attending.
Keynote: 5/17/2011: University of Missouri Celebration of Teaching Excellence
I am looking forward to making a return trip to the University of Missouri to provide the keynote talk for their annual “Celebration of Teaching Excellence” event. I haven’t been to Columbia since I did the closing plenary for the first Apple Digital Campus Faculty Academy in April of 2005. It will be an opportunity to connect with old friends and get a look at how another University celebrates teaching and learning with technology.
Last year’s event looks like it was really great.
Invited Panel: 3/14/2011: Social Media Symposium
I was recently invited to be part of a panel discussion focusing on the role of social media in medical education and clinical practice at the Penn State College of Medicine. It is an interesting topic given the realities of HIPAA and all the issues surrounding medicine. It will be an honor to visit with colleagues from the Hershey Medical center for the Social Media Symposium. I have a feeling I'll learn more as a panelist than I will have to offer.