Presentations & Workshops

Following is a sample of the presentations and workshops that I can offer on a variety of distance education topics.

Online Learning in Higher Education

Fending off the Webinar Woes: Designing for Interest and Interactivity
We’ve all experienced webinars that put us to sleep; or where we listen with half an ear while working on something else. What can fend off these webinar woes? Let’s explore strategies for generating interest, catching the eye with appealing visuals, and engaging the brain with interactivity. Come experience the difference!

Applying Online Learning Strategies to International Collaborative Experiences
Can you imagine an economics class in Japan and an environmental science class in Michigan working together to solve environmental challenges? Explore the concepts of collaborative online international learning (COIL) and globally networked learning. Hear the experiences of one institution getting started.

Setting Your Own Pace and Sequence: Self-Direction in Digital Learning
Self-paced learning isn’t dead! Learn the surprising results of research showing how students are more successful when at least one assignment is done out of the intended sequence. Explore modes of flexible self-directed learning in informal and formal education. Learn and share strategies for student success.

Mobile Apps to Support and Enhance Online Courses
How can specific mobile apps support and enhance online courses? From LMS apps, organizational apps, and university apps to apps specifically design to support a unique course, come explore the variety of ways mobile learning can enhance online learning.

Setting the Tone; Bridging the Divide; Being Yourself
Do your online students feel disconnected from you and Andrews? Join us to learn strategies for setting a “golden climate,” bridging the distance, and being yourself in your online course. Students want to connect with you, their professor! We’ll share simple strategies for strengthening the connection.

Building Your Online Learning Strategy
Building a strategy for your online learning program is a prudent decision. In this workshop, we will explore critical areas to plan, a variety of ways for arranging for support of online education, and different perspectives on methods and plans. Participants will have an opportunity to work in groups to draft portions of their own strategic plans.

Using Blogging to Contribute Expertise and Convey Credibility
A regular, useful blog is a true win/win, for the writer, the reader, and an entire community of interest. Learn five essential steps to setting up and maintaining your individual or your organization’s blog. Explore best practices; learn to avoid pitfalls; begin to create networked writing. Learn a new skill!

Research and Other Collaborative Projects Online
Online education is much more than delivering content in courses. How can students experience the same collaborative research and project-oriented learning that they could receive on campus at Andrews University? Explore the vision for a full engaging Andrews experience in online degrees, and be inspired with strategies and resources to assist you in supporting your students in rich collaborative learning experiences.

Your Students Can Make the Playoffs: Building Professional Digital Footprints
In this presentation, participants will see and share student views on social media. A demonstration will be given on how the different iterations of this course have been organized in Moodle. Essential course content will be shared; multiple delivery options will be explored. Audience sharing and participation during the presentation will enrich the discussion.

Jazz Up the Student Engagement in Your Online Courses
Tired of the same old activities in your online courses? Get inspired for increasing student engagement with this fast paced review of strategies and activities. A blend of Fink’s significant learning experiences and social networking activities will be shared.

Repurposing Email Marketing for Just-in-Time Training for Online Faculty
Learn how one small university is using automated email campaigns to connect learning pathways for online full time and adjunct faculty. From tips to setting up online learning, to how to look up class rosters and enter grades, we provide a consistent set of short training bites to our faculty.

Creating and Implementing Faculty Online Teaching Standards: Our Journey
Learn about the experiences of Andrews University School of Distance Education in creating and revising online teaching standards, creating rubrics and support materials for each standard, and implementing their use in our online course development and review process. Challenges, lessons learned, and resources will be shared.

The Role of Social Media Tools in Bridging the Global Divide
Learn to use technology to build a sense of community and to support access. Using tools such as YouTube and Twitter can reach a young, connected and diverse student body.

Course Tune Up
Kick start your year by revising one of your courses (online, blended, or face to face). Spend a day focusing on four areas: a needs assessment of your course, alignment of goals and learning activities, increasing interaction and engagement, and utilizing learning management system enhancements.

Flipping Your Classroom: Practical Strategies and Ideas
Flipped classrooms, a recent buzzword, means moving lectures to outside of class, and having more creative, interactive activities during class. But how does that really work? Bring your syllabus and participate in a workshop to thoughtfully redesign your course.

Mobile Apps to Support and Enhance Online Courses
How can specific mobile apps support and enhance online courses? From LMS apps, organizational apps, and university apps to apps specifically design to support a unique course, come explore the variety of ways mobile learning can enhance online learning.

Organizing Your Moodle Course Space
Wishing you could better organize your content assignments in Moodle? Want to make your course more visually appealing and user-friendly? Come learn tips and tricks for setting up your course.

Blended Learning, Flipped Classrooms, and Creative Scheduling
From Gutenberg to Zuckerburg, changes in technology have influenced educational trends. In this session, instead of talking about using FaceBook in the classroom or how to create an effective wiki, we will be looking at the ways in which technology has influenced experienced educators to rethink the classroom. Find out how teachers are using modularized instruction, active critical thinking/game strategy (interactive games), creative scheduling and flipping classroom presentations (lecture capture, podcasting and YouTube) to connect to the wired generation.

Yammer, Flickr, Twitter, Learner! Social Media Tools in eLearning
Social media tools provide a wealth of opportunity for cool and engaging learning activities! Learn how educational organizations use social media to support eLearning. Apply eLearning tips to your social media outreach for effective learning & evangelizing.

Wonderful Wikis: Supporting Learning and Collaboration
Wiki, wiki, quick, quick! Set up a website for learning or collaboration or both! See examples of wikis used to promote critical thinking, support collaborative work, manage committee work, and even for peer editing! We will examine different types of collaboration and the advantages and disadvantages of different wiki tools for different purposes. We will showcase a variety of wikis possibilities and discuss various wiki options such as the wiki within Moodle, wikispaces, pbworks, and others.

Maximizing Reach, Learning and Reflection with Online Professional Development
What are all the ways you can learn online? Mentoring, blended learning, just-in-time learning, personal learning networks, xMOOCs, cMOOCs, LOOCs, collaborative projects, and more! Come for a fast-paced look at a selection of methods and models for facilitating learning for others or jump-starting your own learning.

K12 Videoconferencing

Designing Quality Videoconference Projects
Do you want to use videoconferencing to enhance and enrich your curriculum? Collaborative projects are a free, interactive, curriculum-based method for intergrating videoconferencing in your curriculum. Come learn about tools and resources that can help you design and implement quality collaborations.

The Power of Collaboration
Break down the walls of your classroom, school, or organization and collaborate. Why? The benefits in engaging learning experiences for your students and staff. Collaborate with students, other teachers, another whole school, or across regions. Video clips of examples will inspire your next collaboration.

Bringing the World to Your Classroom
Break down the walls of your classroom and bring global engaging learning experiences to your students. Learn about powerful collaborative projects and quality programs from zoos and museums available to meet your curriculum standards.

Enriching Your Curriculum with Interactive Videoconferencing
Learn many exciting educational opportunities available via video conferencing. See how to use the Internet to find out about the programs available correlated to your curriculum. Learn about the many places that offer educational programs for K-12 schools.

Selecting a Videoconference Program
This workshop is best for teachers who know what videoconferencing is but aren’t sure what program to choose. If you want to increase videoconferencing use in your building, this is a good choice. Staff meet with me by grade level and/or content area. Teachers share units or themes they’d like to integrate videoconferencing into and I’ll help them choose a good program that matches their curriculum. Arrangements can be made to find programs within a certain budget amount if necessary.

Read Around the Planet and Other Collaborations
The more people you know, the more videoconferences you can do! Come learn about Read Around the Planet, an international videoconference project. Learn about CAPspace, a tool for managing videoconference projects and relationships and the many templates and lesson formats that can be used for K-12 videoconference collaborations.

Share and Hear Stories of Read Around the Planet
Did you participate in Read Around the Planet this year? Come share your stories. Want to learn about Read Around the Planet? Hear stories from those who participated. Learn about other ways you can use the Collaborations Around the Planet website.

Collaborations Around the Planet
The more people you know, the more videoconferences you can do! Come learn about CAPspace, created by TWICE in partnership with Polycom, a tool for managing videoconference projects and relationships. See what’s new in CAPspace, and learn about Read Around the Planet and other projects in CAPspace.

Maximizing Your Use of CAPspace
“CAPspace” or Collaborations Around the Planet is a social network for videoconferencing projects. Are you taking advantage of all the features? Learn how you can use CAPspace to bring more collaborative experiences to your students.

Instructional Strategies That Work with Videoconferencing
Integrate the McREL and Marzano research on classroom instruction that works with your curriculum videoconferencing. Improve the learning quality in your collaborative projects.

Inspiring Teachers’ Use of Curriculum Videoconferencing: What Works
Teachers are the most important key to implementing any new technology innovation. So how to do you hook teachers on curriculum videoconferencing?  Learn what works in southwest Michigan and apply these principles to your own school.

Increasing Use of Curriculum Videoconferencing: Recent International Research
Do you want to increase your school’s use of videoconferencing in the curriculum? Are you aware of all the potential benefits of bringing authors, experts, and global peers into your classroom via videoconferencing? So what key factors are important in your implementation of videoconferencing? Come find out!

Around the World in 80 Clicks
Skype is an easy, simple to use desktop videoconferencing application that educators are using to connect students to the world. Short, engaging interactions provide exposure to people, places, and data from around the world. Come learn how to use Skype to bring 21st century learning to your classroom.

Standards-Based Videoconferencing vs. Skype: The Showdown
Which is better? LifeSize/Polycom/Tandberg or Skype? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of videoconference technology? What are the appropriate educational uses of each? Come join in a lively discussion of the different types of videoconferencing tools and their uses in enriching K12 education.

Short Bio for Presentations

A bio and photo for presentations are included on my About Page.

 

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.