The Technology in the Learning Space Initiative

WHen I first started at the Center for Teaching and Learning at Montgomery College I was asked to lead an initiative to enhance the use of technology in the classroom. In the fall version of our newsletter, I wrote about what my dream technology education program would look like.

Here's the entry:

Montgomery College Center for Teaching and Learning October 2009

Ten Tips For Participating In Virtual Classrooms

[from slideshare]Ten Tips For Participating In Virtual Classrooms

View more presentations from Carole McCulloch.

Second LIfe for Educators . . . from Prezi

Second Life for Educators on Prezi

Fellowship Flyer

Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted online and received by March 1, 2010 at 5:00 PM

Workshop Dates and Time: May 24-28 , 2010 and June 2^nd or 3^rd , 9:00AM-3:30 PM

Workshop Location: TP/SS, ST 302

Kapp Notes: Are you sure it's a training need?

Kapp Notes: Are you sure it's a training need?

A Needs Analysis is needed because not all requests by managers or others for "training" are really going to be solved by training. Here is a list of some needs that are sometimes mistaken for training needs.

• Performance Need—Employees are not performing in the proper manner or using inappropriate methods to accomplish goals. The performance is less than optimal because it is easier to do it another way or there is no consequence for poor performance. For example, an operations manager is not handling personnel issues correctly because he or she doesn't like conflict. (the person knows what is acceptable performance but chooses not to do it.). In this case training the person on conflict resolution is not the answer.

• Organizational Need—The organization is lacking in some capacity or process and is unable to perform or to meet the expectations of its customers. For example, an organization is not able to offer its customers a desired service or offering. You can train people as much as you want but at some point you simply "can't do more with less."

• Administrative Need—The process for following proper administrative procedures is not followed or is followed incompletely. The tracking and monitoring of administrative tasks is not performed at a satisfactory level. For example, customer warrantee information is not tracked properly. Again, the issue may be the administrative process itself.

• Technical Need—An organization needs some type of technology to properly perform its obligation to customers or to create additional value for customers. For example, not having a customer-only section of a web site function properly.

• Financial Need—Funding for desired initiatives does not exist or is scarce. For example, money necessary to purchase servers to house e-learning is not available.

• Competitive Need—Rival organizations offer something your organization does not. For example, they have a high level of customer service and your organization does not.

• Marketing Need—Initiatives are undertaken but members are unaware of what is available. For example, new e-learning modules are placed onto the web site but no one is aware of their availability.

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CTL Professional Development Series II: Teaching Our Digital Natives, May 1

The Center for Teaching and Learning's second Professional Development Series for the 2009-2010 academic year has been rescheduled for May 1, at the Germantown Campus, Goldenrod Building, from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. This event will offer part time faculty five professional development credit hours that can be used to increase rank and/or salary and full time faculty the opportunity to meet their professional development goals as well.

Teaching Our Digital Natives will focus on tools that can facilitate instruction. Many of the workshops are hands on or interactive. Learn about and how to use Smart Instructor Work Stations, Library Technology Resources, Banner for faculty, Web 2.0 tools, and much more.



These offerings are sure to enhance your instruction and support our mission to support students' success and change students' lives.



For more information, contact Professor Windy Jefferson-Jackson at windy.jefferson-jackson@montgomerycollege.edu or 240-567-1383.



To request accommodations for a disability, please contact June Clarke, CTL, at 240-567-2001.

Top Internet Tools for the Classroom

Ahhhh, my first foray into television. We did the shoot with two cameras, but I didn't really put in the proper pre-planning to make sure my presentation worked well.

Be kind:

One-to-one computing programs only as effective as their teachers

From http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/02/16/11-programs-only-as-good-as-their-teachers/

Experts say 1-to-1 computing research needs to focus more on classroom practices—and less on equipment

A compilation of four new studies of one-to-one computing projects in K-12 schools identifies several factors that are key to the projects’ success, including adequate planning, stakeholder buy-in, and strong school or district leadership. Not surprisingly, the researchers say the most important factor of all is the teaching practices of instructors—suggesting school laptop programs are only as effective as the teachers who apply them.

The studies were published in January by theJournal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, a peer-reviewed online journal from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education.

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