Opportunities

I always get to work on many fun projects with some really wonderful people.  Currently, two projects have me pretty excited:

Once again I get to collaborate with the fantastic people at Sloan-C on their upcoming International Symposium on Emerging Technology Applications which is going to be in San Francisco June 17-19, 2009.   The CFP has just been posted and I’m quite excited to see how many people plan to share their knowledge and expertise!  The 2008 symposium in Carefree, Arizona had many interesting presenters and I’m sure this symposium will be as good or better!

The new school year means a new series of free webinars with the uber-wonderful RETA crew at NMSU.  Last year was the first year we rolled out our webinars program and we had a lot of fun together.  We learned so much and we made exciting connections with folks from all over the U.S.  This year, we’re extending the number of webinars and including many more technology topics.  Come join us if you’re looking to learn more about using technology for teaching and learning.  It’s going to be a blast!

Making Connections

Making connections with others who are committed to becoming better distance educators is invaluable to me. In my line of work, it would be impossible to stay on top of all the latest technology and best uses of that technology for teaching and learning if it weren’t for all the wonderful faculty I’ve met and talked with over the years. Plus, it is just fun to talk with people who don’t think you’re crazy when you start rambling about computer crashes, the dilemma of receiving assignments in a format you can’t read, etc. LOL.

One of the groups I’m particularly happy about connecting with is Sloan-C. I first became aware of them when I began researching how to develop and teach online courses. Since then, I’ve availed myself of their excellent research publications, their community wiki of best practices, and their engaging and informative online workshops. I was able to do this because my university became a College Pass Member, entitling me and other members of my university to access to many of Sloan-C’s premium resources.

Of course, while I love having access to all those wonderful resources, the thing I love most about being a member of Sloan-C is that I get to make connections with so many fabulous educators! If you’re interested in learning about distance education, you should definitely talk to your institution about becoming a member! I think you’ll find it as invaluable as I have.