Thursday, December 10, 2015

Call for Proposals Extended - USG Teaching and Learning Conference

CALL FOR PROPOSALS EXTENDED

USG TEACHING AND LEARNING CONFERENCE:
BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING ENGAGED STUDENT LEARNING

April 13-14, 2016
UGA Hotel and Conference Center
Athens, GA

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION EXTENDED DEADLINE: JANUARY 11, 2016

You are invited to propose a presentation for the 2016 University System of Georgia Teaching and Learning Conference: Best Practices for Promoting Engaged Student Learning.

IMPORTANT DATES
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION EXTENDED DEADLINE: JANUARY 11, 2016
PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT BY FEBRUARY 1, 2016

Conference Description
This conference is designed to bring educators and outstanding students together to connect in conversations about active learning and student engagement. The focus of this conference is Best Practices for Promoting Engaged Student Learning. Session topics will address a wide range of topics related to active and engaged learning and success. Areas of interest include but are not limited to:


·        Developing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

·        Distance Learning/Blended Learning

·        Open Educational Resources

·        Collaborative Models

·        Connected & Mobile Learning

·        Complete College Georgia Efforts

Student Involvement
Faculty presenters are encouraged to propose a session with an outstanding student or team of students to give attendees a chance to hear from students themselves about how these efforts affect their learning experience.

Submit Your Proposal
To submit your proposal please visit the conference website at:

Conference Website
For further information visit the conference website at:

Contact:
Ginger Durham, EdD
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Board of Regents, University System of Georgia
Office of Academic Affairs
270 Washington Street, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 962-3066*


Monday, December 7, 2015

MOOC: Humanizing Online Instruction in Canvas

TOEP has been given a shoutout in the HumanMOOC which began today! 

The MOOC itself is extremely well constructed. There is a lot of synergy with TOEP. The MOOC content is also very relevant to our work in QbD. A pre-course Hangout was provided yesterday by George Siemens, the father of connectivist learning theory and the cMOOC.

Humanizing Online Instruction: Building a Community of Inquiry is a 4-week Micro-MOOC made available on the Canvas Open Network. This course is designed to prepare online instructors who teach college and university courses to be able to increase instructor, social, and cognitive presence in their online courses. Each of the weekly modules contains annotated research related to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, grounding the application-based activities in theory. Engagement in this networked community of practice is designed to stimulate the process of inquiry and collaboration among educators. Participants will explore emerging technologies and create digital assets that they can employ in their own instruction.
The course will include live sessions featuring George Siemens, Kate Bowles, Alec Couros, and many others. For more information about the course, visit humanmooc.com, and to sign up, visit canvas.net. Hope to see you there!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP): Open Lab Lunch & Learn Session at the University at Buffalo

Date and time: Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 • 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: 212 Capen Hall (inside Silverman Library), North Campus

*Registration: http://www.buffalo.edu/ubcei/workshops/workshops-topic-nc.html

The SUNY Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP): On-demand Discovery Learning Professional Development is designed to encourage faculty, staff and Teaching Assistants to explore freely available online emerging technology tools for teaching and learning.
TOEP is not traditional professional development but instead provides online access to resources to explore at your own pace. Discovery exercises include tutorials and resources relating to the use of blogs, wikis, audio, video, collaborative spaces, social bookmarking and more.
The deadline to register is February 12, 2016. Incentive opportunities are available to those who complete TOEP by April 1, 2016. First place awards will be provided through a peer-review process for the most pedagogically intriguing uses of TOEP tools.
Although TOEP encourages learning at your own pace, open-lab sessions have been scheduled to provide opportunities for those who wish to schedule dedicated time to work on TOEP over the break. Come to this session to build your skills while being able to rely on guidance and support.
The open-lab sessions include:
  • a short overview about the project
  • guidance on how-to register for TOEP
  • plenty of time to work directly on TOEP discovery activities
If you've been procrastinating on joining the TOEP community, this is a great time to begin.
Come build your skills and learn how these online technology tools can be used for innovative and creative activities relating to teaching and research. If you can't attend one of the lab sessions, all the information you need to participate is available on the TOEP website.

Please register so we can plan accordingly. Pizza and refreshments will be provided to celebrate TOEP's accomplishment of being rolled out at 19 SUNY campuses and being implemented as a SUNY-wide initiative.

Learning objectives
  • Identify and evaluate a variety of online instructional technologies for the purposes of teaching and learning
  • Reflect on your learning and outline how online instructional technologies might impact your teaching effectiveness

* Faculty and staff from participating SUNY campuses are encouraged to join TOEP. Those who are not from a participating campus are welcome to take advantage of the TOEP website resources but are not able to join the community or earn professional development award incentives.See the TOEP FAQ for more info.

Monday, October 12, 2015

“Teaching Students from Around the World: Promoting Class Participation”

Friday, October 30, 2015
9:00-10:00 a.m.
107 Capen Hall (Honors College), North Campus

Register:

International students are a significant percentage of the UB student population.  This offers opportunities for an enriched campus environment, enhanced cultural understanding and increased global awareness for U.S. students, but it also presents special challenges.  International students bring to UB expectations of academic culture that are often not compatible with U.S. academic culture.

Come find out why international students may be reticent in class discussions and how to encourage their participation.  Gain a nuanced understanding of the psychological, linguistic, cultural and other factors underlying some international students' reluctance to speak up in class.  Learn useful techniques to promote your students' participation in class discussions, and bridge the cultural gap between your teaching style, and the students' expectations and experiences.

Presenters:  UB International Students; Ellen Dussourd, Assistant Vice Provost and Director, International Student and Scholar Services; Keith Otto, Program Director, ESL Programs

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

EASI Online Courses - Fall Schedule Now Available

Dear Colleague,

The SUNY Center for Professional Development and EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) are pleased to offer the following online courses:

Barrier-free Web Design
Start Date: October 5th
Web pages can be created using Universal Design principles permitting their use by people with different browsers, different connection speeds, mobile phones, tablets, etc, and by people with disabilities using Adaptive computer technology. They can also be created in ways that exclude many of the above users. Barrier-free Web Design will prepare you to create web pages that are visually appealing and still permit full access by users with various technologies and by those with disabilities. You will be able to look at some of the best webinars that EASI has given by experts related to the topics. Hands on activities are also included to those who consider them useful, but they are not mandatory to completing the course.

Barrier-free e-Learning
Start Date: November 2nd
Barrier-free E-learning has been significantly updated and also enriched with new multimedia. The course now is based on the realization that course content authors, faculty and instructional designers, are placing that content inside a courseware or learning management system. Most of the Web accessibility issues relate to that interface, and only a few accessibility features are relevant to the actual course content. This makes creating accessible content much simpler. The revisions focus on a limited set of accessibility issues and also stress how to achieve accessibility using familiar software that designers are already using.

Train the Trainer
Start Date: December 7th
Computer technology has the potential to provide the most level learning space and working space in history for people with disabilities. However, many users arrive on campus or at work with inadequate training on this technology. Either the K-12 system failed to provide them with the appropriate tools and training, or they may have only recently received the disability. They will need help in identifying the technology that will enable them to achieve more independence and need training to use it effectively. Your institution will need to have someone equipped to provide this training. The information in Train the Trainer will provide a staff person with the know-how to provide this support.

The courses are asynchronous, month-long and taught entirely over the Internet.
View a full descriptions at http://www.cvent.com/d/6rqv9j.
COST
  • SUNY CPD Member - $245  *You may pay using your CPD training points.
  • SUNY Non-CPD Member - $265

REGISTER

QUESTIONS ?


See what courses are coming up in the months ahead.

Check out EASI's New Synchronous Clinics:


EASI Home Page http://easi.cc/

Friday, September 25, 2015

2015 Genteels' Excellence in Teaching Conference - University at Buffalo

Hi all, UB's annual Genteels' conference is coming fast, and we have lined up a comprehensive program. Hope you can join us.


Apologies for cross-posting.




Email not displaying properly? View announcement on CEI's website.

2015 Genteels' Excellence in Teaching Conference
Morning Program (Keynote and Breakout Sessions)
Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 • 9:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. • 106 O'Brian Hall, North Campus

Registration for the morning program is free.

The Center for Educational Innovation is pleased to offer the 2015 Genteels' Excellence in Teaching ConferenceThe Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): Academic Excellence through Innovative Teaching. This year's event will highlight examples, research and assessment of innovative teaching practices.

Opening Remarks
Charles F. Zukoski, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, University at Buffalo

Keynote
Introduction to the SCALE-UP Project, Robert J. Beichner, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor, NC State University
Robert J. Beichner, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor, NC State University, is recognized worldwide for his innovations in teaching. For much of his career, he has focused his attention on redesigning introductory physics education and the creation of the SCALE-UP (Student Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies) project. His approach has led to changes in classrooms around the world, and SCALE-UP has been expanded to multiple areas, including chemistry, math, engineering, biology, business, nursing, history, languages and even literature.

SCALE-UP was developed to facilitate highly collaborative active learning with large numbers of students served by small numbers of faculty and assistants, allowing faculty to get to know their students, even in classes of 100 or more. It enables students to learn and succeed not only in acquiring content at levels much better than from traditional lectures, but also to practice important 21st century skills like problem solving, communication and teamsmanship.

Breakout Sessions
The morning program will include two separate breakout sessions with concurrent presentations on a variety of topics, including online learning, gamification and new assessment strategies.


Afternoon Post-Conference Workshops
Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 • 1:00 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. • 106 O'Brian Hall, North Campus

Post-conference workshops registration fee
UB faculty and staff: $25
Non-UB participants: $35


This year we are also offering post-conference workshops that will give you an up-close look at strategies for active learning, flipped classrooms or case studies.




Monday, September 21, 2015

“Aptara’s Professional Services Group specializes in the search and placement of content specialists for Learning & Development, Technical Communications and more. Our team brings 24 years of experience in the content transformation business for the publishing and learning industries. We serve our clients with outstanding service and dedication, understanding needs and providing solutions.

Aptara has an open position. The profile is that of “LMS Admin” and the work location would be Virtual/Remote.

Please reach me at amrita.naidu@aptaracorp.com to learn more about this great opportunity and if currently unavailable for this opening we would really appreciate if you could forward this JOB PROFILE to others whom you think are interested.

Job Title: LMS Admin

End Date or Duration: Ongoing
Job Location: Virtual/Remote
Project Information:
The client is need of an LMS Admin to fill in the gaps as they scale up. They are currently using Canvas as their LMS
.
Job Description:
  •           Upload new content to the system
  •           Make course changes across the program for each university
  •           Assist the current LMS Admin with ad hoc needs
  •           LMS admin experience
  •           Experience with Canvas or Blackboard preferred
  •           Able to work flexible hours
We will further keep you posted on the new opportunity that comes by our way!!
Thanks & Regards
Amrita Naidu
Sourcing Specialist| Professional Services

www.aptaracorp.com
“Visit us at http://goo.gl/hpEjFV for the latest job openings”
 Winner of 20 Brandon Hall, 15 Training Industry & 2 CLO Awards 
Meet our Experts at Booth # 101 | Sept 30 – Oct 2 | Las Vegas, NV
Hotspot Presentation: Interactive Rapid Design

Oct 1 | 4:00p to 6:00p

Saturday, August 15, 2015

NUTN Network - (Webinar) Internationalization


To encourage discussion, idea sharing, and development opportunities around high-quality online learning, the Open SUNY team is glad to share the following information about an upcoming free webinar on Internationalization in Higher Education.

FREE Webinar
August 26, 2015 | 2pm EDT/1pm CDT
from NUTN Network & STARLINK

Internationalization in Higher Education
presented by Hope Windle of SUNY Ulster

eLearning curriculum internationalization and partnerships are at the forefront of many college strategic plans and can occur at multiple levels. From internationalizing the current curriculum through embedded cross-cultural connections to developing or expanding international partnerships for distance programs, the opportunities to bring these multinational resources and experiences to fruition are equally rewarding and complex. Students who participate in international curriculum have a newfound interest in the world beyond their community. They realize a new appreciation for learning languages and become more conscious of their relationships locally as well as internationally. Often, having participated in this kind of experience distinguishes students in securing jobs upon graduation. Which of these is the best fit? What's the role of a bigger world for your institution and its distance activities? Attendees will explore a variety of internationalization models and strategies for their success. Student testimonials will be given describing successful partnership in Lebanon, Brazil, Japan and beyond.




NUTN is a professional association dedicated to the development of leadership within online higher education providing opportunities for networking, sharing, strategic insights, partnerships, collaborations, best practices, and mentoring.  Membership in NUTN is supported by Open SUNY COTE and the SUNY Center for Professional Development.


Wednesday, July 15, 2015


 Author: 
That Twitter thing: 
Mary F. Cavanagh is an Assistant Professor at University of Ottawa's School of Information Studies. Her areas of research interest include valuing the contemporary public library as institution, social media, practice-based approaches to information interactions and practices, and forms of organizing. Her current teaching interests are in areas of resource discovery, knowledge in organization, social media, and library marketing and advocacy. 
Meaning and method behind micro-blogging in public libraries 

Abstract: 
Engagement and participation are key concepts framing a large part of the social media discourse across many research domains. As quasi-government agencies public libraries increasingly value Twitter as it provides a freely accessible, low-cost structure for improved engagement, relationship-building and communication with a wide spectrum of library followers. The Social-biblio.ca project, initiated in 2012, contributes to this work from the perspective of the public library organization. Highlights of a first phase - a national survey of public libraries' Twitter practices - are introduced in conjunction with findings from several pilot projects that explored techniques for studying library micro-blogging. This work then establishes a provisional theoretical framework from which to consider preliminary results of the first of three in-depth @publiclibrary case studies. 
E-mail: mcavanag@uottawa.ca 

Website: http://mfcavanagh.wordpress.com 

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series Kickoff: Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - noon-1:00 pm 108 Capen Hall Honors College




Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series
Kickoff: Wednesday, July 29, 2015 from 12 noon to 1:00 pm
Are you hungry for empowerment? UB Women in STEM is sponsoring a brown bag, noon time lecture series that explores gender differences in STEM careers. Our featured speakers will share their insights and challenge your assumptions. Bring your lunch and a friend!

Introduction: Karen King, PhD, Program Manager, Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Partnership, University at Buffalo
Presenter: Lora Park, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, University at Buffalo
Abstract: Women are underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Dr. Lora Park will discuss social psychological research on the effects of romantic goal pursuit in shaping women's interest in these traditionally male-dominated fields, and discuss implications for women's motivation and performance in STEM.

This brown bag lunch lecture is hosted at UB’s Honors College, located in 108 Capen Hall, inside the Silverman Library. Admission is free and open to the public. Space is limited so advanced registration is requested. Future dates to be announced.

For more information contact Kathleen Murphy at kbrown@buffalo.edu

About us: UB Women in STEM is a grassroots coalition of allies from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Undergraduate Academies, UB STEM, Academic Affairs, Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership, Institute for Research and Education on Women and Gender, Intercultural and Diversity Center, Office of Student Engagement, Computing and Information Technology, and the Professional Staff Senate dedicated to advancing women in STEM.

Check out the STEM event held earlier this year at
http://www.pss.buffalo.edu/womeninstem/

Thursday, July 9, 2015

IEEE TALE2015 International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering

Date and Venue

IEEE TALE2015 will be held 10-12 December 2015 at United International College, in Zhuhai, China.

Overview

IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE) is held each year in the Asia-Pacific region (IEEE Region 10). It is intended to complement existing conferences sponsored by the IEEE Education Society, most notably Frontiers in Education in North America (IEEE Regions 1–7) and EDUCON in Europe/Middle East/Africa (IEEE Region 8). The aim of TALE is to provide an excellent platform for both academicians and practitioners to share their experience and knowledge in engineering education at all levels. Both research and practice-oriented papers are welcome in order to emphasize the needs of interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering and education.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015




Don't miss out!

Google Camp for Administrators and Educators

Thursday, Aug. 6 | 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Center for the Arts
University at Buffalo North Campus
Amherst, N.Y.
Join fellow University at Buffalo alumni, members of the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies, members of the School Administrators Association of New York State and others from your community for Google Camp!

Google Camp is organized differently than most conferences. This “unconference” has no keynotes, and everything discussed at the event is determined by the attendees. You'll learn about different Google technologies and systems for your classroom, straight from the experts!

The UB Alumni Association is offering special conference pricing for the first 75 UB grads that register.

General Alumni Pricing: 
$89 | $115 (includes Google Chromecast)

Young Alumni Pricing (Grads from 2005-2015):
$79 | $105 (includes Google Chromecast)

General public: 
$99| $125 (includes Google Chromecast)

Space is limited, so sign up now!
To register, click here.
NYSCATE membership is required for registration.
FREE membership can be obtained by completing the online NYSCATE membership form.


Sponsored by:

University at Buffalo Office of Alumni Engagement
201 Harriman Hall •  Buffalo, NY 14214
1-800-284-5382

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Associate Director at the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Simmons College

Just sharing an opportunity to work with a great mentor at Simmons College.

Associate Director at the Center for Excellence in Teaching
The position is based in Boston (near Fenway Park) and includes designing and leading workshops, classroom observations, instructional technology training, and leading our learning community program. Simmons is a very innovative and collaborative place, and this position allows room for creativity, leadership, and pursuit of individual areas of expertise/interest.

Contact Jennifer Herman at:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=26630255&authType=name&authToken=64Hu&goback=

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

FACT2 Mobile Learning Survey (Spring '15)

The FACT2 Mobile Technology in Teaching & Learning Task Group has been charged with gathering information about SUNY campus use of mobile technology use. We are hopeful that you can help us with providing contacts on your campus. Optionally, also feel free to add detail on your campus activities. Thanks - in advance - for your help!

If you have questions, please reach John Kane @ john.kane@oswego.edu


Tuesday, April 14, 2015

LIS Seminar Series, Spring 2015 : "That Twitter thing: Meaning and Method behind Micro-Blogging in Public Libraries" - Mary F. Cavanagh

"That Twitter thing: Meaning and Method behind Micro-Blogging in Public Libraries" 

Mary F. Cavanagh, Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Ottawa

Engagement and participation are key concepts framing a large part of the social media discourse across many research domains (Lutz, Hoffmann and Meckel 2014). As quasi-government agencies public libraries increasingly value Twitter as it provides a freely accessible, low-cost structure for improved engagement, relationship-building and communication with a wide spectrum of library followers. The Social-biblio.ca project, initiated in 2012, contributes to this work from the perspective of the public library organization. Highlights of a first phase - a national survey of public libraries' Twitter practices - are introduced in conjunction with findings from several pilot projects that explored techniques for studying library micro-blogging. This work then establishes a provisional theoretical framework from which to consider preliminary results of the first of three in-depth @publiclibrary case studies.

Mary F. Cavanagh is an Assistant Professor at University of Ottawa's School of Information Studies. Her areas of research interest include valuing the contemporary public library as institution, social media, practice-based approaches to information interactions and practices, and forms of organizing. Her current teaching interests are in areas of resource discovery, knowledge in organization, social media, and library marketing and advocacy.

Seminar to be presented
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Baldy 200G


9th Annual Fredonia Teaching & Learning conference


Call for Proposals: Fredonia's 9th Annual Teaching & Learning Conference
Moving Beyond Walls: Teaching Through Engagement
Monday, August 17, 2015

The 9th Annual State University of New York at Fredonia Teaching & Learning conference will focus on cultivating learning environments that strengthen student engagement and motivation. Higher education is undergoing monumental changes, including shifting student demographics and rapid technological change. Conference activities and presentations will provide an opportunity to reflect on where we are, where we came from, and where we are heading. As institutions look for ways to remain competitive while continuing to provide students with quality, affordable educational opportunities, this year’s conference aspires to serve as an opportunity for scholarly exchange and discussion, with the ultimate goal of improving student engagement and learning across disciplines.

We invite proposals for presentations for the following tracks:
  • Student Engagement & High Impact Teaching Practices
  • Engaging Students in a Virtual World: Technology Inside and Outside the Classroom         
  • New Media, Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship
  • Creating Quality Learning Environments
  • Diverse Students & Learning Strategies
  • Experiential Learning: Service Learning, Internships, Study Abroad, and Beyond
  • Forging Links Between Local and Global Communities
  • Fostering Creative Learning and Students
  • Strategies on Assessment
Concurrent Sessions (50 Minutes):

We encourage you to model good teaching in your session by including an interactive element that actively engages the participants in your session.

All proposals must include:

1. Names, positions, academic departments, and contact information for the presenter/s. The person’s name that appears first in the proposal will be considered the primary contact.
2. Title of concurrent session (not to exceed 12 words)
3. Session abstract:

a. 100 - 175 words for 40-minute presentation (10-minutes of Q&A)
b. In your session description, please include the expected outcomes of your session and the methods that you will use to foster participant interaction. If applicable, tie your proposal to the conference theme.

Preference will be given to proposals that address one or more of the following: Scholarship that challenges educators to think outside the traditional classroom environment, that is designed to captivate the mind of diverse learners, provide greater access, or facilitate student success; Projects that support or enhance Open SUNY initiatives; Development, application and assessment of innovative uses of instructional technologies to improve student engagement and learning; Creating and assessing opportunities for performance based learning through public or private partnerships; Immersion of students in alternative learning environments;  Development, administration, and assessment of professional development and ancillary services that support faculty innovation and student success

4. List audiovisual needs (computer, projector, etc.)

Proposal Submission:

Proposals may be submitted electronically at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2015_TLC

Deadline for Submissions: Friday, May 22, 2015 at Midnight

About the Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Jason Ohler is a professor emeritus, speaker, writer, teacher, and cyber researcher. He is also a lifelong digital humanist who is well known for the passion, insight, and humor he brings to his presentations, projects and publications.

He has worked both online and in classrooms at home and internationally for over a quarter century helping students develop the new literacies they need to be successful in the digital age. He is a passionate promoter of “Art the Next R” and of combining innovation, creativity and digital know-how to help reinvent teaching and learning.

He is also an enthusiastic champion of the need for students to learn how to use technology wisely and safely, with awareness and compassion, so they can become informed and productive citizens in a global digital society. He has won numerous awards for his work and is author of many books, articles, and online resources.

Many call him a futurist, he calls himself a nowist, believing we have what we need now to create the kinds of communities we need to meet the challenges of the digital age with creativity and humanity. His current book, Digital Community, Digital Citizen, explores the issues of helping our students blend their digital and non-digital lives into one integrated approach to living. His previous book, Digital Storytelling in the Classroom, reminds us that he is first and foremost a storyteller, telling tales of the future that are grounded in the past.

“The goal is the effective, creative, and wise use of technology . . . to bring together technology, community, and learning in ways that work. And while we are at it, to have fun.”

Questions about the conference? Please contact: tlc-grp@fredonia.edu

Information regarding the conference can be found at: http://www.fredonia.edu/pdc/tlc.asp

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Archives Matter: A Presentation by Kathleen Roe, President of the Society of American Archivists - April 15 | Daily Bulletin | Buffalo State

Archives Matter: A Presentation by Kathleen Roe, President of the Society of American Archivists - April 15
The SUNY Buffalo State E. H. Butler Library Charles Rand Penney Lecture Series, in association with the Canisius College Rev. Clayton J. Murray Archives Speakers Series, presents "Archives Matter: A Presentation by Kathleen Roe" on Wednesday, April 15, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium.
Archives are the essential evidence of the past, the individual and collective voice, the source of action and events, the thread and fabric of our society. Archives often occupy a hallowed but unclear role to people in our communities, universities and schools, places of business, and government. The archival community must effectively address several pressing issues in order to both safeguard the availability and use of the historical record and ensure that stakeholders and the public recognize the importance and value of archives. These issues include ensuring that a comprehensive historical record survives; concerns over “competition” for prestigious collections; threading our way through the complexities of electronic records; ensuring access to information; and the need for informed stakeholders and the general public to value and appropriately support the functions of archives. This talk will focus on these matters of concern to the archival community and the need for archivists to promote a strong understanding of why archives matter.
Kathleen D. Roe is president of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the oldest and largest national archival professional association in North America with over 6,200 members. In that capacity, she has challenged archivists to spend a “Year of Living Dangerously for Archives” by getting out of their comfort zones to focus on raising awareness and advocating the importance of archives. She is also the director of archives and records management operations for the New York State Archives, where she oversees programs providing services to state and local governments and nonprofit historical records programs around the state. Roe has served as president of the Council of State Archivists, the national association for state archives, and on various committees for SAA and regional archival associations. She has published and taught extensively in the areas of archival descriptive practices and advocacy for archival programs.
The Burchfield Penney Art Center’s galleries will be open to attendees preceding the presentation. Free parking will be available in the Burchfield Penney Art Center lot.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Registration is now open for SUNY CIT 2015

Registration is now open for CIT 2015 scheduled for May 26 –29 on the campus of SUNY Geneseo.

This year’s CIT features a Keynote from Dr. Mark Milliron, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Civitas Learning, an organization committed to helping students learn well and finish strong on education journeys.  An award-winning leader, author, speaker, and consultant, he has worked with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools, foundations, corporations, associations, and government agencies across the country and around the world.

Don’t forget….register by May 10th and save $50 off the cost of your registration.  Register today!
Hotel Registration Reminder – Hotel reservations must be made now to obtain the special negotiated rates.  Go to the CIT 2015 website at http://www.cvent.com/d/rrq7mt for information on hotels available and the deadline to reserve your room. 

We look forward to seeing you at CIT 2015!


Sunday, March 29, 2015

Empire State College offers Coursera MOOCs : Registration Now Open | Innovations in Online Learning

Empire State College offers Coursera MOOCs : Registration Now Open

Empire State College (ESC) is offering its first ever Coursera MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) as part of two projects funded last year by SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grants (IITG). Registration is now open at the Coursera site for both courses.
Graphic of a circle with an outer ring and two inner rings. The center ring says metaliterate learner, the next inner ring has the words metacognitve, cognitive, behavioral, and affective. The outer ring has the words participant, communicator, translator, author, teacher, collaborator, producer, publisher, and researcher.
The Metaliterate Learner Figure by Tom Mackey, Trudi Jacobson, and Roger Lipera
The first Coursera MOOC , “Metaliteracy: Empowering Yourself in a Connected World,”  launched yesterday, Feb. 2 and has more than 3200 registered participants.  The second, “iMOOC: Mastering American eLearning,” begins March 23 and will be open for enrollment until then, but already has 642 people signed up. Both MOOCs feature videos produced at the Empire State College TV studio with the support of John Hughes, director of media production and resources. In addition, the iMOOC (the“i” is for international) also includes a logo designed by the college’s Office of Community and Government Relations and learning materials prepared by ESC faculty.
Metaliteracy: Empowering Yourself in a Connected World” is the result of a collaboration between instructors from Empire State College and the University at Albany. Tom Mackey, Kathleen Stone, Michele Forte and Amy McQuigge, all from Empire State College, worked together with Trudi Jacobson, Kelsey O’Brien, Jenna Pitera and Allison Hosier of UAlbany. This MOOC is supported by another top-tier IITG project as well, “Designing Innovative Online Learning: Integrating a Coursera MOOC with Open SUNY Badging.” Stone, the Coursera manager for this course, explained that the MOOC employs open content developed by the team of instructors on metaliteracy-related topics including:
  • becoming a digital citizen
  • participating as a global contributor
  • creating and curating Information
  • empowered learning: from learner to teacher
The MOOC also features special guests. There is an interview with ESC alums Sandra Barkevich and Anita Di Cianni Brown in which they talk about packaging and sharing information in today’s social media environment. Ronnie Mather, Interim Dean at the Center for Distance Learning, explores questions about metacognitive reflection.  The course includes videos, animated vignettes and other multimedia resources, as well as open resource readings.
iMOOC: Mastering American eLearning” is a collaborative effort among Empire State College faculty and staff: Val Chukhlomin, Bidhan Chandra, Anant Deshpande, Jeannine Mercer, Lorette Pellettiere Calix, Dana Gliserman-Kopans, Amy Giaculli and Antonia Jokelova.  This project is supported by another top-tier SUNY IITG, “iMOOC: A Multiuser Platform for International Students to Navigate U.S.-style Virtual Learning Environments” .iMOOC is a competency-based, skill-building course intended to help non-U.S. students, first-generation immigrants and foreign-born professionals better understand and master American eLearning, as well as other U.S. virtual environments for college and career success. This course also makes use of open educational resources and ESC-developed videos. iMOOC will be piloted by ESC International Programs and SUNY New Paltz, as well as two international institutions, SUNY Korea and Irkutsk State University in Russia, for their on-campus students.

Tens of thousands take first ‘massive open online course’ offered in Western New York - City & Region - The Buffalo News


The most popular college course in the region this semester cost nothing to take, had no set meeting times and did not require students to step inside a classroom.

Nearly 41,000 people – more than the undergraduate and graduate enrollment at the University at Buffalo, the area’s largest school – signed up for the course, called “Ignite Your Everyday Creativity.” Developed at SUNY Buffalo State, it was the first massive open online course, or MOOC, to come from Western New York. The course ended Sunday.

And most of the students live nowhere near the Buffalo State campus. They’re in just about every state and 185 countries.

A few years ago, MOOCs received as much hype as the iPhone debut. Some proponents predicted MOOCs – which are free but don’t count for college credit – would revolutionize higher education, chopping away at spiraling costs and making many campuses obsolete.

The hype died down after a 2013 University of Pennsylvania study found that few students completed MOOCs, souring some educators on their potential.

But the free online courses continue to proliferate. Buffalo State is among more than 100 colleges and universities, including elite schools like Yale, Columbia and Duke, that are partnering with Coursera, one of several technology companies and nonprofit organizations that provide platforms for online courses.

MOOCs are just a small part of a tidal wave of change in store for higher education, said Carey Hatch, associate provost at SUNY, who oversees SUNY’s online initiatives. (Entire article available via the Buffalo News website.)

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Open Mic: What Am I Doing in Your Classroom? UB Students Tell Their Tech Stories - Digital Challenges Series


UB students -- tell us how you use your phone, tablet or other tech tools in class. http://goo.gl/o6KMWD ‪#‎ubuffalo‬ ‪#‎ubuffalodc‬

  • Wednesday, April 1, 2015
  • 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  • 145 Student Union (North Campus)
Today’s students use smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices constantly in all areas of life, including the classroom. Though conventional wisdom suggests students are using their devices in class to text or engage social media, this program will highlight the ways in which students are integrating these powerful devices into their educational lives.
UB associate professor Valerie Nesset will set the tone for the day’s events with a keynote address focusing on the ways in which students are adopting and adapting technology to address their learning and research needs. A series of brief, informal talks and micro workshops will follow during the open mic, giving UB students an opportunity to demonstrate how they’re using mobile technologies to improve their educational experience. 

Friday, March 27, 2015

DoIT Student Team Builds New Exam Proctoring System for SUNY

DoIT Student Team Builds New Exam Proctoring System for SUNY
March 26, 2015

The new Exam Proctoring System helps students taking online classes to easily schedule exams at nearby SUNY-approved test centers.

By Will Welch, '16


Open SUNY announced a new online tool last month that makes it easier than ever for students taking online courses to find nearby test centers. It is called the SUNY Exam Proctoring System, and it was developed by Stony Brook’s own University Information Systems (UIS) Applications Solutions team in the Division of Information Technology.

The new system allows students to find SUNY-approved test centers in their area and register for exams in a matter of minutes. If there isn’t a test center near the student, he or she can quickly suggest a new test center for approval, doing away with the time-consuming process of manually scheduling exams, and making it easier for SUNY’s online progams to grow. ramsb

One of the programs that will benefit from the system is Stony Brook’s Biology Online Program.

“We will be able to address the needs of more students taking our courses from remote locations, yet insure the academic integrity and fairness of the content and assessment of learning for all our online courses for all students,” said Joanne Souza, director of the online biology program.

It was Souza who brought up the need for a better proctoring system to Patricia Aceves, Stony Brook’s Faculty Center Director. In March 2013, Souza, Professor Paul Bingham, and Aceves co-wrote an application for a SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grant (IITG) to build an online system. Although the application did not fit the current grant period, they were later contacted by the SUNY Associate Provost for Academic Technologies and Information Services, who offered advanced funding for the project under the 2013-14 grant period.

“The process of locating a proctor outside of an institution is very manual and labor intensive, so this system benefits faculty offering online courses throughout the SUNY system,” Aceves said.


The EPS team at the 2014 SUNY Conference on Instructional Technology. From left to right: Jason Kanaris, Jonathan Rodriguez. Daniel Fourman, Raymond Chan and Nicholas Branzburg.

Once the funding was secured, University Information Systems was selected to develop the new application. The system was built by three computer science students working on the Application Solutions team:  Jonathan Rodriguez, Nicholas Branzburg and Daniel Fourman.
Each student worked on a portion of the project directed at a different audience -- students, the University, and test centers. They also gained valuable experience working as a team to deliver the final project using the Microsoft ASP.NET framework, a tool which they all use in their current jobs.“We always want students to be able to leave with something that is meaningful, something that is challenging and also has a positive impact on the University,” said Raymond Chan, UIS Director of Application Solutions. “I thought this application was a perfect fit for these students who were graduating.”

Rodriguez is now a software engineer at ERP Maestro, Fourman is a technology analyst at Citigroup and Branzburg is a software engineer at FactSet Research Systems.

After graduating in May, the team reunited later in the month to present the new system at the SUNY Conference on Instructional Technology (CIT). However, they overcame major challenges to do so when they learned the database was down the night before the presentation. Working late into the morning, the team was able to recreate and re-populate the database on a new server. “Because of the team's effort, the presentation went as planned,” Chan said.

Students Kristen Stewart and Bikramaditya Ghosh Dastidar carried on the torch after the first team graduated to prepare the proctoring system to launch this year. Student Tonian Lamont, working with the Biology Online Program, contacted potential remote test center sites to be included at launch.
Now that phase one of the application is complete and live, phase two will involve other SUNY schools adding support for their classes to the system. The application is currently hosted on Stony Brook’s servers, but it will later be moved to SUNY’s infrastructure where it will continue to support hundreds of online classes.

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