Welcome to the College of IST Learning Design eNewsletter
November – December 2019
Welcome to Jonathon
We are very pleased to announce that Jonathon Hughes has joined the College as an Instructional Designer with the Learning Design team. He is filling a position formerly held by Ronda Reid and he will report to Kent Matsueda. Jonathon will assist with the support of the IST Online courses delivered via World Campus as well as support of Resident Instruction sections and educational technology tools including Canvas.
Jonathon joins us from the Digital Education team in the College of Ag Sci where he was an Instructional Designer. He holds a Masters in Adult Education and Communication Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Jonathon’s first day was Monday Nov 25. He is located in E146 Westgate. If you are in the building, please stop in to welcome him.
Instructional Experiences from Your Academic Neighborhood
A Schreyer Institute-funded Learning Community In the spirit of joining together for mutual success, we invite you to participate in a shared series of events across the 2019/2020 academic year to discuss experiences of teaching online. Each event is intended to offer opportunities for discussion and sharing varying perspectives of those who teach across a variety of subjects. Come and learn from your peers across the University. Our first session of this academic year is:
SNOW DAY? SNOW WAY! Planning for Disruptions by Flipping the Classroom
Date: December 5, 2019
Time: 9:30-11:00 am
Location: 117 Earth and Engineering Sciences (see https://goo.gl/maps/PaA9rgRyRfJx7P7f8) and Online via Zoom Video Conference: https://psu.zoom.us/j/649523608
Please register here by Dec 2: https://forms.gle/N8Qj9z8YgThf4DBC6
Attendees will have a chance to win a Blue Snowball microphone!!
Join us for a winter beverage, snack, and engaging conversation! Annie Taylor, Assistant Dean of Distance Learning and chair of the Contingency Planning/Snow Day sub-committee will share the results of the committee’s work and invite everyone to engage in conversation around this important topic. We will discuss strategies for how to handle class cancellations including answering questions such as:
- What are the University policies?
- What is a flipped class?
- What are the pros/cons?
- What resources are available to design and teach flipped classrooms?
- What are some best practices and experiences of other faculty/courses?
Participants will receive summary notes from the discussion with actionable suggestions.
Parking Logistics: The Red A lot (by the White Course) nearest to the Earth and Engineering Sciences building no longer has kiosk parking. The closest lot for parking is the Nittany Parking Deck.
Join Us for our Next Online Teaching and Learning Meeting on Jan 31
Please mark your calendars and join us on Friday, January 31st from 12:15-1:15.
The meetings will take place via Zoom. If you would like to suggest an agenda topic, please contact Dave Fusco, Nick Giacobe, or Amy Garbrick. Meetings will be recorded for those who are unable to attend. The recording will be placed in Box.
Future meetings are Feb 28th, March 27th, and April 24th.
Canvas Day and TLT Symposium
Canvas Day kicks off the festivities on Friday, March 20 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in University Park. Register now to reserve your spot.
The Teaching and Learning With Technology (TLT) Symposium will be held on Saturday, March 21 at the Penn State Hotel and Conference Center. Register now.
In preparation for Canvas Day, Penn State IT Learning and Development is offering these pre-conference training sessions to help bring audiences new to Canvas get up to speed.
All training sessions listed below will be offered online via Zoom, enabling faculty and staff to participate from anywhere. If a session is full, you may still request it. You will be contacted if space becomes available. Additional sessions may be added based upon waitlist demand.
Canvas Day pre-conference sessions:
Canvas: An Introduction – Tuesday, January 9, 9:45-11:00 a.m. EDT
Canvas: Creating and Delivering Effective Content – Wednesday, January 22, 8:45-11:30 a.m. EDT
Canvas: Creating Assignments and Quizzes – Tuesday, February 4, 12:45-3:30 p.m. EDT
Canvas: Optimizing Courses for Accessibility – Tuesday, February 25, 8:45-11:30 a.m. EDT
Canvas: Using the Gradebook – Wednesday, March 11, 8:45-11:30 a.m. EDT