A discussion about the expected outcomes for librarian participation in the Faculty Development Institute. Participants will have reviewed the course offerings and made preliminary choices. Come prepared to talk about individual expectations.

^

Participants should have completed (or nearly completed) the required sessions and elective courses.  Come prepared to share your experiences and discuss how the track met your expectations.  Bring suggestions for next year's librarian track.

^

This short course will provide participants with an overview of the services and agencies that are in place at Virginia Tech to support the use of technology with instructional and research activities. Virginia Tech's security group will also present and provide strategies, suggestions, and access to software that will assist participants as they take steps to ensure the safety of the information on their computers and the computer systems at Virginia Tech.

^

1. Thursday, April 3
   9am - 11am
   3310 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   

1. Tuesday, February 19
   1pm - 3pm
   3310 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   

This session is intended for people who are already familiar with the Office suite and just want an update of Office 2007. It will focus on what is new and different in Office 2007, navigating the new menu system, and more.

^

1. Thursday, February 21
   3pm - 5pm
   1100 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   

How do our students learn best? When are they the most motivated and engaged? How might we present our content to enhance student learning? This panel, comprised of both graduate and undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines, serves as an opportunity for faculty members to interact with VT students to discover details about their generational culture, their epistemological perspectives, and their educational values. The panel participants will provide anecdotal evidence regarding what educational methodologies have most (and least!) inspired, motivated, and engaged them to perform, interact, and learn.

^

1. Tuesday, February 19
   3pm - 5pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

^

A Survey of Emerging Web 2.0 Technologies: Engaging Students with Technology to Build a Community of Practice

1. Thursday, Feburary 14
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Wednesday, March 26
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   

^

Acrobat 8 (Part 2): Enhancing PDF Files with Advanced Features

1. Wednesday, February 6
   10am - 12pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
2. Tuesday, February 19
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
3. Thursday, February 28
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
4. Online Course through Element K
   

Are you a user of the PDF file format and would like to know how to extend the capabilities of these files? In this short course, advanced features of Adobe Acrobat will be explored. Topics to be covered include how to add comments (note tool, text editing tool, stamp tool, highlighting tool), and how to use advanced security features (restrict printing, prevent changes to a document, digital IDs, etc.). In addition, creating forms in pdf with Adobe Acrobat Professional (version 7) will be covered as well. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0: Scanning and Adjusting Images for the Web (for PC Users)

1. Tuesday, January 29
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
2. Wednesday, March 12
   10am - 12pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
3. Online Course through Element K

Are you looking for an image editor that produces high-quality results like Adobe Photoshop CS3 but lacks the complexity of that tool? This short course will provide participants with the skills that are needed to prepare images for the web using Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0. Participants in this session will learn how to make image adjustments (color, luminosity, contrast, etc.), create basic layers, apply filters, and adjust image resolution for optimal quality on the web. A full exploration of Elements' tool bar will also be provided during this session. No prior experience with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is required. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Please note that Elements 4.0 is the latest version on the Macintosh while PC users are currently at version 5.0.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

1. Wednesday, January 28
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
2. Online Course through Element K
   

Are you looking for an image editor that produces high-quality results like Adobe Photoshop CS3 but lacks the complexity of that tool? This short course will provide participants with the skills that are needed to prepare images for the web using Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0. Participants in this session will learn how to make image adjustments (color, luminosity, contrast, etc.), create basic layers, apply filters, and adjust image resolution for optimal quality on the web. A full exploration of Elements' tool bar will also be provided during this session. No prior experience with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is required. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Please note that Elements 4.0 is the latest version on the Macintosh while PC users are currently at version 5.0.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11. The Elements 5.0 tutorials are not available yet, but completing two hours in the Elements 3.0 tutorials will be acceptable to meet our requirements.

^

Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Part One): Photoshop Basics (Scanning, cropping, sharpening, resolution, tools)

1. Wednesday, February 20
   10am - 12pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
2. Tuesday, March 18
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
3. Online Course through Element K
   
   

This short course provides participants with a general overview of the Adobe Photoshop CS3 application. This session will include an exploration and discussion of Photoshop's workspace, toolbox, palettes, and the file browsing function. Scanning, cropping, rotating, and other image manipulation procedures will be shown. In addition, digital image transformation techniques, such as manipulating brightness and contrast, will be covered. Participants will be provided with sample images, and hands-on opportunities to explore the functionality of the aforementioned tools will be an integral attribute of this session. No prior experience with Photoshop is required.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Part Two): Selection Techniques and Layer Creation

1. Wednesday, February 27
   10am - 12pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
2. Tuesday, March 25
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
3. Online Course through Element K
   

Continuing where Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Part One) left off, this short course will begin with an overview of the selection techniques that make it possible to manipulate a specific section of a digital image. Participants will learn how to move/transform a selection, add specific touches to an image, and apply filters to achieve special effects. Emphasis will also be placed upon selection techniques and managing/creating multiple layers. Participants will be provided with sample images, and hands-on opportunities to explore the functionality of the aforementioned tools will be an integral attribute of this session.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Adobe Premiere Elements: Advanced Digital Video Production

1. Tuesday, March 11
   3:30pm - 5:30pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
2. Online Course through Element K
   
   

Do you have video that you would like to edit and present to your students? This short course will be almost entirely hands-on and will put all participants in front of a video editor (Adobe Premiere Elements). Participants will learn to use Adobe Premiere Elements to capture and edit video as well as the concepts and skills needed to successfully approach the video editing process. This session can be seen as a companion to FDI's "Video Production: Planning and Shooting Digital Video" short course.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Blackboard 7: Assignment and Test Creation

1. Wednesday, February 20
   3pm - 4:30pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Friday, March 14
   10am - 11:30am
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Are you interested in using Blackboard for more than just posting a syllabus and class assignments? Would you like to use Blackboard to gather manage student documents? Are you interested in incorporating Blackboard tests and surveys into your course activities? Are you concerned with the security and effectiveness of online testing? The Blackboard 7: Assignments and Testing workshop will cover all aspects of both the Assignment tool and the Testing and Survey interfaces in Blackboard 7. Blackboard 7 has several new test question types and new test-creation options, all of which will be covered in this session. In addition to hands-on training in the tools, discussion will focus on the pedagogical practices that will help you deliver secure and effective online assessments and surveys. Plenty of hands-on and time for questions will be allowed.

^

Blackboard 7: Communication Tools

1. Wednesday, February 13
   3pm - 4:30pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Friday, February 29
   10am - 11:30am
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Are you interested in using Blackboard for more than just posting a syllabus and class assignments? Have you ever wanted to increase student communication in your online or technologically-blended class? Have you thought about including discussion boards or online chats but were not sure how to encourage effective student participation? The Blackboard 7: Communication Tools workshop will review both the “how-to” and the “why” for using these online communication tools. The discussion board interface is completely new in Blackboard 7, with new options and grading possibilities that will be covered in this workshop. While demonstrating how to set up, monitor, and evaluate the use of these tools in class, this workshop will also spend time discussing pedagogical strategies and activities that best suit teaching with these more advanced communication tools. While some working experience with Blackboard is recommended, novice Blackboard users should also be able to get a lot out of this workshop. Plenty of hands-on and time for questions will be allowed.

^

Blackboard 7: Content Management

1. Wednesday, February 6
   3pm - 4:30pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Friday, February 22
   10am - 11:30am
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

^

Blackboard 7: Student Performance Assessment (The Gradebook and Performance Dashboard)

1. Wednesday, February 27
   3pm - 4:30pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Friday, March 21
   10am - 11:30am
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Many faculty at Virginia Tech know about Blackboard’s ability to deliver a syllabus and assignments to students, but many may not know about Blackboard’s ability to help you assess student performance effectively in your course. Would you like to learn to use the gradebook better? Would you like to be able to track student performance at a glance? Would you like to set up self-assessments or to create learning goals for students to measure their own progress? The Blackboard 7: Student Assessment workshop will cover all of these topics and more. Balancing between hands-on experience with Blackboard and discussion of pedagogical strategies, this workshop will explore effective ways to assess student performance in your course. The gradebook and the performance dashboard, a new tool in Blackboard 7, will be reviewed in detail, while the discussion will center around ways that the information contained in these two tools can help you understand how students are performing on your course activities.

^

Blackboard 7: Users’ Group

1. Wedneday, March 12
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Have you ever had a brilliant idea about using Blackboard that you wish you could share with your colleagues? Have you ever struggled with wanting to incorporate Blackboard but not being quite sure how to do so? Have you ever wanted to try some new Blackboard feature but weren’t sure it would be worth your time? Then come to the new Blackboard 7: Users’ Group sessions this fall semester. The goal of this session is to find new and better ways to use this educational tool. The topic of the sessions will be led by the attendees: what interests you? What help do you need? Come share your struggles and successes!

^

Blogs in Higher Education

1. Monday, January 28
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Thursday, February 7
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Have you explored blogs and wonder if this technology could hold value for you in the courses you teach? Might a blog be useful way to collaborate with colleagues and to help students with reflective writing on projects? A blog (short for weblog) is a web-based journal that is typically updated frequently and open for anyone to read. In addition to defining key concepts and related terminology, this short course will provide an overview of the ways in which blogs are being used in higher education and beyond, and examples, both at Virginia Tech and on the web, will be provided. An exploration of the technologies used to create blogs will be a key component of this session, and participants will leave the short course with knowledge of the resources that support blog creation and development. This short course will provide participants with everything they need to know to decide if a blog is the right tool for their specific need.

^

Creating Database-driven Web Sites (Part One)

1. Tuesday, February 5
   2pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows

This short course is the first in a series of two 3-hour short courses on creating database-driven websites. Participants will gain a bird's eye view of web applications and learn how to use Dreamweaver to generate the PHP code necessary to link a database to a web page. The first part of this two part series will include an introduction to phpMyAdmin which is the application used to create the database. This course will also explain how to setup Dreamweaver to communicate with the database and the remote site. Since forms are used extensively in database-driven websites, form objects will be reviewed in this first session. Hands-on activities are an integral part of this course. A simple project will be started in the first session and completed in the second session, so participants should sign up for both parts of the course.

^

Creating Database-driven Web Sites (Part Two)

1. Tuesday, February 12
   2pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows

This short course is the second in a series of two 3-hour short courses on creating database-driven websites. Participants will use Dreamweaver to create web pages that will add, change and find records in a database. These skills will build upon foundation lessons introduced in the first session; therefore, it is essential that participants enroll in and attend both sessions.

^

Dreamweaver 8 (Part One): Web Page Creation Made Easy

1. Monday, January 28
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
2. Wednesday, February 20
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
3. Tuesday, February 26
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
4. Thursday, March 20
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   


5. Online Course through Element K

Are you looking for an easy to use method of creating web (HTML) pages? Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 is quite intuitive, creates standard HTML code, and offers numerous tools to create and incorporate the latest technologies (Flash, DHTML, etc.) into HTML web pages. This short course will provide participants with an overview of the process of web site creation, including server information and options on campus. Introductory topics, such as inserting and modifying text, images, tables, and hyperlinks, will be taught. More advanced topics will also be covered, including interactive images, rollover effects, and Flash text. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Participants are encouraged to bring a zip, floppy disk, or jumpdrive so that they can take their creations with them once this workshop is over.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Dreamweaver 8 (Part Two): Site Management and Interface Development

1. Monday, February 4
   10am - 12pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
2. Wednesday, February 27
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
3. Thursday, March 27
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
4. Online Course through Element K
   

Are you already familiar with basic web page creation with Dreamweaver 8 and would like to learn how to extend the capabilities of your web site? This short course picks up where “Dreamweaver 8 (Part One)" left off by illustrating and providing hands-on experiences with several strategies for controlling the look and feel of larger web sites. Site management capabilities will be explored along with the following topics: frames, advanced tabling, image maps, color selection, jump menus, and more. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Participants are encouraged to bring a zip, floppy disk, or jumpdrive so that they can take their creations with them once this workshop is over.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Dreamweaver 8 (Part Three): Cascading Style Sheets, Templates, and other Advanced Topics

1. Monday, February 11
   10am - 12pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   
   
2. Wednesday, March 12
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
3. Thursday, April 3
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows
   
   
4. Online Course through Element K
   
   

Are you familiar with basic web page creation with Dreamweaver 8 and would like to learn how to further extend the capabilities of your web site? Topics central to Dreamweaver 8 (Part Three) are cascading style sheets (CSS) and creating and working with templates. By using CSS and templates, it becomes easy to give your web site a consistent overall design and layout. Further, these strategies make it easy for you to change repeated content across multiple web pages, even on exceptionally large web sites. The integration of multimedia elements will also be demonstrated, and hands-on activities will be an integral part throughout. Participants are encouraged to bring a zip, floppy disk, or jumpdrive so that they can take their creations with them once this workshop is over.

NOTE: Element K online tutorials may be substituted for instructor led sessions. You can take these tutorials at any time (starting now). It is not necessary for you to complete all of the modules of the tutorials, but it is expected that you will spend at least two hours in the tutorial. It is also requested that you complete the tutorial by Friday, April 11.

^

Engaging Learners through Google and Yahoo! Tools

1. Monday, February 18
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   

Google and Yahoo! now offer a variety of services through their web sites that reach far beyond the capabilities of a search engine, and many of these have clear applications for higher education. Discussion and hands-on exploration of these tools will be the hallmarks of this session. In addition to Google Scholar and Google Earth, participants will learn about Google Calendar, Google Book Search, Google Alerts, Google Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Groups, Google Notebook, Yahoo! Pipes, and more. Each of the tools shown will have particular niche applications for those in higher education.

^

ePortfolio:  Virginia Tech's ePortfolio System within Scholar

1. Wednesday, February 6
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Wednesday, February 27
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
3. Thursday, April 3
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Virginia Tech's ePortfolio system is a web-based, interactive tool designed to help students create, organize, reflect on, and share evidence of their educational accomplishments, both in courses and extracurricular activities. ePortfolio is also seen as a tool to assist programs and departments with self-studies, assessment, and accreditation. This short course will explore these and other applications of ePortfolio while focusing on the latest version of the software which has now been incorporated in the Scholar Learning Management System. The pros and cons of traditional applications of portfolios will be outlined as will a generalized model of the portfolio process. The changes enabled by ePortfolio will be highlighted and ePortfolio’s evolution at Virginia Tech will be discussed. The latest version of ePortfolio is quite flexible; however, faculty wishing to use it must make a number of decisions as they design how they would like the system to work. An overview of this designing process will be provided along with documentation and other resources that will aid faculty as they move toward an adoption of ePortfolio. An in depth, hands-on exploration of the latest version of this software will follow the conceptual discussion. Please Note: the earlier version of Virginia Tech’s ePortfolio software, located at http://eportfolio.vt.edu, will not be taught during this session; however, comparisons to it will be made to highlight the latest version’s newest capabilities.

^

Final Cut Pro: Advanced Digital Video for Instruction (for Mac-users)

1. Monday, March 17
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh

Do you have video that you would like to edit and present to your students? This short course will be a one-on-one session that is almost entirely hands-on and will put all participants in front of an advanced video editor (Final Cut Pro). Participants will learn to use Final Cut Pro to capture and edit video as well as the concepts and skills needed to successfully approach the video editing process. This session can be seen as a companion to FDI's "Video Production: Planning and Shooting Digital Video" short course.

^

iMovie: Editing Digital Video for Instruction (for Mac-users)

1. Monday, Feburary 25
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh

Do you have video that you would like to edit and present to your students? This short course will be almost entirely hands-on and will put all participants in front of a video editor (iMovie). iMovie is the free, video editing software that comes standard on Macintosh computers. Participants will learn to use iMovie to capture, edit, and export video as well as the concepts and skills needed to successfully approach the video editing process. This session can be seen as a companion to FDI's "Video Production: Planning and Shooting Digital Video" short course.

^

Leopard: Apple's Latest Version of the Macintosh Operating System

1. Tuesday, February 5
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   

In October 2007, Apple released the Leopard operating system for the Macintosh (aka Mac OS 10.5). This short course will provide an overview of the most important new features and detail the ways in which the operating system makes it easier to backup data (Time Machine) and be more productive. Safari, the Finder, and iChat received significant updates and new features like Quick Look and Spaces make it easier than ever to multi-task with your Mac. To learn more about the latest features of Leopard, visit Apple’s Leopard Site. This session will take place in a Macintosh classroom and hands-on activities will be integral to this session.

^

Media Repositories: Once it's Ready, Where Do You Put It?

1. Tuesday, January 29
   3pm - 5pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Monday, February 4
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Are you currently in the process of collecting digital images, recording audio, and/or editing video? Are you aware of systems like FlickR, YouTube, and iTunes U but are wondering what the pros and cons are of using those systems? This short course is designed to help you decide where to display your digital work. New systems are emerging every day and many have social components and other advantages. During this short course, participants will be guided through a number of systems, both at Virginia Tech and beyond, that are designed to be collaborative, user-centered media repositories. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be explored with the ultimate goal of increasing your awareness of such systems and assisting your selection of one given your current media project. In addition to this focus, wikis will be explored as a tool to assist with group storyboarding and script drafting. Hands-on activities will be a key component of this short course.

^

Podcasting:  Creating Podcasts for Higher Education using Audacity

1. Tuesday, March 25
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Have you heard about Podcasting and wonder if it could hold value for you in the courses you teach?  This short course will provide participants with everything they need to know to begin their own podcast.  In addition to defining key concepts and related terminology, this short course will provide an overview of the ways in which podcasting is being used in higher education and beyond.  In addition to this conceptual overview, much of this short course will be spent teaching participants how to record, edit, and save audio in preparation for podcasting using free software called Audacity (NOTE: Audacity is available for the Mac and Windows). Participants will also leave this session with knowledge concerning the podcasting support resources on campus. iTunes U will also be part of this short course as will other podcasting services available to faculty at Virginia Tech. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session.

^

Podcasting:  Creating Podcasts for Higher Education using GarageBand (for Mac Users Only)

1. Wednesday, February 13
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Macintosh
   

Have you heard about Podcasting and wonder if it could hold value for you in the courses you teach?  This short course will provide participants with everything they need to know to begin their own podcast.  In addition to defining key concepts and related terminology, this short course will provide an overview of the ways in which podcasting is being used in higher education and beyond.  In addition to this conceptual overview, much of this short course will be spent teaching participants how to record, edit, and save audio in preparation for podcasting using GarageBand (NOTE: GarageBand is only available for the Macintosh). Participants will also leave this session with knowledge concerning the podcasting support resources on campus. iTunes U will also be part of this short course as will other podcasting services available to faculty at Virginia Tech. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session.

^

Second Life (Part One): A Hands-on Overview and Introduction

1. Monday, February 25
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

"Second Life," a web-based multi-user virtual environment (MUVE), has a membership of more than 8 million members world wide. This four-year old virtual world, made by Linden Lab of San Francisco, has attracted a great deal of media attention since early 2006, when details about its economy and rapidly expanding community started to emerge. A number of educators and universities have also begun exploring educational usage of Second Life.  In this first session, participants will be introduced to Second Life.  They will be taken through the sign-up process and receive a basic tour. Participants in this session will also be shown how to move about, change their appearance, interact, and perform other key, basic tasks.  Discussions of cultural norms and explorations of important places to visit will be key activities in this workshop.  This two-part short course sequence is designed to provide faculty with everything they need to know to begin to conceptualize how Second Life may be used in higher education. Part Two will turn the focus from a general knowledge and understanding of the Second Life world to a concrete discussion of the pedagogical promise of Second Life.

^

Second Life (Part Two): Pedagogy in Virtual Worlds

1. Monday, March 17
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Building upon the functional and foundational knowledge provided in Part One, our attention in Part Two will turn toward what many perceive as the pedagogical promise of Second Life.  Many in higher education feel that MUVE's (multi-user virtual environment) like Second Life hold a great deal of potential for traditional and distance-based instructional settings.  This session will introduce participants to pedagogy in Second Life and will cover issues related to teaching in virtual environments.  Virtual campuses built by other universities and educational consortiums will be visited, and other instructional environments will be explored.  There will be opportunities for brainstorming regarding one’s own discipline within this session, and participants will leave with ideas and articles regarding how Second Life can be utilized in higher education settings.  Please Note:  It is highly recommended that participants attend Part One prior to attending this session as a functional knowledge of Second Life is assumed of participants in this session.  Further, participants should already have a Second Life account and should bring their login information with them to this session; there will be many hands-on activities throughout that require an account.

^

Social Networking and the 21st Century Student

1. Wednesday, February 6
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Thursday, Februrary 7
   3pm - 5pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

You know who they are, walking across campus, stepping lively to the beat of their iPods; sitting beneath a tree or on a bench, fingers flying across their laptops or thumbs worrying the text pads on their cell phones; excusing themselves, red-faced, as their cell phones interrupt your class. They're wireless and connected, always engaged and entertained; they're our students, the Millennials. This workshop considers our undergraduate student culture - their attitudes toward learning, technology, social networking, and the future - and the challenges of meeting our curricular standards in light of this student culture. This discussion-rich session will enable us to share our experiences with and explore the implications of teaching the technologically savvy students of the 21st century.

^

Student Response Systems ("Clickers"): Using Technology to Engage and Assess Students During Class

1. Monday, February 4
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Thursday, Feburary 21
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Are you looking for ways to engage ALL of your students, even in large classes?  Imagine if you could give a pop quiz, on the fly, to a group of 500 students and have it graded as soon as students turn in their answers.  Student Response Systems (sometimes referred to as Classroom Performance Systems or "clickers") can do both of these things and more.   The response system concept has been around for decades, but the technology has finally advanced to the point where any faculty member with a laptop or in-class computer can utilize this in his/her courses.  This short course, led by faculty and FDI staff, will provide participants with an overview of the features and pedagogical applications of student response systems.  Participants will learn how these systems promote discussion, capture students' attention, and engage every student in class, even those in the back row of large lecture halls.  In-class quizzing and other assessment features will be shown as well. FDI has been in contact with a number of vendors, including eInstruction, iClicker, Turning Point, and interWrite, and clickers made by each of these vendors will be on-hand during this session.

^

Teaching Using Technology: Faculty Panel Discussion

1. Wednesday, March 19
   3pm - 5pm
   1100 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   

This short course provides an opportunity for faculty at Virginia Tech to see how their colleagues have utilized technology to solve pedagogical problems. Our Faculty Panel will include colleagues from a diversity of disciplines who will explain and provide examples of their approaches to using technology in their courses. Their frank discussion concerning the process of developing class activities for face-to-face as well as blended and online class environments will include the following: problems encountered, time investment, pedagogical concerns, copyright issues, changes to the student-professor relationship, and support avenues available on our campus. Uses of technology in and outside of class (with both large and small enrollments) will be highlighted throughout. This panel will provide invaluable, real-life insight from those who have had success applying technology in their courses.

^

Technology as Vehicle…

1. Wednesday, February 13
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Thursday, February 14
   3pm - 5pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   

^

Video Outsourcing: Effectively Utilizing On-campus Prodcution Resources to Plan, Produce, Film, and Edit an Instructional Video

1. Tuesday, March 18
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Monday, March 24
   10am - 12pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Are you considering an instructional video project for which you suspect you will need some assistance? This short course will focus on the resources that are available on our campus to assist you. Video/Broadcast Services (VBS) helps faculty develop instructional video. Those that participate in this short course will “walk through” the initial consultation phase of VBS' process. A key component of this consultation is a discussion concerning what is required to move instruction from the classroom to the computer screen. The video shoot, both in studio and remote classroom recording, will be discussed. To help illustrate key points, good and bad filming examples will be provided. Editing and delivery options through VBS will also be covered. In addition, the New Media Center's support options will be detailed.

^

Web Design:  Building an Effective Web Site

1. Thursday, January 31
   10am - 12pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Wednesday, March 19
   3:00pm - 5:00 pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Are you looking for ways to make your web site more attractive, load more quickly, or garner more "hits"? This short course will provide a survey overview of all of the key issues that are involved with web design. Server issues, aesthetics, visual identity, site organization, navigation, frames, site testing, web accessibility, and web development for instruction are among the topics to be discussed. Numerous "real-life" examples from the web will be shown to further explicate key issues, and Macromedia Dreamweaver will be used to show how these concepts can be practically applied. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session.

^

Web Standards: Making Accessible Web Sites

1. Monday, February 18
   3pm - 5pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Thursday, February 28
   3pm - 5pm
   3080 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Is the World Wide Web a public space? And if so, does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) extend to this place? Most would answer yes to both of these questions, but how do you make a web site handicapped accessible? That is the central focus of this short course. We will begin with an introduction to web standards and section 508 compliance. From that framework, Dreamweaver's built-in accessibility features will be explored. Tools that check the accessibility of web sites will be considered and support options at Virginia Tech and beyond will be outlined. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session.

^

What’s New in Blackboard 7?

1. Wednesday, January 30
   3pm - 4:30pm
   3060 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   

^

Wikis in Higher Education

1. Monday, February 11
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh
   
   
2. Thursday, March 27
   3pm - 5pm
   1120 Torgersen Hall
   Windows/Macintosh

Have you explored wikis and wonder if these technologies could hold value for you in the courses you teach?  Might a wiki be useful way to collaborate with colleagues and students on research projects?  A wiki is similar to a blog; however, ownership of the wiki is distributed to numerous individuals who collectively add and edit web-accessible content.  In addition to defining key concepts and related terminology, this short course will provide an overview of the ways in which wikis are being used in higher education and beyond, and examples, both at Virginia Tech and on the web, will be provided.  An exploration of the technologies used to create wikis will be a key component of this session, and participants will leave the short course with knowledge of the resources on campus that support wiki creation and development.  This short course will provide participants with everything they need to know to start their own wiki.

^