Track V: Protecting Your University Data: Whether it's Research, Personal or Student Data
Spring Track General Requirements
This year, FDI is again offering alternative tracks that will meet during the spring semester. By attending the sessions that comprise a spring track, faculty can opt out of participating during the summer months and still meet the participation requirements to receive a computer.
Spring Track V Description
This track is intended to increase IT Security Awareness and awareness of policies that impact faculty through presentations, discussion, and hands-on experiences. All skill levels are welcome and encouraged to attend this informative track as participants will be exploring all aspects of IT Security and Policy. Participants will have the opportunity to dive into several hands-on exercises designed to familiarize them with various aspects of protecting their computers, personal information, and identities as well as introducing them to some of the threats currently being seen on the network. Participants will also be exploring the various Virginia Tech, State and Federal policies that apply to their daily jobs and be able to discuss unfamiliar aspects of these policies.
Spring Track V Requirements Overview
Spring Track V requires participants to attend seven selected spring short courses to receive a computer. The table to the right summarizes these requirements. The table below lists the required short courses with descriptions and dates offered. If you plan to attend a spring alternative track, you must be able to attend required sessions from those listed below. As always, it is possible to sign up for more than the required seven courses.
Required Meeting #1
Campus Resources at Virginia Tech
| This short course will provide participants with an overview of several services and agencies that are in place at Virginia Tech to support the use of technology across instructional and research activities. Other key initiatives of general interest to all faculty will be highlighted in this session as well. Participants can expect to hear about new capabilities available in the InnovationSpace, new tools such as a new survey tool, new repository software, the latest GIS software at Tech, new resources in the University Libraries and more. Virginia Tech's security group will also be present to 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. |
Required Meeting #2
The Basics for Computer Security
| A look into the policies, standards, and intricacies of securing university data at Virginia Tech. Participants will learn about all of the factors that go into securing their data on their machines. |
Required Session #3
Using TrueCrypt for Encryption
| Participants will receive a hands on tutorial for setting up and using TrueCrypt, an open source encryption application, to protect their university data. Participants are encouraged to bring a/their laptop with them so they can follow along on the machine they will regularly be using. |
Required Meeting #4
Identity Finder - Finding Sensitive Data on your Computer
| Participants will receive a hands on tutorial for setting up and using Identity Finder, a commercial sensitive data finding application, to locate sensitive data on their machine. Participants are encouraged to bring a/their laptop with them so they can follow along on the machine they will regularly be using. |
Required Meeting #5 - Choose one (or more) of the following courses
Securing Your Own Mac
| Participants will receive a hands on tutorial for setting up their Mac OS X operating system to protect themselves and their university data. Participants are encouraged to bring a/their laptop with them so they can follow along on the machine they will regularly be using. |
Securing Your Own PC
| Participants will receive a hands on tutorial for setting up their Windows operating system, to protect themselves and their university data. Participants are encouraged to bring a/their laptop with them so they can follow along on the machine they will regularly be using. |
Required Session #6
FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
| This short course will present the important aspects of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and discuss how they impact all faculty. Three main areas will be covered: |
Required Session #7 - Choose two (or more) of the following courses
Answering your Technology Security Questions
| Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about any of the previous sessions to further cement their understanding of IT Security practices on the Virginia Tech campus or to bring other questions that were not covered in the previous sessions. |
Strategies for Technology Integration in Teaching and Learning
| This short course is designed to help faculty think through the key challenges and issues associated with incorporating technology into teaching and learning settings. The session will begin by exploring the literature regarding students, learning, and technology with emphasis being placed upon translating educational psychology into actionable teaching practices. With this foundation, participants will bring forth their course settings and engage in a technology integration process designed to ensure the thoughtful selection and integration of technology into teaching. The active integration of pedagogy, technology, technology selection, and course development will be the core activities of this session. |
Seven Technology Tools to Use in Your Teaching Today
| Are you looking for quick, simple, and free tools to enhance your student's learning experience? Attend this session and learn ten tools that you can quickly and easily implement in your classes today. These tools will include: Blogs, Wikis, Google Earth (Interactive Mapping), Jing Project (give your students audio and video comments on their assignments), Creative Commons (copyright available materials for your class), Clip Nabber (video clip download tool), Slide Share (take your photos and/or PowerPoint slides), and more. |
Intro to Blogging in Teaching and Learning
| In this session you'll learn how blogging can foster active, engaged learning in your classes. You'll also create a blog, explore best practices in blogging, and learn how to customize the look, feel, and organization of your blog. |
Intermediate/Advanced Blogging in Teaching and Learning
| This session offers more detailed explorations of plugins, widgets, embedded media, syndication, and other customization options in WordPress. We'll also explore Google Analytics as a way to understand who's reading your blog. |
Google Maps, Google Earth and Mashups
| In this session, you'll learn how to put yourself on the map with your digital learners. Give your students a sense of place and engage them in the learning process through this easy-to-implement Web 2.0 technology. Learn how Google Earth can be easily implemented in your classrooms as an additional teaching tool to provide materials in a format that today's learners prefer. Also see applications of Google Earth projects in a variety of subject areas. Learn how to develop student-created Google Earth projects to enhance their learning and your teaching tools. New updates to Google Earth will be explored including the ability to create easy mashups with existing data and embedding Google Earth into Scholar or websites. |
Google Tools for Higher Education
| Google increasingly offers 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. Many universities and schools now use Google Applications for Education and Gmail as part of their everyday work. Discussion and hands-on exploration of these tools will be the hallmarks of this session. In addition to Google Scholar, Google Calender, and Google Sites, participants will learn about the power and time-saving tricks of iGoogle, Google Documents, and Reader. Each of the tools shown will have particular niche applications for those in higher education. Note: You should request or have a Google Account of your own prior to the workshop. To request a Google Account of your own, fill out and submit the online form at https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount. |
Student Response Systems (iClickers): Using Technology to Engage and Assess Students During Class
| i>clicker allows you to ""hear"" from and engage with each of the students in your course no matter how large or small the group is. This course will focus on the pedagogical use of i>clicker and an introduction to the newest member of the i>clicker family, i>clicker2 that allows for alphanumeric response. If the group is interested we will also cover web>clicker that allows students to use their laptop or any other wifi enabled device as their response device. This will be an important session for those faculty that are currently using the i>clicker system as well as for those faculty with large classes looking to add a higher degree of interaction in the classroom. |
Faculty Spotlight: Teaching with Scholar
| Presenters in this session are recruited from a diverse cross-section of academic activity and they use Scholar in a myriad of ways. What they have in common is that they are enthusiastic and recognize the promise in this technology. While each panelist will offer a short presentation highlighting their own applications of Scholar in use, group discussion and dialogue will be hallmarks of this session. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Student Engagement in Large Classrooms
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. Students in large classes are often hesitant to speak out, ask questions or let you know they do not understand. They are not always engaged learners. Discuss ways to keep students focused and engaged in a large class environment. Technology such as iClickers will be a part of the discussion. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: The University Library as Partner in the Learning Environment
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. As an instructor, what ways can the library system work with you and your students to create a seamless system for active learning? Dr. Tyler Walters, Dean of University Libraries, will join us to describe ways our library system can work with you now plus we will discuss new ideas for the future. Be sure to bring your ideas of future collaborative possibilities. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Virtual Environments - 3D Blacksburg
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. Learn and discuss the vision for a mirror world of networked cohabitation! X3D Collaborative is using Spatial Data Infrastructure to catalyze information services through online virtual environments and telecommunication networks. Learn about their goals for the new digital citizenship in the metaverse! http://www.3dBlacksburg.org |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Scale-Up Classroom
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. Today's Topic: Scale-Up Classroom - In 2010, the College of Science implemented a specially designed classroom that enabled highly collaborative, hands-on, interactive learning in what was traditionally a lecture-style class, called the Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP). Let's hear how things are going and what the future holds for SCALE-UP Classrooms at Virginia Tech. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Using Technology in the Classroom to its Full Advantage for Student Collaboration
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. 1120 Torgersen Hall is equipped with 25 wheeled individual student tables and chairs, 5 projectors, 4 screens, 5 video inputs, and multiple-zoned sound plus 1 smartboard. This gives amble opportunities for students to work in clusters, independently and together as a whole. See how faculty members are taking full advantage of the room's technology to create a learner-centered environment. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Art as a Learning Tool
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. How can art be incorporated into your content to help students better understand difficult concepts? Discussions can include art as a lens, manipulative/kinetic activities, visualizations, plus your own ideas of creativity as a learning tool. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Funding Your Ideas
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. Have you thought about applying for a grant? Come hear what others are doing here at VT and what options you have for funding your idea. Find out how Office of Sponsored Programs and the Office of the Vice-President of Research can assist with the submission process, negotiations and award setup. |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Gaming as a Learning Tool
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. Gaming has become an important tool in the K-12 curriculum. Can higher education transfer this concept to the university environment? Could gaming enhance engagement of the students with content? |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Studio Courses
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. Many courses focus on the elements and development of design. As faculty, how can we best utilize the studio format to meet the needs of our diverse student population? Can the studio style be added to more conventional courses? |
LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology Today's Topic: Free and Easy - Web 2.0 Tools
| Discover how other members of the VT community are using new ideas of teaching and learning integrated with new technology? This session is one of many brown bag lunches bringing together a variety of opinions and ideas for creating the best teaching and learning environments to meet our students learning and engagement needs. There are a variety of free and easy to use web applications for faculty and students. Which ones are most appropriate for our learning environments? What are the students using? |
Spring Track V: Protecting Your University Data: Whether it's Research, Personal or Student Data
Spring Track Requirements
Required Session #1
- Campus Resources at Virginia Tech
Required Session #2
- The Basics for Computer Security
Required Session #3
- Using TrueCrypt for Encryption
Required Session #4
- Identity Finder - Finding Sensitive Data on your Computer
Required Session #5 - Choose one (or more) of the following courses:
- Securing Your Own Mac
- Securing Your Own PC
Required Session #6
- FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Required Session #7 - Choose one (or more) of the following courses:
- Answering your Technology Security Questions
- Strategies for Technology Integration in Teaching and Learning
- Seven Technology Tools to Use in Your Teaching Today
- Intro to Blogging in Teaching and Learning
- Intermediate/Advanced Blogging in Teaching and Learning
- Google Maps, Google Earth and Mashups
- Google Tools for Higher Education
- Student Response Systems (iClickers): Using Technology to Engage and Assess Students During Class
- Faculty Spotlight: Teaching with Scholar
- LT Conversations - Lunch Time with Learning Technology (Weekly Sessions)
- Student Engagement in Large Classrooms
- The University Library as Partner in the Learning Environment
- Virtual Environments - 3D Blacksburg
- Scale-Up Classroom
- Using Technology in the Classroom to its Full Advantage for Student Collaboration
- Art as a Learning Tool
- Funding Your Ideas
- Gaming as a Learning Tool
- Studio Courses
- Free and Easy - Web 2.0 Tools