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[News from Innovative Technology Consulting]
April 2011
Major Online@UT/Blackboard Upgrade:
Are You Prepared for These Changes?
Mark your calendars for May 18, 2011. That's when we will be upgrading Online@UT to Blackboard Learn Release 9. It's a substantial change, and you'll find a myriad of new and enhanced features.
New Drag and Drop Content Feature:
This new release has improved course workflow options, minimizing the time faculty need to spend on course building and delivery tasks. Course files (think of it as a virtual thumb drive) eliminate redundancy and simplify the management of course content. You'll be able to simply drag and drop multiple files from your PC to your course files area.
Rich Media Integration:
Release 9 facilitates easy integration of rich media learning content from YouTube, SlideShare, and Flickr. NBC News Archives on-demand is now integrated with course delivery modules. Release 9 continues to fully integrate Google Scholar.
Grade Center Enhancements:
Grading will be more flexible with the addition of more efficient smart views and work flow personalization options in the Grade Center. If you have your students complete group projects, Release 9 offers enhanced group creation and grading features. The assignment tool replaces the drop box in Release 9, and affords additional assessment and grading options. We are hopeful that this release will also include custom grading rubrics for assignments and course learning activities.
Attend a One Hour Preview Session:
The list of new and enhanced features is long. We are anxious to share the new capabilities of Blackboard Learn Release 9. We have scheduled one-hour preview sessions beginning on 3/21 and running through 4/21. See the schedule of days/times/locations at http://online.utk.edu/
support/bbv9.shtml<http://online.utk.edu/support/bbv9.shtml> Take an hour from your schedule and learn about the new [log in to unmask]
You'll also have the opportunity to view the session online, along with several tutorials. To do so, visit the Blackboard Upgrade Center at http://online.utk.edu/support/bbv9.shtml
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TennTLC and OIT's Instructional Development and Training Collaborate on Large Class Lecturing
Faculty and GTA attendees from various disciplines experienced large lecture engagement from both the student and instructor perspectives at the "Lecturing for the Large Class: Collegial Inquiry" workshop. The workshop was sponsored on March 7 by the Tennessee Teaching and Learning Center in collaboration with OIT's Instructional Design Team. Participants were able to learn [Example site] and share traditional and technology-enhanced methods for engaging students and helping them to retain information, as well as to gain value from the course. Insights shared included tackling the room/equipment barriers, peer instruction, in-class discussion, reflective practice, personal response devices, etc. Facilitators included, James Diamond - Theater, Andrew Kramer - Anthropology, Stan Guffey - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Christina Goode - Clicker Technology.
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Mark Your Calendar: IT CoP Brown Bag in April[Example site]
This month will be our last luncheon for the semester. Bring your lunch and join colleagues in conversation about trends and issues in instructional technology on Wednesday, April 27, from 12:15-1:15 in Hoskins 191. The March Community of Practice luncheon featured discussions on the release and workshops for Bb 9 and on developing a needs assessment survey.
For more information, or to be added to the IT CoP mailing list, contact Christina Goode at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> or 974-6470.
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Have You Always Wanted to Learn More
About Clickers?
Attend the Area-Wide Clicker Presentation and Workshop [Example site]
On Monday, May 9, 2011, OIT, along with Turning Technologies, will sponsor a clicker technology presentation featuring Dr. Melinda J. Micheletto - Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration & Accounting at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont. Dr. Micheletto is a Turning Technologies Distinguished Educator who has successfully used innovative pedagogical tools, including clickers, in teaching business and marketing.
The presentation and lunch will be held in the Carolyn P. Brown University Center Ballroom, from 11:30am-12:30pm, followed by a Clicker Roundtable discussion for UTK faculty only. Turning Technologies will provide a clicker technology workshop from 1:30-3:30pm in Room 223. A workshop on using clickers for Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation will be provided for Agriculture Extension from 9-11am, in the Johnson Animal Research and Teaching Unit, Room A-109. Contact Joseph Donaldson at 974-7245 to attend. Seating is limited for all events. For more information, contact Christina Goode at 974-6470 or [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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More Technology Training Workshops for You
and Your Students
[workshops for students, instructors, and researchers]
Offerings in April include:
Student-Focused
* Creative Design: Photoshop, Flash
* Web Site Design: Web Page Design with HTML, Dreamweaver, JavaScript
Instructor-Focused
* Turning Point Clicker Technology
* PowerPoint - Developing Narrated Presentations
* LiveOnline@UT: Recording Studio, Surveys and Evaluations
SharePoint:
* Introductory SharePoint for Faculty and Staff
* SharePoint for Team Site Administration
Registration is required for all workshops. To view descriptions and register for sessions, visit the OIT Training page<http://oit.utk.edu/training.php>. If you have questions or need help with registration for any of the workshops listed above, contact the HelpDesk at help.utk.edu<http://help.utk.edu> or 974-9900.
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Check Out IT Weekly!
If you’d like to receive weekly updates on timely information about IT and reminders of upcoming workshops, you can subscribe to IT Weekly, which is emailed on Fridays. To subscribe, go to the IT Weekly listserv page<http://listserv.utk.edu/archives/itweekly.html> and click on "Join or leave the list (or change settings)".
[IT Weekly Logo]
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Learn more about all of our services and events at our Website, http://itc.utk.edu.
[Blackboard scheduled uptime]
March 2011
Scheduled: 100%
Total: 100%
Learn more<http://online.utk.edu/bbstats.shtml>
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[Dr. Barb Murphy][Dr. Brendan McConville] Faculty
Spotlight
Dr. Brendan McConville
& Dr. Barbara Murphy</spotlight/default.shtml>
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Instructional Technology
April Workshops
Register for a Workshop<https://itc.utk.edu/workshops/>
Hands-On with Camtasia
Learn how to create instructional screencasts on Windows PC.
• Wed, 4/4, 1-3:30pm
Advanced Uses
of Clicker Technology
Strategies for deeper learning, classroom engagement, data gathering, and more.
• Wed, 4/6, 9:30am-12:30pm
Introduction to LiveOnline@UT
Learn how to manage your virtual classroom through live audio, text chat, real-time polling, and content sharing.
• Thu, 4/7, 2-4pm
Give PowerPoint a Voice:
Narrated Presentations
Add value to PowerPoint as an effective teaching and learning tool by adding audio to your slide presentations.
• Mon, 4/11, 10:30am-noon
Turning Point Clicker Technology
Clicker Technology, or audience response systems, are used by educational institutions nationwide to enhance student engagement, gather data, and provide instant feedback and assessment.
• Wed, 4/13, 1-4pm
LiveOnline@UT Surveys and Evaluations
Take quick in-class surveys of your students and share the results; then build engaging evaluations and reuse them in other classes.
• Thu, 4/21, 9-11am
Discover the LiveOnline@UT Recording Studio
Learn how to use this off-line recording application developed by Saba Centra.
• Wed, 4/27, 9-11am
[University of Tennessee]
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