Instructional Technology News

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1 Instructional Technology News Spring 2011 Volume 8, Issue 2 ISTC Welcome By Dr. Liyan Song, Master s Program Director Greetings from the ISTC graduate program directors! Hope everyone is having a great semester! There are many exciting events going on this semester and many opportunities for graduate students. We had a good number of students who graduated in the fall including one doctoral student. There will be many who will graduate this spring. Congratulations to our graduates! Here are some highlights from this issue of the newsletter: A professor from Harvard came to Towson and gave lectures on topics related to brain network and UDL A new SLM cohort has started its coursework this semester Towson went to the SITE Conference in Nashville. Exciting news about our graduate students: new appointments, guest speakers, finalist for teacher of the teacher of the year, and more. Opportunities for graduate students: travel award for conference presentations and graduate assistantship opportunities. Please keep us informed of your exciting news and accomplishments. If you have any questions or comments about the programs, please feel free to let us know. The program directors doors are always open for you! Bill Sadera, Doctoral Program Director bsadera@towson.edu Liyan Song, Master s Program Director Instructional Design & Educational Technology Tracks lsong@towson.edu David Robinson, Master s Program Director Library Media Track derobins@towson.edu Talking Neuroscience at Towson In early March the College of Education hosted Dr. Todd Rose from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). On the evening of the 3rd Dr. Rose conducted a presentation on UDL and Cognitive Neuroscience to an audience of almost 200; including teachers, parents, higher-ed faculty, and administrators. Dr. Todd Rose engaged attendees with an interactive presentation focusing on working memory and recognition networks. The following day he led a series of workshops with varied focus and began with a presentation and discussion entitled, Deeper Dives: The promises and pitfalls of applying neuroscience to education. Attendees for the workshops included tenure-track faculty and clinical school-based supervisors. The workshops challenged participants to improve their own classes and lectures by modeling the UDL principles, and to help future teachers understand the benefits of this and make it part of what they see as good instruction. Dr. Rose s lecture spoke to me on many levels [ ]. I also really loved how he stressed that UDL should not be seen as the next great thing, but to focus on its relevancy to mind brain education and as a living breathing framework for high performance learning. -Attendee Spring Issue Contents Important University Dates.. SLM News... Announcements & Graduates.... Doctoral Graduates.... SITE Conference... Assistantships Abound Part II Education Innovation Lab.. Scholarship Upcoming Conferences. Summer & Fall Course Offerings.... Faculty & Staff Directory... pg. 2 pg. 3-4 pg. 5 pg. 6 pg. 6-7 pg. 8 pg. 9 pg pg. 13 pg. 14 pg. 15 1

2 Important University Dates April 6 Registration for Fall classes begins April 6 Last day to purchase cap and gown for May ceremony Last day to withdraw from full term April 11 courses with a grade of W and to change to pass/fail or audit grading options May 17 Last day of classes May 18 Final examinations begin May 24 Last day of examinations and end of term May Graduation Commencement Ceremonies May 31 Summer Sessions I, II, and IV begin July 1 Summer Session I ends July 4 Independence Day No classes! Academic Resources Dr. Scot McNary: A Quantitative Resource Want to talk quantitative methods? Faculty, if you re planning a research project, have data in hand, or are just thinking about a project, Dr. McNary would be delighted to talk with you. If it s research design, statistical analysis, data management, or a combination; it s all fair game. And for students who are leaning toward quantitative methodologies for their dissertation research, Dr. McNary is available to help with consultation or committee membership opportunities. Whatever your research area, feel free to contact him; he is always available to talk! Dr. Scot McNary can be reached through smcnary@towson.edu or phone: July 5 Summer Session III begins July 20 Summer Session II ends August 5 Summer Sessions III and IV end August 31 Fall semester classes begin September 5 Labor Day No classes! Master s and Doctoral Program Prerequisites Now Enforced! Prerequisites for the ISTC Masters & Doctoral programs are now automatically enforced by the Graduate School. Any course with prerequisites listed in the Graduate Catalog cannot be taken without successful completion of the prerequisite courses! All level one courses in the Instructional Technology or Educational Technology tracks were offered this Spring to help you meet any remaining prerequisite requirements. Writing & Statistics Lab The Help Center is available for graduate students seeking assistance in formal writing and in research design and statistics. All tutors have high qualifications and past experience and are eager to help graduate students. They are available in the afternoons, evenings, and even weekends for statistics, making it easier for students to meet with them. Students seeking assistance should visit the webpage ( writinglab.asp) for tutors working hours of availability and addresses. The Center is located in Linthicum Hall 308, under the supervision of Dr. Deborah Shaller, Director of the Writing Lab. Instructional Technology Community on Blackboard Please make sure to visit the ISTC Community on Blackboard ( for up-to-date news about Instructional Technology, employment opportunities, scholarships, conferences, and electronic copies of program forms. 2

3 School Library Media News Practicum Updates Candidates who intend on completing a practicum experience in the fall 2011 or spring 2012 semesters should contact David Robinson (derobins@towson.edu) to begin the application process. The following candidates have completed or are completing practicum experiences in the spring 2011 semester. Planning Ahead - Winter Mini Session Practicum Course School Library Media Candidates who are near completion of their course work (having earned 24 or more credits) may be eligible to participate in a 3 credit winter mini session course. The primary focus of this largely online course will be on completion of the digital portfolio. This is an ideal course for candidates who are completing fall 2011 practicum placements or for candidates who will be completing placements in the spring 2012 semester. Interested candidates should, contact David Robinson at derobins@towson.edu Current Practicum Candidates Dr. Cheeks, David Robinson, and Mary Hackman are supervising the following Spring 2011, practicum experiences throughout the state of Maryland: Name School Elizabeth Anderson Patt Angel LeNore Burkhardt Jack Cleveland Janet Corbin Kristen Davis Katherine Douglass Mary Gardner Renee LeMire Kathleen Manley Andrea Marine Debra McCormack Susan Miller Susan Shimek Jennifer Sills Pamela South Stephanie Sproul Bradford Stratton Kelly Ulrich Elizabeth Wallace Betsy Whetstone Jessup Elementary Wicomico High Easton High & Easton Elementary Snow Hill High Pocomoke Elementary Princess Anne Elementary & Carter G. Woodson Elementary Hurlock Elementary & N. Dorchester Middle School Kent Island Elementary Sandy Hill Elementary & S. Dorchester High School Easton Middle School West Salisbury Willards Elementary Bayside Elementary School Choptank Elementary Snow Hill High Somerset Intermediate & Carter G. Woodson Elementary Greenwood Elementary & Carter G. Woodson Elementary Oaklands Elementary School White Marsh Elementary St. Francis de Sales & Bennett High School Brooklyn Park Middle 3

4 School Library Media News continued: Referral for a Rewarding Career If you know someone who would enjoy the rewards and challenges of being a School Library Media Specialist, encourage them to contact David Robinson ( or derobins@towson.edu). New School Library Media Cohorts Welcome to all students in the new Baltimore County Public Schools cohort (#13), who are completing their first school library media course with Dr. Fran Luther. School Library Media Digital Portfolio The portfolio is introduced to candidates in ISTC 653, the Organization of Knowledge. Web design skills necessary in completing the portfolio are introduced in ISTC 541, Foundations of Instructional Technology. To provide guidance to students in completing the portfolio, an online component of the Practicum Experience, ISTC 789, is dedicated to largely completing the school library media digital portfolio. Components of this online experience include: 1. Online discussion of each AASL standard and the relationship of each standard to the school library media program and experiences as school library media specialists, teachers or other school based positions. 2. Following the discussion of each standard, candidates write (or refine a statement already begun) a reflection statement based on that standard. The instructor will then provide feedback on the reflection. 3. This process will occur over the course of a designated practicum. The most important planning consideration for portfolio is to archive electronic copies of your key assessments from the school library media program. Candidates should also consider keeping copies of any outstanding artifacts (lesson plans, instructional materials etc.) used in the course of daily teaching experiences that related to the AASL standards. If you have any questions regarding the portfolio, please David Robinson at: derobins@towson.edu. The portfolio assessment documents and related materials can be found at: pages.towson.edu/derobins/ncatespa/portfolio%20page.htm. New AASL Standards for the Initial Preparation of School Library Media Specialists The Towson University School Library Media Program will be transitioning to the new AASL Standards for the Initial Preparation of School Library Media Specialists by the fall The AASL Standards for the Initial Preparation of School Librarians are intended for their use as school library media graduate students while the Standards for the 21 st Century Learners are standards for prek-12 students. Both have largely replaced the standards previously outlined in Information Power. Students who will be completing their digital portfolios in the summer 2011 and fall 2011 semesters will be utilizing the AASL 2003 standards for the Initial Preparation of School Librarians. 4

5 Announcements Ashby, Jean: New Appointment Jean Ashby has been hired as the Assistant Dean of Math at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). She began working in this role in January Hauser, Nicole Nicole Hauser was chosen as a guest speaker for Towson s Mathematics Education Club. She spoke to members about the role of technology in math instruction and implementing mathematics concepts through daily routines. Congratulations! McGinn, Amy: New Addition The McGinn family welcomed a new addition, daughter Sarah Anne on November 18th. Moots, Tracie: Nomination Tracie Moots has been selected as one of the top ten finalists for the Harford County Teacher of the Year Award. Tracie was one of over 3,200 nominees, nominated by her principal and assistant principal for her hard work and dedication in helping Harford County fulfill its educational mission. Master s Program Graduates: Educational Technology Lauren Crosse Traci Evans Nicole Hauser Erin Thate Laura Peet Doctoral Program Graduate: School Library Media Amanda Cochran Shannan Liberto Barbara Cosgrove Lauren Magnuson Dawn Currie-Scott Nicole Marcellino Katherine F Dutton Tammy Mullinix Jefferson M Flynn Kimberly Schmitt Laura F Getty Colleen Voso Adams Carrie F Hill Linda F Zvitkovitz Stephanie Knox Frazier, L. (2010). Distance education in teacher education: A baseline for instructional decision making (Doctoral dissertation, Towson University, 2010). Congratulations Dr. Frazier! Distance education is growing at a rapid rate in higher education. Research on the use of distance education in teacher education, specifically, is scattered in nature. The field lacks a comprehensive description of current practice. The purpose of this study was to research and analyze the current status of distance education in teacher education programs in the United States. This national study analyzed results from 102 teacher education programs on their types of distance education uses, frequencies of and rationales for use, and markers of successful use. These data show limited use of distance education in teacher education, especially in the use of Web 2.0 technologies. Implications of this study support the need for further research and more strategic planning in teacher education regarding the use of distance education. 5

6 Towson Goes to Nashville: Reflections on SITE 2011 Eight doctoral students and five faculty members gave a total of 11 presentations at the SITE 2011 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. TU Dinner: A true Nashville experience! Towson University hosted a dinner at Puckett s Restaurant and Grocery in downtown Nashville. 20 Towson friends and family attended the dinner and enjoyed great food, conversation, and live music. Left to right: Frazier family, Liz Berquist, Lisa Katz, Sarah Lohnes, Amy Sadera, Song family, Cora Roush, Bill Sadera, Amy Martin, Jeff Kenton, Victoria Russell, and Lisa Twiss. Towson, MSDE, and CAST Panel Presentation Student Reflections: Liz Berquist, Bill Sadera, Liyan Song and Linda Macaulay conducted a panel presentation along with colleagues Lisa Katz from the Maryland State Department of Education and Yvonne Domings from CAST. The presentation focused on integrating theories of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework across all instructional levels. Each group presented work they were doing to help integrate these ideas to their population of learners, including: inservice and preservice teachers and the K-12 classroom. The presentation was well received and will serve as a jumping off point for opportunities between these organizations in the future. Attending and presenting at the SITE conference in Nashville, TN this year was a great experience. I was able to meet people from all over the world who shared my interest in instructional technologies and become aware of many other research projects that are taking place. My conversations with other conference participants not only gave me many new and creative ideas to use in my classrooms and share with my colleagues, but it shocked me at times: What do you think about the question, Can we teach 21 st century skills without using 21 st century tools? This was asked by my new colleague from Georgia prior to sharing a story about taking a group of students to the library. She explained that when the librarian sat down to read a book to the group of children and started scrolling her finger across the page as she read, a four-year-student raised her hand and asked, Is your book broken? A bit confused at first, the librarian allowed the student to explain that the page is supposed to move across the screen when you rub your finger across it. This student had been reading books and having books read to her with an IPAD and actually didn t realize that you read this type of book from top to bottom and left to right. Wow! By the way, check out this helpful wiki on Web 2.0 tools if you re interested: 6

7 Towson Goes to Nashville: Reflections on SITE 2011 Another researcher in this presentation pointed out that the engineers of 2020 are going to have to be creative leaders and lifelong learners with advanced communication, analytical, and business and management skills. With this in mind, the researcher created the Global Challenge, a game-based, problemsolving approach to education in which students in the United States pair up with students in foreign countries to solve global warming. I was amazed to see how much this program has grown, currently in its 5 th year of a 7-year study. It has reached students from all over the world, increased their interest in STEM areas, and has given them the skills to be an engineer in If interested, you can learn more about this project at Cora Roush and Dr. Song presenting I had the wonderful privilege of presenting with Dr. Song again at SITE this year. We shared and discussed our findings on a study of students and teachers perspectives of the impact of Clickers completed in my school district last year. It felt great to see the interest raised in the audience about a topic for which I care so much. After our presentation, I was approached by another student in the doctoral program at the University of Nebraska who, like me, is a Spanish teacher. Our presentation really interested her and she introduced me to another approach to Clickers use about which she had heard. We exchanged contact information and will now be able to continue to share our ideas beyond the conference. Some great advice that I heard at the SITE conference was, Begin where people are comfortable and make as little change as possible to incorporate and encourage them to apply a new concept (Gerald Knezek, University of North Texas). My goal this year is to share with my colleagues the many new things I ve learned by attending the conference and to encourage them to make sure the technology-enabled youth in their classrooms don t think their books are broken. Cora Roush This was my second time attending the SITE Conference and I really enjoyed the experience. Working with Dr. Song, and my wife in Shanghai, we prepared a brief paper titled Using Ning to Design Meaningful Language Learning Environments: A Case Study with Chinese students in a College English Class. Aside from presenting, attending a conference in our field always provides us great opportunities to know what others are doing in the field and allows us to connect with other professionals. For instance, since I have been very interested in Second Life and MUVE (Multi-user Virtual Environment), I was particularly interested in the sessions about MUVE and Second Life. Fortunately, I met three professors who had been conducting research in Second Life, and they were willing to participate in my Second Life Study. I also met a Chinese professor who works in the Educational Technology Department in the top university in China, Peking University. I had a very long and nice academic conversation with her and she invited me to be a guest speaker in her graduate class and her department when I go back in China over the holidays. That is really exciting for me since it is a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas with my peers and connect with other professionals in China. Overall, attending the SITE Conference 2011 was a great experience for me and I am really looking forward to continuing my research and attending the 2012 SITE Conference in Texas. Frank Feng 7

8 Assistantships Abound Part II: A look at some of the assistantships available in the ISTC Department (continued from the Fall 2010 Newsletter). If you are interested in an assistantship opportunity, please contact Dr. Song, Dr. Sadera, or Dr. Wizer. You can also look for opportunities throughout the University at Doug Elmendorf: Research Assistant Doug Elmendorf is a research assistant working with Dr. Liyan Song, Dr. Olga Kritskaya, and Dr. Sarah Lohnes. This is his second year working on this research team. They are currently researching information regarding 1) the characteristics of Towson millennium undergraduates' technology culture? and 2) measuring how Towson University undergraduate students compare to their peers in other institutions in terms of their familiarity with and perceptions of technology? Doug has specifically been very involved in developing a comprehensive literature review on these topics. Beyond the tremendous benefits he is enjoying from this position, he is confident that his involvement with this project will help to make a meaningful contribution to the field. Jillian Neville: Graduate Assistant Jillian is a student in the MAT Elementary/Middle Special Education program and currently works as a graduate assistant for the Educational Technology and Literacy Department. She works in Faculty Professional Development to support faculty in the College of Education with new and emerging technologies, such as the Promethean Board, SmartBoard, Jing, and Wikispaces. Jillian is stationed in the Education Innovation lab (HH 110), where Towson offers open lab hours. During this time, the lab is available for faculty to receive technology assistance, training, or support, or to work independently with the interactive white boards. In addition to delivering training and one-on-one coaching, Jillian works to maintain online media for faculty professional development. Kristin Peters: Graduate Assistant Kristin works with both Suzanne Obenshain and Dr. Lohnes Watulak, helping to grade, plan, and execute tasks associated with ISTC 201 courses. During the fall semester, she gave feedback on papers, blogs, and other written assignments for approximately 175 underclassmen. During the spring semester, along with the subsequent Blackboard upgrade, Kristin has seen her duties shift slightly to encompass troubleshooting Blackboard quirks, assisting in the management of graduate level courses, and applying what she has learned in the Graduate Instructional Design program directly to the courses she assists with. Kristin started teaching ISTC 201 courses in Fall 2010, and continues to do so this semester. She has also assisted in the re-design of ISTC 301and enjoys being part of the conversation on how to best serve adults in an EDTL environment. Allison Funk: Graduate Assistant Allison works as the graduate assistant for the Instructional Technology Doctoral Program. Allison s primary responsibilities include corresponding with faculty and current doctoral students, updating the Instructional Technology Blackboard community, and helping to publish the Instructional Technology Newsletter each semester. She handles program inquiries by providing information to interested applicants and assisting them with the application process. Allison also keeps students files up to date in order to monitor current doctoral students progression towards graduation. 8

9 Education Innovation Lab: Valuable Insight from Amy Martin The Education Innovation Lab, lead by Amy Martin, has a welcoming atmosphere designed to encourage faculty to have a cup of tea, relax, and get comfortable with the technology they are using in their instruction. Faculty of all skill levels and with varying instructional needs are encouraged to stop by the lab to ask questions or make an appointment to receive more formal instruction. Members of the support team can help develop interactive lesson plans and provide assistance with software applications, web tools (such as Blackboard and Wikispaces), and devices such as Promethean Boards and SMARTBoards. The lab also provides workshops and training sessions and can provide department meeting demos for tips on working with new technology. The lab caters to faculty on a course or an individual level and follows a collaborative coaching model. Faculty members are afforded one on one instruction and/or The Education Innovation Lab: A place gradual release. The use of a gradual release model to build confidence and competency helps to minimize intimidation of the unknown faculty with integrating technology into online receive instruction and help developing content until you or face-to-face instruction. feel comfortable with the chosen technology. Further, a - Amy Martin member of the support team can even be present in the classroom the first time you deliver instruction through your new mode of technology. Interestingly, members of the support team strive to find creative ways to answer questions, whether it be creating a how-to video clip or serving as a guest instructor in a classroom environment. This creativity allows faculty to see a model and new ways to use technology, something that cannot always be gleaned from a basic response. The Education Innovation Lab helps faculty to become more comfortable and confident with their use of technology. Moreover, the use advanced use of technology in preservice and inservice teacher education will likely have an impact on the use of technology in their current or future instructional setting. Students across campus will have the opportunity to see professors being brave through their modeling of new technologies. Through This collaborative workspace this mutual learning process of faculty learning how to use technolcreates a community of ogy and students learning through technology, collaboration and support where faculty can support between students and faculty may be enhanced. concurrently learn from members of the support team and share ideas with other faculty members. Here in the lab we celebrate the fact that faculty members are taking steps towards integrating technology into their instruction. - Amy Martin 9

10 Recent Scholarship Ashby, J. & Sadera, W. (2011). Effects of learning environment on student success in developmental math. Paper presented at the National Association for Developmental Education Conference (NADE), Washington, D.C. Ashby, J. & Sadera, W (2010). The impact of learning environment on student success in developmental math. Paper presented at the 16 th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning - The Power of Online Learning: Stimulating New Possibilities, Orlando, FL. Berquist, E. (2011). Collaborative professional development and interactive whiteboards. Poster to be presented at Council for Exceptional Children Conference, Washington, DC, Berquist, E. (2011). Universal design for learning and teacher education. Paper presented at Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Berquist, E., & Holmes, C. (2011). Campus Collaboration. Paper presented at the TASH Conference, Denver, CO. Berquist, E., Sadera, W., Song, L., Domings, Y., Katz, L., & Macaulay, L. (2011). Using universal design for learning (UDL) and technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) to design preservice teacher technology Integration and inservice teacher professional development. Panel discussion at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Blummer, B., Kenton, J. & Song, L. (in press). The design and assessment of a proposed library training unit for education graduate students. Internet Reference Services Quarterly. Chase Martin, A. & Sadera, W. (2011). Using Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) as a framework for video case analysis and teacher technology preparation. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Elmendorf, D. & Song, L. (2011). Developing a classroom observation tool on pedagogy and technology integration: A Delphi study. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Feng, J., & Song, L. (2011). Using Ning to design meaningful language learning environments: A case study with Chinese students in a college English class. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Feng, J. & Wang, W. (2010). Computer-based college English model: An instructional technological perspective. E-education Research, 59(11). 10

11 Recent Scholarship continued: Frazier, L. & Sadera, W. (2011). Distance education in teacher education: A national study. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Frazier, L. & Sadera, W. (2011). Distance education in teacher education: A national study. Paper to be presented at the Maryland Society for Educational Technology Conference (MSET), Baltimore, MD. Hallock, S. & Twiss, L. (2011). Re-writing history: Using a thematic approach in the writing and delivery of a constructivist world history textbook. Paper to be presented at the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Hickey, M. & Thomas, R. (2010). The real work of school teams. Principal Matters, 80(2), Kenton, J. (in press). The graduate capstone course: Evidence-based practice for students and programs in educational technology. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education. Kenton, J. & Blummer, B. (2010). Promoting digital literacy skills: Examples from the literature and implications for academic librarians, Community & Junior College Libraries, 16(2), Laster, B., Blummer, B. & Kenton, J.M. (2010). Psychosemiotics and libraries: Identifying signways in library informational guides, games, and tutorials. Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, 4 (3), Lohnes Watulak, S. (2011). Preparing digital citizens for a participatory culture: Critical digital literacies in pre-service education. Poster presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Lohnes Watulak, S. (in press). "I'm not a computer person:" Negotiating participation in academic discourses. British Journal of Educational Technology. doi: /j x Lohnes Watulak, S., & Kinzer, C.K. (2011). Beyond technology skills: Toward a framework for critical digital literacies in pre-service technology education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA. Lohnes Watulak, S., Laster, B.P, Liu, X., & LERN. (in press). Technology stalled: Exploring the new digital divide in one urban school. Journal of Language and Literacy Education. McNary, S., & Song, L. (2011). Using social network analysis and network graphs to analyze students online communication patterns. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. 11

12 Recent Scholarship continued: Roush, C., & Song, L. (2011). The impact of using clickers technology on classroom instruction: Students and teachers perspectives. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education Conference (SITE), Nashville, TN. Song, L. & Kenton, J. (2010). Action research in schools: The practitioners' perspectives. Ontario Action Researcher, 10(3), (online). Song, L., & McNary, S. W. (in Press). Understanding students online interaction: Analysis of discussion board postings. Journal of Interactive Online Learning. Thomas, R. (2010). Data processing: Because we never taught them. Principal Leadership, 11(3), Thomas, R. (2010). Testing and assessment 101. In Williamson, S. (ed.), Annual editions: Assessment an evaluation. New York: McGraw-Hill. Thomas, R. (2011). Book review of Total leaders 2.0: Leading in the age of empowerment. School Administrator, 68(1), 48. Thomas, R. S. (In press). Why school teams don't analyze data and what leaders can do about it. School Administrator. Wizer, D., & Macaulay, L. S. (2011). Elementary principals as technology leaders. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association (EERA), Sarasota, FL. Wimba Pronto: The New Instant Messenger for Blackboard Have you ever wanted to talk with your classmates while navigating Blackboard? Or needed to ask your professor a question while completing an assignment? With Wimba Pronto you can do just that! Pronto is an instant messaging system designed to facilitate educational collaboration that allows you to communicate with classmates, professors, and others in your Blackboard community. Pronto is especially useful for those enrolled in an online course to help you stay connected with your classmates in a virtual environment. Use your Towson to create a username and Pronto will automatically connect you to other users (your classmates and professors) in the community. Pronto allows you to create a profile, instant message, group chat, and even audio or video chat all for free! Download Pronto at or look for the Wimba Pronto information box at the bottom left of your Towson MyLearnOnline screen. 12

13 Upcoming Instructional Technology Conferences This is a list of the upcoming conferences of which we are aware. We apologize if a conference that you are looking for is not listed. If you know of other conferences that are not included, please feel free to post them on Blackboard. American Education Research Association (AERA) 2011 When: April 8 12, 2011 Where: New Orleans, Louisiana Proposal Deadline: past Site: Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) 2011 When: November 8 12, 2011 Where: Jacksonville, Florida Proposal Deadline: past Site: Education and Information Systems, Technologies, and Applications (EISTA) Conference 2011 When: July 19 22, 2011 Where: Orlando, Florida Proposal Deadline: past Site: AboutConfer.asp?vc=5 International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Conference 2011 When: August 7 11, 2011 Where: Kingston, Jamaica Proposal Deadline: past Site: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference 2011 When: June 26 29, 2011 Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Proposal Deadline: past Site: MSET Annual Conference 2011 When: April 11 13, 2011 Where: Baltimore, Maryland Proposal Deadline: past Site: conferences World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare and Higher Education (E-Learn) 2011 When: October 17 21, 2011 Where: Honolulu, Hawaii Proposal Deadline: past Site: World Conference on Educational Media, Hypermedia, and Telecommunications (ED-MEDIA) 2011 When: June 27 July 1, 2011 Where: Lisbon, Portugal Proposal Deadline : past Site: Opportunity to Present If you are interesting in presenting at a conference, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) allots a portion of the GSA budget to be used specifically for funding student research and professional development. This includes but is not limited to presentations of a paper or project, research and original work, and attendance at a conference. The grant award for presenting is often in the amount of $500, and smaller amounts may be awarded for attending a conference, research, and original work. The ISTC department may also have resources available to support your work. Please contact your program director for more information. If you are interested in taking advantage of the GSA opportunity, please visit gsa/awards.asp for more information about the GSA Award and application process. 13

14 Upcoming Course Offerings Please note that the course schedule is subject to change and students should refer to the online schedule of classes for the most current information. Summer 2011 Class Schedule Class Title Day Time Room Instructor ISTC Instructional Video M/W 4:20-8:00 HH 209 Porter ISTC Instructional Development Online Online Lohnes Watulak ISTC Educational Leadership and Technology Online Online TBA ISTC Advanced Theory and Instructional Design Online Online Song EDUC Research and Information Technology Online Online Kritskaya EDUC Research and Information Technology T/Th 4:20-6: McGuire EDUC Adult Learning Theories (Special Topics in Education) Online Online Kritskaya Fall 2011 Class Schedule Class Title Day Time Room Instructor ISTC Foundations in Instructional Technology T 4:20-6:50 HH 209 Wood ISTC Web-Based Instruction in Education W 4:20-6:50 HH 209 Lohnes Watulak ISTC Collection Development Th 4:20-6:50 HH 207 Luther ISTC Information Literacy and Access T 4:20-6:50 HH 207 Cheeks ISTC Applied Psychology of Learning Th 4:20-6:50 HH 209 TBA ISTC Distance Education in Theory and Practice Th 7:00-9:40 HH 207 Song ISTC ISTC Theory and Practice for Integrating Digital Resources into Learning and Teaching Research Foundations of Instructional Technology W 4:20-6:50 HH 207 Sadera Th 4:20-6:50 HH 206 Lohnes Watulak ISTC Instructional Technology Capstone T 7:00-9:00 HH 219 Sadera EDUC Research and Information Technology T 4:20-6:50 HH 219 McNary EDUC Research and Information Technology Online Online Kritskaya EDUC Research and Information Technology W 4:20-6:50 HH 219 Shargel EDUC Research in Education Th 4:20-6:50 HH 219 McNary EDUC Qualitative Methods in Education W 4:20-6:50 HH 206 Kritskaya 14

15 Instructional Technology Graduate Faculty & Staff MAIN OFFICE MAIN OFFICE FAX HH 216 DR. DAVID WIZER, Chairperson HH 216A MS. DIANE LANAHAN, Administrative Assistant HH 216 MR. ANDREW ALLEN, IT Specialist HH 206A DR. CELLESTINE CHEEKS, Associate Professor HH 204A DR. SAMUEL DELLA VECCHIA, Lecturer HH 025A MS. DEBORAH FULLER, Director Education Technology Center HH 210D DR. JEFF KENTON, Assistant Dean HH 304 DR. OLGA KRITSKAYA, Lecturer HH 102K DR. SARAH LOHNES WATULAK, Assistant Professor HH 107M DR. FRAN LUTHER, Assistant Professor HH 315 DR. LINDA MACAULAY, Lecturer HH 211 MS. AMY MARTIN, Lecturer, Education Innovation Lab HH 102G DR. SCOT MCNARY, Assistant Professor HH 102F DR. STEPHEN MOGGE, Director, Graduate Reading Program HH 102P MR. DAVID ROBINSON, Director, School Library Media Program HH 203 DR. WILLIAM SADERA, Director, Instructional Technology Doctoral Program HH 107P MR. DUANE SMITH, IT Manager HH 210A DR. LIYAN SONG, Director, Instructional Technology Master s Program HH 102D MS. CHERYL WOOD, Lecturer HH 010 Graduate Assistants Allison Funk Doctoral Program Audrey Gottheimer Master s Program HH 107P 2731 afunk@towson.edu HH agotth1@students. towson.edu A great leader s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. ~ John Maxwell 15