I heart technology

Chapter 18 discusses instructional design in business and industry. Give an example of rapid prototyping and discuss how this could be used in education.

One example of rapid prototyping in education is intervention.  As the students move throughout the year, teachers learn what activities do and do not work with their students.  What might work to introduce one skill may not work with another.  Teachers must constantly evaluate and with the input of their students “tweak” the instructional plan to better meet the students’ needs.  As these adjustments are made the students enjoy greater success in learning.

Pretend you are hired as a consultant for the military. They want to use technology in its training, but electronic access is not always available. Using the Full Spectrum diagram, what alternatives could you suggest for a successful program?

Since the each area of Rank/Capability, Skill Level and Environment can cover a broad spectrum the training program must be flexible.  The participants may be on base in a controlled environment or they may be out in hostile conditions.  Regardless, they still need to be trained.  Of course the perfect use of technology would be to have constant access to updated materials but this is not always the case.  Having a learning lab (Deployable Learning Resource Center) that can be updated when time allows is a great way to use computers as a training resource in the field.  Also ensuring there is at least one member of the team that is trained and can use hard copies of training materials to train the rest of their group and also serve as a peer tutor until the skill is mastered is a great way to train whenever/ wherever. 

Chapter 21 looks at radical educational change in P-12 settings. I visited the Chugach School District in Alaska and know Richard DeLorenzo very well. I can assure you that this change can occur in our schools. Review the Step-Up-To-Excellence methodology and the GSTE. Outline a staff development activity that will introduce both methodologies to your colleagues.  

Click here to view Staff Development presentation

Navigating through the ranks of a faculty member in higher education can be tricky. A good institution has support for its faculty and provides faculty development opportunities to grow and learn. Research three different university offices for faculty development. Answer the following questions for each office:

CSU Fullerton

• What are the different names used for faculty development?
• Faculty Development Center
• What division is it under?
• Office of the President
• What services does it offer?
• Enhancing excellence in teaching
• Understanding and assessing student learning
• Enhancing the effective use of technology in teaching
• Promoting scholarly research and creative activities
• Enhancing professional and service activities
• Sponsoring special support programs for special faculty constituencies, including the Chair Support Program, New Faculty Orientation and Semester Series, Untenured Faculty Support Program, Women & Under-represented Faculty Support Program, and part-time faculty, and
• Promoting other campus-wide intellectual and community-building events. 

• How often are programs given and what specifically are they?
• Consultation on Designing Learning Environments
• Consultation on Purchase and Effective use of Instructional Technologies
• Faculty Classroom Observation
• Graphics Design Services
• One-On-One Consultation for Faculty
• Part-time Faculty Support
• Teaching & Technology Workshops (see workshop schedule)
• Teaching, Learning, and Technology Assessment
• Technology Training & Support
• Videoconferences on topics of Interest to Faculty

Virginia Tech

• What are the different names used for faculty development?
• Faculty Development Institute
• What division is it under?
• Learning Technologies
• What services does it offer?
• Peer Mentoring
• Course Development
• Production Support
• Funding Support
• Technology
• Online Resources
• How often are programs given and what specifically are they?
• Programs are offered each semester
• Teaching
• Research
• Technology

Eastern Illinois University

• What are the different names used for faculty development?
• Faculty Development
• What division is it under?
• Academic Affairs
• What services does it offer?
• Faculty Resources
• Support Grants
• Mentoring
• Workshops
• How often are programs given and what specifically are they?
• Online resources are available
• Workshops are offered yearly
• Wholesome Professor Workshops
• Center for Academic Technology Support
• Library Computer Workshops
• Research Resources