Focus on Teaching and Technology Conference, Nov. 1-2, 2012

by Michaella Thornton, Assistant Director for Instructional Design

Interested in exploring collaborative course design, authentic technology-enhanced assessment methods, and strategies for integrating purposeful learning technologies into online, blended, and face-to-face classes?

Look no further than the annual regional conference, Focus on Teaching & Technology (FTTC) hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Center for Teaching & Learning. SLU’s very own Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning is also proud to serve as an official conference sponsor. We’re particularly excited and proud that three CTTL staff members and two SLU professors – Dr. Jenny Agnew, School for Professional Studies, and Dr. Robert Cole, College of Education and Public Service – will be conducting workshops, presentations, and facilitated conversations around teaching and technology in higher education.

Some of the SLU teaching and learning community conference highlights include:

• Designing, Implementing and Assessing Technology-Based Assignments: Thurs., Nov. 1 workshop (10 AM-noon), Sandy Gambill, Workshop description link
• Food for Thought: Collaborative Course Design and Social Media in the Writing Classroom: Fri., Nov. 2 facilitated conversation (9:30 AM-10:20 AM), CTTL Innovative Teaching Fellow (Fall 2012), Dr. Jenny Agnew and Michaella Thornton, Concurrent Session II description link
• Flipping Learning Technology Support: Preparing Faculty for the 24/7 World: Fri., Nov. 2 presentation (9:30 AM-10:20 AM), Kim Scharringhausen, Concurrent Session II description link
• Looking to the Future: Social Technology Use in PreK-12 Teaching and Learning: Fri., Nov. 2 presentation (10:30 AM-11:20 AM), Dr. Robert Cole, Concurrent Session III description link

The FTTC showcases interactive workshops on Thurs., Nov. 1 and a day of concurrent sessions and lunch on Fri., Nov. 2. Registration for Fri., Nov. 1 is free while Thurs., Nov. 2 workshops come with a nominal workshop fee ($25 for half-day registration; $50 for all-day registration). All Thursday workshops will be held at UMSL’s South Campus while Friday sessions will be held on the North Campus. For specific locations, please visit the conference website.

Last but certainly not least, Dr. Megan E. Bradley, Regent’s Award Winner in Teaching from the University System of Maryland and Redesign Scholar for The National Center for Academic Transformation (both awarded in 2010), will serve as the conference keynote speaker and workshop leader. Dr. Bradley, Professor of Psychology at Frostburg State University, will speak on Fri., Nov. 2 from 1:15-2:15 pm on “The Top Pedagogical Techniques that Can Improve Student Learning in Any Course” and will conduct a workshop entitled, “Establishing the Right Mindset: Helping Your Students to Train Their Brains,” also on Fri., Nov. 2 from 2:30-4:30 pm. For more information about Dr. Bradley, please visit her departmental homepage.

For registration and conference information, please visit the UMSL CTL website: http://www.umsl.edu/services/ctl/. Registrations will be taken online or at UMSL until the day of the conference on Thurs., Nov. 1. We encourage interested SLU faculty, staff, and graduate students to register at their earliest convenience for this informative and inspiring regional event.