Teaching and Learning Conferences

Attending a teaching and learning conference is a great way to get excited about teaching, learn new teaching strategies, and meet others of like minds. I am fortunate to be registered for three teaching & learning conferences in the coming months: the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, which I will attend online, the Virginia Tech Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy in Blacksburg, and the University System of Georgia Teaching and Learning Conference right here in Athens.

While there will be many great sessions to attend at each meeting, I most appreciate the networking opportunities at conferences. For the VT and USG meetings, that will be easy. I will be sharing meals and social activities with fellow attendees, participating in collaborative activities during sessions, and stopping for hallway conversations between events. I'll exchange business cards with new acquaintances and hugs with long-time friends.

Networking during an online meeting is a bit more challenging, and perhaps not as socially rewarding, but it is absolutely possible. Participating in online conversations during sessions, particularly via Twitter, has been an invaluable way of meeting others with similar interests and getting my name out there professionally as well. The best example of this in action was when I was invited to review chapters for a new book by a colleague who had been following me on Twitter. We had never met, but she knew my work and areas of expertise via my tweets. That was very rewarding.

Never been to a teaching and learning conference? I recommend registering for the USG meeting - it's an excellent opportunity, and only $35 for students! I hope to see you there.

Back to class

Every spring when it is time to step back into the EDHI9040 classroom, I am filled with a mix of emotions. Among others, I am excited about what I can share with my students and what they will teach me during the semester; I am nervous about class dynamics and logistics; and due to mixed reviews from former students, I am reluctant to include the blogging assignment. Usually, my excitement is sustained throughout the term, pre-class jitters subside, and my hesitation regarding blogging is replaced by confidence that it is a good assignment.

One of the goals of this course is for students to "reflect on the roles of instructional technology with respect to his or her personal teaching philosophy." While there are a number of ways to encourage this reflection, blogging makes the most sense for this course. Blogging gives everyone a personal space to think about the technologies we are studying and to share those ideas with others in the course. Blogging also gives participants an opportunity to practice an activity that might be appropriate for their own students and to understand the challenges and rewards of blogging. 

Over the next few weeks, I will provide prompts and ideas about the blogging activity. And this year, I am looking forward to it!