Judy Southwell

Thanks, Sylvia.  I enjoy seeing what is being discussed on SCoPE, but have had limited time to participate.  The 'next steps' posts all sounds good.  Along similar lines, discussions that would be helpful for me are those that blend technology with teaching practice, particularly where it concerns applying and evaluating Web 2.0 tools--perhaps testimonials from both the giving and receiving ends and suggested next steps, keeping IT smiling when planning to roll out these tools (potential impacts for them) and some best practices.  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Thanks, Sylvia.  I enjoy seeing what is being discussed on SCoPE, but have had limited time to participate.  The 'next steps' posts all sounds good.  Along similar lines, discussions that would be helpful for me are those that blend technology with teaching practice, particularly where it concerns applying and evaluating Web 2.0 tools--perhaps testimonials from both the giving and receiving ends and suggested next steps, keeping IT smiling when planning to roll out these tools (potential impacts for them) and some best practices.  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Hello from the Malaspina Teaching and Learning Centre (MTLC),

I haven’t had an opportunity to join in earlier and hope it will be possible for these discussions to continue in the coming weeks. It’s been very interesting reading some of the posts, and I look forward to spending more time here.

In July 2006 the Educational Technology Centre and the Teaching and Learning Centre amalgamated. Our team provides direction for institutional professional development initiatives in four key areas: teaching and learning processes, educational and workplace technologies, professional networks and communities of practice, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Our PD initiatives are for all Malaspina employees.  We believe we are all teachers and learners and committed to excellence in teaching and learning.

I’ve just realized that our Terms of Reference isn’t posted on our website, but it will be in the days ahead. If you’d like to see these and also learn about our team and our reading circles, events and undergraduate research leadership that <?xml:namespace prefix = st2 />Nancy Randall has been involved with, our web site address is http://www.mala.ca/teaching. Our role is to work with faculty and staff. We work indirectly with students through professional development and consultations with faculty and staff; as well participate on committees on student retention and recruitment, etc. We offer ISW sessions for our faculty and these, along with other events, like our reading circles and May Days workshops are successfully helping to build community and expertise. We don’t directly instruct students on how to use technology; however, we do co-facilitate in-class Microsoft® application sessions until faculty are conversant with the technology. The Library Commons offers drop in Microsoft^® workshops for students. A technology website has been developed through collaboration with IT, the Library Commons and MTLC. It’s the one-stop site for anyone at Malaspina to look for help on using technology http://www.mala.ca/technology/.

We’ve formed the Collaborative Cluster Committee which consists of representatives from all areas of the institution providing professional development. This committee is instrumental in hosting a variety of workshops throughout the year, as well as for new employee orientations held in August each year. We mostly post our workshop handouts on our institution’s intranet which has a rather nice workshop registration system that we purchased through Intranet Connections http://www.intranetconnections.com/. Our intranet has authenticated log on for employees only. Each department is responsible for posting their workshop descriptions and managing their registrations. Professional development specifically for CUPE is organized by the CUPE Professional Development Committee http://web.mala.bc.ca/cupe.

Regards,

Judy