Monday Matters
This week I would like to introduce you to the newly organized Office of Instructional Support. Most of you are probably aware that the Educational Technology Center (ETC) has been renamed as the Instructional Support Training Center, but you may not be aware that this is much more than a name change. As the name implies, Instructional Support is an enhanced support office that has assumed new functions and will use a new model for promoting the use of technology in academic and administrative venues.
Instructional Support: More than a Place
When you thought of the ETC, you may have thought of a place. Although this is partly true, the name "Instructional Support" was chosen to emphasize the personal support you will receive when you need it. The role of the new office has been expanded to include not only computer training, but also assistance with software, software licensing and distribution, office and academic supply purchasing, copying, property management, room reservations, web development, equipment loans, and more.
The fundamental role of Instructional Support continues to be the promotion and
support of technology in the curriculum. To that end, the target client population
will be faculty members who are willing to use more technology in their courses.
In addition, staff members who want to increase their computer skills or office
managers who want to embrace technology to promote efficiency will also want to
employ the resources that Instructional Support has to offer. Whether you are a
skilled computer user or someone who is not sure of the difference between a mouse
and a keyboard, Instructional Support can help you find ways to use and model the
use of technology.
The Instructional Support Training Center
The center of activity for the newly restructured Office of Instructional Support is the Instructional Support Training Center. In addition to providing classrooms that can be reserved for one time or recurring use, the Training Center is the place to seek assistance with technology-rich curriculum development or the place to learn how to use computers in new ways that will make your experience as a staff member more efficient, productive, and pleasant. The Training Center will be the place to go for professional development short courses and informal technology-focused discussions, such as the brown bag class web demonstrations on Wednesday, September 17, from 11:30-12:30 and Wednesday, September 24, from 1:00-2:00.
In addition to the more traditional professional development courses, Instructional Support will now subscribe to a more individual assistance model. When you contact Instructional Support and describe your ideas or needs, a member of the staff will be assigned to meet with you individually to discuss this further. These discussions will help you become aware of the full range of resources available to you at both the University and College levels. Some of the resources housed in the Training Center include specialized software (K-12 teaching software, statistics software, and web development software, to name a few categories), a media development center (for the development of streaming media and educational presentations, including the development of a CD), and a Special Education Technology Resource Room featuring hardware and software designed to provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
In short, the Instructional Support Training Center has been redesigned to provide cutting edge technologies and the individual attention you need to use these technologies. Regardless of your comfort level with computers, I encourage you to take advantage of these services and increase the use of technology in your class or workplace. As a college that offers undergraduate and graduate training to teachers, school administrators, counselor educators, and others, we have the opportunity to model good use of technology in our classes and our work. The Instructional Support Training Center is where you can find the resources and assistance to help you achieve that goal.
Examples in Progress
Here are some examples of how Instructional Support trainers are helping integrate technology into the curriculum.
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Two Instructional Support trainers are working with Stephen Thompson, who teaches the new undergraduate class, EDTE 201: Classroom Inquiry with Technology. Eunbae Lee and Cat Flynn are working with Dr Thompson to design some activities they will offer during the class meetings, such as a demonstration of how to edit pictures in Photoshop Elements and how to capture good video clips. Eunbae and Cat are also scheduling project work sessions outside the EDTE 201 class time to assist the students with their class projects in the OIS Training Center.
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Instructional Support trainers are scheduling various work sessions throughout the semester to assist the students in the EDUC 400: Learning and Community Service classes. Each student in the EDUC 400 class makes a PowerPoint presentation describing his or her observations and personal growth during a community service experience. The trainers have a copy of the assignment and examples of previous presentations to help the students with their projects. They will also provide an opportunity for the students to practice their presentation prior to the due date.
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An intern in the Educational Technology Program is working with faculty members to design templates for personal web pages that instructors will be able to use to supplement, or even replace, their Blackboard sites. Instructional Services trainers will provide the one-to-one assistance when an instructor wants to use the templates to develop his or her own site.
The Instructional Support Services Center
The Office of Instructional Support has assumed responsibility for a number of other services to support your instructional and office needs. The old Logistics Office is now the Instructional Support Services Center. You can continue to go to this Center for copy needs, mail pickup, and office supplies. In addition, the Services Center will soon offer software licensing and distribution so that you can order and pick up new licensed software at the Services Center window.
In addition to service offerings at the Service Center, the Office of Instructional Support is currently working behind the scenes to develop several useful electronic systems. Among these is a room reservation system that will enable faculty and staff members to view conference room bookings at a glance and easily make reservations online. A system will also be developed for viewing and requesting classroom reservations in Wardlaw. The Instructional Support staff has recently built a new technology equipped classroom within the Training Center so there are now three training areas equipped with projection devices, computers, and other equipment that will help you integrate technology in your courses. The staff is also helpful in licensing and installing special software you might need and setting it all up before your class begins.
Room reservations will not be the only area where Instructional Support will be working with Wardlaw space issues. The Office will be assuming property management responsibilities for several rooms in Wardlaw. This will help keep the rooms secured and well-maintained. The Instructional Support staff will provide an orientation to rooms with special equipment when a new user wants to make a reservation. This orientation will include training in the use of the equipment as well as familiarizing the user with the rules and regulations governing the room. Like with any good property management, establishing procedures, providing orientation, arranging for custodial services, requesting maintenance when needed, and handling reservations will keep our special rooms in Wardlaw in good working order and ready for use.
Introducing our New Instructional Support Coordinator
I am pleased to announce that we have recently hired a new program coordinator to assist Susan Quinn with the management and operations of the Office of Instructional Support. Teri DeBruhl comes to us from South Carolina Educational Television where she has served as Media Program Coordinator for the past 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Media Arts, both from the University of South Carolina.
Teri is an avid tennis player and has a passion for outdoor activities, including fishing and kayaking. She also owns and adores (or as Teri puts it, she is "owned and adored by") an AKC pointed Rottweiler named Moxie. She works through Moxie to encourage people to foster a greater understanding of the Rottweiler as a gentle and intelligent breed. Teri also has worked as a professional photographer who has photographed a number of individuals of national prominence. Teri will be joining the Instructional Support staff on October 1. Please welcome her to the College when she arrives.
You have an open invitation to stop by the Instructional Support Training or Services Center to talk to Susan, Teri, or any of the other knowledgeable staff members about your computing and technology needs. You can also visit the Instructional Support web site. There you will find more information about services, "how-to" guides, and electronic forms to request assistance. I have already obtained help from Instructional Support for several of my own projects. It was informative and a great time saver! I hope you find that to be the case as well.
Until next week,
Mike