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OIT to host Technology in Teaching Symposium

The Office of Information Technology Services (OIT) at Delta State has developed an innovative new program called the Technology in Teaching Symposium, to be hosted on campus April 4.

The theme for this inaugural event is “Red, White, & Blues of Teaching With Technology.” The professional development opportunity is designed to: expose faculty to emerging technology that supports pedagogy; promote technological innovation in distance education; and support continuous quality management in online instruction.

The agenda will feature three main topic areas: Red-Hot Trends in Teaching Technology: Tools to Really Help You Teach; White-Papers & Presentations: How Technology Can Help You Prepare Research Projects; and Blues-Integrating Technology with Pedagogy: Best Practices & Course Management.

“OIT hopes that this inaugural event will expose faculty to emerging technologies that support pedagogy, promote technological innovation in distance education and also supports continuous quality management in online instruction,” said Edwin Craft, chief information officer for OIT.

“Educators are tasked with implementing innovative solutions and strategies to enhance pedagogy and facilitate student academic success,” added Craft. “Holding a conference of this nature helps to enhance awareness of those needs, connects faculty with their peers that may be using some of these tools and techniques, as well as continues to demonstrate the university’s focus on student success.”

Organized as a free professional development prospect for faculty, registration for the event quickly reached capacity in the first two weeks. In addition to Delta State faculty, participants will be coming from Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University, Phillips Community College, University of Alabama, Northwest Community College and Coahoma Community College.

Due to high interest in the event, OIT had to cap enrollment this year. The office is hoping to double the conference size next year and continue to provide opportunities for faculty innovation and collaboration.

Morning sessions at the symposium will run concurrently beginning at 10:45 a.m. For a full schedule and list of sessions, visit http://eln.deltastate.edu/wordpress/?page_id=2424.

The keynote speaker for the affair is Veronica Outlaw, director of Distance Learning at the University of South Carolina Aiken. She will share her insights and experiences with instructional technologies and quality matters in online teaching.

In the field, Outlaw is known to keep best practices and instructional strategies at the forefront of faculty development to prepare instructors for growth in emerging technology.

A panel of educators from a number of regional institutions will also address best practices in the field. For a full list of panelists, visit http://eln.deltastate.edu/wordpress/?page_id=2449.

For more information, contact OIT at 662-846-4760.