New MDE Program Site

New MDE Program Site
All the information about the MDE in a new organized place...

Maven-DE Weekly #4: November 30, 2009



Issue #4, November 30, 2009


Talking about the MDE ...


Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! Because of the holidays we are a bit late in posting, but it should be useful nonetheless.

The Fall semester is quickly coming to a close. If you haven't yet registered for the spring 2010 semester, I'm sure you are planning to do so soon. Please check for availability of courses through the MDE Hub. If you have any questions concerning your planning, don't hesitate to email Stella about it. Classes start January 28 and end April 25. This means that pre-week starts January 21 and that our Orientation workshop will be running between February 11 and 20th. Save the date!



Practitioner's Toolbox
cool tools you can use


PERRLA
http://www.perrla.com

About APA PERRLA: "Your APA Format Reference Resource (Windows only - not Mac) (Word 2000 and newer). APA PERRLA not only formats your papers, but it provides citations and references that are APA compatible. APA PERRLA correctly creates references and citations that conform to APA format. APA PERRLA will also take you through a simple, step-by-step PERRLA Wizard process. If you are not using APA PERRLA, you are wasting valuable time."

PERRLA works beautifully in Word 2007 and well worth the cost (approximately $30.00 US). PERRLA says you can install on as many computers as you need. As with all new applications, there is a small learning curve, but nothing terribly difficult. If you do get stuck, PERRLA has an excellent 'Help Center' for product support and general APA questions, including a nice set of video tutorials.




On the Horizon
upcoming conferences and calls for papers

USDLA 2010 National Conference Call for Proposals
United States Distance Learning Association

Deadline for proposals is December 4
Conference is in early May (a nice time between semesters at UMUC)
Great opportunity to network

The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the 2010 Annual Conference. Proposals are now being accepted based on the 2010 theme, "Distance Learning: Diverse, Innovative, Efficient, and Sustainable." We invite your proposals and participation in this exciting and important event. There is also a new and unique opportunity this year to present your session in our virtual classroom setting. You will be able to note your interest in the call for proposal link below.

Conference Tracks

You are invited to submit proposals that address any of the conference topics outlined below. Please remember to incorporate the overall conference theme when possible.

Track 1: Advances and Research in eLearning
Track 1 focuses on sharing the latest research and validated innovations that are coming out of education, business, and the military as it relates to distance learning.

Track 2: Professional Development via Distance Learning
Track 2 focuses on the efficient training opportunities available to online professionals to help them become experts in their field. Sessions could answer the following questions: How does your organization train your instructors to become online facilitators? What types of professional development opportunities are available to support instructors once they have begun training? How do you introduce and support 21st century skills to professionals trained using 20th century models?

Track 3: Innovative Practices in Distance Teaching and Learning
The focus for Track 3 relates to validated practices and procedures, including globally, being used throughout K-12, Higher Education (private & public), military, government and corporate training/education entities, giving special attention to various approaches to teaching students. This should look at best practices and practical techniques that instructors of all areas can implement within their teaching and training.

Track 4: Sustainable Technology Innovation
Track 4 promotes the exchange of information among trainers/educators throughout K-12, Higher Education (private & public), military, government, and corporate entities that explores technology in advancing the practices and procedures of online learning.

Track 5: Diverse Strategies in Addressing Contemporary Distance Learning Issues
Track 5 encourages examples of how distance education is working to address contemporary issues relating to the current economic crisis. This should look at diverse and efficient strategies, including globally being used in business, education, government and military. For example, using distance education as it relates to "going green", increased online administrative requirements, communication alternatives, etc.





Reader's and Listener's Digest
from the DE community


The Impact of Openness on Bridging Educational Digital Divides
The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning
by Andy Lane
The Open University, UK

Abstract: Openness has been a feature of higher education for many decades, particularly through the establishment of open universities, although there remain debates about what openness means in practice. Digital technologies, some based on open principles, and digital content, aided by open licences, have both contributed recently to an extension of what is deemed possible under the heading of openness. Nevertheless, while in principle there may be greater degrees of openness available in higher education it does not mean in practice that many people can still readily avail themselves of these new opportunities to learn, not just because they do not have access to digital technologies but personal circumstances mean they also lack the necessary skills and the confidence to use such technologies in general or for education in particular. In fact it can be argued that this new openness, characterised mainly through the open educational resources movement, may actually widen rather than bridge the digital and educational divides between groups, both within and across national boundaries, through the increasing sophistication in technologies and the competencies expected of learners. This paper reviews some of the evidence supporting these different areas of interest and attempts to provide a synthesis of them.

# # # #

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #028: The VLE is Dead
e-Learning Stuff
by James Clay

"A recording of the symposium run at ALT-C 2009 in which Steve Wheeler, Graham Attwell, James Clay and Nick Sharratt, with Josie Fraser in the Chair; discuss the if and how we should be using VLEs to enhance and enrich learning. This is the twenty eighth e-Learning Stuff Podcast, The VLE is Dead."

Direct link to audio recording: http://elearningstuff.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/elearningstuff028.mp3





In the News
excerpts from DE in the news


Globalization, technology helping kids learn
The Toronto Sun
by Thane Burnett
November 18, 2009

"'The Garden of the Illiterate' is no more.

They are about to see one of their children graduate with a law degree.

Education, from hand washing to clipping dirty fingernails, has cut down on the number of sick youngsters.

And Celine Dion, and the always-popular Facebook approved peace-sign throw-down poses in pictures, is a big hit with local teenage girls here.

Before 1998, when World Vision completed a modest bridge into this sub-village, Dongkalan was an isolated community.

Even today, while motorcycles can make their way in and locals routinely trek four kilometres out for school and health care, on this day, they are apparently seeing their first white man walk the dirt roads. Around the world, one of the biggest hurdles in development and foreign aid has been reaching children in remote communities.

But, thanks to globalization and technology, the Earth is opening up, far and wide. One Laptop Per Child, a global technology aid initiative, has shipped 1.5 million low-cost computers to children in places like Rwanda, Mali, Tanzania and Mozambique."

# # # #

A new education option for Cayman
Cay Compass News Online
by Basia Pioro McGuire
November 23, 2009

A new company soon launching in Cayman is offering a new way for residents to earn tertiary level qualifications.

Education for Advancement, a distance learning service provider that has been rapidly expanding throughout the Caribbean in recent years, will soon be opening an office in Grand Cayman.

The Fort Lauderdale based company coordinates enrolment and study towards Associates, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees offered by the University of Leicester and by Ashworth College, a US–based accredited online education provider.

“Distance education is proving really popular in the Caribbean, particularly in those jurisdictions where people are looking for more tertiary education options,” said EFA Cayman’s Director John Carey.

Commenting on the attraction of studying for a degree at a fraction of the cost of on–campus tuition, he noted the company has over 2,000 students enrolled in St. Lucia, and about 500 in St. Kitts.

# # # #

Mesalands to take part in new project
Quay County Sun
by QCS staff
November 24, 2009

Mesalands is one of six colleges in the state of New Mexico that was selected by the New Mexico Higher Education Department to participate in a Distance Education Learning Technology pilot project, said Amber McClure, Director of Educational Services at Mesalands.

Mesalands will receive the $15,000 for three years, to conduct the research and to develop this project.

"The pilot project will give Mesalands the opportunity to offer online (GED) courses," McClure said.

McClure said the course will be available to 50 people in Quay, Harding, and Union counties. There are currently no Adult Basic Education (ABE) services provided in Harding County.



























Maven-DE Weekly #3: November 18, 2009



Issue # 3 -- November 18, 2009


Talking about the MDE ...


  • The MDE works continuously in course development and re-design. Currently, DEPM 604 (Leadership in Distance Education) is being reviewed by Dr. Michael Beaudoin. Those taking the course in the Spring will have chance to experience the new course first-hand.
  • Make sure you have made note that DEPM 622 (The Business of Distance Education) will be offered Spring 2010, while DEPM 609 (Distance Education Systems) will be offered in the Summer 2010.



Practitioner's Toolbox

Pageflakes






About Pageflakes: "Pageflakes, the social personalized homepage, is revolutionizing how we how we start with and use the Internet. At www.Pageflakes.com, you can easily customize the Internet and make it yours using ‘”Flakes” – small, movable versions of all of your web favorites that you can arrange on your personal homepage. You can also participate in the Pageflakes community, sharing your page as a “Pagecast” with a private group or with the world, and connecting with other users across the globe. Over 235,000 Flakes and 140,000 Pagecasts are available for thousands of uses and interests, including Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, news, sports, e-mail, local events, search, photos, music, videos – even interactive tools like a calendar and a to-do list – and just about anything else you do on the web at school, work and at home. The Pageflakes user community creates and helps each other discover more new Flakes and Pagecasts every day. Pageflakes has thousands of Flakes (widgets or modules) including Facebook, a universal News Search, YouTube, Twitter, message board, blog, and hundreds of RSS feeds to choose from. Design and create a page that you can have for yourself or share with anyone you choose."




On the Horizon
upcoming conferences and calls for papers

MDLA'2010
Presentation proposals for the 2010 MDLA conference are
DUE NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 4, 2009.  See below for the conference theme
and tracks, as well as directions for submitting your proposal.

Meeting the Challenge:
Guiding the Next Decade of Digital Learners

MDLA Spring Conference - March 4, 2010
Sheppard Pratt Conference Center, Baltimore MD


Call for Proposals
Conference proposals in the following tracks are due no later than
December 4, 2009 at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/MDLAspring2


Tracks
- Potential Topic Areas
  • Student Retention & Success Strategies
  • Student support services (library, tutoring, advising).
     Engaging students online.  Strategies for building an online teaching
    and learning community.  Assessment and learning outcomes in the online
    format.  Teaching to a variety of learners and learning styles.
  • Transformative Learning Experiences in Distance Education
  • Hybrid and blended course strategies.  MDLA member’s showcase
    (schools or individuals).  Hands-on and virtual laboratory, field, and
    experiential learning in distance education.  New strategies in online
    teaching.
  • Distance Learning Tools for the Next Decade
  • Free, fun, and easy technology tools for online course
    development.  Open educational resources.  E-books.  Mobil learning in
    distance education.
  • Professional Resources for Distance Educators and Administrators
  • Professional development opportunities for distance educators
    and administrators.  Time-saving tricks of the trade.  Distance
    education research.  Issues and best practice in copyright and fair
    use.                       
Call for Award Nominations
Award descriptions and nomination forms in the following areas are available online at: http://www.marylanddla.org/nomination.htm

Award nominations should be emailed tojmrun...@aacc.edu no later than January 25, 2010.

  • Distance Educator of the Year, Higher Education     
  • Distance Learning Course of the Year
  • Distance Educator of the Year, K-12                         
  • Distance Learning Program of the Year
  • Distance Learning Administrator of the Year                       
  • Instructional Designer of the Year


Reader's (and Listener's) Digest
from the DE community

Copyright, Creativity and the Ecology of Access
Openculture.com brought to us last week the presentation by Lawrence Lessig, which I shared in the Lounge as one of those that should not be missed. Here is the link for keeps:

Lawrence Lessig Speaks Once Again About Copyright and Creativity
Lessig discusses an important concept that he has mentioned in other of his talks - "The Ecology of Access", mostly referring to issues such as the Google's Book Project. This topic is definitely of the greatest importance, and will be in the headlines for some time.


In the footsteps of the presentation here is Lessig's blog (currently in sabbatical!!), which provides a wealth of information and free access to several of his books. This is definitely a topic that relates closely to all of us in some way associated to education and the use of digital media. I highly recommend a visit to the site and checking out some of the resources he has made available and accessible.


Tony Bates on Cost-effectiveness and Scalability issues in Higher-Ed
During the month of October, Tony Bates posted a three-part discussion in his blog concerning the possibility or assumption that "e-learning will increase the cost-effectiveness of higher education". This sequence of three blog posts are worth revisiting and bookmarking, as they relate closely to several topics that we discuss within the MDE.



In the News
excerpts from DE in the news

Stakeholders advise on national ed-tech plan
eSchool News
From staff reports
November 17, 2009

Train every pre-service teacher to teach online in teacher-education programs at colleges and universities; invest in the development of open courseware with federal and state funding; encourage the use of technology to create new forms of assessment that better measure student learning gains; provide national standards for school IT support, with recommendations for optimal staffing levels and required skill sets: These are some of the many recommendations the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has received so far as officials prepare a new National Education Technology Plan.

# # # #

Internet keeps learning on track
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
By Amy Crawford
November 17, 2009

Hundreds of local children have missed school because of H1N1 flu this fall, but school officials say that's no reason to disrupt learning.
"All of our teachers have a Web site where their lessons are online," said Superintendent Tom Yarabinetz of Greensburg Salem School District.
Responding to a call by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last summer to plan for possible school closures, Yarabinetz and other administrators have looked to the Internet to make sure learning continues, even if high absentee rates force a school to close.
Since the beginning of the school year, more than 600 schools nationwide have temporarily closed because of the flu, according to the Department of Education.

# # # #

Online Learning Policy Survey: A Survey of the States
Converge Magazine
Converge Staff
November 16, 2009

Fourty four of 50 states participated in the Center for Digital Education (CDE) survey of education officials that evaluates the overall landscape of online learning.
The rankings shown in the Online Learning Policy Survey: A Survey of the States report reflect the vision, policies, programs and strategies that states have deployed around online learning in an effort to transform their academic environment and meet the needs of students. Certain characteristics having a greater impact on statewide leadership and education (such as states with state-led online programs and/or significant policy directives) play a more significant role in the rankings than others.
The report ranks the success of state online education initiatives and serves as a benchmark for other states and their online learning programs.

# # # #

Online High Schools Test Students' Social Skills
The Wall Street Journal
by Paul Glader
September 24, 2009

As online high schools spread, educators are ramping up efforts to counter the social isolation that some students experience. At the same time, sociologists and child psychologists are examining how online schooling might hinder, or help, the development of social skills. ...
Elizabeth Birr Moje, a professor of education at the University of Michigan who has studied online learning, says "there are some huge advantages" to online high schools, including an individualized pace and better access to multimedia content. "The disadvantage is that you may not learn to work with other people quite as well," she adds.
Other education researchers believe online students will be better prepared to interact in an increasingly digital world. "What they learn while in the online high school will make them more adaptable thinkers," says Rand Spiro, a professor in education psychology at Michigan State University. Online learning, he says, takes students deeper into academic subjects more quickly.


Maven-DE Weekly #2, November 11, 2009


Issue #2 - November 11, 2009

Talking about the MDE ...


Practitioner's Toolbox

Ning - a social platform for the world's interests
http://www.ning.com/
About Ning: "Ning is the social platform for the world’s interests and passions online. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., Ning offers an easy-to-use service that allows people to join and create Ning Networks. With more than 1.5 million Ning Networks created and 33 million registered users, millions of people every day are coming together across Ning to explore and express their interests, discover new passions, and meet new people around shared pursuits. Ning was founded in October 2004 by Gina Bianchini and Marc Andreessen. The company is privately held. For more information visit www.ning.com." Here are a few interesting Ning groups to explore:

On the Horizon

Learning and the Social Web: A Call for Papers A special issue of the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Web Intelligence (JETWI)
http://socialwebjetwi.info/

We are inviting research articles concerning the theory, engineering and practice of learning and teaching on the Social Web. We are particularly inviting research contributions relative to:
  • Methodologies to create and sustain online communities around learning objectives;
  • Software to assist online educators and learners;
  • Theoretical and empirical surveys of existing and emerging platforms.
  • Surveys, tutorials, and case studies are also acceptable.
About JETWI: "The Journal of Emerging Technologies in Web Intelligence (JETWI) is an international peer-reviewed and indexed journal published by Academy publisher (http://www.academypublisher.com/jetwi/). It aims at gathering the latest advances of various topics in web intelligence and reporting how organizations can gain competitive advantages by applying the different emergent techniques in the real-world scenarios."

Submission deadline: November 27th 2009.

Reader's Digest

Using technology to improve the cost-effectiveness of the academy e-learning & distance education resources, by Tony Bates
A three-part series of blog postings by Tony Bates:

Part 1, October 10th, 2009: http://cli.gs/DrRtv
  • Is e-learning failing in higher education?
  • Using e-learning to increase cost-effectiveness
  • The problem: Why do universities need to change?
Part 2, October 14th, 2009: http://cli.gs/ZQ72z
  • Open universities as an alternative model
  • Building visions for a modern university
  • The need for experimentation, innovation and vision
  • Mission
  • What should universities look like in twenty years?
  • Implications for the university
  • Build your own vision
Part 3, October 26th, 2009: http://cli.gs/yMtH0
  • Barriers to change
  • Satisfaction with the basic traditional university model
  • The status of the Ivy league universities
  • Governance
  • What can be done?

In the News

November 9-13, 2009, is National Distance Learning Week! http://www.ndlw.org/

"Sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association, National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) held on November 9-13, 2009, seeks to promote and celebrate the tremendous growth and accomplishments occurring today in distance learning programs offered by schools, businesses, and governmental departments."

# # # #

India News Portal
IGNOU to establish 400 training centres in Bihar
October 8, 2009
http://cli.gs/VGGMM

"To improve educational facilities in Bihar, which has the lowest literacy level in India, and launch market driven vocational courses for its youth, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is setting up 400 training centres in the state to train students and government officials. The IGNOU training centres 'will be equipped with computer labs to provide distance education through information technology to the remotest parts of the state', said an official of the university, one of the largest in the world."

# # # #

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Virtual schools chart new course: Cyber-campus backers seek brick-and-mortar funding
by D. Aileen Dodd
November 6, 2009
http://cli.gs/09muu

"Representatives of five would-be virtual charter schools will file into the administrative towers of the Georgia Department of Education today to pitch their brand of public education, which lets students study at home computers in their pajamas. Some contenders will come with national representatives from education management companies touting their records of student achievement in other states. Some will rely on the moms and dads who sit on the boards of petitioning schools to make their case."

# # # #

National University of Singapore NUS Second Life Open House 2009 https://u.nus.edu.sg/secondlife/default.aspx

From the latest NUS Second Life newsletter: "NUS Second Life is the first university campus in Singapore built on a 3D virtual world, joining the pioneering efforts of universities such as Harvard and Princeton which have also established their virtual campuses on the virtual world platform named Second Life. Launched in March 2008, NUS Second Life has distinct ambitions of becoming the first student co-designed, co-built and co-owned varsity campus." Watch these videos from National University of Singapore's YouTube Channel:

NUS SecondLife



Learning in NUS



# # # #

The Maven-DE Weekly: The Debut


The Debut of the Maven-DE Weekly

With the creation of the MDE Hub, the MDE Blog is now free to take on its real role as a blog dedicated to the MDE community. We now are a group of MDEBlog writers (Allison, Wendy, Phil and Stella) collaborating  to bring you a weekly update on things of interest to the MDE community. This includes information about the program, DE news, interesting recent DE articles, information on upcoming DE events and publishing opportunities. Our plan is for one weekly post, like this one with several sections as you will see below. As we start this endeavor, if you have any suggestions to enhance this post to your needs, let us know.

Enjoy!



--------------------------

Talking about the MDE...
  • Spread the word... If you are receiving this, and you are enrolled in a course this semester, make sure your colleagues know about the Blog, the MDE Hub and the Lounge. There are still many out there who are not connected to these sources of information, and miss the opportunity to discuss issues important to their careers, study plans or just keeping up with the field and with colleagues. Word of mouth can be very powerful, as you all know... 
  • New webpages in the UMUC domain... Check out the new website structure for graduate programs at UMUC. The MDE now is easier to find, and specializations and certificates are more organized than before.
  • We were at Sloan-C... Several MDErs were at the Sloan-C 2009 Conference in Orlando last week. Steve Kerby presented on Thursday morning about his work using Second Life at McDaniel. Stella gave a presentation, discussing all the social media channels we have been using here in the MDE. Here is where you can find the set of slides for several of the presentations. Susan Ko was also at the event.

From Sloan-C conference 2009

-------------------------

Practitioner's Toolbox


Wetoku - record video interviews on the web

About Wetoku: "Whether oceans apart or living next door, Wetoku brings you together. Wetoku for Bloggers can be used to produce recordings of interviews that can easily be embedded into a WordPress blog. Bloggers can use their webcams to meet with someone interesting over the web, with no software to install. The recording is immediately available, with embed code that can be pasted directly into a new blog entry."

An example embedded Wetoku recording featuring John Breslin (John Breslin's Blog, Cloudlands) and Wetoku founder, David Lee, can be found on Allison's Toolbox wiki.



------------------------

On the Horizon




About: "eLearning Papers adds a new dimension to the exchange of information on e-learning in Europe and stimulates research. As such, the articles provide views regarding the current situation and e-learning trends in different communities: schools, universities, companies, civil society and institutions. eLearning Papers provides all those interested with an opportunity to have their texts published throughout Europe. Through these articles, the journal promotes the use of ICT for lifelong learning in Europe." Here are the call for papers you will find listed here:
  • New learning for a new society, February 2010 - call for papers open!
  • Innovation for lifelong learning, April 2010
  • Learning technologies against poverty and social exclusion, June 2010
  • Technology enhanced science education, September 2010
  • eTraining and work, November 2010
--------------------------

Reader's Digest


Innovate Journal of Online Education
by Catherine McLoughlin and Mark J. W. Lee
Volume 4, Issue 5 - June/July 2008


Abstract: "Catherine McLoughlin and Mark J. W. Lee discuss the new pedagogical landscape made possible by the emergence of Web 2.0 social software, which allows users to become active contributors. Web 2.0 tools offer unparallelled opportunities for participation, productivity, and interaction. Through a discussion of emerging learning scenarios enabled by social software, McLoughlin and Lee posit that future learning environments must capitalize on the potential of Web 2.0 by combining social software tools with connectivist pedagogical models. The combination produces what the authors call Pedagogy 2.0, a model of learning in which learners are empowered to participate, learn, and create knowledge in ways that are personally meaningful and engaging."

----------------------------

In the News


Campus Technology

by David Nagel
October 28, 2009

"Nearly 12 million post-secondary students in the United States take some or all of their classes online right now. But this number will skyrocket to more than 22 million in the next five years, according to data released recently by research firm Ambient Insight."

# # # #


CNN.com
by Mark Tutton
October 16, 2009


"Hundreds of universities, and a growing number of business schools, are making recordings of lectures, seminars and conferences available to the general public via Web sites such as iTunes and YouTube. Leading business schools including University of Cambridge Judge Business School, Fuqua School of Business, and Yale School of Management make course content available for download through iTunes University (iTunes U), part of the of the iTunes online store."

# # # #

University World News
AFRICA: New AVU online education centres
November 1, 2009
Issue 0099
"The African Virtual University, in partnership with the African Development Bank, has launched a centre of online learning and distance education in Zambia, the first of 10 scheduled to open in universities throughout Africa in the next five months, Agence de Presse Sénégalaise reported."

# # # #

The Daily Star
Boosting rural education through technology
by Nahid Akhter
October 30, 2009
"In Kenya, according to a BBC report, a pilot project was initiated which was aimed at using technology to deliver education across the African continent. In this project, conceived by Eduvision, textbooks are out, and customised Pocket PCs, referred to as e-slates, are in. They are Wi-Fi enabled and run on licence-free open source software to keep costs down.

E-slates contain all sorts of information you'd find in a textbook and more. They contain textual information, visual information and questions. Within visual information they can have audio files, video clips and animations The handheld PCs were chosen in place of desktops because they are more portable, so the children can take them home at night, and also because they're cheaper, making them cost-effective alternatives to traditional methods of learning."

------------------------

So, this is it for this week. Hope you have enjoyed our weekly MavenDE post... We hope to have more next week! If you have any contributions, please send it along...


best,
MDEBlog Writers

MDE Fall 2009 Newsletter is out...

Thanks to everyone who helped me sending their news from this past year... Our Fall'2009 Newsletter is now available here (http://mdeprogram.weebly.com/newsletter-fall-2009.html).

As you will notice, we are adopting a new format, making use of the recently created MDE HUB. The newsletter is now an integral part of the site, easily accessible at all times via your web browser.

The Fall 2009 Newsletter comes with some exciting flashbacks from this past year, information on our ongoing program initiatives and news about faculty, students and graduates. We also would like to share with you information about upcoming events and projects that you might be interested in taking on an active role. So, in the next few days, take a few minutes to check it out!

best,
--Stella.

UCEA Mid Atlantic Conference 2009 - MDE award

The MDE received the award for Outstanding Institutional Partnership during the UCEA Mid-Atlantic 2009 conference, held in Syracuse, between September 30th and October 2nd, 2009.

There were other awards received by UMUC faculty members. Theo Stone and Stella Porto were also part of the concurrent sessions held on October 1st and 2nd.

Alan Carswell, chair of the Information and Technology Systems dept was there and captured a few pictures of the event.

Picasa Web Albums - Alan - 2009 - UCEA Mid Atlantic Conference

Shared via AddThis

MDE Orientation extended a few more days...

Hello everyone -

Given that a few new members of the MDE community have joined the workshop later this week, I'm extending it for a few days. Everything will be open for writing for one more week. So, if you still want to join, send me an email (sporto@umuc.edu) providing me with your Tycho username.

If you have any questions, contact me.

best,
--Stella.

Save the date! Next MDE orientation scheduled for September 16-22

Save the date!

We will be running our MDE orientation (one year anniversary!) starting September 16 through September 22. Check for more details here.

We will be using the same class as we did in the summer, so those who were enrolled in that class, and still have it in their class list, will be able to login without any problems. The class you should be looking for is OMDE 101 Section 9999 Semester 0906.

Those who have attended before, please return, and for those who are new to the program or have not yet participated in the orientation, this is a great chance to find out what is in there for you. I'm sure you will not regret, visiting and taking part in the conversation a few days during that week.

See you all there!

best,
--Stella.

Fall 2009 semester starts!

Hello everyone -

today is the first official day of classes of the Fall 2009 term (09/09/09 - we won't forget!).

I wanted to welcome everyone to the fall term and share some important news and information.

First: We start out clean with a complete overhaul of MDE important links, which used to sit on the right-hand side of this blog. It was really cluttered, and many of your felt that. So, I have moved everything, with a new organization and layout to a full-blown MDE website: http://mdeprogram.weebly.com. (I posted a permanent note on the blog...). As you will see, the right-hand side now is much cleaner, leaving room for more current information, making the this environment really fulfill more of its function of a blog.

On that note, I would like to invite contributors to the blog. If you are interested in becoming a contributor to the blog (it doesn't have to be daily or any of that), let me know. I would like to have a group of contributors, which would work together to keep this blog well, alive and meaningful to the MDE community. Email me with your message of interest.

Second: Save the date! We will be running our MDE orientation (one year anniversary!) starting September 16 through September 22. Check for more details here.

Third: Upcoming newsletter. I am working on Fall'2009 newsletter, and if you would like to share something about your accomplishments (professional, academic and/or personal), please go to: http://mdeprogram.weebly.com/newsletters.html

And finally, once more: Please check out the information of the fall kickoff of the MDE Buddy Program. We need new mentors, and all those starting the program, should consider applying and getting a program buddy. All participants have reported back with great satisfaction with this experience.

I wish everyone a great fall semester, and keep in touch!

best,
--Stella.

MDE Buddy Program kicks off for Fall 2009

MDE Buddy Program kicks off for Fall 2009!


The MDE Buddy Program, a MDE specific mentoring program, pairs new students (mentees) with either more experienced students or alumni (mentors) who will provide support and advice during a student’s first and often most challenging semester.

Goals of the program are to provide new students with an enhanced learning experience and improving their success in the MDE program. New MDE students are often facing several challenges including unfamiliarity with online education or grad-level work, and balancing work, family, school and other demands on their time. Experienced students and alumni have a wealth of information that can help new students navigate the challenges they are facing successfully.

Among comments received during the summer semester of the MDE Buddy Program:

I wish this program was around when I started the MDE.

My partner and I hit it off so well, she’s been a great help to me!

It’s been very rewarding to help a new student adapt to the MDE program, nice to know that someone can benefit from some of the hair-pulling I did in those early courses.

If you are interested in participating as a mentor or mentee in the MDE Buddy Program visit our website at:

http://mdebuddyprogram.weebly.com


You’ll find a wealth of information there as well as a questionnaire that will provide us with your contact information and help us pair you with a mentor or mentee as appropriate.

We look forward to hearing from you! For new students it’s a chance to access a wealth of experience and support. For those more experienced students and alumni it’s the chance to share your knowledge and strategies for success with new MDE students.

Good luck to everyone!

Julie Marciel-Rozzi (julie.rozzi@gmail.com)
MDE Buddy Program Coordinator/Virtual Volunteer