ESU IDT alumna Cindy Ehrstein recognized as a Kansas Master Teacher

ESU IDT alumna Cindy Ehrstein was recently selected as a 2012 Kansas Master Teacher. The awards are presented annually to teachers who have served the profession long and well and who also typify the good qualities of earnest and conscientious teachers. An 8th grade language arts teacher at Andover Central Middle School, Cindy earned her master’s degree in instruction Design and Technology and an ESOL endorsement from Emporia State University. Cindy will be recognized at the KS Master Teacher Awards dinner on April 4, 2012. Read more about Cindy Ehrstein, her accomplishments, and the annual KS Master Teacher Awards.

AECT Elections - Now in progress, until March 8

I want to encourage all IDT students/alumni who are members of The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) to login and vote. Elections will be open until March 8, 2012.

Remember, AECT members can join as many divisions as desired (at no cost) and may vote in any of the division elections. ESU IDT alumnus (and Old Dominion University Ph.D. candidate), Enilda Romero is on the ballot for the Research and Theory Division (Secretary).

Not a member, yet? The $75 Student Membership comes with all Member Benefits, including free online access to many publications, such as The Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology (All editions) - (quite a deal!),  a one-year subscription to TechTrends For Leaders in Education and Training, and other member-only benefits.

AECT 2012 Convention - March 2 proposal deadline approaches

I hope some of you will submit proposals to present at the 2012 AECT International Convention in Louisville, KY.  The gateway to submissions with the complete Call for Proposals is available at  http://www.aect.org/events/call/

In addition to concurrent sessions, roundtable and poster sessions are available (always a good way to start for newbies). Concurrent session and Workshop session dates for our Louisville Convention are as follows -
Concurrent Sessions: October 31-November 3
Workshop Sessions: Tuesday, October 30, Wednesday, October 31, & Saturday, November 3

Once at the site, you will find hints on creating Effective Proposals, and of course our Proposal  Login for submissions.

Included in the plethora of information at the call for proposals page, you will find our numerous session types with descriptions. If you are unsure of the suitability of your proposal to a particular group, feel free to contact me.

We plan to close submissions on March 2, 2012, 11:59 p.m. (Eastern).

ESU IDT Alum chosen as week's Top Influencer in LinkedIn Group

David Swisher, ESU IDT alumnus and Learning Management Systems Coordinator Tabor College was recently chosen as the week's top influencer in the LinkedIn group - Curriculum Development & e-Learning Professionals. In addition, his discussions were on the top of the most popular discussions list. Congratulations to David for making a difference in the world of online and distance learning!

Year of the Dragon!

Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!  Gong Xi Fa Cai!

 

2012 AECT International Convention - Visit to Louisville

World's largest baseball bat!

The 2012 AECT International Convention planning team made a short (2 day) site visit to Louisville, KY in December 2011. We made visits to the Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Science Center, and marvelous attractions on Museum Row on Main. Prior to our tour of Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, we seized the opportunity to have our photo taken in front of the world’s largest baseball bat. The Galt House Hotel (our convention venue) was beautifully decorated for the holidays.  Walking through the hotel and checking-out the rooms needed for our concurrent sessions, panels, roundtables, and poster sessions, brought back many fond memories from our 2009 convention at the Galt House.  As a matter of fact, I still remembered many of the rooms and the presenters who used them (shades of Simonides and Method of Loci, I suppose?).

Speaking of rooms, staying at the Galt House also refreshed my memory about the spacious guest rooms in the Galt House. Not only are the guest rooms large (most notably the reasonably-priced suites), but they are also impeccably clean and comfortable. Hint: If you have some additional funds for your stay in Louisville, be sure to pay a little extra for a suite; it’s worth the price.

Hitting a home run with Big Pappi's bat.

On the planning end of things, our 2012 convention planning team (consisting of planners from divisions, affiliates, committees, and other partners) started working the last day of our Jacksonville convention and has already met via Adobe Connect. Division/affiliate descriptions have been updated and the All-Academic proposal submission site is up and running.  Soon, I hope you will take some time to prepare and submit a proposal (or two).  Doing so will reduce your stress as the March 2 closing date approaches. More importantly, getting your proposals submitted well in advance will reduce MY stress (and high blood pressure) as I wait for all of those last minute submissions. I'm excited about our 2012 convention. Let's knock it out of the park!

AECT President-Elect's Blog: Submission System is LIVE! AECT 2012 Internationa...

AECT President-Elect's Blog: Submission System is LIVE! AECT 2012 Internationa...: The submission system for AECT 2012 International Convention proposals is now LIVE and accepting your proposals. The gateway to submission...