Every year various CNM Faculty and Staff attend professional development conferences.  We return inspired and educated, but what do we actually do differently once we return?  Do we take what we’ve learned and apply it to our work?  Do we share our new knowledge?


BIT Faculty: Sonia Crawford, Diana Santiago

In Spring of 2007 two BIT instructors, Sonia Crawford and Diana Santiago, attended a conference so they could learn about the latest technology and how it was changing the way students can collaborate in the IT classes.  They learned about wikis, podcasting, vodcasting, the Second Life virtual environment and some of the latest social networking venues making their way into education.  Upon their return they reviewed the IT 1010 and IT 1020 classes to identify how they could innovate the classes they were delivering to improve the experience for their students. 

Diana has incorporated the use of existing educational podcasts (i.e. Grammar Girl) that her students download and listen to as they relate to assignments in her IT 1010 class.  Her classes also discuss and debate the implications of using Second Life as a classroom.

In Sonia’s IT 1020 class she implemented several group projects in which her students worked collaboratively on developing a wiki, podcasting, creating and marketing a web product and writing a business plan for a gaming center.  Once they have completed the work of planning for their fictitious gaming center they took a class trip to a local gaming center, where the owner reviewed his business plan with the students.  Much to their surprise there was overlap in their projects and his actual business plan.  The trip was such a success.  Sonia is now thinking about ways to include a service learning project for the students.

Attending the conference gave these instructors a chance to see some cutting edge technology and how others were starting to use it.  It helped them to think about new ideas for their classes.  Their innovation is in the implementation of these new ideas into their classes here at CNM. Hopefully their story will inspire you to think about how you can apply your new learnings to your work.

Quotation

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

             –Martin Luther King Jr.

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At-your-desk Learning
Learn or improve your technology skills right at your desk

How is your mental acuity?  Do you ever take time out to exercise your brain's memory, reflex or creativity? 

For this week's learning at your desk we are providing you with an educational website that is dedicated to brain training.  Play responsibly and enjoy.

http://www.brainmetrix.com/index.htm

About Organizational Learning The Organizational Learning Division's mission is to create professional development pathways for college employees that support the strategic mission of CNM and contribute in meaningful ways to college personnel’s lifelong learning and job enrichment. For more information about Organizational Learning or any of its events, contact:
	Jean Montaño Admin. Coordinator	224-4400 jmontano@ cnm.edu
	Greg Casaus Director	224-4244 gcasaus6@ cnm.edu
	Eleanor Radius Director	224-4237 elarm@ cnm.edu
	Kayleigh Carabajal Executive Director	224-4401 kcarabajal@ cnm.edu