Extension > Employees > Program Conference > Session descriptions
Session descriptions
View Conference Program (PDF)
Breakout Session One | Monday, 2:15-3:15 pm
scroll down for full session descriptions
| Education Delivery |
Program Priorities |
Working Effectively |
Personal Excellence |
Brand | Quick Bytes* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can I Use That? Important Copyright Issues for Educators (2-hrs) | I Didn't Know Acrobat Could do That! [materials] | Publicize, Promote, and Plug your Programs [slides] | Become a Better Educator without Leaving Your Desk [slides] | ||
| Conversation Café: Technology | Online Project Management |
Breakout Session TWO | Monday, 3:30-4:30 pm
scroll down for full session descriptions
| Education Delivery |
Program Priorities |
Working Effectively |
Personal Excellence |
Brand | Quick Bytes* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can I Use That? Important Copyright Issues for Educators (continued) | Building Your Team’s Conflict Fluency [handout] | Minnesota Communities: What do you see? | Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader [slides] | ||
| Strategies for Online/Blended Learning Environments | Developing Research-Based Extension Publications---How Easy it Is! |
Breakout Session THREE | Tuesday, 9:00-11:00 am
scroll down for full session descriptions
| Education Delivery |
Program Priorities |
Working Effectively |
Personal Excellence |
Brand | Quick Bytes* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sticky Teaching: Six Principles for Developing Memorable Curriculum | Staying Sane with a Social Media Plan [slides] | Collaboration with Google (Hands-On) | |||
| Designing for Learning: Principles to Achieve Transformational Learning |
Moodle 2.0: Creating Basic Course Websites (Hands-On) [workbook] |
Breakout Session FOUR | Tuesday, 1:30-2:30 pm
scroll down for full session descriptions
| Education Delivery |
Program Priorities |
Working Effectively |
Personal Excellence |
Brand | Quick Bytes* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creating Cutting Edge Curriculum [handouts 1] [handouts 2] | Panel Discussion: Educational Technologies | Capturing Impact for Promotion | Your Program's Value: Tell it like it matters | Do More Work in Less Time [slides] |
Breakout Session FIVE | Tuesday, 2:45-3:45 pm
scroll down for full session descriptions
| Education Delivery |
Program Priorities |
Working Effectively |
Personal Excellence |
Brand | Quick Bytes* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death by PowerPoint: Teaching More, Talking Less [handouts 1] [handouts 2] [Jeopardy template & directions] | Small Grants, Contracts, and Sponsorships ($500-3,000) | Preparing for Promotion | What's Happening on the Web [slides] | ||
| Planning and Hosting a Large-scale Web Conference [handouts] |
Breakout Session Descriptions
Breakout Session One | Monday, 2:15-3:15 pm
Can I Use That? Important Copyright Issues for Educators (2-hrs)
Nancy Sims, University of Minnesota Libraries
Educators often need to make use of articles, images, figures, and many other resources created by others. In this workshop, we'll discuss examples of copyright issues in visual arts, music, and video, as well as in academic teaching, research, and writing. We'll learn to identify situations where copyright answers may be somewhat straightforward. We'll also develop our understandings of the factors that determine whether a use is a "fair use" and practice assessing the complexities of fair use with real-world examples. The workshop is highly interactive, and includes entertaining and thought-provoking examples. Direct legal advice is not provided. Satisfies RCR continuing education awareness & discussion requirements.
Conversation Café: Technology
Small groups are given specific questions and the chance to have informal yet facilitated conversations about them. No subcommittees, no name-games, no book club book to read--just simple conversations about questions that matter to you. Ideas can be brainstormed, cross-pollinated, and explored as café-goers mix around the room. The focus for this year’s Cafe is Extension’s use of technology. More Information
I Didn't Know Acrobat Could do That! Achieving efficiencies in document assembly, publication, instruction, and collaboration
Bridget McNamara and Steve Adler, Adobe
An Adobe PDF is much more than a document destined for the print queue. When it comes to creating and enabling a PDF with underlying “intelligence,” Acrobat stands alone in improving educational processes in higher education; from creating research proposals and assembling instructional materials, to improving processes involving collaboration and rich media integration. This in-depth presentation will demonstrate how Acrobat can transform and repurpose existing materials for a more efficient environment for a number of common and complex tasks. Share your questions and successes and come see how everyone can maximize resources and time with the new interface and workflows in Acrobat X.
At the end of this session participants will understand:
- How Acrobat repurposes paper and digital documents
- Techniques for improving efficiencies in distributed environments
- The process of integrating and delivering diverse dynamic content in both single PDF documents or by using the new PDF portfolio tools.
- Data workflows using Acrobat’s versatile forms environment
- The key workflows for reducing time and material costs associated with common tasks
Materials shared by the instructors for this session:
- OnDemand Seminar on Acrobat X
- Adobe TV – free training and tutorials
- Adobe Ed Exchange
- Acrobat User Groups
- Steve’s YouTube Videos: Acrobat for Academics
Online Project Management
Allison Jacobsen, Business Applications Manager
There are many online and desktop tools available to help manage projects, collaborate with your co-workers, and organize your tasks. We'll compare and contrast Basecamp, Google sites, and paper forms in a demonstration and Q & A session, while discussing best project management practices. Find the best tools for you and your team to communicate well and to focus on your work.
Publicize, Promote, and Plug your Programs
Aimee Viniard Weideman, Director of Communications & Public Relations
Julie Christensen, Public Relations & News Media Manager
Are you ready to ratchet up the way you publicize your program, communicating the right offerings to the right people at the right time? Whether you’re trying to increase workshop attendance, sign more customers up for a monthly newsletter or advertise a new set of educational materials, here’s your opportunity to learn how to craft the right promotions mix. In this session, discover new ways you can use news media outlets, social media channels, and marketing materials to get the word out about your programs. You will learn best practices for publicizing your programs using Extension tools that will help you get the job done faster and more effectively.
Quick Bytes: Become a Better Educator without Leaving Your Desk
Amy Baker, Program Resources Director
The Quick Bytes sessions are short introductions on many topics in one session. This is a great session to pop in and out of when you have a few spare minutes. These topics will be covered during this block of Quick Bytes:
- Develop a professional learning network online,
- Update or create your professional online presence,
- Share your presentations on slideshare and presenter,
- Explore educational alternatives to the traditional lecture: Prezio TurningPoint ChimeIn podcast eNewsletter,
- Take an online course.
Breakout Session TWO | Monday, 3:30-4:30 pm
Can I Use That? Important Copyright Issues for Educators (continued)
see description above
Strategies for Online/Blended Learning Environments
Larry Coyle, Coordinator for Distance Education
What considerations should your program team take into account when redesigning your curricula for online or hybrid (online & face-to-face) delivery? What are first steps to take? What resources will it require…for implementation as well as design and development? This session will outline the process, identify available University resources, and give you the tools to plan for a successful project.
Developing Research-Based Extension Publications---How Easy it Is!
Denise A. Guerin, PhD, Professor, College of Design
An on-line, easy-to-use tool will be demonstrated and tied to developing just the right information for Extension publications. The focus is on design and people…how to use research to inform people about interiors, housing, aging-in-place, children and obesity, healthy homes…and the list goes on. Several new publications will be presented that were developed for Extension using this tool.
Minnesota Communities: What do you see?
Wing Young Huie, Photographer and Artist
And now for something completely different: join us for an interactive, thought-provoking session with celebrated photographer Wing Young Huie. Wing creates up-to-the-minute societal mirrors of who we are, seeking to reveal not only what is hidden, but also what is plainly visible and seldom noticed. His insightful photographs of our Minnesota communities help frame this interactive dialogue about the complexities of cultural and personal perceptions. Explore contrasting points of view when Wing shares photographs that are open to interpretation and asks participants, “What do you see?” He then facilitates a dialogue before revealing the true stories behind the photographs.
Share your point of view in both interactive and self-reflective exercises. Consider how your perceptions may differ from others, and how you can apply this perspective to how you engage with people in your life and work. You will leave this memorable session looking at both photographs and your community with new eyes.
Building Your Team’s Conflict Fluency
Rosie Barry, Assistant Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Office of Human Resources
description coming soon
In this session you will be introduced to the concept of conflict fluency, which focuses on what can you do individually and as a team to be intentional and effective in handling the conflict that inevitably comes up in life. We will introduce a model to understand what might really be going on, look at individual style differences, and look at some techniques to get past the drama and move to understanding. You will leave this session with strategies you will use to get more out of your own day-to-day teamwork.
Quick Bytes: Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
Amy Baker, Program Resource Director
The Quick Bytes sessions are short introductions on many topics in one session. This is a great session to pop in and out of when you have a few spare minutes. These topics will be covered during this block of Quick Bytes:
- Learn what an app really is,
- Use a smart phone,
- Take a twit pic,
- Learn how to Skype,
- Google Chat with someone,
- Fix your facebook privacy settings,
- Edit a movie with free software,
- Explore iTunes U.
Breakout Session THREE | Tuesday, 9:00-11:00 am
Sticky Teaching: Six Principles for Developing Memorable Curriculum
Kristen Mastel, Outreach Librarian
Every teacher knows that students rapidly forget large amounts of the information provided in lectures.. How can one create “sticky” teaching messages that will be both memorable and useful to learners? In this session, six principles from the book Made to Stick (Heath & Heath, 2008) will be adapted to a teaching and learning environment through a host of relevant examples and problems. Instructors can make repeated use of these principles to guide and conduct their teaching in any discipline.
Designing for Learning: Principles to Achieve Transformational Learning
Aaron Doering, Co-Director, UM Learning Technologies Media Lab
Dr. Aaron Doering advocates for a closer look at the design of online learning environments and how they can be used to improve teaching and learning. Through an approach called Adventure Learning, Doering will showcase how online learning can engage learners at a transformational level through presenting principles that you can use in your educational projects and contexts. Doering will speak about his experiences crossing the circumpolar Arctic over the past five years delivering an online education program to millions of students worldwide. He will also showcase GeoThentic, a collaboration with the National Geographic Society, that aims to engage teachers and students in solving authentic geographical problems by using geospatial technologies. Lastly, Doering will highlight new projects that you can get involved with, such as the new Earthducation project. You’ll leave this inspirational session with principles you can use and examples you’ll long remember.
Staying Sane with a Social Media Plan
Nicole Harrison, Principal/Social Media and Interactive Communications Specialist, SocialNicole, LLC
How do we embrace social media effectively? What is the best way to decide which tools to use? And, how can busy education professionals make time to implement their use? This session will provide participants with the tools and perspective to better navigate the social-media revolution, and will include a fun, fast overview of some of the most popular social-media tools and guidelines for using social media to support program goals and build visibility.
[A similar presentation of Nicole's on Slideshare]
Moodle 2.0: Creating Basic Websites (Hands-On)
Ellen Thayer, Moodle Application Support, Office of Information Technology
(Limited to 20 participants, participants must supply their own laptop)
Participants will learn how to build a basic site containing course content and collaborative activities. Topics include:
- choosing the format and initial settings for a new site
- uploading basic content files
- adding web links to external sites
- creating content within Moodle using the built-in HTML editor
- examining and creating various types of discussion forums
- organizing content and adjusting site layout
- understanding method of enrolling students
- requesting a new site
[Workbook]
Collaboration with Google (Hands-On)
Karen Matthes, Organizational Training Director
(Limited to 20 participants, participants must supply their own laptop)
This workshop will demonstrate how easy it is to collaborate on a project with different people, and how the different applications are designed to facilitate this goal. This workshop focuses on Google documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, organizing docs, Chat, and Google Sites.
Breakout Session FOUR | Tuesday, 1:30-2:30 pm
Creating Cutting Edge Curriculum
Deb Wingert, Early Career Coordinator, UM Center for Teaching and Learning
Do you need to plan a class session, workshop, presentation or course and feel uncertain about where to start? Then join us for this engaging session to create lesson plans and overall curriculum that WORKS! Attendees will develop a piece of their chosen curriculum, based on a simple, and guaranteed-to-succeed template; included will be a small packet of resources for each attendee to support and continue their cutting-edge curriculum development, revision, and use in a variety of educational settings.
[Handouts part 1] and [Handouts part 2]
Panel Discussion: Educational Technologies
Moderator: Larry Coyle
Here is your chance to hear what technologies are truly being used by innovators in the field of education. The panelists will discuss tools, strategies, and challenges relevant to technology enhanced learning. Some starter questions will discuss engagement, challenges, and recommendations. Bring your questions!
The panelists are:
- Nicole Harrison, Principal/Social Media and Interactive Communications Specialist, SocialNicole, LLC
- Brad Cohen, Director, OIT Collaborative for Academic Technology
- Aaron Doering, Co-Director, UM Learning Technologies Media Lab
Capturing Impact for Promotion
Tom Bartholomay, Scott Chazdon, Mary Marczak, and Kate Walker, Extension Evaluation Team
As part of the promotion process, Extension educators are expected to show the impact of their programmatic efforts, but the nature of Extension's work is complex and evolving, and impacts are often difficult to capture using traditional methods. This session will introduce a promising follow-up group process designed to capture the intended and unintended ripple effects of our efforts within complex, real-life settings.
Your Program's Value: Tell it like it matters
Laura Kalambokidis, Associate Professor and Extension Economist
Aimee Viniard-Weideman, Assistant Dean and Communications Director
Have you ever had a great opportunity to tell someone who matters about the value of your program ---but you just didn’t have the right words at the right time? Do you need a little help making the case for how your Extension program makes a difference in Minnesota? Here’s your chance to develop key messages you can share with key stakeholders about the pubic value of your program. Laura Kalambokidis has trained Extension faculty members across the country to develop messages that matter. Take advantage of this opportunity to participate in an abbreviated version of her nationally recognized program and learn new ways to influence your key stakeholders.
Quick Bytes: Do More Work in Less Time
Amy Baker, Program Resource Director
The Quick Bytes sessions are short introductions on many topics in one session. This is a great session to pop in and out of when you have a few spare minutes. These topics will be covered during this block of Quick Bytes:
- Start borrowing content,
- Organize your vita (refworks/Zotero),
- Email your voicemails,
- Use Evernote or Onenote,
- Setup a grant search alert,
- Collaborate with Moodle
- Use tools of the modern library.
Breakout Session FIVE | Tuesday, 2:45-3:45 pm
Death by PowerPoint: Teaching More, Talking Less
Deb Wingert, Early Career Coordinator, UM Center for Teaching and Learning
Have you experienced any PowerPoint presentations that leave you fatigued, bored, mentally maimed and/or lifeless? Then this session is for you! This highly interactive session will focus on cutting-edge, research-based teaching tips and strategies that both energize and engage diverse groups of students, while deepening their learning, understanding and overall mastery of essential knowledge and competencies.
[Handouts part 1] and [Handouts part 2]
How to make a Jeopardy game: [PowerPoint Template] and [Directions]
Planning and Hosting a Large-scale Web Conference
Todd Mehrkens, Director of Information Technology Services, Center for Youth Development
Karen Matthes, Organizational Training Director
Hosting a large web conference can be relatively easy with Adobe Connect but providing the advance preparation and support to ensure a quality interactive event can be a challenge. Whether you are planning a conference, seminar or training workshop, larger events require more time and effort to be successful. For such meetings it is important to have a plan. Depending on how many are attending, what the meeting is about and how important it is, you may need to begin planning several months in advance. In this workshop we will share strategies and lessons learned in what it takes to prepare for a large web conference, supporting the engagement and participation of a large audience and ways you can ensure it will be a successful event.
[Handouts]
Small Grants, Contracts, and Sponsorships ($500-3,000)
Panel members: David Werner, Madonna Monette, Debbie Drange and Dianne Sivald
Congratulations, you just secured a $1,500 contribution for your program! Attend this session and find out if congratulations are truly in order. This workshop will look at what questions to ask when being offered or securing funds of smaller magnitude. Is it a small grant? a contract for professional service? a gift or sponsorship? We'll leave you with some tips and ideas for considering acceptance/denial of the financial gift and how to make sure, once accepted, it is processed to maximize its intended purpose.
Preparing for Promotion
Moderator: Trish Olson
A brief and informative presentation will outline how you could be preparing for promotion, from gathering documentation to looking at each criteria. A special look will be given at three creative ways to capture engagement, an often confusing criterion. Following the presentations, a panel will discuss promotion questions and issues. You will leave this session with the information and tools you need to make preparing for promotion part of your everyday work.
Quick Bytes: What's Happening on the Web?
Danny Sussman, Info Tech Professional
The Quick Bytes sessions are short introductions on many topics in one session. This is a great session to pop in and out of when you have a few spare minutes. These topics will be covered during this block of Quick Bytes:
- What works on the web: What does a great website look like? We'll take a look at a two great websites, and talk discuss what makes them each great.
- What's happening on the Extension Website: A quick tour of some key pages of the Extension website.
- Social media community: Danny will discuss how NASA is using social media to build communities and spread the word about science.
- What's next for the web? by Rebecca Noran. Get inspired by trends and developments where communications and technology meet, and how they might apply to Extension. [Slides]
