Office of the CIO - College of Education at Illinois

Dear Colleagues,

I hope all of you had a productive and enjoyable break. As you know, the Office of the CIO contains the units that coordinate the various technology-focused activities of the college. We maintain and support the IT infrastructure, create database solutions that enhance our business processes, coordinate the growth of our online programs, and offer communications services. Beyond these core services, we are also responsible for providing support and encouraging innovation in our teaching. This issue of the OCIO newsletter highlights what the Learning Technology group is doing to enhance teaching and learning through technology. As you will see, our success depends on good working partnerships with our faculty and students.

Ready for Spring?

You may have noticed some changes as you began preparing your courses for Spring 2009!

Learn.ED, the College learning management system, underwent a facelift during the break in order to better fit with the College of Education Web site and the overall University brand. This new look and new address, however, won't affect the features that Learn.ED has offered on campus and off campus Education courses for over 5 years. You can find Learn.ED now at http://learn.education.illinois.edu/.

Many of you will be pleased to know that the classrooms in Room 42A and 176 Education had new projectors installed, replacing out of date and out of service projectors and returning the rooms to full service.

For those of you who work with preservice teacher candidates, we are continuing to provide digital portfolio support in Room 10 Education. The Learning Technologies staff are available to help faculty integrate portfolio development into the curriculum.

Technology Teasers

Want to interest your students in learning technologies? Ask for a technology teaser! Learning technologies staff will come into your classroom to share knowledge and skills on technologies that are particular to your content areas. For example, we can demonstrate to your students how to use a Pulse Pen, or the SmartBoard, in ways that engage and inspire them to meaningfully integrate technology. Contact Lynn Burdick in Room 10 (lburdick@illinois.edu) for a technology teaser.

Partnering for Preservice Teacher Education

This past Fall, the Learning Technologies group partnered with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction to provide secondary education majors opportunities to explore, create, and enhance their technology competencies. Through CI 335 these preservice students gained traditional technology skills such as the designing of electronic portfolios, which included creating digital media projects to showcase their philosophy of technology in teaching. They also were exposed to emergent technologies such as proscopes, probes, robots, and Smartboards. The secondary education methods instructors worked closely with the Learning Technologies group to ensure that the skills gained in CI 335 align with projects and other assignments they will face in their future courses.

Check out some of the eportfolios and teaching philosophy videos that were created by the C&I students:

Innovation in K12 Classrooms

I-LLINI Partnerships: Lifelong Learning IN Illinois for 21st Century Teachers
Learning Technology staff have partnered with faculty in C&I, Special Education, and LAS to provide innovative, needs-based professional development programs to create enhanced learning environments in high-needs schools. The ultimate goal of I-LLINI Partnerships is to increase student performance in mathematics, science, and information literacy through the evolution of the 21st Century classroom, and to strengthen partnerships among all stakeholders in teacher preparation to transform teacher education through the use of information and learning technologies. This three-year project, funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, provides relevant, standards-aligned professional development with a focus on the effective and creative use of new media and digital technologies to inform and evaluate instruction and student learning.

I-LLINI Partnerships faculty work with teachers and administrators from Danville District 118 Schools, Champaign Unit 4, Bloomington School District 87, Normal Unit 5 School District, and Urbana School District 116.

Podcasting with iTunes U at Illinois

When you see students walking on the Quad with headphones plugged in their ears, they may be studying for finals as well as listening to their favorite tunes. Illinois on iTunes U provides access to a wide range of Illinois-related digital audio content via the iTunes Store, Apple's popular online music, video, and podcast service. The Learning Technologies group is also working with the Bureau of Educational Research to deliver its Speaker Seminar Series and the Office of Student Academic Affairs to begin providing educational content to students.

Go to iTunes U at Illinois (link requires iTunes from Apple)

The Learning Technologies group has been an essential player in the creation of this new service at the University of Illinois. In collaboration with faculty across the Campus, we are developing ways to capture and deliver course materials, lectures, seminars, athletic updates, and other valuable information related to the University.

If you or your students want to get started with podcasting at Illinois, the Learning Technologies group can help you create your own podcasts, provide equipment recommendations, develop lesson plans for integrating podcasts, and more. Contact Mike Williams or Bob Croy in Room 10 Education for more information.

Scott D. Johnson
CIO and Associate Dean for Online Learning