2012 marks the eighth year and counting for the annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning. The event aims to meet the professional needs of UofL’s faculty members while fostering educational excellence and empowering them to provide the best learning experiences for their students.
“The conference is an opportunity for faculty from across the institution to come together to have meaningful conversations about how technology is transforming teaching, and what we as educators can do to use it effectively in our courses,” said Marie Kendall Brown, assistant director for teaching and learning at the Delphi Center. “We want to provide the university’s educators with the tools and best practices they need to obtain the learning outcomes they want and those that students need.”
According to the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” 98 percent of students use text messaging as their main form of communication. OnlineEducation.net found that 96 percent of college students use Facebook. Twitter reports that it experienced a 186 percent increase in the number of mobile users over the past year. And, just last week, Apple released its plan to transform education by partnering with top publishers to digitize textbooks.
“In this evolving digital landscape, students are continuing to adopt new technologies at a rapid rate. These technologies provide educators with the opportunity to reach their students in new ways.” Brown said. Celebration 2012 seeks to explore both teaching and learning in digital environments.
In addition to keynote speaker Cynthia Selfe, technology innovator and professor at The Ohio State University, UofL faculty will lead concurrent sessions throughout the day that aim to share best practices and practical applications for using instructional technology in the college classroom. During the conference, participants will have the opportunity for hands-on application. Also, new this year, spaces are being reserved for GTAs to participate in the conference through a competitive application process directed by the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Celebration 2012: Envisioning Teaching and Learning will take place, Friday, Feb. 10, on Shelby Campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get more information or register.