Innovators In Online Learning: Introducing CareerSMARTZ–Career Guidance That Produces Problem-Solvers Capable Of Higher Levels Of Personal And Career Success

Another item from the inbox earlier today…

As difficult as it is, figuring out what to do is only part of the unknown faced by career planners. Other important questions include, “What’s your mission once you figure out a career direction?”, “Why do you want to pursue the career that you’ve chosen?”,  “Who will benefit from your work and why?”. Failing to answer all of these questions has resulted in many students and adults achieving lower levels of personal and career success than anticipated. The ramifications of such outcomes bear negatively on self, family, corporate America, and our society. Luckily, seasoned experts in career guidance, James Gonyea and Larry Goldsmith, have developed a program to help individuals maximize the personal rewards that can come from an intelligently chosen, properly undertaken, and purposefully-driven career, while also benefiting their career field and community. In this interview, James Gonyea will share the story behind the creation of CareerSMARTZ, a career guidance program, which he and Larry developed to guide high school and college students and adults in developing higher levels of career intelligence that in turn can produce higher levels of career success and personal satisfaction. He will share why he created this program and why he felt it was important to make it free and available via Open Educational Resources (OERs). This article is one of a series published in SoftChalk Talk, a blog covering timely issues related to all aspects of instructional design and published by SoftChalk LLC. Have a comment on this topic? Suggestions for future topics or interest in being a guest writer? Send me an email at natalie@softchalk.com. I look forward to hearing from you! Natalie Saltzberg www.softchalk.com www.softchalkcloud.com Like us on Facebook  •  Follow us on Twitter  •  Check out the SoftChalk Talk Blog

SoftChalk LLC 22 S. Auburn Ave. Richmond VA 23221  877-638-2425

Deliver Your High Quality Lessons Directly Inside Of Your School’s LMS

Another item from the early morning inbox.

You have a learning management system (LMS)—but is the content in your LMS course awesome, or is it meh? If you’re a college or university educator, instructional designer, or school administrator who is looking to upgrade the LMS course experience, look no more! In this webinar, we’ll show a fast and easy way for faculty to create high quality online lessons that are interactive and will engage students. Did we mention it’s FAST and EASY? You’ll also learn how you can deliver your lessons directly inside of your school’s learning management system (LMS). Register for a FREE webinar today and see how you can create a professional-looking, interactive, online lesson in an hour with SoftChalk Cloud! Friday, March 8 4:00PM ET Wednesday, March 20 3:00PM ET Tuesday, April 2 4:00PM ET We look forward to seeing you there! The SoftChalk Team www.softchalk.com www.softchalkcloud.com Like us on Facebook  •  Follow us on Twitter  •  Check out the SoftChalk Talk Blog

SoftChalk LLC 22 S. Auburn Ave. Richmond VA 23221  877-638-2425

FREE Webinar: How To Meet QM Standards With SoftChalk

Note this up-coming webinar next week.

March 5, 2019 — 1:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern This webinar is free and open to QM Members as well as non-members.

Quality courses use tools that engage all learners in multiple ways. In this webinar, you’ll hear how educators from Harford Community College and Athens State University use various SoftChalk features to create engaging and accessible courses that meet QM Standards. You will also see working examples from courses they built using SoftChalk tools — and how the QM Standards helped them to ensure the quality of their course design. Register Now Webinar Speakers Adam Fantom is an instructional design technologist at Harford Community College. He supports faculty in the development of academically compelling content using current and emerging technology trends. His current focus is on the development of accessible course content and the implementation of immersive learning environments. Adam has been a QM Peer Reviewer since 2008 and has participated in nearly 20 QM course reviews. Regina Roof-Ray is an assistant professor of psychology at Harford Community College. She utilizes engaging activities and varied instructional methods in both her face-to-face and online courses. Regina is co-chair of the Learning Assessment Committee and a founding organizer of the Mid-Atlantic Undergraduate Psychology Conference. Letitia Bergantz is an associate professor and instructional designer at Athens State University. Her current focus is on preparing teachers for the future by teaching technology and design courses. She also provides edTPA workshops to prepare teachers in the College of Education. Letitia is a QM-certified Peer Reviewer. Mark Gale is the director of academic technology services and an instructional designer at Athens State University. His office is responsible for the university’s Quality Matters Initiative which has led 22 QM-certified courses over the past 18 months. He has taught instructional design courses since 2012 and has been a QM-Certified Peer Reviewer since 2015. Looking to meet QM Standards in your course? Check out QM professional development on connecting learning objectives to assessments and improving learner engagement. Sign up for QM Live! Summer Camp for an interactive format focused on these topics. Quality Matters (QM) is an international, US-based non-profit organization specializing in standards, processes and professional development for quality assurance in online and blended learning. QM tools and resources are regularly revised to reflect current research and best practices. When you see QM Certification Marks on courses or programs, it means they have met QM Course Design Standards or QM Program Review Criteria in a rigorous review process.

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Tackling Textbook Affordability: Save Students $78K Using OERs

From the inbox at the end of the week…

Join us for our upcoming Innovators in Online Learning Webinar: Tackling Textbook Affordability: Save Students $78K using OERs As textbook prices are increasingly on the rise, students are having to make tough decisions when it comes to their education. Some are choosing not to purchase the required textbook in order to save money, but how does that impact their ability to learn? Four years ago, Dr. Tamara Powell and four other faculty members at Kennesaw State University were awarded a Textbook Transformation Grant and created a free, open textbook for their students. The textbook is online and interactive and is available anywhere for anyone in the world to use. By using this textbook in their classrooms, Dr. Powell and faculty are saving their students $78,000 from the student debt load each year. In this webinar, Dr. Tamara Powell and her team will give an update on the progress and additional impacts their Textbook Transformation Grant is having on their students and the student debt load. Get insights and best practices so you too can increase the success of your students! Presenters: Dr. Tamara Powell Ms. Tiffani Reardon Dr. Cassandra Race Dr. Monique Logan Dr. Jonathan Arnett For background information, check out our case study! You can also listen to their previous Innovator Webinar to see how it all started. Thursday, March 14 1:00PM ET We look forward to seeing you there! The SoftChalk Team www.softchalk.com www.softchalkcloud.com Like us on Facebook  •  Follow us on Twitter  •  Check out the SoftChalk Talk Blog

SoftChalk LLC 22 S. Auburn Ave. Richmond VA 23221  877-638-2425

Innovators In Online Learning: Student First-Year Experience Program

From Friday’s inbox…

Transitioning to higher education from high school can be overwhelming for students. It’s the first time they may really be on their own and fully responsible for their education. Add in the online aspect of it and students may not know where to begin. This is why many institutions have developed programs aptly named “First Year Experience (FYE)”. Generally, this includes an orientation of some kind as well as additional courses to help these first-year students succeed throughout their college journey. In this interview, we’ll hear from Lorrie Budd, Assistant Director of Student Life for First-Year Experience at the Community College of Baltimore County. She will share the origin of their FYE, her personal involvement in the program and its impact on students. This article is one of a series published in SoftChalk Talk, a blog covering timely issues related to all aspects of instructional design and published by SoftChalk LLC. Have a comment on this topic? Suggestions for future topics or interest in being a guest writer? Send me an email at natalie@softchalk.com. I look forward to hearing from you! Natalie Saltzberg www.softchalk.com www.softchalkcloud.com Like us on Facebook  •  Follow us on Twitter  •  Check out the SoftChalk Talk Blog

SoftChalk LLC 22 S. Auburn Ave. Richmond VA 23221  877-638-2425