The Delta Star Academy
- Education Reform
- New Frontier Learning Environments
- ETPDL
- Meet Mike and Krista
- ETPDL Seminars & Courses
- ETPDL Conference Presentations
The rapidly changing needs of the New Economy demand rapid changes in the way we teach students. Existing and emergent technologies, coupled with quality instruction, have transformative power. The Delta Star Academy, was founded by myself and Krista Carter in 2008. It is dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning by providing our learning community with timely, efficient and effective resources that promote student achievement.
In science and technology, delta indicates change. The movement from delta to delta star signifies excited change. Undoubtedly technology has changed education, our goal is to continue that movement to excited change and educational reform. This project originated as a faculty professional development and learning site for iStep trained faculty. However, demand grew so fast, we expanded our inclusion to an affiliation of instructional faculty committed to the reform of classroom dynamics, advancement of student learning and the development of quality pedagogy, supported by 21st century technology.
“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.” ~Kurt Vonnegut
Educational technology can contribute to academic excellence by fostering greater interaction and collaboration, encouraging active learning strategies, increasing student engagement with course materials, streamlining course administration, and developing students' skills for future learning and work. But embracing educational technology is not enough to create new frontier learning environments.
Faculty must also communicate in the language and dynamic style of today’s students. This doesn’t imply changing the meaning of what is important or what constitutes good thinking. But it does mean going faster, less step-by-step, more in parallel, and with more random access to learning content. With such an evolutionary change in direction comes a need for quality professional development. Participating in educational technology professional development and learning activities will help develop and sharpen those skills necessary to keeping us relevant in the classroom.
Educational technology professional development and learning (ETPDL) is as much a part of our workload and responsibility as instruction. However, the model for professional development and learning has changed without many of us realizing it or taking advantage of it. The advancement of Web 2.0 tools makes the opportunities for professional development easily accessible to even the most basic computer users.
Educational Technology Professional Development Learning - More with less …
Restructuring and budget cuts reduce professional development time to a minimum forcing us to do more with less. We need to get the most out of shrinking resources and maximize our ability to engage learners, or as Leo Babauta has said, we need to harness the “power of less.” The answer is simplicity and focus: leveraged use of forums, blogs, wikis, podcasts, tweets, and educational learning communities allow development of new skills with support from peer experts.
The Delta Star Academy was founded by reformist faculty who understand and believe in the transformative power of mediated technology in education. Specially trained in blending technology, the creative arts and the classroom, we strive to provide leadership and service to improve teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of instructional technology and the development of quality pedagogy. We have conducted research, piloted studies, presented keynotes, conference sessions, and faculty workshops.
In our online and face-2-face educator courses, workshops and seminars we can generate dialogue, learn, share and grow in our understanding of the digitally mediated classroom. Working together we can create learning environments designed to develop engaged intentional learners prepared for life and work in the 21st century. These are the times when the most exciting and interesting things happen. Join our community of passionate educators. The more you participate, the more you grow.
Teaching with Technology
There’s a wealth of web technology available to adventurous educators today. Some of it can greatly enrich the learning experience … but not all of it will. Some tools aren’t particularly useful… Some can be downright harmful!
It’s important to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Find out what the best web-based tools are for today’s classroom—and how you can integrate them into your courses—in
Teaching with Technology, is a 15 hour three-module online course that delivers an in-depth review of classroom web technology.
Each module in Teaching with Technology covers an important aspect of “eLearning.” Whether you’re teaching online, face-to-face, or in hybrid courses, you’ll discover how technology can help students become active learners, contributing and collaborating in meaning.
Online Teaching, Design and Development
This online course introduces you to critical e-Learning teaching concepts and gives you the tools you need to get your classes on a Learning Management System (LMS) successfully. You'll discover a process for getting getting quality content, a reasonable workload and efficient course management onto your LMS. You'll gain a solid grasp of online best practices — and be warned off a few "worst practices," as well. This five (5) week, 45 hour e-course, provides for the seamless integration of instructional material onto a learning management platform. In this course learners’ assignments are all linked to digital resources that they may need to build for their e-course. Learners will have their own course site built into the sandbox LMS. Learners will not receive particular LMS training per se but will focus on the pedagogical issues and practices in eLearning which is central to creating the effective online course. Recommended of all instructors wanting to put digitally mediated classes on and LMS.
Dramatic Presentation for Dramatic Learning
Taking the next step in 21st century instruction is based on a curriculum created in collaboration with the Education Department at the Denver Center Theatre Academy. It is designed to enhance faculty expertise and experience in public speaking, performance, and oration. This one day face-to-face training is designed to enhance instructional delivery in traditional settings also permits that experience to be translated into digital terms for mediated instruction.
Learning That Sticks
What does a man waking up in a bathtub of ice have to do with teaching and learning? Join us in this Blended training format to find out! Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, we will draw extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, to focus on 'stickiness', the art of making ideas unforgettable. We start with some of the more notorious urban legends. What makes such stories memorable and ensures their spread around the globe? The answer can help impact learning at deep levels.
Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling
Educators at all levels can use Digital Storytelling in many ways, from introducing new material to helping students learn to conduct research, synthesize large amounts of content and gain expertise in the use of digital communication and authoring tools. The term "digital storytelling" is used to describe a wide variety of new media production practices. What best describes our approach is its emphasis on personal voice and facilitative teaching methods. Many of the stories made in our workshops are directly connected to the images collected in life's journey. But our primary concern is encouraging thoughtful and emotionally direct writing. This method can help students organize their ideas as they learn to create stories for an audience, and present their ideas and knowledge in an individual and meaningful way. In this five day, 45 hour workshop, you will be introduced to various considerations of using digital video in teaching that includes hands-on activity, doing some basic edits to a captured video.
Developing Your Video Presence
Join Krista and Mike as they share their experience with the Denver Center Theatre Academy and show you how to conduct yourself on camera and make a positive impression in front of the lens. This course covers basic issues like posture, eye contact, vocal tone, and choosing the right clothing and makeup. We also explain how to move across the stage fluidly and handle props, as well as what to do when you make the inevitable mistake.
Creating and Editing Voice Over/Audio for Educators
Students are more engaged in the e-class with the use of sound, so why make it an after thought? Learn the “how to’s” of creating a voice-over recording. This voice-over “workout” is designed to help participants hone their skills and explore techniques to increase the versatility of their voice recordings and making correct voice-over choices for audio and podcasts. You will learn to analyze and act out material, provide self direction and find your true sound. We will address what to expect in audio recording and provide time on the microphone with feedback and direction in a safe environment.
Additionally, this two day workshop will shed light on your audio editing software interface and reveal it's editing tools so that you can manipulate sound, create music and much more. This workshop will show you how to polish your course audiocasts to perfection. Also learn how to create a podcast for the LMS. The real focus is to go over voice enhancements and editing.
Creating and Editing Video Standups for Educators
Are you looking to improve your performance skills, so you project a stronger presence on the LMS and the Interactive Live Classroom? Would you like to become a more confident and conversational speaker in front of a video camera? Learning to be “in the moment,” eliminates paralysis in front of the video camera allowing you to be comfortable and confident in your presentations. This workshop is like media training on steroids! You'll learn practical techniques for refining your message. Whether you need help writing a script, or perfecting your video performance skills, this class will deliver.
In this two day workshop you will apply presentation skills directly to working with a camera. We will explore performance techniques, how they translate onto the visual show you how to create your video and polish your Interactive Live Classroom presentation.
Fundamentals of iBook Author for Educators
Start repurposing your existing classroom materials into iBooks Author projects. In this three hour course we will show how to leverage the templates and intuitive toolset in iBooks Author to create custom course material. We show how to import your content from Microsoft Office and other sources; use fonts, images, audio, and video to build an engaging ebook; format special content like math and science equations; and ensure you have permission to use content in your projects. And since time is always at a premium for educators we share our personal efficiency tips and tricks for making the most of your time.
Up and Running with Canvas
Canvas is an open-source learning management system (LMS) for K–12 and higher-education used by learning institutions around the world. This workshop provides the skills and knowledge instructors need to build a course, add students, and facilitate online learning and digital literacy through Canvas. Mike and Krista will show you how to build a teacher profile, create a class, add assignments and quizzes, and use SpeedGrader to streamline the grading process. We also explore how to reinforce collaboration with online discussions, enlist co-teachers, and access your class on the go with the Canvas and SpeedGrader apps for iOS.
Blended Learning
Creating and Teaching in the Unthethered Classroom
Blended learning is not the same as technology-rich instruction. It goes beyond one-to-one computers and high-tech gadgets. Blended learning involves leveraging the Internet to afford each student a more personalized learning experience, meaning increased student control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of his or her learning. The purpose of this Seminar is to introduce and prepare faculty who are designing and teaching a blended course for the first time or in need of some refresher training to work with a cohort of like minded people. We conduct this faculty development seminar in a very simple blended course format, combining a half day face-to-face sessions that allows participants to focus on critical aspects of course development with discussion of various issues that may be encountered, with online pre-seminar activities and online practice assignments that focus on the integration of technology into the curriculm. (5 hours)
Technical Requirements: Participants must have access to a computer, Internet connection and access to their Learning Management System.
The Fundamentals of Teaching with Technology
Put the "tech" into your teaching. In this 3 hour course learn how to use technology to enhance course design, lesson planning, presentations, in-class activities, assessments, and student achievement and engagement. In this seminar we explain how learning outcomes can be adapted to support technology in the classroom, as we guide educators through the process of selecting the appropriate technology for their activity, module, or class. Then we show how to apply technology in three key areas: finding, creating, and sharing content with students; facilitating classroom activities; and assessing learning inside the classroom or online.
Laughing and Learning: Using Humor to Engage Students
Humor can change lives and relationships. In this presentation, Mike and Krista, helps us better understand why we laugh and how we use humor in our everyday lives: to protect, attack, connect, and distract. We go on to explain how humor can be used strategically in the classroom to help relieve tension, shift perspectives, bring students together, and learn more effectively and provides tips and tricks for both evaluating and expanding your humor skill set.
Unscripted Learning with Applied Improv
Improv theater was designed to help actors solve problems on stage. In this presentation, facilitators, Mike and Krista, bring their experience with the Denver Center Theatre Academy and demonstrate how to use the skills, practices, and mindset of improv to develop critical classroom qualities of presence, acceptance, and trust. We share some games you can play with your students or faculty to "practice spontaneity" and incorporate the improv mindset into your everyday life.
Our success with the Delta Star Academy is built on the foundation that words can change lives. Besides introducing others to new ideas and experiences, we get the opportunity to build long-term relationships with really great people. When invited to present at an ETPDL Conference we commit to bringing presentations of substance that offer take away value, along with being entertaining, interesting and informative.
It's been said, “everyone has a story to tell.” Stories have been used for centuries to entertain, enlighten and educate individuals and groups. The social element of stories allows students to step out of their own lives and see things from new perspectives. This technique has been long recognized as a powerful learning tool. Digital storytelling is a vehicle we use to increase information literacy, writing, and computer technology skills so our students are actively engaged in the learning process through face-to-face and online collaboration. Multimodal literacy creates knowledge and enhances learning with students being active participants in the digital universe.
Digital storytelling offer students another way to reflect on and articulate their understanding of course concepts, increase retention, promote meaning as well as bring clarity and understanding to complex topics, while building community in the classroom and beyond. In this session we will discuss pedagogies and ways to incorporate digital storytelling into the instructional design of college courses. Student digital stories will be showcased.
Click on link to view a video of this presentation
Under pressure to present students with greater opportunities at lower cost, educators may find that offering courses to learners through interactive online education effectively enlarges the course catalog and students’ worldview at the same time. Building a meaningful educational experience online takes more than simply moving existing Powerpoints and assignments to the Internet. Join our discussion and explore what creative educators must know to provide optimal distance learning environments.
Inherently fascinating, learning games and virtual worlds can bring realistic and engaging learning opportunities to your courses. Games bring the promise of a motivating and enjoyable learning environment because the activities and sensibilities are powerful, offering an opportunity to move beyond standard thinking and routines. They create spaces where new ideas and relationships can emerge, often in unexpected ways. Importantly, games and simulations have changed the way our students learn, socialize and problem solve. Best of all, students LOVE them! However, few educators and distance education programs are positioned to take full advantage of these intriguing, new possibilities. Still, simple elegant games and virtual worlds create a powerful opportunity for the most experimental educators to step forward and lead the field in designing truly original and motivating learning experiences for the next generation of college students.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act has created a lot of concern and discussion of the costly and complex changes required in the e-learning environment, particularly in the areas of academic integrity and student authentication. Understand what the terms of the HEOA means to you.
Click on this link to view a video of the presentation
Educations’ labored notion that longer classes and extended academic years equal more learning imprisons faculty and students by the boundaries of clocks, calendars and classrooms. For many, the measurement of student and instructor performance continues in terms of time and space instead of the competencies that promote and enhance student learning. Continuing this time and space debate deflects from the real issue of instructional quality. In today’s economic climate this conversation becomes even more relevant as Universities and Colleges consider reducing time toward degree completion, with ideas such as a three-year bachelor degree.
Embracing learning technology and better management of time in the classroom is only the beginning the continued success and advancement of Blended Learning leads us to conclude that this concept is key to the 21st century classroom. When done well, it can improve student engagement, learning and success. Designing, structuring, and implementing a blended course, isn’t simply a matter of moving written material onto the class website. The media-enhanced instruction must be carefully choreographed and engaging. It must reflect the instructor’s personality and the best of their delivery style regardless of the delivery platform. Blending emerging technology with the creative arts help faculty create a rich learning environment that combines the strongest features of traditional and online teaching. Once technology is seen as a normal part of the learning process, ed-tech buzzwords loose relevance, students are simply learning. In this session we will show the pedagogical benefits and practical advantages of Blended learning with the creative and digital arts.
Click on this link to view a video of this presentation.
The existential world of Education has long labored under the notion that longer classes and extended academic years equal more learning. Imprisoned by the boundaries of clocks, calendars and classrooms the measurement of student and instructor performance continue in terms of time and space instead of the competencies that promote and enhance student learning. Continuation of this time and space debate deflects from the real issue, instructional quality. Adopting the transcendental idea that the answer is not more class time - but less - wherein more engagement and learning occurs - liberates faculty and students from the constraints of time and space. We can altered the pace and character of instruction and blend the technology of the Learning management platform for more efficient use of time to promote effective learning while shortening the class calendar or simply reducing traditional face-to-face seat time. But embracing learning technology and better management of time in the classroom was only the beginning.
Click on this link to view a video of this presentation
Untethered Learning
Untethered Learning provides experiences that transcend the physical boundaries of the classroom walls and allow the students to personalize their education. By combining the best of face-to-face instruction with online learning technology, untethered approaches to learning can contribute to better learning outcomes. One way untethered courses do this is by increasing student engagement through creative uses of technology-before, during and after class. Explore and brainstorm the many opportunities that you can use to structure and implement this strategy in your class.
If you have never used a Wiki before, be prepared for a bit of Culture Shock. The beauty of a Wiki is in the freedom, simplicity and collaborative power that it offers you, your students and colleagues to organize and share information, showcase work, and collaborate in and out of the classroom. Learn the basics and the rich learning possibilities it holds for you?
Examine how to create an effective and continuous improvement approach for designing and maintaining online courses. Learn to recognize data needed to improve online courses and instruction. Also discover how to gather the information necessary to determine which changes need to be made.
The growth of Internet resources allow students access to an incredible amount of information. What students lack are the skills to analyze, apply and make meaning of this data. This fundamental paradigm shift changes our role as central content provider and permits us to accelerate our courses over less time. This is not a simple task, it requires a re-evaluation of methodology, a syllabi revision and most importantly what course content to exclude. Join us and embrace the future of learning.
In this presentation you'll be introduced to the concept of Pecha Kucha (pe-chak-cha); the Japanese inspired rapid fire presentation mode with each speaker presenting 20 slides, each on screen for 20 seconds. This "flash" presentation will focus on ten (10) post-Web 2.0 apps for instructional use by educators.
Defying Time and Space - Adventures in Blended Learning
Blended learning courses make better use of time and space on campuses today. By combining the best of face-to-face instruction with online learning technology, blended approaches can reduce time on campus while contributing to better learning outcomes by involving students more actively with course material.
The Power of Procrastination: Blending Technology, The Creative Arts and Learning
Blended learning should be key to the 21st century classroom. When done well, it can improve student engagement, learning and success. For Colby Community College, latecomers to e-Learning, the “traditional vs. online” debate wasn’t an either or proposition; the best teaching involved both. Blending emerging technologies with the creative arts helped our faculty create a rich learning environment that combines the best features of traditional face-to-face and online teaching. Once technology was seen as a normal part of the learning process, ed-tech buzzwords lost relevance, students were simply learning. The session will discuss the pedagogical benefits and practical advantages of blended learning.
Click here to review this presentation
Visual Understanding Tools for Educators
How can educators develop the skills and disposition requisite for delivering a 21st century education to a group of diverse learners? How can classroom teachers expand their repertoire to better engage their most struggling students? Visual Understanding is a teaching method that enables students to develop aesthetic and language literacy and critical thinking skills, while providing teachers with powerful tools that support teaching and learning. Discover how these tools provide a flexible visual environment for structuring, presenting, and sharing digital information, and the relationships that exists between concepts, ideas and content. In this session we will:
• Review the concept of Visual Understanding
• Learn the process for integrating Visual Understanding into the classroom
• Look at some resources
• Explore ideas for enhancing student learning
Visualizations in the form of diagrams, charts, drawings, pictures, and a variety of other ways can help students understand complex information. Visuals add a richness and depth to a conversation that words alone don’t have. They help us get to the heart of the matter very quickly and bypass the same old stories and ideas that keep us stuck.
At the 2013 eduKan Conference Krista and Mike presented at sessions entitled Accelerated Learning and Visual Thinking Strategies. In our follow-up virtual session we present to you a few of the technology tools introduced during those sessions.
Click here to view the Visual Thinking Tools webinar
Fundamentals of iBooks Author for Teachers Workshop
Start repurposing your existing classroom materials into iBooks Author projects. In this 3 hour session, Krista Carter and Michael Thompson show how to leverage the templates and intuitive toolset in iBooks Author to create custom course material. They show how to import your content from Microsoft Office and other sources; use fonts, images, audio, and video to build an engaging ebook; format special content like math and science equations; and ensure you have permission to use content in your projects. And since time is always at a premium for teachers, they share their personal efficiency tips and tricks for making the most of your time.
The Neuroscience of Learning
Tap into your hidden potential, with discoveries from the neuroscience of learning. We introduce you to the latest research from Harvard, Stanford, and other leading research institutions and explain how the brain processes and stores new information. We introduce the three-phase model of learning and the secrets to developing neural pathways so that learning sticks. Intended for both those who teach and those who learn, this presentation is a fun and enlightening journey through the learning process.
Up and Running with Canvas
Canvas is an open-source learning management system (LMS) for K–12 and higher-education used by learning institutions around the world. This workshop provides the skills and knowledge instructors need to build a course, add students, and facilitate online learning and digital literacy through Canvas. Mike and Krista will show you how to build a teacher profile, create a class, add assignments and quizzes, and use SpeedGrader to streamline the grading process. We also explore how to reinforce collaboration with online discussions, enlist co-teachers, and access your class on the go with the Canvas and SpeedGrader apps for iOS.
The Fundamentals of Teaching with Technology
Put the "tech" into your teaching. In this 3 hour course learn how to use technology to enhance course design, lesson planning, presentations, in-class activities, assessments, and student achievement and engagement. In this seminar we explain how learning outcomes can be adapted to support technology in the classroom, as we guide educators through the process of selecting the appropriate technology for their activity, module, or class. Then we show how to apply technology in three key areas: finding, creating, and sharing content with students; facilitating classroom activities; and assessing learning inside the classroom or online.
Laughing and Learning: Using Humor to Engage Students
Humor can change lives and relationships. In this presentation, Mike and Krista, use their experience with the Denver Center Theatre Academy and help you better understand why we laugh and how we use humor in our everyday lives: to protect, attack, connect, and distract. We go on to explain how humor can be used strategically in the classroom to help relieve tension, shift perspectives, bring students together, and learn more effectively and provides tips and tricks for both evaluating and expanding your humor skill set.
Unscripted Learning with Applied Improv
Improv theater was designed to help actors solve problems on stage. In this presentation, facilitators, Mike and Krista, bring their experience with the Denver Center Theatre Academy and demonstrate how to use the skills, practices, and mindset of improv to develop critical classroom qualities of presence, acceptance, and trust. We share some games you can play with your students or faculty to "practice spontaneity" and incorporate the improv mindset into your everyday life.