8:19 a.m., April 3, 2009----Registration for the 2009 Summer Faculty Institute -- the premier event for faculty who want an in-depth, hands-on opportunity to work on their technical skills and address their classroom and online instruction needs -- is open until midnight Wednesday, April 15.

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The institute will be held June 1-5 in 104 Gore Hall. Online registration will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. The institute is open to all full- and part-time faculty as well as participants from previous institutes.

This year, the institute has been redesigned to accommodate busy faculty schedules. In place of full-day activities, the program consists of a week of half-day topic tracks.

Each track reflects the need for substantive educational research and an awareness of the challenging economy to help you make prudent instructional technology choices.

Five tracks are being offered. You can sign up for a morning track, an afternoon track or both. Participants will work within one track with one lead instructor all week. You can choose from the following week-long, half-day tracks:

1. Develop a personal learning network (PLN) for you and your students

Internet technologies have produced an overwhelming source of information, but new tools allow you to channel the information flow to address specific teaching and learning needs. Students can benefit from your PLN as well as contribute to it. Developing and utilizing a PLN is a 21st-century lifelong learning skill.

You'll build a collection of UD and Internet tools and resources and the skills to navigate them as you construct your own PLN. You'll also plan how to include students in your network and help them develop these tools as well. Activities and discussions will also touch on emerging research, exemplary models and copyright and policy issues.

You'll complete the week with a network of new local and remote colleagues tailored to your personal goals and interests to support your lifelong learning.

2. Make the most of Microsoft Office for your teaching needs

We all need to do more within the same amount of time. To make your time more productive, this track will teach you to become more proficient using the latest Microsoft Office software. Among the skills you'll learn are how to:

• customize UD's PowerPoint themes;
• include audio and video as part of your presentation;
• use Excel to make Sakai grading easier;
• realize the benefits of Word's track changes;
• discover new MLA/APA reference formatting;
• build a table of contents based on styles; and
• convert any Office file into a PDF document to share electronically with anyone.

Problem-based learning experiences will be included in this track based on the needs and interests of the participants. You'll complete the week with skills to work more efficiently to fulfill your teaching needs and more effectively with your students.

3. Connect real-life teaching applications using Second Life

Curious about Second Life? Heard about flying avatars and teleporting instantly from one corner of this virtual world to another? Are you wondering how it could possibly apply to your teaching? You'll find the answers at this hands-on track and experience how Second Life is used in education in a wide variety of subject areas.

Activities to develop basic skills in Second Life include how to

• navigate the virtual environment;
• change the appearance of your avatar;
• communicate with others; and
• travel to other locations.

Additional activities include special guest speakers from Second Life, excursions to develop your skills at other Second Life locales and personal tours of educational creations led by their builders. You'll complete the week with the necessary skills and understanding to embark upon a course-related educational project in Second Life.

4. Your Sakai@UD Course: Design it, build it, be ready for fall

This track focuses on making effective use of Sakai to achieve the learning goals of your course. Throughout the week, you will explore the various Sakai features to design a course site for the fall. With other faculty members, you will discuss the use of technology for learning, experiment with the Sakai tools and exchange ideas about beneficial teaching strategies. We will cover management of content, communication, collaboration and assessment.

By the end of the week, you'll be well on your way to producing a site that enhances the learning experience of your students and helps you handle the administrative tasks associated with your course.

This track is open to faculty whether they have already used a learning management system or are new to this technology.

5. Integrate a multimedia production assignment into your course

If you've considered adding a multimedia production assignment to your course, this track is for you. Whether it is a narrated slide show or a video recording of a student presentation or interview, a common set of factors must be reviewed to design the assignment, bracket the technology choices, teach the students and assess the finished product.

In this track, you will act in the role of a student multimedia producer to create a video-based postcard. You'll work hands-on through the entire production process-from storyboarding and scripting through using a full complement of multimedia equipment to acquire your content. You'll finish up with post-production tasks (using Apple iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) and present your finished project to the group. You'll complete the week with the knowledge to assign and assess a multimedia production project in your own course.

Requirements

You must register and bring your own laptop. Purchasing recommendations are available by visiting this Web site.

What you receive

As well as the knowledge and skills you'll acquire, you will also receive:

• free lunch (for both morning and afternoon tracks) and catered morning and afternoon breaks;
• a removable storage device (memory stick or hard drive);
• all teaching materials that are in electronic format from all tracks, along with recommended software, pre-installed on the removable storage device;
• a printed copy of the 2009 Horizon Report;
• a certificate of completion;
• a letter to your department chair acknowledging your participation;
• year-round access to an online learning network for all Institute participants; and
• a half-hour follow-up consultation with the lead instructor from your track, to be scheduled at your convenience approximately one month after the conclusion of the Institute. We want your success to continue.

For more information and to register, visit this Web site.