Previous SITE & SITE Interactive talks are available for viewing at LearnTechLib.org.

October 26, 12:45 PM

Leveraging Frontier Technologies and Expanding Pathways: Supporting Equitable Opportunities for Ambitious Learning Practices

Krista Glazewski, Professor & Department Chair, Indiana University

Abstract: Ambitious learning practices can be thought of as pedagogies that encourage collaboration, dialogue, and productive disciplinary engagement. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an ideal context for investigating how such practices can be formalized and implemented, particularly in K-12 classrooms. In PBL,  problem solving as student collaborative activity is organized around a driving inquiry question designed to be meaningful and engaging. However, such ambitious practices can be demanding for teachers to design, organize, implement, and orchestrate in the classroom. Because such practices can also represent a challenging endeavor for students, it is critical that we identify and support opportunity for a diverse range learners to engage successfully. Doing so requires that we enact equitable approaches that expand pathways for entry and success.

Bio: Krista Glazewski, a former middle school science teacher, serves as Professor and Department Chair of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University exploring means of supporting teachers as they adopt new technological and curricular innovations. Her partnership work has spanned multiple regions in the U.S. to investigate how and under what conditions teachers might adopt and adapt new practices. This work has been supported with $5.69 million in external funding from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Defense. In 2020, she was recognized with the IU CEWiT Outstanding Faculty Mentor / Advocate Award. She currently serves as Editor of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, an open-access journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles of research, analysis, or promising practice related to all aspects of problem- or inquiry-based learning.

October 26, 2:00 PM

Navigating Academia: Tips From Two “Success” Stories

Adam Friedman, Wake Forest University; Richard Hartshorne, University of Central Florida

Abstract: Many aspects of navigating the world of academia can be foreign to graduate students and early career faculty. Nuances associated with the job search process; developing and implementing a robust publishing and research agenda; aligning teaching, research, and service agendas; grant writing; networking; identifying and addressing weaknesses; and defining a career path will be explored. The primary goal of this Mentoring Moments session is to provide a series of tangible and actionable recommendations for both future and early career scholars for navigating the complex world of academia and will be presented through the lenses of two current Professors, one at a private liberal arts university in North Carolina and the other at a large public research extensive university in Florida. The session will include an interactive presentation followed by a question-and-answer period.

October 27, 12:45 PM

Democratizing Education: How Technology Can Include and Empower All Learners

Jeanette Simenson, Program Manager, Thrively

Abstract: Human-centered learning that is inclusive of divergent ways of thinking is essential if we are to empower our next generation to be productive problem solvers. When we make connections, tell stories, and work together to solve problems we design with people in a community. Today technology feeds our senses with information but it also allows us to communicate with people outside of our sphere of influence. With technology, we are not limited to observing and interacting with just our community, we can reach out to anyone in the world. All learners can have a sense of agency in what they want to learn and how they will interact. Educators are central in the ability to create the opportunities for learners. All learners can now connect and design with experts from all over the world. As we saw with the increased use of technology in 2020, students can learn from anywhere at any time. As we prepare students for the world they are entering that includes remote work, collaborative teams, and solving global problems, think of how the learning environments have to evolve as well. Educational technology organizations can be an active partner with education systems to bring innovation and creative solutions to the question of “how can we include and empower every learner?”

Bio: Jeanette Simenson brings two passions to her work as an educator. Her first passion is volleyball which thanks to a teacher, exposed her to the sport and paved the way to success in college and professionally. Playing volleyball changed the trajectory of her life and helped her to develop her strengths of self-confidence, social awareness, discipline, and persistence. She also believes in the power of stories to help us empathize with others which led her to a career at 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, CA. She has been a teacher for 16 years in elementary and middle schools in Chicago, IL and Denver, CO. She has been fortunate to work in the CS4All Department in CPS. She was a facilitator for Code.org and worked for Lumity, a STEM non-for-profit serving students in Chicago. She has designed online courses and has led many initiatives in STEM, Computer Science, and Project Based Learning. Currently, she is a Director of Programming at Thrively.com. Thrively was founded on a core philosophy that every child has a genius and they deserve to thrive. At Thrively, we believe It is through a strengths-based approach we can empower all learners to find their passion while nurturing their unique talents and interests. Jeanette enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. She is working on completing her doctoral degree in STEM education and leadership. 

October 27, 4:30 PM

How To Get Published in the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education: Top 10 Reasons for Rejection and How to Avoid Them (2020-2021 Edition)

Richard Hartshorne, University of Central Florida; Allison Kibbey, Orange County Public Schools

Abstract: This session focuses on a series of recommendations based on the most prevalent issues from both desk reviews and ERB feedback submissions to the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (JTATE) in the past year. As we move forward to 2022, we hope this session, combined with future JTATE publications and editorials will provide prospective authors with additional guidance and support as they consider contributing to JTATE.

October 28, 12:45 PM

Restoring Context in Online Teaching with Artificial Intelligence and Multimodal Learning Experiences

Daniele Di Mitri, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic forced more than 1.6 billion learners out of school, becoming the most challenging disruption ever endured by the global education systems. In many countries, education institutions decided to move their regular activities online, opting for remote teaching as an emergency solution to continue their education. Meanwhile, physical distancing and learning in isolation are heavily challenging learners and hindering their study success. In such a critical landscape, there is a compelling need to make education systems more resilient and less vulnerable to future disruptions. In particular, we have to reconsider how digital technologies can support online and hybrid teaching. If digital education technologies such as video conferencing tools and learning management systems have improved to make educational resources more available and education more flexible, the modes of interaction they implement remain essentially unnatural for the learner due to a substantial lack of context. Modern sensor-enabled computer systems allow extending the standard human-computer interface for multimodal communication. The advances in Artificial Intelligence allow interpreting the data collected from multimodal and multi-sensor devices. These insights can be used to support online teaching and learning in isolation with personalised feedback and adaptation through Multimodal Learning Experiences (MLX). In this keynote, I elaborate on existing approaches, architectures, methodologies, and I illustrate use cases that employ multimodal learning analytics applications that can shape the online teaching of the future.

Featured Sessions

• • • Innovators Playground Exhibits* 
    • Research Papers 
    • Co-sponsored SIG Webinars 
    • Spotlights from NTLS Presidents
    • JTATE Special and eBook COVID Special Issue Spotlights
    • Emerging Scholar Stream 
      • Navigating Job Search 
      • Interviewing via Online Platforms 
      • Mental Health during Pandemic 
      • Paying for Graduate School 
      • In-School Research: How To
      • Non-Faculty Options for your PhD 
      • Strategies for Networking in Teacher Education
      • Publishing Strategies (specific for PhD)
      • Outstanding Paper Awards
      • SIG Meetings
        • No registration required for meeting; link will be shared