We are three weeks into the new year and two days into the new semester. Folks in Information Resources have been working with others on campus to build and equip three new techhology classrooms in the new Education Building and four new classrooms in the newly renovated Moffett Hall. We updated labs and classrooms with new hardware and software, and the year is off to a good start.

During the second week of January we had our annual Staff Development Day, where two faculty spoke about how they have incorporated technology into their programs. Dan DePerno talked about the Sports Management curriculum and the innovative integration of technology into all of their courses. William Hopkins, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, talked about his efforts to develop special education programs in Belize, and how he has used technology to disseminate information to teachers throughout this small Central American country.

With the Faculty Development Center, Information Resources co-hosted a day-long program for faculty who had previously attended our Institute for Teaching Strategies. Our faculty are using a variety of Web 2.0 technologies. Their learning environments are collaborative and extend well beyond the physical classroom. It’s gratifying to know that the infrastructure we have worked hard to create and maintain is making a difference in the delivery of education.

And so the new year begins. This semester I am facilitating a campus-wide Electronic Communications Group that will explore ways to better communicate within the campus. Traditional e-mail often goes unread, and important information does not reach its intended audiences in a timely fashion. We are hoping that our campus portal can serve as an effective venue for targeted communications.  Technology is all about being more and more on target for all our communications needs!