Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all of you! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday spending time with family and friends. I also hope you find some time to recharge. It's been a very busy fall - again!

We took this picture on Haig Mountain on Sunday afternoon while we were ski touring. It was a perfect day - crispy cold and clear. And even though the skiing was amazing, the best part was being with our family and friends. This is where I go to re-energize!

Watch for an EET update over the holidays as well. I have one drafted, and I'll post it later in the break so I have some time to think about it, and it's fresh when we all return on January 4th.

In the meantime, thanks for all you do! You really are making a difference!

And a few more skiing pictures, if you're interested . . .

Another - very good - Blended Learning Resource

Thanks, Chris A., for passing this very good article on blended learning on . . .

On September 15 and 16, 2010, the ELI teaching and learning community gathered for an online focus session on blended learning. This white paper is a synthesis of the key ideas, themes, and concepts that emerged from those sessions. This white paper also includes links to supporting focus session materials, recordings, and resources. It represents a harvesting of the key elements that we, as a teaching and learning community, need to keep in mind as we work to refine the blended instructional delivery model in higher education.

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/BlendedLearningAReportontheELI/218492

The article includes a good illustration of blended learning (see page 10).

New AACTI website

AACTI - Alberta Association of Colleges and Technical Institutes has launched a new website: http://www.aacti.ca/home.php

I attended a webinar last week that was facilitated by an "Innovation Facilitator" based out of Olds College. They have set up Communities of Practice (public or private) on a wide variety of topics, but you can also add your own.

and if you join a Community of Practice (or add a new one), you could win an iPad!

The Community of Practice concept is interesting. I'm wondering if we could start one around instructional design - or curriculum development - or media - or ? Anyone interested?

Interesting info re the growth of online education

Here's a link to a blog that includes some interesting discussion and information related to the growth of online education as well as managing online education. It's a good read!

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/digital_tweed