Workshops Descriptions

All workshops offered on Monday and Tuesday will be held at the College's Deerwood Center. Transportation wil be provided for Conference attendees staying at the hotel. Lunch is provided for all workshop participants. Workshop fees are $150 for half-day sessions, $295 for full-day sessions, and $100 for 2-hour sessions. Persons taking 12 or more hours of workshops will receive a $95 discount.

Half-Day Workshops

Blackboard Navigation and Communication Tools
Brenda Boccard, Computing Officer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 9 a.m.-noon
In this half-day workshop, participants will learn the basics of navigating within Blackboard. Participants will learn the difference between student and instructor views and also learn where help is available. In addition, participants will be introduced to the communication tools in Blackboard. Tools include e-mail, messaging, collaboration, WIMBA, teams, and announcements. (This workshop counts as 3 hours of platform training in the Online Professor Certificate Program.)

Blackboard Content, Discussion, Tools, and Help
Brenda Boccard, Computing Officer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 1-4 p.m.
In this half-day workshop, participants will learn how to add personalized content to their courses. We will also explore creating and grading assignments and discussion forums. Participants will learn about the tools available to help learning. The tools we will examine include the calendar, staff information, help, tutorials, performance dashboard, and course statistics. (This workshop counts as 3 hours of platform training in the Online Professor Certificate Program.)

Blackboard Course Options and Assessments
Brenda Boccard, Computing Officer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-noon
In this workshop, participants will learn how to manage their courses, customize them, and change the design, layout, and more. Additionally, participants will learn how to import and export content to be used in other courses. Participants will also learn how to use assessments in Blackboard. Emphasis will be on constructing, administering, and grading tests. Additionally, participants will learn how to use the grade book in Blackboard.(This workshop counts as 3 hours of platform training in the Online Professor Certificate Program.)

Making Your Blackboard Course "Pop"
Robert Greene, Professor of Education, and Jose Fierro, Associate Dean, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
Are you or your students tired of the same old, boring online look of black letters on a white background? If so, this workshop is for you. In this interactive, hands on workshop, you will learn how to add images, banners, sound, and videos to the announcements, content, and discussions in your Blackboard courses. Liven up your class to help keep your students motivated. In this workshop, resources will be shared that will help you with adding and manipulating images, sound, and video. Prior experience with Blackboard is helpful but not necessary for this workshop.

What's New in Blackboard 9.1
Deb Slater, Multimedia Specialist, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
The Blackboard Learn 9.1 release includes new social learning and teaching tools including wikis, mashups, instant messaging, and Blackboard Connect. They have also increased accessibility for the visually impaired and added a new toolbar for IE and Firefox. Blackboard 9.1 also offers more flexibility in grading with the option to grade in context and the ability to save a gradebook Smart View as a favorite to make grading more efficient and the new and improved Assmessment Manager allows educators to creat assessments in less time. This three-hour interactive session will explore these and other new features of Blackboard 9.1.

Get SIRIUS; Get Results!
Pete Shapiro, Director of Creative Learning Services, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
Simply put, SIRIUS Academics courses bring it.  We put high-quality, imaginative, interactive learning experiences within the reach of any student.  Our courses combine scholarly expertise with leading-edge instructional design.  Great instructors get a big, bold platform from which to deliver online, blended, or face-to-face classes. SIRIUS Academics produces all-inclusive digital course materials at a fraction of the materials cost your students pay to other providers.  Specifically, we include a full course shell, a digital text, innovative learning objects, interactive discussion questions, and assessments at a very low materials cost to students.
Intrigued?  Great!  Since we’re in the learning business, we’re happy to share the SIRIUS Academics formula—and products—with interested educators.  In this session, you’ll learn how SIRIUS Academics courses are developed and how our team approach results in courses with extraordinary levels of interactivity and engagement from both learners and instructors.  In fact, we’ll let you test-drive the process and share the “secret sauce” that makes our courses irresistible (Hint: It’s our Online Professor Certificate Program for faculty development).

Writing Effective Online Discussion Questions
Faye Wisner, Professor of Education and Psychology, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 1-4 p.m.
This hands-on, half-day workshop will focus on techniques to enhance student engagement in online discussions. We will discuss how to develop and implement a grading model for discussions, how to write questions that encourage students to respond in a meaningful manner, how to apply constructivist and cooperative learning techniques through your discussions, and how and when to involve (or not to involve) yourself in ongoing discussions.

LessonBuilder
Doug Brtek, SeniorInstructional Designer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-noon
Learn how to use LessonBuilder to create interactive, professional-looking course content for the Web, without any HTML or programming knowledge. This hands-on workshop will provide participants with the skills and knowledge to quickly and easily create and add multimedia, annotations, quizzes, games, and other fun learning activities to their courses.

MapleSoft Math Software
Marcelle Bessman, Math Instructor, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 1-4 p.m.
Maple's world-leading computation engine offers the breadth, depth, and performance to handle every type of mathematics. With Maple, teachers can bring complex problems to life and students can focus on concepts rather than the mechanics of solutions. For many, using Maple was daunting because it required learning a command language.  Another issue was the linearity of its function.  Both these problems have been successfully addressed in Maple 14. This workshop will guide participants through the basics of using Maple spanning courses from arithmetic through calculus and differential equations.  Participants will also receive materials to help them do further study of Maple’s capabilities.

Achievement and Retention in the Modern Classroom
Carl Wahlstrom, Professor of Intermediate Studies and Sociology, Genesee Community College
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-noon
Despite the efforts of numerous educators, students are not succeeding in attaining their educational goals. Actual retention and graduation rates are much lower than the public’s perceptions of those rates. Research and practice are gradually merging into the same orbit and creating a critical mass that is pushing academia to address the issue. What can we do as educational professionals to help our students achieve success, stay in college, and graduate? This interactive workshop will present an overview of issues relating to retention, look at research findings on student success, and provide participants with strategies to help students succeed. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to share their concerns and their best practices that help students stay in college.

Retention Strategies and Student Success for the Distance Learning Student
Carl Wahlstrom, Professor of Intermediate Studies and Sociology, Genesee Community College
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
Distance learning as a reflection of rapidly changing technology has significantly impacted the delivery of knowledge. It has clearly helped the institution of higher education “spread the word.” Yet, at the same time, it presents a new paradigm for student learning, resulting in a type of culture shock. Distance learning courses are different from traditional classroom courses, the so-called chalk and talk courses, and there are things students need to know to be successful in the former. This workshop will help faculty rethink the ways in which they conduct distance learning and will provide specific strategies to help students be successful in these endeavors.

Cooperative Learning
Faye Wisner, Professor of Education and Psychology, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 9 a.m.-noon
Have you wondered why some groups work together and achieve their learning goals while others do not achieve their goals? This workshop is not only designed to introduce theoretical principles behind Cooperative Learning but to provide insights about creating, managing, and assessing diverse learning groups in your college classroom. Join us in exploring how cooperative learning groups assist students in reaching optimum achievement.

In the Boom's Echo: Generations X and Y
Ellin Iselin, Professor of Humanities, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Wednesday, 3-5 p.m.
Teaching to different generations- It's the new millennium and the Baby Boom generation has ascended to the position of 'elders' in U.S. society. What does this mean for America's present and future and especially the classroom? Are the generational identities more media hype than reality? Participants will discuss ways to effectively reach students using demographic models. (This is a 2-hour session.)

Interacting Successfully with Non-Native Speakers of English
Jennifer Rusnak, Professor of English as a Second Language; Michael Franklin, Professor of English as a Second Language; Kisha Bryan, Assistant Professor of English for Academic Purpose; Glenna Veiga, Associate Dean of Liberal Arts;Anna Marie Siegel, Director of International Student Services; and Aleen Marsh, Professor of English for Speakers of Other Languages; Florida State College at Jacksonville
Thursday, 3-5 p.m.
Have you ever had difficulty communicating with someone whose first language is not English? In this workshop, participants will learn strategies to help them interact more successfully with people who speak English as a second language. Activities and discussion will include information on dealing with misunderstandings, cultural differences in body language, gender issues, cultural attitudes regarding authority and negotiation, and classroom issues. (This is a 2-hour session.)

Icebreakers, Closers, and Energizers for the Classroom
Heidi Marshall, Professor of English; Nancy Bullard, Professor of English; Dana Kuehn, Professor of Psychology;
Lindsay Webster, Professor of Sociology; Amy Baskin, Professor of English, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 1-4 p.m.
Capturing and holding the attention of your students can sometimes be a difficult task-but not if you use some of these creative and engaging strategies! Join us for an exciting and interactive session where we demonstrate a variety of icebreakers, closers, and energizers that will help grab your students' attention and keep them motivated and focused throughout your class. Our panel of student success experts will share some of their best ideas and want to hear yours, too! This session promises to be both fun and informative!

Tablet Technology in the Classroom
Mitch Chin, Engineer IV Software, and Trever Brolliar, Director of Information Systems,
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 9 a.m.-noon
TBD.

The Social Classroom: Using Digital Media to Engage Millennial Students
Amy Moore, Social Network and Lifestyle Integration Program Coordinator, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 9 a.m.-noon
Join us for an exciting open forum on new technologies such as Swivel, del.icio.us, Google Video, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Illuminate, KeepVid, Survey Monkey, wikis, Flickr, etc. Participants are invited to share their own favorite sites and tools as well.

The Art and Craft of Grant Writing
Robyn Cenizal, Executive Administrator, Network for Strengthening Families
Monday, 9 a.m.-noon
In today's economy, the ability to write a compelling and winning grant proposal has become more important than ever. Good grant writers understand that they have to pay attention to the guidelines set forth in the RFP in they want to be successful. Semantics matters as does clarity and attention to detail. Grantors want to see that your idea is sustainable, has measurable outcomes, and is appropriate for their organization. That means doing your research. It can be a lot of work, but comes with a great pay off. Where do you start? What do you do next? And where do you go from there? Join us for a down to earth session that explores the practical and creative aspects of writing great grant proposals.

Self-Publishing: Join the Revolution
Carol Costello, Ghostwriter, Book Editor, and Author of Chasing Grace
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-noon
Self publishing is the future, and not just because traditional publishing is in a death spiral. Publishing your own books lets you take control of your professional writing life, earn more money that you could have dreamed of earning in traditional publishing, and make sure the words that are yours to write get out into the world. Every day, thousands of people join the revolution—and every day, self-publishing gets easier and more user-friendly. Carol Costello, who wrote twenty-nine books and two best sellers before starting to self publish, will cover in this interactive workshop:
   • An overview of the self publishing landscape
   • Who should self publish, and who should not?
   • Nuts and bolts: How does it work? What are your options? What are the specific steps? Who can help? What do you need to pay for, and what can you do yourself? Where is the most current information? What about e-books, cover art, and interior design? Can you do this even if you know nothing about it today?
You will walk away knowing whether or not you want to jump in, and armed with everything you need to get started tomorrow.

"The Zone" on a Deadline: Managing Your Creative Project
Carol Costello, Ghostwriter and Book Editor
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
Is your book still sitting in the computer, instead of thriving on Amazon or bookstore shelves? Are your paints and easel stuck in the closet, instead of coming out to produce art that makes the world more beautiful? Does music spin around in your head, instead of being enjoyed at a party or performance? Are you still working your day job, dreaming of making a living creatively?
Join author, editor, and book doctor Carol Costello, who has made her living as a freelance writer for forty years, for this interactive workshop on:
   • Merging right brain artistic flair with practical, left-brain, nuts-and-bolts thinking to stay creative, but also finish your work and get paid for it
   • How to be creative and organized at the same time
   • Staying "in the zone" as you guide projects to completion—and start new ones!
If you like, come prepared to talk about and get some coaching on your project.

Blog, Baby, Blog! Learn the Secrets to Successful Blogging Through
Rich Content, Relevant Keywords, and Social Media Marketing
Carol O'Dell, Author of Mothering Mother
Monday, 1-4 p.m.

Blogging with an emphasis on social media is one of the most effective ways to reach your audience. In this workshop we'll uncover the keys to writing relevant content with a fresh voice. We'll tackle blog lingo and learn how to use keywords, plug-ins, tags and categories, and other "techie" terms that allow your blog to be found by search engines and avid readers—and we'll create a social media marketing plan specific to you and your book.

What a Reader Wants…Secrets to Writing for Readers and Book Clubs
Kathy Patrick, Founder, Pulpwood Queens Book Club and
Margo Martin, Dean of Liberal Arts, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
"A story not told or written down is a library lost to not only family and friends, but to the world!" So says Kathy Patrick, owner of Beauty and the Book, the ONLY Hair Salon/Book Store in the country and Book Sharing Founder of the Pulpwood Queens, the largest "meeting and discussing" book club in the world. This three hour interactive workshop will take an irreverent look at a serious topic--literacy--and explore how book clubs can help promote education and literacy in our communities. Bring your tiara, your best friend, and your sense of adventure--it's gonna be a wild ride!

Well Begun is Half Done: A Character Development Workshop for Writers
Nancy Knight, Author and Agent, Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency
Monday, 9 a.m.-noon
Well Begun: Compelling characters are essential to a book's success. So, how do you go about developing them? What makes your characters different? Why should a reader take the journey with your characters? Discover how to write characters that practically leap off the page . . . or, just maybe, slip off the page quietly . . . and maintain the reader's interest.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidotious: A Dialogue Workshop for Writers
Nancy Knight, Author and Agent, Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency
Monday, 1-4 p.m.
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: What? What did you say? Creating great dialogue isn't as easy as it might seem to be. After all, we talk all the time. However, finding just the right words for each character, finding just the right cadence to his/her speech and finding the essential tone, the right speech patterns are not easy. What goes and what stays? What gets tweaked and what stays the same? Get to the nitty-gritty and say it right.

A Spoonful of Sugar: A World Creation Workshop for Writers
Nancy Knight, Author and Agent, Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency
Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.
Just a Spoonful of Sugar: No! I won't eat that? Wurbiliquess don't eat that! What do they eat? What is a Wurbiliquess? What are they doing in your book? Regardless of whether you're writing literary fiction, science fiction, mystery, suspense, women's fiction . . . or any other genre, Worldbuilding is of tantamount importance. Even if your novel is set in today's world, you must present that world to the reader in such a way that it makes the book impossible to put down. Finding those details that make the "setting" an integral part of the book is your job as a worldbuilder. Let's discuss all the components that make it work.

Let's Go Fly a Kite: A Plot Development Workshop for Writers
Nancy Knight, Author and Agent, Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-noon
Let's Go Fly A Kite: How do you build that kite? Where do you get the components? Where to you go to fly it? Will there be problems with people who don't want you to fly there? Are there rules against kite-flying? Whoa...Let's take a step back. Flying a kite should be as simple as . . .well, as simple as flying a kite. Plotting a book should be simple, too. Why isn't it? Why choose one pathway instead of another? Moving from one plot point to another is sometimes more difficult that flying a kite on a windless day. Take a step-by-step approach to conquering this problem. First, you get a pot of glue and then . . .

Full-Day Workshops

Teaching and Learning in Second Life, Part I
Rawlslyn Francis, Assistant Professor of Language Arts, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Monday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
You don't have to be a programming wiz to exploit the power of virtual worlds like Second Life for teaching and learning. This workshop will provide the background and rationale for educators to begin venturing into simulations and interactive virtual worlds, an overview of what currently is being done, instructions on how to get started, and hands-on experience of in-world learning activities. The prerequisite for this workshop is for participants to visit www.secondlife.com to create their avatars.

Teaching and Learning in Second Life, Part II
Rawlslyn Francis, Assistant Professor of Language Arts, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Participants will utilize their skills and experiences from Monday's workshop to conceptualize and create a virtual simulation relevant for their courses. Participants will be guided step-by-step through the building process, and they will be assigned a permanent area to keep their virtual simulation on the FSCJ island for future courses. The prerequisite for this workshop is a Second Life avatar and familiarization with the Second Life environment.

Enriching Your Class Through Multimedia (With a Little Help from Your Friends)
Rusty Gardner, Director of Learning Innovation, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Tuesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Florida State College at Jacksonville's Digital Media Production Studio is the place where your visions and our creativity can join forces to produce exciting new content for your classes and projects. This interactive workshop and tour will introduce you to our talented and experienced team and all that we have to offer. We're a full service production and post-production facility—script development, field-producing, shooting and editing. You'll have the opportunity to check out some of our latest work, brainstorm ideas, and, in the afternoon, you will take part in a scripted video shoot. All participants will receive a DVD of the final edited production.

Mobile Learning Friday/Career Focus Friday

Introduction to Mac
Brenda Boccard, Computing Officer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Friday, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Moving from a PC to a Mac can be a challenging experience, but it doesn't have to be! In this hands on session, participants will explore the Mac interface and learn how to create, delete, copy, and move files and folders and how to configure the Mac desktop. Bring your laptop or practice on our lab computers.

Introduction to Image Editing
Brenda Boccard, Computing Officer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Friday, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
This workshop is intended to develop some basic skills in working with digital images. Learn how to change the dimensions of an image, how to reduce the file size without changing the dimensions of an image, and how to crop an image removing unwanted background. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) will be used for editing the digital images and is a freely distributed software application. Microsoft Office Picture Manager will also be demonstrated.

Effective Communication at Work
Jeff Hess, Instructional Officer, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Friday, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
In this lively session, participants will learn tips and tricks for the most common communication problems at work. Topics will include
     · Persuasion for Fun and Profit
     · Shhh . . . Nonverbal Communication
     · Public Speaking Without Fear
     · Listening . . . I said, LISTENING!
     · Email Guidelines You'll Forward to Coworkers
     · Group Work for the Habitually Paranoid
     · Don't Take Cover from the Brainstorm

Conflict Resolution
Jerry Fliger, Associate Dean, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Friday, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Truth #1: Conflicts cannot be avoided. Truth #2:Conflicts can actually propel innovation if handled effectively. This workshop will give participants the tools to face conflicts fearlessly and remain neutral while navigating toward a positive outcome.

Technology for All Learners
Friday, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
For more than 25 years, Apple has been dedicated to developing features that engage all students, enhance their studies, and inspire them to achieve their best—regardless of physical or learning disability. The Mac, iPad, and iPhone come packed with assistive technologies, so that students everywhere can compensate for learning differences using today's resources and tools. This session will demonstrate several of the assistive technology features that come with every Mac, iPod, iPad or iPhone.

iBooks Author--Great Content Meets Great Experience
Friday, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
For hundreds of years, textbooks have put a world of knowledge in the hands of students. But while the way people learn has changed dramatically, the traditional textbook has stayed the same. Today that world is changing rapidly. In this session, you will get hands on experience in building a dynamic, interactive, digital textbook. With iBooks Author, anyone with content can be a publisher of incredibly rich textbooks.

Made for Learning--Digital Publishing
Friday, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Today, students are learning in more places than just the classroom, and educators are finding new ways to reach them anytime, anywhere. At this event, you'll learn how Apple education products, solutions, and resources make collaboration, content creation, and distribution easier than ever before. And you will learn how they can assist students on their path toward becoming future business leaders, creative professionals, educators, scientists, engineers, and more. Additionally you will get a hands-on experience with tools that can dramatically change the landscape of your classroom. Finally, you will see how your content can come alive to reach all learners.