"Classroom is a new, free tool coming to Google Apps for Education that helps teachers easily and quickly create and organize assignments, provide feedback, and communicate with their classes" (Source). "Classroom weaves together Google Docs, Drive and Gmail to help teachers create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes with ease…it lets students organize their work, complete and turn it in, and communicate directly with their teachers and peers" (Source). The following video highlights the experiences of some of the teachers and students who provided feedback as Google developed Classroom. Benefits for Classes Easy to Set up Teachers can add students directly or share a code with their class to join. It takes just minutes to set up. Saves Time The simple, paperless assignment workflow allows teachers to create, review, and grade assignments quickly, all in one place. Improves Organization Students can see all of their assignments on an assignments page, and all class materials are automatically filed into folders in Google Drive. Enhances Communication Classroom allows teachers to send announcements and questions instantly. Since students can post to the stream, they can help out their classmates. Affordable and Secure Like the rest of our Google Apps for Education services, Classroom contains no ads, never uses your content or student data for advertising purposes, and is free for schools. For more info or to request an invite to Google Classroom, visit http://www.google.com/edu/classroom While I agree with Joshua Kim that this announcement by Google focused on K-12 education has little direct impact immediately on higher education, providing an increasing number of elementary and secondary students access to LMS-type technologies has the potential to further grow the expectations of students when they arrive at the postsecondary level for faculty to effectively make use of online technologies in their teaching. And, any additional competition in the online educational technology space will only help spur future innovation. What is your response to this latest announcement by Google? Are you planning on requesting an invite? Will there be interest by teachers at your school to try Google Classroom? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Pet owners are always looking for reasons to show off their adorable four-legged friends. Globe University-Sioux Falls and the veterinary technology program know this all too well, and came up with a plan that let students bring their pets on campus while helping other animals in need. On Wednesday, June 3rd, SCNAVTA, or Student Chapter of National Veterinary Technicians of America, held a fundraiser for Animal Disaster Relief and Response Fund on campus. Students and staff brought their pets in for nail trims and baths for a small fee, and could also pay for the potluck hosted in the student lounge. The proceeds will help support animals who are the victims of natural disasters. "I had a great time with the students giving baths and seeing them practice their hands-on skills performing nail trims. We had a great turnout for the event and will definitely repeat it in the future!" said SCNAVTA supervisor Audree Cermak. "I had a really fun time working with everyone and giving dogs baths! Audree brought her dog Sam in, and it took four of us to wash him. I think we got a bath right along with him!" said veterinary technology student Sami Koontz. "It was a fun way to kick off the nice weather! Also, it was a great opportunity to get to know classmates while washing some cute dogs." said another veterinary technology student Jana Bruce-Wattier. We look forward to seeing this event on campus again. SCNAVTA is a great organization on our campus and very valuable to our students! Veterinary technology student Kelsey Nemec gives a friendly dog a bath during the fundraiser. Massage therapy student Tracey Schmidt participates in the SCNAVTA fundraiser by bringing her dog in for a bath and nail trim. The post Veterinary Technology SCNATVA Students Host Fundraiser to Help Animals Injured in Disasters appeared first on Globe University Blog.

After a quiet period, the language learning vertical within education technology is on the upswing once again with young, innovative startups entering the arena attracting a new generation of language learners. Certainly, it’s the established players that are only too willing to satisfy the growing demand. However, there is now a plethora of new and hungry startups in the language learning space coming in the market whose offers go beyond digitized textbooks and English training only. And it’s startups we specialize in at EDUKWEST. [purchase_link id="11312" text="Purchase" style="button" color="blue"] Overall, the online language market is doing well and growing at a CAGR of 10.04 over the period of 2014-2019. Tech solutions for learning English are booming in China, with growth of 23.6 percent in the past five years, and the Middle East, with an estimated market size of $215.7 million by 2018. Our Startup List: Language Learning Global gives you access to over 150 edtech startups in the language education space across the globe. Each entry is carefully researched and covers the following points (when information is publicly available): Company Name, Website Country, City Founding Date, Founders B2C, B2B, Vertical, Type, Age Group, Language Tech Investment, Accelerator User / Download numbers CrunchBase / AngelList Profile Key Findings The 150+ language learning startups we tracked for this list have raised over $480 million in the past 15 years, with OpenEnglish ($120m), TutorGroup ($115m), 51Talk ($65m), Duolingo ($38m) and Babbel ($32m) leading the list. In terms of popularity we see the verticals of ESL (English as Second Language), self-paced online language courses, online learning communities and language exchange, tutoring platforms and marketplaces leading the list. ESL: 42 Online Course: 23 Community: 19 Marketplace: 11 51 language learning startups on this list are located in the USA, 63 in Europe (including Russia) and 24 in Asia. [purchase_link id="11312" text="Purchase" style="button" color="blue"] What is a Startup List EDUKWEST Startup Lists exclusively contain startups, companies whose image is one of a digital company, and whose main business, if not exclusively, is generated through their online presence. We therefore exclude traditional businesses from our lists that have added online components to their portfolio as an additional revenue stream but remain focused on their real-life operations. Startups in our definition are new companies with high future growth potential that are exploring a new area or niche in the education market, and are (often) in search of their business model. They don’t need to be venture funded but can be entirely bootstrapped, or have an "exit" strategy. Startups included in our lists are often, but not exclusively, rather young companies. Purchasing this Startup List will help you to analyze the most promising markets and verticals for online language learning products worldwide and to evaluate the different market segments within online language learning. The Startup List comes in Excel format, so you can sort it easily by market segment, investment and other variables or add your own data to it. You also get a glossary, explaining how we define the different verticals in the language learning market. With this Startup List you will be able to see how startups approach the global language learning market, track down competitors and what they do. In many cases you also get data on how many users the listed language learning startups have today as well as how much venture capital the startups raised. [purchase_link id="11312" text="Purchase" style="button" color="blue"] Picture License  Some rights reserved by ToastyKen

I’m looking forward to the opportunity to teach online this summer the course, ETT 511: Advanced Instructional Media Design, for Northern Illinois University’s Department of Educational Technology, Research & Assessment. Students enrolled in this course are a part of an online cohort pursuing a Master’s in Education in Instructional Technology with a K-12 Type 10 Technology Specialist Certification. It’s an honor for me to teach as part of this US News #1 Ranked Online Program. During this accelerated (10 week) online course students will explore advanced design of mediated instruction as they engage in a wide variety of activities, designed to help them meet the following course objectives: Review current literature regarding message design principles in design and production of materials. Apply message design principles to the evaluation of existing instructional materials. Apply message design principles to the design and production of instructional materials in print, slide and video formats. As I design and develop this online course, I plan to follow the best practices I’ve previously shared for designing exemplary courses in Blackboard and will be trying a few new features and techniques along the way. In addition to using the built-in interaction and collaborative features of Blackboard, I plan to incorporate blogging, videos, and podcasts as supplemental media options for my students in addition to course news and reminders via Remind101. I’ll also be tweeting using hashtag #ett511 and will be encouraging my students to do the same. I’m also going to go out on a limb and share my experience and tips for incorporating these new techniques in Blackboard here on my blog, so stay tuned. My goal in doing so is to not only share my experiences for other faculty but also to give my students a behind-the-scenes look at how I’ve gone about incorporating the media elements into their course, should they so wish to use them as a model in the future. Speaking of blogging…my students will be setting-up their own blogs in this course as they begin developing their own "digital footprint" while also gaining valuable experience communicating using a combination of media elements. In an attempt to model the possibilities for my students, I’ll be blogging for my students here and plan to preface all my course-specific posts with #ETT511. I may include other posts as well as I feel they may be appropriate. If you are one of my students reading this…get ready, it’s going to be a great course!

Rebecca Rice, Globe University-Woodbury massage therapy student. Globe University-Woodbury massage therapy students along with their instructors gathered at the 2015 Twin Cities Tour de Cure for the American Diabetes Association for the second year in a row. Together they gave more than 100 massages to the cyclists who rode in the fundraising event. Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events nationwide to help raise money as well as celebrate those who live with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. "I love helping others and giving back however I am able," said Tiffany Maya, massage therapy student. "This is my second year in a row volunteering at Tour De Cure, and it was amazing to be able to help the riders and know that it made a difference to them." Tiffany Maya, Globe University-Woodbury massage therapy student. Globe University-Woodbury dean of faculty and massage therapist, Denise Radcliffe was thrilled to volunteer to her time for such a great cause. She continued by commenting that this is an excellent way for the massage students to gain hands-on training with real patients while giving back to the local community. The students used a variety of techniques on the riders based on troubled areas. They did chair massages, Thai massages, sports massages, as well as deep tissue massages. "I had several riders approach me and say it was great to see us (Globe University students) here again this year," said Tiffany. Diabetes in Minnesota: According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), One in five Minnesota has or is at high risk of developing diabetes. 294,000 Minnesotans have diabetes, 971,000 have a form of pre-diabetes. Every year, 15,000 Minnesotans are newly diagnosed with diabetes. The massage students and instructors were among the other 2,000 riders and volunteers at the 2015 Tour de Cure helping raise critical funds for diabetes research, education and advocacy in support of the American Diabetes Association. "We look forward to many more events like this where our students are able to help with such a great cause and further their skill-sets at the same time," said Denise. The post Massage Students Gain Skills and Give Back at Tour de Cure appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Click here to enlarge | Source: Find more e-Learning Infographics This info graphic above presents five ways on how online learning improves educational productivity. Increase access to educational resources and experiences Engage students in active learning with materials and resources Individualize and differentiate instruction based on student performance Personalize learning by building on student interests Make better use of student and teacher time by automating routine tasks In what other ways do you believe that online learning improves education? Feel free to leave a comment with your ideas!

In this episode of MEP, the co-founder and CEO of Achievery, Damian Ewens, joins the program to chat about badging, micro credentialing and skills-based education. Don’t miss it! Guest Bio: Damian Ewens is the CEO of Achievery, a global platform for recognizing and verifying new and emerging skills, standards, and credentials. Damian holds an MA in Education (Mathematics) fromStanford University and a BS in Economics from Santa Clara University. He taught in grades 6-12th in some of the most innovative schools in the country. After teaching, he worked closely with the founders of Big Picture Learning, an international system of schools based on personalization and real world learning, where he supported overall strategic initiatives. Prior to Achievery, he led the development of one of the first credit-bearing after school systems in the country as the founding Director of The Hub, the high school initiative of the Providence After School Alliance. A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Damian is also an avid surfer, local DJ and events producer. He lives in Providence with his wife, Stephanie Alvarez Ewens, and their two daughters. Show Notes: (2:00) Damian’s background (09:30) What was it that you did make a connection about in the formal setting as a learner yourself and the kind you’re seeing through the students you’ve had and now, the customers you talk with? (10:55) What is Achievery, what are you trying to accomplish, and what kind of progress have you made so far? (14:50) I was wondering, in the formal K-12 setting, who is threatened by this [credentialing] or what are you seeing as far as skepticism? (19:55) If colleges are not willing to differentiate themselves, or attempt to differentiate themselves and actually show value through the market… (23:20) Are you working with schools such as Southern New Hampshire University,Western Governors, those type of schools, and also, are you working with companies, and in what way are you working with them? (26:00) If you could have dinner with one person you admire, past or present, who would it be and why? *Richard Feynman For more episodes featuring thought leaders in education visit MeetEducationProject.com, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and follow Nick DiNardo on Twitter.

"Cover when we cough. Cover when we sneeze. Use a tissue.  Wash our hands. Let’s keep our own germs please!" This simple yet memorable song is exactly what Globe University medical assistant students spent an afternoon teaching to local first graders at Meadowview Elementary School in Eau Claire. Students from the Microbiology and Patient Care 1 classes came to show the kids the importance of washing their hands, using soap, and understanding how germs are spread. Using fun and engaging stations for the first graders made the afternoon a success. Medical assistant program chair and instructor, Gretchen Johnson, was not sure who had more fun - her students or the first graders. Here are some of the fun activities the kids participated in: Glitter High-Fives - Students applied glitter to their hands to show how quickly germs can spread throughout the classroom. Students gave the kids high-fives as they entered the room, only to find glitter was quickly everywhere! Sticky Germs - With soap, water, and pepper, the children learned how soap can help repel germs and keep their hands clean. Glow Germs - The kids were able to apply "Glow Germs" to their hands and were then instructed to wash their hands. With a black light, the kids were able to see how well they washed their hands and identify places they missed. Inspiring Creativity - Using the iPad, the kids were able to watch interactive videos while having fun coloring in coloring books, which a MA student created for the kids. Art - The first graders helped decorate a poster displaying the "Germ Stopping Song" using finger paint, which to no one’s surprise, resulted in even more hand washing afterwards! Gretchen applauded the students’ engagement in the activities and their preparation beforehand. She said "Seeing the students take ownership of the project was very inspiring.  They really saw the value in helping the kids and were fully engaged in the project from the beginning." The medical assistant students were not the only ones engaged.  According to one medical assistant student, "The kids were intrigued about what we were teaching them. They had a lot of fun." Gretchen also shared the value of the project to the students and how it met specific objectives within the classes. "This helped the students learn to interact with kids and educate at a pediatric level, something they may be required to do in their future careers." The post Globe University MA Students use Creativity to Educate Local Elementary Kids about Germs appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Making someone laugh always feels good. Making someone laugh while raising money for children’s charities feels even better. On May 21st, 2015 Globe University Online and Minnesota School of Business Richfield came together for Red Nose Day to raise money for charities such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Urban League, Children’s Health Fund and OXFAM America, just to name a few. Red Nose Day Photo Booth Red Nose Day was created in 1985 and was launched on Christmas day during a live broadcast from Sudan. The creators of Red Nose Day, Jane Tewson and Richard Curtis believe that the power of media and celebrity can help raise awareness of poverty. Each year a live broadcast is held in order to raise money for many worldwide organizations. The Red Nose Day fundraiser has been traditionally only broadcast in the UK. Curtis saw the star power of US comedians and strived to have the US participate in Red Nose Day. 2015 was the inaugural year for United States participation in Red Nose Day. The two campuses staff and students participated in Red Nose Day by having a potluck, photo booth and accepted donations on the behalf of the Red Nose charities. The photo booth provided a lot of laughs for everyone who participated. It’s not every day you see our Campus Director, Chris Schmitz with a jester’s hat on his head and a giant red nose! Red Nose Day was a rousing success. Nationwide, over $21 million was raised. Globe University and Minnesota School of Business staff and students had a great time participating in such a fun day while supporting such great causes. Through this day we were able to share our school philosophy, "We Care." The post Showing "We Care" Through Laughter appeared first on Globe University Blog.

As previously shared, I plan to incorporate a number of communication media options for students in ETT 511: Advanced Instructional Media Design. After the very popular implementation of video from my last online course, which I recently presented at the Sloan Consortium International Symposium on Emerging Technologies for Online Learning, I plan to incorporate video once again in my online course this summer, using YouTube’s built-in recording and captioning capabilities. While these videos will be embedded within the Blackboard course for my students, I’ve also setup an unlisted YouTube playlist that my students can subscribe to in order to easily access and view on their smart phones and/or tablets. The beauty about a YouTube playlist is that the video with playlist can be easily embedded within any LMS or other web-based tool. Here’s an example of the video with playlist embedded: Here’s an example of an alternative embedding option, just a single video without the playlist: I plan to also experiment with audio versions of the videos, distributed as a podcast. More details to come in a future post about the workflow and process I’m exploring.

By Angie Mellor Students in the Special Populations Massage class at Globe University-La Crosse have been busy this quarter. Recently the students invited Springbrook Assisted Living residents to campus to receive senior massages. Once their clients arrived, the students put their knowledge into practice by helping the seniors complete intake forms. "The massage therapy students also had an opportunity to ask about medications, medical conditions, and areas of discomfort," adjunct instructor and licensed massage therapist Shelley Shaker said. "They were able to practice overall communication with senior citizens." Students not only practiced their communication skills, they also learned to adapt their techniques. "We were able to practice safe massage techniques for the seniors and we saw how much enjoyment they received from it," student Tina Hendricks said. "We were also able to successfully modify our massage for seniors in walkers, wheelchairs and other assistive devices." Shaker agreed that the students had to make adjustments to suit the senior clients. "The students agreed that that this type of massage takes more patience and is more time consuming than a massage for a regular young and healthy client." This experience also helped students become aware of the diverse population they will serve in the future. "The goal was to have the students interact with this population," Shaker said. "With the baby boomer generation getting ready to retire, seniors want to stay healthy, and massage fits into this type of wellness." Student Brycia Delano noted that the applied learning experience also had her thinking about her future career. "The Springbrook event gave me a new perspective on the need for more avenues of massage therapy," she said. Similarly, student Tina Hendricks, felt the experience was beneficial. "The experience with Springbrook was a great one. Giving massages to the residents helped us prepare for the workforce and practice modified chair massage for seniors," she said. "This hands-on sessions really was the best way to learn." Not only did the students have a great learning experience, but the clients did too. "After the students completed the sixty minute massages, the clients asked if they could ‘come back next week!’" Shaker said. Visit the Globe University massage therapy program page to learn more. The post Students Get Hands-On Experience in Special Populations Massages appeared first on Globe University Blog.

I’ve been a long-time proponent of podcasting in education and I shared back in 2012 how to create a course podcast using Dropbox. The process I shared at that time, while free and workable, was still a bit cumbersome a presented a few minor technical hurdles that faculty needed to overcome in order when implementing. I recently learned of a new tool, JustCast, that removes the previous technical hurdles and makes podcasting using Dropbox super simple! This 2-minute tutorial demonstrates how easy it is to create a podcast using Dropbox: I decided to give JustCast a try myself. Below are the steps I took to setup a course podcast for my summer course, ETT 511: Advanced Instructional Media Design, in less than 5 minutes! Before following my steps below, you’ll need to first have a Dropbox account, which you can sign-up for free at dropbox.com. Step 1: Sign-up for a Free Account After I viewing the tutorial at justcast.herokuapp.com, I signed-up for a free account. In a matter of just a couple of clicks, I had approved the JustCast app in my Dropbox account. After logging in, my JustCast Shows page looked like this: Step 2: Edit "example" Dropbox Folder Name As part of the JustCast install process, it creates a folder called "justcast" in your "Apps" folder in your Dropbox folder. Within that "justcast" folder will be a subfolder called "example" that is meant to be the placeholder for your first podcast. I renamed that folder to the name of my course podcast, "ETT 511 - Summer 2014″ so it appeared as follows: Step 3: Place .mp3 File in Podcast Folder With my course podcast folder renamed to "ETT 511 - Summer 2014″ I then simply dragged and dropped the .mp3 file for my first podcast episode into that folder within Dropbox on my computer, which then sync’d with my Dropbox in the cloud. Once sync’d, I could see that the audio file for my first episode was within my Dropbox/Apps/justcast/ETT 511 - Summer 2014/ folder For each new episode to be added in the future, the new .mp3 file will simply need to be added to this folder. Step 4: Edit Podcast Details I then went ahead and edited my podcast show details in JustCast. Clicking the "Edit" button I added the following show details and attached a square graphic to be used as the thumbnail artwork for the podcast. After saving the edited show info, the podcast appeared in my list of shows as follows: Step 5: Share Podcast RSS URL The final step was to click the "RSS" button for my show to get the RSS feed for my course podcast, which is http://justcast.herokuapp.com/shows/371/audioposts.rss Students can copy/paste this URL into their own podcast app of choice, such as Downcast, Instacast, Apple’s Podcast app, or others to subscribe and be able to easily download & access all future course podcast episodes directly from their mobile device. I’ve been very impressed thus far with JustCast, even though it is currently just beta. I plan to continue using it for my course podcast this summer and I’d encourage other educators looking for a simple and free podcasting solution to give it a try! The free plan currently limits to 100mb of uploading per month, with an unlimited monthly upload option for just $5/mo. Have you tried JustCast and/or found these steps helpful? What has been your experience thus far with podcasting using Dropbox and JustCast? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

By: Katie Heisler, ABC club president and student ambassador Recently, the Globe University-Wausau ABC (accounting, business and criminal justice) club officers took part in the festivities surrounding the Fun Run in Marathon, Wisconsin to support Special Olympics. The Fun Run event is combination of a motorcycle rally, 5k run, Strong Man competition and semi pull.  All proceeds from this event benefit Special Olympics. Motorcycles from surrounding communities lined the streets in support of this event and added a sense of excitement to the day. "At 5:26, at the end of the ride, all you could hear was the sound of engines," said Katie Heisler, president of the club. "Over the music, over the crowds, over everything was this rumble of engines. I’ve never heard anything like it." Katie Heisler, Tiffany Karlen and Katie Syring with one of the many motorcycles at the Fun Run event Men and women from all over the state came to Marathon to test their strength in the Strong Man competition and the semi pull. The Strong Man competition had many different events the participants had to do to show their strength. The most impressive was being able to pull a cement truck! It was intense with all the adrenaline rushing around the crowd as these teams gathered to pull the truck.  Cheering could be heard blocks away in the support of these teams. Those driving through the normally quiet town of Marathon City found the streets full of markers for the 5k course and a crowd of brightly attired participants! Many people braved the heat to walk or run for this cause. There were moms walking and running with their toddlers in strollers, dads running with their kids through the finish line, and even young children navigating the course themselves to support this event. After the events had settled, medals were handed out, and bikers returned from the ride, it was time to feed the amazing people who participated in so many ways for the same cause. Katie Syring, Katie Heisler and Tiffany Karlen getting ready to serve the crowds at the Fun Run event This is where the ABC club officers swung into action. They managed the food and served the amazing participants and all the supporters at this event. BBQ pulled pork and plain shaved pork, hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, chips, and so many different goodies were served throughout the day. "It was a steady flow of people at the stand," said Katie Heisler. "We met many interesting people." Music flowed throughout the park, courtesy of a live band that volunteered to play for this cause. It was impossible to not get into the amazing energy that was running through the park grounds. The club officers had a great time dancing and laughing behind the counter throughout the festivities. "It was fun," said Katie Syring, club secretary. "It was a great opportunity to be a part of the Fun Run and I look forward to volunteering next year." The post Globe Students Have Fun Supporting the Special Olympics appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Community service is an important piece of what Globe University is all about. Each year, Globe Globe University-Madison West staff hard at work cleaning the barn University holds an organization-wide Community Service Day, where all campuses are closed, allowing faculty, staff and students the time to go out into the community and give back, demonstrating the "We Care" mission. The most recent Community Service Day for Globe University-Madison West gave volunteers the opportunity to donate their time to an organization that also invests in our veterinary technician program-Heartland Farm Sanctuary. Director of Admissions, Ashley Tanner, petting a rescued farm animal Located in Verona, Heartland Farm Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless farm animals in Wisconsin, and building connections between animals and vulnerable youth. Heartland provides a safe, peaceful environment where youth and farm animals can come together to heal, grow, and have fun. Also, our veterinary technician students take a field trip there each quarter to experience live production animals. Globe University staff spent the morning at the farm, where they took a tour, met the resident animals and helped with various projects. One of the projects was cleaning their large barn for their annual fundraiser event, Barn in Bloom which will be held on Sunday, June 28th. Some of their tasks included cleaning spider webs off of the walls, washing windows, raking hay, transporting dirt in wheel barrows, and unloading fences from trucks. Campus Director, Jamie Buenzli, and a rescued farm animal "I am glad that we were given the opportunity to help Heartland Farm Sanctuary get ready for the Barn in Bloom fundraising event," said Jamie Buenzli, campus director of Madison West. "We worked hard, got dirty and learned a lot about the organization and animal residents. The most exciting part of the day for me was when we were instructed to back up to the wall, hold our hands out, and under no circumstances, look Maxine (the 800 lb. sow) in the eye as she walked by our group. By the end of the day everyone that participated was appreciative of the experience that we had at Heartland Farm Sanctuary." "It was fun climbing the ladder and making the windows sparkling clean in the barn," said Rita Cordova, medical assistant program chair. "I also enjoyed meeting the farm animals on our tour because we were able to learn about how they were rescued and how caring the staff is." Not only was Community Service day productive, it also allowed faculty and staff to spend time together outside of the office. The event proved what great things we can accomplish as a team and we are thankful that we were able to spend time with such an amazing farm. The post We Care about Helping Animals: Community Service Day 2015 appeared first on Globe University Blog.

In addition to the course videos being available on YouTube for #ETT511 this summer, I’ll plan to try also making audio-only versions of my weekly course videos available as a course podcast that you can subscribe to using any podcast app of your choice (options include Downcast, Instacast, Apple’s Podcast app, or others to and be able to then easily download & access all future course podcast episodes directly from your smart phone or tablet. The course podcast will contain audio-only versions of all course videos (so, you can choose to either view the videos or listen to the audio in podcast form). You don’t need to watch both, unless you would like to hear the same message twice Here’s the podcast URL you can use to subscribe to our course podcast in your podcast app of choice: http://justcast.herokuapp.com/shows/371/audioposts.rss I’ll be curious to hear at the end of the course whether you preferred the audio or video option for my communications in the course.

Globe University-Woodbury staff and faculty at Lyngblomsten. The Globe University-Woodbury campus spent the 8th Annual Community Service Day bringing the residents of Lyngblomsten, a healthcare, housing and services organization for older adults, to the Minnesota Street Rod Association (MSRA) Back to the 50’s Car Show at the Minnesota State Fair. About 24 staff and faculty partnered up to walk approximately 12 of the residents through the Car Show . They had fun learning about the cars they drove and experiences they have had throughout their lives. "On behalf of Lyngblomsten, thank you and your team for volunteering to take residents to the car show last week," said Shannon Parker, manager of corporate and community engagement at Lyngblomsten. "The residents had a great time! It takes groups like Globe coming to volunteer to make these special events possible." Staff and faculty with the residents at the Car Show. Both staff and faculty commented on what a great organization Lyngblomsten is and how they would like to volunteer again at this facility. "What a lovely experience for our Community Service Day," said Globe University-Woodbury Dean of Students, Kelley Alliffi. "I really enjoyed the outing, and I am especially aware of how much it means to the residents to have people around to interact with, since my grandmother was recently in a similar situation. I plan to volunteer with them more on my own." About Lyngblomsten: According to Lyngblomsten, they are a Christian nonprofit organization serving older adults and their families through healthcare, housing, and community-based services. For more than a century, Lyngblomsten has been caring for the elderly and providing support for their loved ones while engaging the hearts of volunteers and donors who help carry out their mission. "We appreciate the generous gift of time from volunteer groups that make these events possible and enhance the lives of older adults in the community," said Shannon.   Globe Education Network (GEN) Community Service Day: For the past eight years, Globe Education Network has designated one day each year to close the campuses and volunteer throughout the community. According to GEN’s Director of Community Service and Charitable Giving, Community Service Day is a special day for our organization to show our "We Care" message and feel the impact we can have in one day. The post Staff & Faculty Educated Via the Wisdom of Senior Citizens appeared first on Globe University Blog.

I was excited to learn that my Blackboard course, ETT 510: Instructional Media and Technology, which I designed and taught online during Fall 2013, has been reviewed by the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program and received the distinction of being named an Exemplary Course. Below is the email notice I received from Lauren Krznaric at Blackboard: On behalf of Blackboard and the Exemplary Course Program Directors, I am pleased to inform you that your course, Instructional Media and Technology, has been recognized as a 2014 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Exemplary Course. Congratulations on this achievement! You join a select group of educators and course designers from around the world whose courses have earned the Exemplary Course designation. One of my reviewers, Leah Chuchran, shared these kind comments on Twitter: @jrhode it's probably ok to mention now that I was fortunate to be able to review your course. It def is exemplary, congrats! — Leah Chuchran (@LChuch) May 9, 2014 Below is a sampling of some of the great feedback I received from reviewers of my course, including: This is a really well-designed course. I kept trying to find a ‘weak link’ in the course navigation but just couldn’t do it! This is good, right? It’s not an easy feat to design a course that is clear to navigate, robust in content and not feeling like I am lost somewhere trying to find something. The units make sense and the links within keep everything organized. The downloadable syllabus and the schedule were also easily accessed - so important! Exemplary work. It is evident that Dr. Rhode has a passion for higher ed/online education AND design/development skills. It’s also evident that he enjoys the facilitation side and teaching both theory and practice and engaging with learners. The audience for this course really is awesome and ripe for a well-developed course - what more could one ask for? The embedded YouTube videos and especially the channel are an excellent addition to the course. Aggregated content in this fashion is so valuable for the learners. I really enjoy the fact that the synchronous sessions are scheduled and the students are expected to attend in this online class. I think that really is important and should be integrated as much as possible in the online environment. The learning activities truly embody the student-content, student-student and student-instructor theory and practice. The learners were offered an opportunity to gain many new skills, even if there was a "stretch" involved. I love how the learners were surveyed about their technical skills so you could gauge your audience. The journal activity seems to be a key component and allow you to "take the temperature". In addition, I really enjoyed both the ID model presentation as well as the tech-integrated ID plan assignments. Especially the models/templates that were provided - I can imagine how much time this saved both parties in the process. I think that learner support was one of the main foci for this course, from the course design to the variety of content to support learning to the learning activities in which students were given opportunities to perform and shine. The course design is exemplary. It’s easy to navigate and it just makes sense. It provides the learners with all of the necessary information to be successful and to jump right in and feel like they can begin learning the subject at hand, not how to get to the content and activities. The learning activities are awesome. Assessment of each of the activities is thorough and clear with the rubrics. Each of the activities is appropriate for the audience. Student engagement is obvious throughout, including in the discussions and the group projects. The feedback on the various assignments were also important in creating engagement. I truly hope it is nominated as one of the Bb Exemplary Courses for 2013. It truly is one of the most well-designed courses I’ve seen. The Blackboard Catalyst Awards will formally be presented at the Blackboard Catalyst Awards Luncheon on Thursday, July 17th at Blackboard’s annual worldwide user conference, BbWorld. As an exemplary course winner, I’ll be preparing a poster presentation for BbWorld, a 4-minute screencast course tour, and also may be giving another information session at BbWorld (if proposal is accepted) with tips for exemplary course design in Blackboard. Thank you to all my NIU ETRA Technology Specialist cohort students in the course this past fall and for your valuable feedback that guided the course design and delivery. I’ve previously shared my tips learned through the experience with other faculty and am currently in the process of designing a new course, ETT 511: Advanced Instructional Media and Design following the same principles of quality course design. I was also thrilled to hear that the NIU MOOC that my colleagues Stephanie Richter and Tracy Miller helped develop has also received the Exemplary Course Award, also to be recognized at BbWorld! For faculty who have never considered participating in the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program, I encourage you to do so! More details are available at blackboard.com/ecp

My family was so excited to learn that my 2nd cousin, Jared Abbrederis, a former walk-on wide receiver who just finished his career with the Wisconsin Badgers, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. For anyone wondering the family connection, my mom’s maiden name is Abbrederis and Jared’s grandpa Abbrederis and my grandpa Abbrederis are brothers, making my mom and Jared’s dad 1st cousins, and Jared and me 2nd cousins. Man, so blessed to be a packer! Can't wait to get to work and have another opportunity to play the game I love! #blessed #ao1 — Jared Abbrederis (@abbrecadabra) May 10, 2014 Not only is our family excited, but so is my entire hometown, Wautoma, WI where Jared also grew up and his family currently lives. The entire community is sharing it’s pride. My hometown, Wautoma, WI showing it’s pride in Jared Abbrederis @abbrecadabra on his way to Titletown pic.twitter.com/EBtqhHaDOp — Jason Rhode (@jrhode) May 11, 2014 Jared has defied the odds time and time again during his high school and collegiate athletic career. In high school, despite suffering a devastating leg injury, he went on to win multiple state championships as a track star, breaking state records in the 110m high hurdles and 300m intermediate hurdles, as well as lead his high school football team and track teams to state championships as a senior. Jared holding high school track and football championship trophies He went on to be a walk-on at the University of Wisconsin, where through his hard work and dedication he become one of the all-time greatest wide receivers at UW, finishing his career tied for the school record for receptions (202) and ranked No. 2 all-time at Wisconsin in receiving yards (3,140) and touchdown receptions (23). Being from Wisconsin, our family has always been huge Badgers fans, but all the more with Jared playing on the team. While he’s certainly well-known throughout WI, my girls may be among his biggest fans! My daughters, ages 2 and 5, meeting Jared at Badgers Family Fun Day in 2013 The entire Abbrederis family certainly couldn’t be prouder of Jared! Some of the Abbrederis family with Jared following big win Playing for the Packers would be a dream come true for Jared…and he’s now one step closer to that dream become reality! Leading up to the draft, he and his family talked about the opportunity to possibly playing for the Packers. Here are a couple of videos of Jared leading up to the draft in which he was asked about the possibility of playing for the Packers: It’s been fun following all the conversations and media about Jared since the draft. Here are a few tweets and links to articles immediately following his draft announcement by the Packers: With the 176th pick in the 2014 #NFLDraft, the Packers select Wisconsin WR Jared Abbrederis.#PackersDraft — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 Abbrederis becomes first @BadgerFootball player drafted by #Packers since @Bill_Ferrario in '01. Thompson had never taken @UWBadgers player. — Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) May 10, 2014 Packers please fans with selection of Jared Abbrederis. Read more: http://t.co/2msgOyjvSX #PackersDraft — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 Learn more about Jared Abbrederis in http://t.co/5XG9ieAT2M's Prospect Primer: http://t.co/HedjNDY9LU #PackersDraft — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 Abbrederis on being drafted: "It's crazy right now. Being able to have my dream come true and play with the Packers, my childhood team." — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 On Abbrederis: "He's a savvy route runner. He creates separation and is very productive." #PackersDraft — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 On Abbrederis' work ethic: "He feels like he has to earn each and every day. Those are the qualities we love about him." #PackersDraft — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 On Abbrederis' speed: "You see a guy with good quickness and create separation. It's what you look for when you turn the tape on." — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 State football & track champ, incredible Badgers career, & now will be a Packer. Congrats @abbrecadabra ! pic.twitter.com/ZfWHQ1xc01 — WisSports.net (@wissportsnet) May 10, 2014 #Packers make Jared Abbrederis' dream come true. Read more: http://t.co/8e8HgLwR6h #PackersDraft pic.twitter.com/EL0UFtXNYP — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 We were surprised that Abbrederis was still available. — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 McCarthy on picking a @BadgerFootball player: "It's nice to come up here and say, 'It's about time, we finally drafted one.'" — Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) May 10, 2014 On drafting a Wisconsin player: "It's about time. He adds competition in the WR room." - Mike McCarthy — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 McCarthy says he "definitely" wants to see Abbrederis in the return mix. — Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) May 10, 2014 MM on Abbrederis: "He's a really good football player. Ted had an appreciation for him lining up against the top corner." — Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 10, 2014 @packers You've picked guy whose desire and drive exceeds his talent and you won't be disappointed. — Frank Abbrederis (@FAbbrederis) May 10, 2014 05/10/14 The journey continues: Jared Abbrederis has come a long way from his walk-on days, but the ex-UW rece… http://t.co/JZV6hhR8cC — Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) May 11, 2014 @abbrecadabra gets his wish…#Badgers star drafted by @packers. Mark it down:this guy WILL carve out an NFL career. #NFLDraft — Rick Pizzo (@BTNRickPizzo) May 10, 2014 .@AaronRodgers12 to @abbrecadabra? Sounds good to us. #NFLBadgers #Badgers — Badger Football (@BadgerFootball) May 10, 2014 As you might suspect, I couldn’t be prouder of the outstanding young man the Jared has become and I’ll be continuing to follow Jared’s career as he launches his NFL career as a Packer, where he’ll be wearing #84. As I come across further news about Jared, I plan to share it to the Jared Abbrederis Fan Club on Facebook so feel free to follow along Jared’s journey there. You can also follow him on Twitter @abbrecadabra.

Have you ever felt unsure if you were in the right job field? Have you ever wondered what a medical assistant does on a daily basis in a clinic? Well thanks to Advanced Pain Management, Globe University-Madison West students can find out! Natalie Busse, director of career services, says "job shadowing is great way to see if you are in the right education field. It can show you day-to-day job duties and see if you would like to work in an environment like that on a daily basis." That is why Globe University is thankful for its partnership with Advanced Pain Management in Madison, Wisconsin. Every quarter, Globe University-Madison West medical assistant students go to their clinic and are able to shadow the medical assistants there and see what they do on a daily basis. The students are scheduled in advance with a medical assistant and spends four hours observing their role. This gives the student an opportunity to ask specific questions related to the field of medical assisting and other related healthcare fields. Advanced Pain Management also has a surgical suite where the providers perform various procedures. This is a great opportunity for students to witness these surgical procedures. Left, regional manager Deanna Grimm and right, student Shelly Ace, job shadowing at Advanced Pain Management The medical assistant students are job shadowing for career development experiences prior to their externship. The job shadowing gives the student an opportunity to learn more about the role of a medical assistant prior to the start of their externship. Advanced Pain Management is also one of our clinical sites for medical assisting clinical externships. The clinic provides an excellent and varied learning opportunity for our students. The partnership does not end with job shadowing. This quarter, one of Advanced Pain Management’s surgical technicians is coming to a class to be a guest speaker on surgical asepsis and will bring instruments and speak about their job and how medical assistants help with surgeries and procedures. This is another way that the medical assisting students can learn from professionals in the field and ask questions to someone who is an expert in the medical field. Rita Cordova, medical assistant program chair, says "this is a fantastic learning experience for the students where they can see day-to-day activities of a medical assistant. They get to observe surgeries and procedures with the management of chronic and severe pain and see what the medical assistant does to help." Thank you Advanced Pain Management for helping Globe University students grow and learn outside of the classroom setting. The post Learning Outside the Classroom-Medical Assisting Partnership appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Did you know that for every 100 ninth-graders, only 70 gradate high school? This video about college readiness in the United States reveals some alarming realities facing educators and students today.

Director of Admissions Kristina Gross rides the carousel with Bob from Oak Park Place. What do tasty gelato and carousel rides have to do with community service? Well, for the staff and faculty at Globe University-Madison East, these gelato and carousel rides go hand in hand with volunteering. Staff and faculty at Globe University are proud to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the students they serve on a daily basis. But on Globe’s annual Community Service Day, they have the chance to move beyond the doors of Globe to show they care for the community as well. Community Service Day is a special day across all Globe University campuses, when Globe closes all campuses and corporate offices for the day so staff and faculty members can serve the community through volunteering. Staff and faculty escort Oak Park residents around the zoo. This year, Globe University-Madison East partnered with Oak Park Place in Madison to provide two separate outings for Oak Park residents. One group took residents around the Henry Vilas Zoo seeing the animals, the newly opened Arctic Passage, and riding the carousel. "I really enjoyed taking the seniors from Oak Park to the zoo," said Veterinary Technology Instructor Brandie Moker. "We had fabulous weather and they were really happy and thankful to be outside for some fresh air!" The other group of Globe staff walked residents to the newly-opened Metro Market near the Oak Park facilities to enjoy some delicious gelato. "Taking the memory care residents out into the community for the morning was so Medical Assistant Instructor Deanna Rego with Emie from Oak Park Place. enjoyable," said Director of Career Service Elizabeth Disch. "We were informed that this particular group of residents rarely gets out due to the nature of their care, but due to the large number of volunteers in our group it was possible. I’m not sure who enjoyed it more - the residents or us!" "Our outing with the residents gave me a strong sense of gratitude," said Instructor Di Carey. "I was grateful that as a result of Community Service Day we were able to make an impact on the lives of the residents by giving them a change of scenery. By providing the opportunity for those residents to be outside on such a beautiful day, I feel like we helped boost their wellness on many levels. I think it would be great to do this again." Oak Park Place provides quality senior care and services for residents through a continuum of care. They strive to create a community committed to an active and enjoyable lifestyle focused on wellness. Globe staff and faculty look forward to partnering with Oak Park more on future outings or volunteer opportunities. The post Caring Through Carousel Rides: Staff Volunteer With Oak Park Residents appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Who has made an impact on your education? A family member, friend, co-worker or an instructor? On National Teacher Day, Marianne Bovee a two time graduate from the Minnesota School of Business Online, expressed her gratitude for her instructor Dr. Gregory Coughlin. Bovee is a graduate of our health care management program and then immediately jumped in her master’s degree. She recently added a masters of business administration to her resume. Bovee took some time to share her experience as a student with MSB and how instructors have impacted her career as a student. MBA Graduate Marianne Bovee What is your career life outside of school? I worked in higer education for over 19 years as an instructor and an administrator. While I was taking the health care management program, the course work fit in very well with my position as the Allied Health Programs Department Chair. The entire curriculum was very relevant to what I was preparing my students for as allied health professionals and it brought value to my organization and enhanced my leadership skills. While I very much enjoyed my career and loved my students, I was anxious to spread my wings as a business graduate and take on some new challenges using skills I learned from the MBA program. How did you find balance in your life to manage career, school, and family? I was able to find balance in my family and professional life because I had tremendous support. My husband was my rock and cheerleader throughout the seven years I have been at MSB. There were many times that I told him at the start of an extremely difficult course that I just couldn’t do it. Without hesitation he always replied, yes you can, you always do and you always will. I also had tremendous support from my past employer. They believed in education, provided reimbursement and allowed me time off when big projects were due. You had such positive feedback about your instructor Dr. Gregory Coughlin on National Teacher Day. What did he do that impacted your education? Dr. Gregory Coughlin, positively impacted my experience as an online graduate student because of his engagement, feedback, communication, and encouragement. Dr. Coughlin tied every concept covered in his classes to how it impacts our professional lives and asked us to think as professionals. I really struggled preparing for my final two classes which required students to complete a business project or business plan. Dr. Coughlin was the instructor and I called him asking for help because I was very frustrated and unsure of myself. He spent almost an hour on the phone with me guiding me and reassuring me he was there to help. He steered me in the right direction and provided support for me at a time I needed it the most. When I thanked him, his reply was "I am happy to help; I want you to be successful." It was important for me to have a professor that was available, knowledgeable, kind and thoughtful. Being an online student can be isolating especially at the graduate level but Dr. Coughlin always made me feel important and supported.  What impacted me the most as an online student was the positive feedback I received from Dr. Coughlin on my course work.  Dr. Coughlin gets it and his encouragement kept me engaged, pushed me to work hard, and helped me reach my goals. What advice would you give to a potential student? You’re never too old to go back to college. Learning at any age benefits you and your family. I highly encourage anyone on the fence about getting a master’s degree to ask their employer how would it affect their current position and start looking at what options are available to you with an advanced degree. Set your goals and make it happen. The post How One Instructor Can Make an Impact appeared first on Globe University Blog.

Online asynchronous discussions are often incorporated by faculty into blended or online courses, providing opportunities for rich dialog among students outside of the traditional face-to-face classroom environment. A number of steps can be taken to promote an engaging and interactive online discussion, beginning with drafting the discussion questions that students are asked to respond to. This infographic highlights a variety of suggestions that can yield more meaningful and deeper online discussions. Source: BangTheTable For students in my summer course, ETT 511, you may in particular find these tips helpful as you draft the discussion questions for the week your group facilitates. What additional suggestions do you have for writing engaging questions for online discussion forums?  Feel free to leave a comment with your ideas!

Faculty and staff pulling weeds and harvesting lettuce for the Appleton Farmer’s Market The faculty and staff from GU-Appleton participated in Community Service day on Friday, June 19 by volunteering at Riverview Gardens in Appleton. Altogether, 15 staff and faculty members volunteered their time at the urban garden harvesting and preparing lettuce and spinach to sell at the Appleton Farmer’s Market the next day. The first order of business was to take a tour of the farm, which was previously occupied by a golf course. The tour guide took the Globe volunteers to the farm area, where other volunteers were already hard at work pulling weeds, watering plants, and chopping wood. The farm is entirely organic, so everyone had to wash their hands before going to the field so the plants don’t get contaminated with chemicals on the hands from lotions, bug sprays, or other contaminants. Harvesting spinach to clean and package for the Appleton Farmer’s Market The group then harvested lettuce and spinach, while others pulled weeds. Either way, everyone got their hands dirty! After a quick lunch break, some stayed to pull the endless weeds, while the rest of the group went inside to clean and package the lettuce and spinach so they were ready to sell. Kim Stevens, Campus Director, enjoyed incorporating Globe’s We Care mission into the volunteer work: "I look forward to Community Service Day each year. It is such a wonderful opportunity to work with an organization in our community that relies so heavily on volunteerism. I am proud to work for an organization that cares about its students, staff, faculty, and community. Community Service Day gives us the opportunity to demonstrate We Care in a different light." Librarian Michelle Karbon was excited to be part of the harvesting and cleaning process. "It was awesome to physically pull spinach and then be part of the cleaning and packaging," she said. "I was part of the entire cycle that I had previously taken for granted when visiting the farmer’s market." Admissions Representative Angie Wells was thankful for being able to volunteer outdoors on a sunny day: "We were lucky to have such a beautiful day to spend outdoors and give back to the community." About Riverview Gardens: Riverview Gardens is a socially innovative, self-supporting venture that engages Fox Valley residents in community stewardship of a market garden enterprise, community park space, and job training program while enhancing the missions of local outreach organizations and building financial resources to help address root causes of poverty, homelessness, and unemployment. The post GU-Appleton Participates in Annual Community Service Day at Urban Farm appeared first on Globe University Blog.