2014 TORCH alumni magazine published

The TORCH 2014 College of Education alumni magazine has been published! Here is the link to the magazine online. Hope you enjoy reading our stories!

2014 ISLT Halloween Costume Party

ISSA-sponsored Halloween Costume Party will be held on Saturday, October 25th at 7:30 PM. Please join us for some ghoulish games, freaky fun and costume competition. Wear your favorite costume and compete with others to win the ISSA 2014 Halloween Costume Award!

Here is the details.

• When: Saturday, October 25th at 7:30 pm
• Where: 2132 Oxford Rd. Tallahassee, FL 32304
• Who: ISLT faculty, students, their family and friends.
• Wear your favorite costume!
• Bring any food that you want to share.
• Rides: If you need a ride or if you're willing to give people rides, please email Wei (wq09@my.fsu.edu).

Congratulations! Dr. Dennen receive 2013-2014 Distance Learning Awards

Congratulations to Dr. Vanessa Dennen who has received two Distance Learning Awards:

• Excellence in Online Teaching 
• Innovative and Effective Use of Technology

The Distance Learning Award for Excellence in Online Teaching acknowledges recent online courses that display online teaching strategies that engage students as learning partners. After reviewing Dennen's teaching evaluations, support materials, and online course site for EME 6635 - MOOCs and Open Learning (spring, 2014), a committee of FSU faculty members chose Dennen as a recipient of the 2013-2014 award.

“The Distance Learning Award for Innovative and Effective Use of Technology recognizes recently implemented technology with a positive impact on student learning and motivation and which facilitates instructional delivery, is easily disseminated, and provides a reasonable return on investment,” said Rudasill. Dennen’s work in the course, EME 6635 – MOOCs and Open Learning, led the committee of FSU faculty to select her as an award recipient.

Dennen’s awards will be presented at the 2014 Distance Learning Awards on Friday, November 14, 2014.

From FSU EdNews, http://fsuednews.com/2014/10/15/two-faculty-members-receive-2013-2014-distance-learning-awards/

Last Sunday, we had a fun ISLT picnic!

ISSA-Sponsored Fall picnic was held at FSU Reservation last Sunday. We had ourselves a time eating delicious food, chatting, and doing fun activities. Check out some of the great photos!

2014 ISLT Newsletter Just Released!

2014 ISLT Newsletter's just published! Hope you enjoy reading our stories!

Highlights of What's Inside

• IS Alumni Council 
• Faculty Accomplishments
• Student Accomplishments
• ISLT Awards
• Alumni Accomplishments 
• ISD@40 Highlights
• We're Forty!
• ISSA President's Column

Here is the Newsletter Link.

Fall 2014 Picnic

Our ISSA-sponsored Fall picnic will be held on Sunday, October 12th from 12:30 - 3:30 PM at FSU Reservation. The picnic is pot luck, so bring your favorite dish to share. The picnic is always fun! You won't want to miss it!

Here is the details.

• When: Sunday, October 12 from 12:30 - 3:30 pm
• Where: FSU Researvation (3226 Flastacowo Rd, Tallahassee, FL32310)
• Who: You +family or guests. Local online students and alumni welcome.
• Bring: This is a potluck. So please bring your favorite dish to share. 
• Rides: If you need a ride or if you're willing to give people rides, please email Wei (wq09@my.fsu.edu). 

2014 Dean's Symposium on Entrepreneurship in Education

The Dean's Symposium is annual event that brings together educational researchers and scholars, state policy-makers, school administrators, teachers and teacher educators, agency officials, and Florida State faculty and students to discuss educational issues of critical importance to our state and the nation. 

This year’s 8th annual Dean’s Symposium will focus on Entrepreneurship in Education.

FSU Turnbull Center, Room 208

September 29, Monday, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Lunch provided - please RSVP here

Speakers for the symposium include:

• Micah Widen, CEO and Co-Founder of Domi Station (http://www.domistation.com), a local business incubator and investor in entrepreneurs
• Tom Vander Ark (keynote speaker), CEO of Getting Smart (http://gettingsmart.com), an education advocacy firm 

 Vander Ark has authored a number of books, including Teaching with Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach and, the most recent, Smart Cities That Work for Everyone: 7 Keys to Education & Employment

Session information - Leading the Learning Revolution

New tools are powering new learning models that have the potential to boost achievement domestically and expand access to tertiary education internationally. Developing an innovation mindset--in students and teachers--is becoming increasingly important. Developing learning environments that are blended, personalized, and competency-based requires leadership. Tom will discuss the importance of new tools and schools and opportunities for innovation in educator preparation.

A panel of entrepreneurs moderated by Dr. Val Shute:

• Cathy Tencza (Tencza Designs, Atlanta, GA and COE alum)
• Pam Phelps (Creative Preschools, Tallahassee)
• Laurence Hewick (President of Hewick Research, Inc. and COE distinguished alum)
• Douglass Tatum (Entrepreneur-in-Residence, College of Business)
• Jim Dever (Entrepreneur-in-Residence, College of Business)
• Bruce Manciagli (Social Entrepreneur-in-Residence, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy) 
• Barbara "Bobbi" Kurshan, Executive Director of Academic Innovation, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
• Daniel Dispenziere, Director, FSU Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

See more details about the COE Week 2014 events including this Dean's Symposium

at http://www.coe.fsu.edu/coeweek