MELTI blog site

The MELTI blog site for students and alumni is still in existence. Please continue to check back to this blog as we make progress. We are looking at creating a site with more threaded conversation and a place to share examples and templates. For now, please feel free to add your comments on projects you are doing with students, training with staff, current research, and other technology related topics.

Post Capstone Seminar Note

Kudos to all who helped organize the event and presented at the MELTI Capstone Seminar. Dr. Helen Barrett has uploaded her keynote speech at the following web sites:
PowerPoint slides in PDF format
Information on books
links to the other presentation

You can also find the evaluation to the Seminar from here

Call for Participation

You are cordially invited to the MELTI Capstone Seminar on Saturday, September 24 at Thornton Auditorium (TMH 260). The MELTI Capstone Seminar is the culminating activity of the Minnesota Educators and Leaders Technology Initiative (MELTI) grant we received from the Minnesota Department of Education last year. The MELTI participants, who are all K-12 in-service teachers and administrators, will be presenting their best practices in technology integration in the K-12 classroom in this half-day seminar. Dr. Helen Barrett, an well-known expert in electronic portfolio and educator, is invited to give the keynote address on "Digital Storytelling for reflection and deep learning.". More conference information can be found at the SOE Events site: http://www.stthomas.edu/education/events/TechnologyEvent.pdf

The following site has links to each presenter's proposals. http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/ccchou/LT/MELTI/seminar_schedule.htm

Please spread the words about this event. If you are MELTI participant and you have not confirmed your participation with Candace, please do so soon. None-MELTI participants who are interested in participating in this event should send a RSVP to Lauri Shurson (LLSHURSON@stthomas.edu) by Wednesday to secure free parking permit. Breakfast and lunch are provided. K-12 educators can learn 3 clock hours for continuing education credits and a computer/screen cleaning brush. Administrator's CEUs is pending on the final BOT approval sometimes this week.

The MELTI Capstone Seminar Call for Proposals

The MELTI Capstone Seminar will be held on Saturday September 24. This event is part of the E2T2 grant awarded by the Minnesota Department of Education. Participants of the MELTI grants are encouraged to submit proposals to share their ideas and experience in technology integration. Please use the Call for Proposal Form provided at the MELTI Web site (http://melti.blogspot.com) to submit your proposals. Choose one of the following categories:

1. Concurrent sessions: The concurrent session is for projects that require more in-depth demonstration and allow more interaction between the presenter and the audience. Here are a few ideas for the concurrent session:

• Projects from the Learning Technology Certificate program that have been field-tested in the classroom or educational settings.
  
• Technology integration plan developed in LHDT528 that you plan to implement or have implemented in the classroom.
  
• Innovative ideas that you have first-hand experience in integrating technology into education or in the process of development. (e.g., iPod for oral history)

2. Electronic Poster Session: The poster session is for those who would like to share technology projects that may not be part of a formal lesson plan but can be integrated into an educational activity in a given subject. It can be PowerPoint, Inspiration, Quia, eZedia, or WebQuest that you have developed through the Learning Technology Program. The poster session presenter will run their projects on a computer and answer questions when asked during the time slot designated for the Poster Session. No formal presentation or demonstration is required.

Please submit your proposal to Candace (ccchou@stthomas.edu) before September 9th.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Helen Barrett, a world renown expert in electronic portfolio, is invited to be the keynote speaker of the Capstone Seminar.

Bio

Dr. Helen Barrett recently retired from the faculty of the College of Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage and is living in the Seattle area. She has been researching strategies and technologies for electronic portfolios since 1991, publishing a website (http://electronicportfolios.org), an Apple Learning Interchange exhibit (http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/ali/exhibits/1000156/), chapters in several books on Electronic Portfolios, and numerous articles. She was on loan to the International Society for Technology in Education between 2001 and early 2005, working as the Assessment Coordinator for ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards and providing training and technical assistance on electronic portfolios for teacher education programs throughout the U.S.under a federal PT3 grant. In 2005, Dr. Barrett became the Research Project Director for The REFLECT Initiative, an international research project, underwritten by TaskStream, to assess the impact of electronic portfolios on student learning, motivation and engagement in secondary schools. She is currently working on several book projects on electronic portfolios. She is also an Apple Distinguished Educator and a George Lucas Educational Foundation Faculty Associate.


Speech Title: Digital Storytelling for Reflection and Deep Learning in ePortfolios

Abstract
The ancient art of storytelling can be a powerful tool for deep learning and reflection; add today's multimedia technology and you have a highly motivating project-based learning activity as well as a powerful artifact in an electronic portfolio. This presentation will focus on the role of reflection in electronic portfolios and tools for scaffolding reflection: blogging and digital storytelling. After a brief overview of the literature on reflection and learning (Schon, Dewey, Moon), some new perspectives will be shared on storytelling as reflection on experience to improve learning (McDrury & Alterio), and on the role of reflection in brain-based learning (Zull). This presentation will provide some of the pedagogical and theoretical justification for integrating digital storytelling into the curriculum.

MELTI Capstone Seminar

Date: Saturday, September 24, 2005
Time: 8:30am to 1:30pm
Place: Terrance Murphy Hall Auditorium (TMH)
Objectives:

• To showcase the best practices from the MELTI cohorts
• To disseminate information on technology integration in the K-12 classroom
• To share innovate ideas in employing technology in K-12 schools

Audience: MELTI cohort participants and the public
Description: The MELTI cohorts are sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2) Grant. The participants have received professional development training at the University of ST. Thomas Learning Technology (LT) Graduate Certificate Program. This is the culminating event in which all participants will present projects developed through the LT graduate courses. There will be different themes and tracks by grade level and subject areas in the Capstone Seminar. Please check the Schedule Link for more information. (Schedule link coming up soon....)

MELTI Capstone Seminar Schedule

8:30-9am Breakfast
9-10 Keynote speech
10-10:30 coffee/tea break
10:30-11:45 Concurrent sessions (15-20 minutes each presentation)
session A: PK-8 group
Session B: 9-12 group
Session C: All levels and multidiscipline
11:45 – 12:00 Poster Session
12:00-1:00 lunch