Outstanding Distance Learning Student (ITC)

Please take the time to click on the link below and watch this very moving presentation. I was privileged to be present at this award ceremony while attending the recent Instructional Technology Council International Conference. I will never forget it.
Pamela Himmel Accepts ITC Awards for Excellence in e-Learning, Outstanding Distance Learning Student, at e-Learning 2008 on Feb. 18, 2008
See her Video Acceptance Speech


"St. Petersburg College was honored by having one of our students chosen as the 'Online Student of the Year' at the recent international Instructional Technology Council meeting at the Tradewinds. Thanks to the good work of Jeremy Peplow, the college videographer, the nominating introduction by eCampus instructor Dr. Jennifer Lechner and Pamela Himmel's comments are captured in the enclosed video file. If you’re feeling a little tired and overwhelmed, spend the few minutes watching this video. It represents the best of what we are, and the core of what we’re about. We should all be very proud and humbled."- James Olliver, Provost, Seminole/eCampus, St. Petersburg College

Connected College

Wow! I found this exciting and inspiring-the future of college is now!
Abilene Christian U is CONNECTED. Freshmen will use an iPhone or iPod touch to receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, get directions to their professors' offices, and check their meal and account balances - among more than 15 other useful web applications already developed, said ACU Chief Information Officer Kevin Roberts

Click Here

Part 2 of CONNECTED at College

Total Lunar Eclipse 2/20/2008

We had a very clear skies for an excellent view of the total lunar eclipse but the temps were very cold. Lucky that we could observe the eclipse well from the deck sliding door without having to go outside.

I had to do a training-teaching high school teachers how to teach online (say 5 times fast) and was rushing home to view the eclipse (but not speeding in the state issued vehicle). I was driving east and actually watched the progress of the eclipse from the road.

At home, we tried taking tons of photos but changing camera setting in the dark and the -10 temps make it challenging to get a good shot. Finally the EXIF (Exchangeable Image File) data on this photo indicates it was captured at 9:35 pm central. Which places it at full lunar eclipse according to the following NASA timeline.

Dali Museum, St. Petersburg , FL

While at the ITC conference (see prev. post) I was able to take in the Dali Museum with a new friend attending the conference. 1. Why is the largest collection of Dali work in St. Pete's ? Easy answer: "The best place to see European Art is in America..at the beach". Long answer, the museum documents how a couple from Ohio had a Huge private collection of his work and were trying to find a home, people in St. Petersburg got it together and decided they would be the best stewards of the collection. 2. As an art teacher, I am always excited for the chance to see the actual works of art instead of the reproductions I have been looking at in books and the web. At times the disconnect from the actual work and the reproductions are more dramatic than others, Dali's is definitely one that I recommend seeing the real thing. It was great to find myself spending long spans of time looking at one work at a time, tons of amazing detail and discoverys happening that just do not translate to reproductions. 3. Biggest surprise: Dal's most famous work, Persistence of Memory is actually better in reproductions, this original was small and dark. 4. Was so happy to make the a new discovery Dali's animated collaboration with the late Walt Disney called Destino (click for video sample).
While walking to the bus stop after the museum a Surreal moment happened as a lady was giving a man haircut on a park bench.

ITC E-Learning 2008

Best conference I have attended to date, got me in gear with Flickr, Twitter, Del.icio.us, and mashups.

Plus being on the beach while it was 20 below in MN was not all bad either. Check out the pics at Flickr And please look me up and say hi on http://twitter.com/ (microblogging/networking) my username is Goamick. Or connect with what is good on the web at my http://del.icio.us/goamick