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NDLA: A Trio of Updates

1) In May the Nebraska Distance Learning Association (NDLA) board gathered for our annual board retreat which was held at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Community Engagement Center. Following the review of the mission statement, we felt, as many organizations do, that we needed to discuss NDLA’s purpose. We are proud to share with you the following updated mission that better reflects our role: NDLA is a professional development organization that builds awareness and provides networking opportunities and resources for connected learning environments.

2) Mark your calendars for the 2016 NDLA Conference - Blended Pathways for Learning - to be held on February 24-26 in Omaha. We decided to start a half day early with the idea of providing opportunities for specific groups to meet, for example, higher education audience, K-12 and content providers. Thursday brings all audiences together for the keynote speaker, breakout sessions, lunchtime sponsor-driving table talks, and the popular evening social. Friday will feature another keynote speaker and breakout sessions, and the conference will end with audience-driven round table discussions (following the positive response to those at the 2015 conference). We hope all Nebraska distance learning professionals will join us, and we welcome our neighboring states to travel to Omaha for this excellent conference. Stay tuned for more details.

3) Following the success of last year’s virtual field trip (VFT) workshop for content providers in the fall, we are planning another event tentatively set for October 28 in Lincoln. All organizations will receive an invitation via email to register for this unique opportunity to gather with peers and learn more about the potential of VFTs. If you’re a content provider (or know one) and want to make sure you are on the list, please drop us a line - nebraskadla@gmail.com.

PS: We hope you find a moment to check out who we are by going to our website - http://NDLA.org; liking us on Facebook - NebraskaDistanceLearningAssociation or following us on Twitter -@NebraskaDLA.

TxDla-Pushing Distance Education to Unimaginable Limits

I'm Rolando Garza and I have the pleasure of serving as the Texas Distance Learning Association (TxDLA) 2015 - 2016 President - Elect and the 19th Annual Conference Chair. We have big ideas and big projects, superhuman some would say, coming next year.

So let's see what is waiting for you in San Antonio, Texas! Come discover the heroes beyond traditional learning at the 19th Annual TxDLA Conference on March 28 - 30, 2016. www.TxDLA.org

The GaDLA is Renewing and Reimagining What our Georgia Chapter Can Be!

First, we changed the name to GDLA, we reorganized the Board, and we’ve established new goals and mission statements for what we believe will be an active, visible, and invigorated chapter.

We’ve been inspired, in part by several personal success stories from within our Board family. We’ve seen how desperately some of our own children were facing failure in a traditional schoolroom structure. And how they began to thrive, going from failing grades and increasing emotional and social issues, to becoming an honor student who’s excited about learning after being introduced to a distance learning environment. We’d like to share one story about a nephew of one of our board members. His parents said:

“For us we were at a loss. Traditional school wasn't working for our son, Joey. We felt like we were losing him fast. He hated going to school, his grades were suffering, he struggled with friendships, he had behavior problems, he was experiencing bullying and the one place we were counting on to get him the support he needed, just wasn’t working.”

“Joey needs an environment where he can focus with little distraction or disruption. He also needs to type instead of write and he needs more opportunity to verbally express his thoughts and ideas. Choosing a virtual school offered all of these options. His courses are online. He meets with teachers online and it's very interactive so he can ask questions or participate in discussions with his teachers or other classmates. He takes all of his tests online and gets immediate feedback so that we know exactly where to focus.”

“We don't have bully issues at school anymore. He doesn't have HOMEWORK anymore because it's all done during the day. Homework used to take hours because he was unable to focus and just didn't want to do extra busy work. His school day is about 9-3 and only Monday through Thursday. On Fridays we usually find something fun to do with a friend or take a homeschool class, perhaps at the discovery center. “
“Unlike the previous six years, we are looking forward to going back to school in the fall, and so is Joey!”

NMSU, DACC Professors Host first NewMexicoDLA Online Conference

New Mexico’s first chapter of the United States Distance Learning Association recently hosted its first online-only conference with the help of professors from New Mexico State University and Doña Ana Community College.

Julia Lynn Parra, an assistant professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department in the College of Education at NMSU, and Krista Kozel MacDonald, an assistant professor of communication and the online education coordinator at DACC, recently organized the New Mexico Distance Learning Association’s first conference as a way to introduce the new group to the community.

The first NewMexicoDLA conference was a one-day free online conference, themed “What’s New in New Mexico in Higher Education with Distance, Online and Blended Learning.” It attracted nearly 40 participants statewide, more than what organizers expected.

“We didn’t do any PR (public relations), and we promoted it three days before it was happening,” Parra said. “We really wanted to reach out just to our members. It was more like a practice. We hope to definitely promote it next year.”

Presenters included representatives from Santa Fe Community College, Central New Mexico Community College, NMSU and the University of New Mexico.

This year’s NewMexicoDLA conference is part of a growing number of online-only conferences across the country. Parra said many professional organizations have started offering portions of their annual conferences online, and many organizations also offer webinars to members.

The NewMexicoDLA conference was also an opportunity for members and potential members to learn more about the new organization, and to share ideas on distance learning, Parra said.

For more information about NewMexicoDLA and for links to this year’s conference presentations, contact Parra at juparra@nmsu.edu. More information may also be found at http://newmexicodla.org.

ColoDLA Delivers Successful Annual Conference and Launches Two Inaugural Programs

The Colorado Chapter is coming off of a successful annual conference at the University of Colorado Boulder! On April 22, 2015, attendees heard many thought provoking ideas associated with our theme: “Connecting the Underserved: Using Distance Learning Avenues to Connect Underserved and Underrepresented Populations to Educational Opportunities.” The speakers were fantastic and the interaction was engaging, lively and informative. We even made room for a field trip to CU Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium, where members learned about an interstellar video conference between the planetarium and the International Space Station, captained by CU Alum, Steve Swanson. They were also treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a planetarium via a step-by-step narration provided by our talented planetarium “navigators.”

During the annual conference, we launched two new initiatives. The first was the "John and Carrie Morgridge Every Gift Matters Award," which is given to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of giving and helps provide innovative educational opportunities for children in need. The ColoDLA board found it only fitting to grant the inaugural award to its namesakes, John and Carrie Morgridge, for their generosity and tireless efforts in improving the educational experience via innovative uses of technology.

The second initiative was a unique sponsorship opportunity called “Sponsors in a Tardis,” where we provided our sponsors a chance to deliver a one minute elevator speech while standing inside of a Tardis to talk about their organization and the value it could provide for our members. For those who don’t know, a Tardis is Doctor Who’s time travelling machine. The idea was well received by both our sponsors and the membership community.

This summer, we will elect several new board members, as well as our next secretary, and vice president (president elect). We’ll of course be busy making plans for our next two quarterly meetings. We also hope to offer some type of informal social networking event where we focus on the “association” part of our name and provide an opportunity for our members to network and build relationships with their peers.

OhioDLA Continues to Grow

As we enter our fourth year as a state chapter, OhioDLA is proud to have recently added several schools, educational organizations, and content providers to our membership. These include Ohio educational Internet service providers and educational service agencies, which deliver an array of instructional and technological support to schools in Ohio. Several of these providers create and deliver content specifically geared toward learning. In addition, they also facilitate daily class instruction, resulting in a variety of subjects being offered to schools, which otherwise have limited instructor and course availability. Content providers such as the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Creative Learning Factory, Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, have recently joined OhioDLA. We gain perspective from their involvement in our meetings and discussions, and we are fortunate to have them as members. In the near future, we hope to add some of Ohio’s universities and colleges, which currently provide College Credit Plus classes via videoconferencing.

Daily Class Enrollment Data

OhioDLA has been asked by state educational officials and legislators to provide enrollment data regarding daily K-12 coursework taken through videoconferencing. As a result of this request, our organization is developing a system to collect and report certain metrics on a statewide basis. The information gathered will show numbers of enrolled students at recipient schools, as well as where that instruction originates from. Recent Ohio and federal grant activity has allowed many new schools to acquire videoconferencing equipment, which has created a need to substantiate these investments. We plan to trend our reporting to show the impact of distance learning in offering classes and also program sessions offered by content providers. Our goal is to provide this information on an annual basis to the respective state officials and legislators. We believe that by delivering such information, OhioDLA will become an indispensable contributor to the education process in Ohio.

The Illinois chapter has been awarded 501c3 status, and is in the process of developing its uber-cool website: www.ILDLA.org. Stay tuned for breaking news!

Our Mission:
"Sustaining and improving distance learning by supporting and encouraging research, promoting inter-institutional collaboration,
and advancing pedagogy."

We are looking for members: creative teachers, course designers, school administrators, students...anyone with a stake in distance education.

Iowa Distance Learning Association: Bringing Networking to Life via Videoconferencing

The Iowa Distance Learning Association has begun to boost member benefits through our offerings and support. We are empowering members by starting a monthly networking session via videoconferencing. Each month a pre-determined topic is emailed out to possible participants and posted on the USDLA upcoming events page (thanks Ken!), the IDLA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/iowadla), via twitter (@iowadla), and posted on LinkedIn. Information provided in the email includes the topics for this month and the next two consecutive months as well as the videoconferencing information. We have been using a Pro account for up to 100 participants through www.Zoom.us.

Participants will find the open discussions to begin with surface level questions to start the conversation and then progress into a much deeper discussion as more questions are brought to light. We have had a half dozen attendees at each event and we foresee them growing throughout the year as more people find out about them and submit topic ideas. Thus far, topics have covered:

• Mobile Learning Techniques & Design
• Learning Management Systems

And, topics coming soon include:

• On-boarding and Orientations
• Teamwork Efficiency
• ADA Compliance
• Learning Object Repositories, Open Source, etc.

Please feel free to join the conversation, enhance the discussions, and participate with your colleagues in a series of new networking events at a distance!

Mid-South Distance Learning Conference

New Orleans, Louisiana

October 27-28, 2015
HYATT FRENCH QUARTER

Jazzing Up Distance Learning: Engaging Lifelong Learners
is the theme of the Mid-South Distance Learning Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The conference will feature sessions, workshops and unlimited networking opportunities.

The 2015 Conference Committee is seeking proposals that reflect distance learning theory, research, and practice.

LaDLA is seeking proposals that highlight the theme and the following tracks:

Technologies to Enhance Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning
Teaching and Learning Best Practices
Administration/Leadership Issues
Research: Submission of Papers

More information and proposals can be submitted on line at http://ladla.org

Online Conference Registration Opens
June 9, 2015 at http://ladla.org

Mississippi Chapter in the Works!

The Mississippi Distance Learning Association is in the process of forming its chapter. Their website is in development (mississippidla.org), as well as their first five events as an organization. You can follow them on Twitter @mississippidla.

Louisiana Distance Learning Association

Save the date and plan to attend the Mid-South Distance Learning Conference on October 27-28, 2015 at the beautiful Hyatt French Quarter hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Registration will open on June 9, 2015. Watch for the link on the LADLA website. http://www.ladla.org

This conference will immediately precede USAC's one day ERATE training in New Orleans on October 29, 2015. Some participants will find it advantageous to attend the MidSouth Distance Learning Conference and stay for the ERATE training.