The inaugural Lesley University Summer Tech Institute was a week full of energy and new ideas. From June 10th – 14th, the Brattle campus was bustling as twenty-five faculty members from all Lesley schools explored the possibilities of teaching with technology. The week of professional development was planned and facilitated by the department of eLearning and Instructional Support (eLIS) and sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Center for Teaching, Scholarship, and Learning.

The theme of the Summer Tech Institute was Blended Learning and was possible due to collaboration across the University. Several Lesley faculty members added their expertise to the program, including Sue Cusack on Universal Design for Learning, Susan Patterson on developing a personal learning network with social media, and Michele Forinash, Paul Naso, Susan McFarland, and Susan Patterson on a panel discussion around effective teaching methods for online courses. The entire eLIS design and technology team was embedded throughout the training, providing one-on-on guidance and coaching every step of the way. The Information Technology department gave an overview of classroom technology support. The library staff also conducted workshops on Endnote Web, Mobile (iPad) applications for library resources, and using the library video databases.

You can hear some of the participants thoughts on the event on VoiceThread.

Be on the lookout this fall for information about applying to next year’s Summer Tech Institute!