Innovative teachers to be honored today

This year’s Innovative Teaching Showcase theme, “Blended Learning: The Best of Both Worlds,” honors Western Washington University faculty members who have designed exemplar courses that capitalize on an effective blend of face-to-face and web-based instruction.

The annual Showcase Learning Event will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 6, in Wilson Library Room 270. Attendees will learn more about the ways the following instructors at WWU have implemented this approach:

  • PAULA DAGNON, Associate Professor in the Elementary Education Department, emphasizes the “importance of new media skills” and “the critical ability to write in academic English” in her Instructional Technology & Education course. She and her students learn from each other’s strengths as they explore creating videos, screencasts, social media tools, infographics, and websites—all while focusing on the intersection of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge.
  • REBEKAH GREEN, Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Department, first realized the necessity of blending online and traditional tools in her Human Ecology and Sustainability class when it doubled in size. What she didn’t expect was the development of powerful learning communities, enjoyable web conferencing activities, and being better able to reach students with diverse styles and needs.
  • JERIMIAH WELCH, Instructor in the Engineering Technology Department, decided to match the constantly changing nature of projects in the engineering profession by giving his Computer Aided Design (CAD) students the opportunity to discuss, create, and adapt 3D models. He created a vast collection of self-paced video modules, increasing class time for project feedback, face-to-face grading, and support for individual and group work.


For more information about this Showcase and past Showcase publications, please go to http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/cii/showcase/.