Hi all!  Welcome to TED Tips…a weekly blog brought to you by the Learning Technology Center.   I wanted to take brief second to introduce myself, welcome you to my blog “TED” Tips, and invite you to interact with the Learning Technology Center and me.

So Hi!  My name is Ted Witt.  My official job title at the Learning and Technology Center is “Teaching Learning and Technology Consultant”.   What exactly does that mean?  It means I am a champion for the effective use of technology.  I do not believe we should use technology because it is the latest cool toy or fad, but to explore possibilities and its strategic implementation and effective use.   I do this primarily through supporting instructors through the pedagogically sound use in your teaching.  I support faculty training programs and workshops.  For example, this summer I am working with the Active Learning Academy and supporting the Online Blended Institute through the LTC.  I also administer the Quality Matters standards.

I have been an information technology teacher and have taught both on ground and online courses.  I have a BA in History and Political Science with a minor in Philosophy; a Master of Science in Information Technology with a specialization in Business Intelligence and Knowledge Management; and a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts.

Why am I calling this blog TED Tips?  Yes, I am blatantly adapting the idea from TED talks but, no I am not related to them…despite the similarity with my name!

Here TED does not just stand for the author writing the blog but the main themes I hope to explore over the coming weeks:  Technology, Education, and Design.  What do I mean by each of those?

Technology – I strongly believe it is important to know our technological environment and how to use the tools we have available to us.  What options do we have?  How do we use them?  These are the types of topics the blog will explore.

Education – with a focus on pedagogy.  Once we know how to use the technology…how do use it well.  How do we use it to enhance our teaching and improve student success?  This aspect of the blog will look at different approaches and uses and how we can apply those tools in the classroom.

Design – Once we have explored technology, looked at sound approaches, how do we design the experiences and implement them thoughtfully?  This portion of the blog will focus on “How to” practical tips with an emphasis on putting those skills to use. My goal is to help you create rich meaningful learning experiences and the purpose of the blog will help provide you with tips to do that.

The final purpose is to celebrate the good work we are doing and encourage collaboration.  I will share success stories.  I want to highlight some of the work going on in the Learning Technology Center and on campus as it relates to those TED themes!

Last thoughts:

• I also work for Major League Baseball in their statistics department and can often be found at Miller Park. My nickname is “doc clock”.
• I am a certified weather spotter with the national weather service.
• My humor is dry because I am only a Half-Witt.

I am looking forward to working with you in the future and encourage you to contact me through the Learning Technology Center.  I am available for one on one consultations.

The LTC has upcoming workshops: A Teaching with WebEx Teams Boot camp, Hands on Introductions to Canvas, and Canvas Construction Zones.

If you have any questions about these sessions, please reach out to the UW-W Learning Technology Center.

– Ted Witt

Next week:  What is a Learning Management System?