January 24, 2012
News Digest: ‘Ignite teaching/learning, faculty honor, live-shuttle tracking
Ignite teaching, learning with innovative technology
Faculty, staff and students can learn about innovative uses of technology for teaching and learning at UW Information Technologys “Ignite!” event Wednesday, Jan. 25, 3 to 4:45 p.m., in the Odegaard Undergraduate Library, Room 220.
The event will include key findings from the latest faculty, TA and student technology surveys followed by 5-minute talks by UW faculty and brief Q&As on:
- Canvas eLearning system: Features and uses, such as to hold virtual office hours
- SQLShare: To help students and researchers analyze extremely large data sets
- Yarn: A back-channel chat to keep students engaged
- Tegrity lecture capture: To enhance lectures in and out of the classroom
“Faculty are putting technology tools to innovative use and this Ignite! event provides a forum for them to share their experiences with their colleagues,” said Tom Lewis, UW Information Technologys director of academic and collaborative applications.
There will be hands-on time, too, with demonstrations of Canvas, Yarn, Tegrity and MyPlan.
David Harrison
Nonprofits alliance gives David Harrison lifetime achievement award
David Harrison, a senior lecturer in the Evans School of Public Affairs, is being given a lifetime achievement award by The Alliance for Nonprofits Washington, and will be among those honored at the 18th annual Washington State Nonprofit Conference on May 11. The groups annual awards recognize “people and organizations that have given their time and resources to make the nonprofit sector a strong and impactful one within Washington state.”
“As a professor, as a grant-maker and as an advisor to policy makers, David has helped countless nonprofit and other leaders connect their organizations work to more comprehensive, communitywide efforts aimed at systemic change,” notes from the alliance state. “We believe that Davids single greatest achievement is his ability to develop and mentor generation after generation of new nonprofit leaders.”
Sandra Archibald, dean of the Evans School, said Harrison is “incredibly deserving” of the honor. She said, “(We) recognize his extraordinary contribution to the community at large, whether it be through chairing the state’s Workforce Development Board, serving as the WorkFirst reform committee chair, or guiding the work of Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy as its faculty coordinator and acting director.”
Live-shuttle tracking launches for Health Sciences Express
University of Washington Shuttles has launched live-shuttle tracking for UW Health Sciences Express. Riders can check the web or smart phones to see where the shuttle is and approximately how soon it will arrive.
iPhone and Android users, for example, can download the Ridesystems app and then select University of Washington Health Sciences Express from the menu.
Health Sciences Express riders also can get text-message updates by texting “uwhse #” to 41411 where the # is the stop number. For example, texting “uwhse 1” to 41411 will provide arrival information for anyone waiting at UW Medical Center. Stop numbers can be found on the UW Health Sciences Express stop locations page.
Got thoughts on the new service? Let the UW Shuttles team know: shuttles@uw.edu.
