Putting Educational Innovations into Practice.

2014 MERLOT Winter/Spring GRAPE Camps

Please reply to this email by introducing yourself. Please include your institution and discipline. Also tell us anything else you want people to know. This is an opportunity for you to interact with those taking the live session or the asynchronous session as well as those who are doing GRAPE Camp as a self-study.

You can also ask any questions here so others can see the answer.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by norbert kiprop boruett on December 6, 2013 at 11:45pm

Hi, i lover MERLOT and i have acquired a number of competencies that are relevant to online teaching via this platform. Back to the task, my names are Norbert Boruett and work as a DistanceLearning manager at Intrahealth international Kenya- an USAID funded project that is introducing technology in the teaching and learning for health workers

Permalink Reply by Gabrielle E. Orsi on December 10, 2013 at 3:56pm

Ciao! I am writing this post for the December 2013 Grape Camp.

Every time I hear the words "grape camp," I think of the Simpsons episode where Sideshow Bob goes to Italy and stomps on grapes with his enormous feet...

I'm Gabrielle Orsi. In January 2011 I began serving as the Learning Management Systems Administrator & Faculty Trainer at Colorado Mountain College. Previously I taught at Columbia University, Barnard College, the City University of New York-Queens College, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Denver. My Ph.D. is in Italian, so I often taught Italian literature and language, as well as some other humanities/writing courses, but I also taught technology workshops while I was at Columbia. I am looking forward to working with everyone!

Here I am with my niece about a year ago. I look pretty much the same but as you can imagine, she looks completely different now.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on December 10, 2013 at 6:00pm

Hi, Gabrielle:

I think pretty blue eyes must run in your family! Welcome. As I mentioned earlier, you have the choice of either Italian or Faculty Development. You don't have to decide until next week.

Permalink Reply by Gabrielle E. Orsi on December 10, 2013 at 6:36pm

Thanks, Cathy!
I have not made up my mind just yet. There are fewer Italian materials posted to MERLOT- but perhaps if I opt for Italian, I could help remedy that...?

Permalink Reply by Kimberley Koonce on January 16, 2014 at 7:52pm

Hi, everyone.

My name is Kim Koonce and I recently completed my EMBA online which ignited a desire to teach online. I have been approved to teach several undergraduate business courses, but I am currently awaiting openings. In the meantime, I am continuing to provide in-house training of estimate procedures and the bidding process at my workplace, Plant World Inc. (New Mexico's largest wholesale plant nursery). In addition to beginning this certification process, this week I also began the Sloan-C certification program. I aim to be ready when those classes open up! :)

For fun, I love to paint, draw and watch old movies. Due to limited free time, I am exploring painting with pastels (less clean up than oils) and love it!

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on January 16, 2014 at 8:05pm

Hi, Kim:

Welcome. I envy you your ability to paint and draw. Wish I could do something like that.

For everyone else, Kim's husband, Rob, has reviewed for us in business. They may be the first husband/wife team we have! We're happy to have you here.

Permalink Reply by Kimberley Koonce on January 19, 2014 at 10:42am

Thank you, Cathy. I'm looking forward to this MERLOT peer review process. When I agreed to do this, based on my husband's recommendation, I had no idea of the enormous selection and value MERLOT has to offer. I'm quite impressed!

I'm very thankful to have my creative talents. On those hot and humid days in Texas when it's too uncomfortable to be outside, you could use Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain as a starting point to learn to draw. I refer to it when I teach drawing, and students are amazed at their results! Most likely you can rent it from your library. Just a couple of lessons might get you hooked. :)

First husband and wife team? That's a warm thought.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on January 20, 2014 at 2:38pm

I will have to try that. Thanks, Kim.

Permalink Reply by Andres Padilla Oviedo on January 21, 2014 at 12:45pm

Hello everyone,

My name is Andres Padilla Oviedo and I live in McAllen, Texas. I am a doctoral student in educational leadership at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and I am a mathematics lecturer at The University of Texas Pan American. I became aware of MERLOT GRAPE Camp from a course, called Applying Quality Matters Rubrics. I want to be involved as a reviewer for MERLOT since I am committed to improve my teaching to better serve my students.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on January 21, 2014 at 6:49pm

Welcome, Andres. I'm happy to hear that you are interested in improving teaching. Many of our Peer Reviewers say that taking part in the reivew process has helped them do exactly that. I'm happy to see that you are also involved in Quality Matters, one of our partners. I know our Math Editorial Board will be happy to have you as a reviewer.

Permalink Reply by Kimberley Koonce on January 21, 2014 at 7:25pm

Hi, Andres.

It's nice to meet another "camper" in our cohort. Congratulations on your doctoral candidacy! My husband completed his EdD last year. I can truly appreciate the work load you have.

I am originally from Texas and attended Texas A&M University my sophomore year. Coming from a small town (Bellville), the classes were much too big for me. However, my social life there was a blast. After I married, I moved to the DFW area and took some classes at UT Arlington. I would have never guessed that I would complete my education online from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

I'm sure I'll "see" you around in the forum.

Kim

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on January 22, 2014 at 7:20am

Kim, how interesting. I'm from a small town in Pennsylvania. I went to Penn State. My first semester, I had an 8 AM calculus class with a professor from Pakistan. There were 500 in the class, and I couldn't understand a word he said! It floored me for about 2 years, but then I got used to it (the size).