Michael Amick is Energized!

 “I’m Not Crazy!”

I find myself saying this often after trying to advocate for an online instruction technique to a naysayer.  The annual AACIS conference is not only a great place to network with independent  study/distance ed.  folks,  it’s a chance to validate that I am not crazy for working in online education. 

 At the 2007 conference in Ogden, I was able to attend a session that provided me with a real way of offering lab sciences online–that had been fully researched, to boot!  This has been a major sticking point on my campus and seeing it presented and being done so well was a much needed affirmation for me. 

I am already looking forward to St. Louis because I am sure by then I will be feeling a little nuts and will be in need of the benefits the conference offers. 

So it is nice to know I am not crazy; either that, or everyone at the conference is …hmmmm.   

(Energize!)

–Michael Amick

 Director of Online Learning

Central Lakes College, MN

 

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Gail Hawkes reflects on past conferences

Impressions from AACIS in the late 90s

Gail Hawkes – LSU

 

 

Not long ago, I looked up something in an old AACIS conference folder, and ended up looking through all the packets I have.   It seems that I have been around long enough to see an interesting progression in our discussions, and also to see the constancy of some issues. 

 

Here’s a look back at some of our 1990s conferences, and some memories.

 

 Estes Park 1995:

Presentation College Independent Study and the World Wide Web asks “Will we abandon print materials for courses on the WWW?” (University of Nebraska panel) 

 

Bus trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and a walk around as it snowed; buffalo in the field. 

 

 Minneapolis 1996:

 “This presentation will demonstrate World Wide Web pages as an addition to traditional correspondence courses, supplementing (not supplanting) more traditional means of delivery.” (Kristin Evenson Hirst, University of Iowa).

 

Walking across the icy University of Minnesota campus after a tour of the IDL offices.  

 

Purple sweatshirted ND attendees leaving in advance of an ice storm. 

 

 Athens 1997:  

Deb Gearhart presents The Birth of a Program about starting the distance education program at Dakota State. 

 

“Formerly a paper-based high school diploma program, the EDP has now been modified by NDIS to be delivered online.” (Neil Howe, North Dakota)   

 

Presentation by Emory McLendon Reducing Student Dropout—now Emory is an AACIS dropout! 

 

Cutting out on the Friday dinner and going with Susan Rogers to a restaurant in downtown Athens and eating the best pumpkin soup ever.   

 

Davenport 1998: 

Von presents Schools for Scandal about less-than-illustrious correspondence programs.

 

Riverboat dinner cruise. Casino a block away.

 

 Baton Rouge 1999:  

Maintaining accreditation (Lisa Bourlier);

 copyright issues (Marcie McGuire);

 

Synergy and Serendipity about developing an online course author’s manual (Elizabeth Houdek);

 

Realign educational practices  for the 21^st century (Susan Edgren);

 

Penn State’s ATLAS program (Jerry Goff);

 

Psychological effects of learning at a distance (Mel Moyer and Ken Lightfoot);

 

Spanish taught at a distance (Kathy Peil);

No More Red Ink about grading online (Viggo Nightbay and Jon Skaare). 

 

Cajun food feast at Mulate’s. 

 

Excellent trip to the French Quarter—good fun and great company.