DKG- Linda's Line

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-06T11:51:00.000-06:00

I have really gotten behind on my blog writing. The fall begins new issues of the NEWS to get out and on a personal note, the final pieces of my doctorate work. So I thought I'd spend some time bringing you up-to-date. The Jan/Feb News will be in your mailboxes soon. It is filled with convention information and a registration form or you may register online at http://tinyurl.com/7z4k7r5

In December I completed my oral defense of my dissertation and passed! For this defense, I traveled to California for a face to face presentation with my dissertation committee. Yea, I'm done. My doctorate is in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. It's been a long journey and I'm so thrilled to be finished.

During the holiday season I went to Tennessee to visit family and friends. Part of my visit was to Nita Scott's farm in West Tennessee where I had the opportunity to ride their horse, Colonel Rey Sugar, a.k.a. Sugar Rey. That was much fun and I look forward to Nita and James finishing their move to Texas and riding again.

The Calendar Says Fall

2011-10-13T11:52:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Austin, Texas where it is still hot and dry. Many of you are now experiencing fall temperatures with pleasant days and delightful evenings. Please enjoy!

Here at Society Headquarters, we are preparing for the international convention in July 2012. From ballrooms to meeting rooms, from convention program planning to meals and menus much happens in preparation for this international event. The convention will be July 24-28 in New York City. Great speakers are being planned and interesting break out sessions with a computer lab for some and a few pre-conference surprises. I'll be doing a hands-on session in the computer lab, Web 2.0 and You ( the expanded version).

This will be an opportunity for personal learning, some professional growth, a bit of entertainment and of course seeing members you haven't seen in a long time. The convention will be help at the Sheraton Hotel and Tower on 7th Avenue. What a location to visit, the heart of Manhattan. If you plan wisely, you can be part of this exciting event. Looking forward to seeing many in 2012.

Regional Conference Travel 2011

2011-09-05T23:38:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been to all five DKG regional conferences in one summer? It is an experience. So much planning, packing, unpacking, repacking, catching a plane or two, speeches and presentations keep a person busy. But it provides new understandings, connections across the membership and incredible fellowship.

International Achievement Award
Recipients present in the NW

Reception held in Baden- Baden, Germany
as part of Europe Regional

From the mountains in Colorado and Alberta to the racetrack world in Kentucky, from the chocolate infused world of Hershey, PA to the grape vine covered hillsides of the Black Forest in Germany, members greeted, attended a spectacular opening night, learned new things at general meetings, listened in at workshops and dressed up for a final banquet. Although each region has its own flavor, regional conferences have the mission of Delta Kappa Gamma running through the events. It is incredible to learn about regional differences but see the Society purposes in action at each regional event.

A field trip visit to Strasburg, France and
the Council of Europe

Personally, I have gained new experiences, met more members, shared a bit of knowledge in a few workshops and strengthen the collaborative ties that we have at Society Headquarters. I had the opportunity to see members in the Southeast and began getting to know more members in the Southwest. Sandi Causey is a Texas member and in my new chapter. She has served as the registrar for each region. Working with her has been a joy. Joan Hester, Alpha chapter president in Texas, joined other U.S. members in Germany and I had the honor of getting to know her better. Traveling with my companions; Corlea Plowman, Sandra Smith Bull, Phyllis Hickey, Becky Sadowski, leadership development chair and Dr. Jensi Souders, international president, has topped this experience. We are a team. We work as a team and travel as a team. We help each other, enjoy great meals together and support one another professionally and personal. I am so lucky.

Southeast Regional Conference

2011-07-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

State organization presidents and executive secretaries have gathered in Louisville, Kentucky for the Southeast Regional conference for pre-conference training as they begin a new biennium with state organizations. The sessions provide training in budgeting, Society structure, chapter strengthening, Schools for Africa, the international project, technology and new modes of communication, membership and the new orientation materials and parliamentary procedure.

On Wednesday of pre-conference training, chairs of membership and educational excellence committees attend all day sessions in preparation for the new biennium and new information available. State level editors, web masters and treasures attend a half day session. First timers have an opportunity to learn all about a regional conference on Wednesday afternoon.

General sessions and workshops begin with Kentucky night on Wednesday and continue through Saturday. Check the international web site for speakers and the overall schedule for the conference.

At the end of June, the Southwest state organization presidents and other leaders attended a similar pre-conference and conference session. For the next three weeks, regional events will be back to back with the Northeast in Hershey; the Northwest in Edmonton, Alberta and the Europe Regional in Baden-Baden, Germany in earlier August. It's not too late to attend a regional conference where you will learn, network and grow both personally and professional.

Pre-conference training offers new opportunities

2011-06-08T23:49:00.000-05:00

Summer is here and preparations for all five regional conferences are underway. It is an exciting time and each conference has its own flavor. May went by like a flash as I have been developing two training sessions for regional conferences; one for editors and one for web masters. I've also worked on a section about communication for the pre-conference session for incoming presidents. As I began working on these items, it became slightly overwhelming because I now a few of the editors across the Southeast and began shaking in my boots thinking I was training them. Many editors have been doing this work for many years and could teach me much. So I talked with Dr. Jensi Souders, you might know her as the international president, but I know her as editor extraordinaire and my editor mentor for I followed her in Tennessee. We talked about what I might offer and now I have, I think, a pretty good training manual for editors and I'm excited to get to meet so many this summer.

Next the challenge was how to design something for web masters. That entails similar skills but also very different skills as for editors. The biggest challenge in working with web masters to me was the array of software tools possibly being used to develop web sites and the enormous range of skills of web masters who might attend. Couple that with not being in a lab and not having a hands-on experience and the task becomes daunting. But not to fear, I found a solution, or at least I hope web masters will take away something new. I actually finished this manual today and it has gone to print. I must say I'm a bit pleased with it and hope many of you state web masters enjoy our time together. I'm hoping to meet many of you this summer.

Pre-conference training at regional conferences for incoming state organization leaders is one of the opportunities provided through membership in DKG. I understand the commitment involved in doing one of these jobs and what it takes to make attending a regional conference an important part of summer plans every other year. I believe it is worth the effort and expensive but truly realized this after attending several regional conferences. A regional conference is where you get to know members from across similar geographic areas. Attending these events helps one see your own potential as a member and educator. It helps bring the seven purposes to light in a new and enriching way. The International Leadership Development Committee has an incredible training opportunity for incoming state organization presidents. I am looking forward to meeting these new presidents as we travel from place to place and am honored to be part of this event. If you are an incoming editor, web master, membership chair, educational excellence chair (program chair) treasurer and have not yet made a commitment to attend pre-conference training, I urge you to consider the opportunity. You will learn a bit, meet new friends, re-kindle old friends and have a great experience.

I look forward to seeing many of you this summer. The Southwest Regional is first and begins the end of June. The Southeast follows after the 4th of July holiday (U.S.). Northeast, Northwest and Europe fall immediately after one another. Stay connected and watch the DKG Web site for highlights of each regional conference.

New York State Convention Celebrates 75 years

2011-04-30T22:47:00.001-05:00

Syracuse, New York hosts the 75th anniversary celebration of Pi State. They know how to celebrate. The fellowship and professionalism in this state is amazing. Joan Slagle, 2009-2011 state organization president, has lead the state into new realms of working. Collaboration and teamwork is evident in all the events that have been held. Tonight's Presidents Banquet honored past state presidents, chapter presidents and the Pi State founders. The Pi State Achievement Award was a special highlight of the evening as Karen Crumley received the honor. During the banquet members were entertained by a harpist and violinist and during dessert a wonderful quartet performed. I have had such an honor in participating in this convention. Everyone has been so thoughtful and caring. Not only was I picked at the airport, someone was available most of the time for just about anything I needed. It has been wonderful to be so welcomed. New York is looking toward the future and building our vision.

I was fortunate to be the keynote speaker on Friday night. I spoke about communication and social media. My presentation is available for your use.

Missouri State Organization Convention- Delta State

2011-04-16T23:59:00.001-05:00

Missouri shows its genuine fellowship as soon as you arrive. I was picked up Friday afternoon at the airport by a friendly face and off to the convention we went. I had the privilege of meeting with the state president's advisory council and have dinner with this esteemed group of women. Then I got to shop a little and play bunco. What's even better is I won a prize. I met lots of new members and made new friends.

Today, Saturday, April 16, has been filled with new experiences. From business meetings and lunch to workshops and banquet, I've met many Missouri members and learned a few new tips. At the banquet this evening, I was the keynote speaker. I tried something different. I used Prezi for my presentation. Prezi is a zooming presentation editor. It's a lot of fun to use but I wasn't too sure about connectivity. I was right. The meeting rooms were not equipped for Internet access but Prezi has a viewer and with lots of patience, I got it to download so I could show during my talk. My speech focused on communication from traditional methods to social media. I thought it worked out very well. I have already had many tell me how much they enjoyed my talk.

Several have already asked about the presentation. Here's the link. My presentation here will be missing of course the interaction and story telling in-between but enjoy and use if you need help. Thank you, Missouri. I've had wonderful time.

Learning and Working in a digital world

2011-03-27T23:29:00.000-05:00

Lots has been happening in my work life and personal life of late. Here's a recap- I work full time in a very fun job. I write, I edit, I guide the development of a massive Web site, manage a private social network, review all printed materials, manage the online store for DKG, take pictures, chose images for printed material, work directly with several committees and indirectly through my colleagues at work with most committees. I drive visitors to dinner, lead a department, have too many papers on my desk most of the time and answer phone calls and emails with tips or advice or to just answer a question or two. All of this is just during the day. I have a great job. It's fun, challenging, tiring, exciting, and has a bit of travel thrown in the mix.

But there is yet another side of me and my simple life. I just became a grandmother-a little boy, Naini Warner, 7 lbs. 20 inches. I have seen pictures and will be traveling to see the little guy in about a week. I have a stash of goodies to take with me from clothes, a toy or two and of course books. My daughter will be reading to that baby. You might wonder why I'm waiting so long to visit. Well that is the other part of me that is keeping my brain and my fingers working.

I am a doctoral student. Yes, I went back to school. I started this in 2006 and am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am a student at Pepperdine University in California. Much of the program was done online. Hooray for the digital world. So I work by day and study and write by night. Lots of nights I find myself not getting much done (imagine being tired at the end of the day) so on Saturday and Sunday into my home office I go. Between reading, writing, and doing more reading and writing, editing and starting again, I find I have used up another day. But in two days, I will participate in a preliminary conference with my dissertation committee. This is a huge hurdle. I can hardly wait. I've worked on a Power point presentation getting ready for this event. My presentation is extensive. This is a monumental event in the path to completing this work. The conference will be held remotely with my dissertation committee in California and me in Texas. We will be using Skype and all will have my presentation which is 26 minutes long. Try to guess how many times I've practiced and timed this thing. I might even dream about it. Then the committee members ask questions and make comments and decide if I can move forward with the research. Tomorrow I have a pre-conference call with my advisor in preparation for Tuesday. So needless to say, Tuesday is a really big day. I hope to be celebrating that night.

Headquarters is buzzing

2011-02-07T22:52:00.000-06:00

      Lots of activity is found at the international headquarters in Austin this week. Two committee meeting this week and one was this past weekend. That keeps everyone busy. The headquarters staff works very hard to make everything easy for committee meetings since most committee members travel from places far and wide. The non-dues revenue committee met over the weekend and Marcia Kirkland, a committee member, said, " This is hard word to do so fast."
     Many who serve on an international committee for the first time are overwhelmed at the first meeting. They soon learn the ropes and many try for another committee after the experience. Each committee has a representative from each geographic region. Larger committees have more. The administrative staff serves on committees as the liaison from committee to headquarters. It's one of the exciting parts of being on the staff. You get to meet people from parts of Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United States.
      This week I'm headed to Dallas for the Texas Leadership Seminar. I'm so excited to have been selected for this opportunity. This way I'll get to meet members from across Texas and learn more about the state organization. I've adopted an Austin chapter and they have been grand. Membership certainly has many unseen benefits if you open doors as they appear.
      In April, I'm looking forward to taking the international president's message to New York and Missouri. I'll have more new friends after visiting each state organization convention. Of course, there are five regional conferences this summer and I will be visiting each. It will be a whirlwind summer- four weeks on the road back to back. They tell me it is an experience - a bit of work and some fun. Hope to meet some new friends in each area. I'll be looking to meet as many members as I can. I'm doing a workshop in Hershey and Denver- What you can do with Web 2.0. I hope you can join me.

New things in a new year

2011-01-20T21:50:00.001-06:00

We are well into January of 2011 and have new things to share. The Bulletin has a fresh new cover so watch for it's arrival in your mail. The Constitution and International Standing Rules, 2010, has been printed and is ready for purchase for the Society store and for your Kindle. The Bulletin will soon be available for the Kindle.

Headquarters is humming with activities for regional conferences and processing multiple applications. The information department has launched the beginnings for the regional Web sites. Watch for additions and changes on these sites. Planning of the next editions of the DKG News, the President's Page and the Bulletin, with editor, Judy Mertz, have already begun. Operations is keeping the building running efficiently and warm for Austin's sudden cold snap. This department processes scholarship and world fellowship applications so they are busy as bees. The executive department stays busy with travel arrangements for committees, planning for future conventions and training the new Educational Foundation assistant. Membership has been working tirelessly with the membership committee to provide new versions of orientation and a completely new re-orientation guide.The educational excellence committee is working fast and furious to provide new and fresh materials for projects and ways to support early career educators.

I've been experimenting with a flip camera and here's a short video of the Planning Meeting held in September.

On a personal note, I have a new red car, a Ford Edge. I am so excited and love the ride. It rides great and has lots of new technologies that I'm learning to use. I'm loving being in Austin and have settled well in my home. I'm looking forward to traveling to state organization conferences and regionals this summer.

I've been working on my dissertation for a year now and seem to be making some progress. I recently got chapter 3 back from my advisor with major rewrites to do. I completed that task today. I've sent it back and hope I'll soon be able to move to the next chapter (five chapters in all). I took the holidays off to rest but now I'm back at it. I spend lots of Saturday and Sunday afternoons writing or reading. The coursework was tough but I'm beginning to think this is harder.

Holiday Time

2010-12-12T23:01:00.001-06:00

December rode the winds into being without blinking. Here we are at holiday time. We have been busy at headquarters. The Bulletin with new editor, Dr. Judy Merz, has been sent to press. The DKG News for January/February will go to print in the next few days. The Jan/Dec President's Page has printed, folded and stuffed into envelopes will be mailed this week. The 2010 Constitution and International Standing Rules have gone to print ready for purchase in the DKG supply store in January. We have been busy.

Many committees have met during the fall. Seeing these groups meet and begin their work makes for exciting happenings at headquarters. We've celebrated birthdays and had a few days for Thanksgiving to share with family and friends. Now it is Christmas time for many and we are tying up jobs, wrapping packages, setting calendars for the new year and planning for regional conferences. The staff at headquarters is always busy. It is amazing how much work takes place in Austin. From membership questions to helping state organizations and chapters with web sites, all are answering questions, helping someone or solving problems. We enjoy visitors coming in for tours so when in Austin, make sure you visit us.

The building's schedule follows the Austin School District's calendar so will be closed Monday, December 20- January 1. We will return to the office Jan. 3, 2011. Have a wonderful holiday season as you celebrate your holiday event with family and friends. My dog and I will be traveling to Tennessee to see family. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'll be back in January.

New Theme, New Board, New Committees

2010-09-03T11:08:00.001-05:00

Delta Kappa Gamma began a new biennium in July with the completion of the international convention. Our new international president, Dr. Jensi Souders, has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming training and orientation session to be held in Little Rock, Arkansas. She has a blog up and soon will lead regional directors and committee chairs in new directions.

I thought it might be informative to share with you, our members, what takes place at the international level for this transition to occur. We met with Jensi in Austin during the first week in August. Our job here at headquarters is to help her with what she needs to have a successful orientation and training meeting in Little Rock. Each staff member has a different role to play as we offer suggestions, advice and answer questions. The international president has a big learning curve in spite of her vast knowledge and experiences within the Society. Jensi came to Austin with lots of notes and ideas. She asked questions about each agenda and the process for the preparations. Each day was long and mind-boggling but when she left Austin, Jensi had agendas almost finalized, materials set in motion and much homework. I have known Jensi for a long time since I am from Tennessee and had the privilege of entertaining her while she was here. Once our work was done, we managed to run a few errands and have a relaxing dinner at Chuy's ( an Austin Tex-Mex tradition).

After Jensi left Austin, we started preparing for Little Rock in addition to daily activities keeping Society business moving forward. My role is centered around information and the production of that information. So we began re-working a document from Jensi's arsenal of ideas. We updated the format and improved its appearance, printed and cut pages to size for a productive activity she plans. Meanwhile, we work on the September/ October News, assist the new Bulletin editor with the fall the edition and develop the next month's home page stories for the Web site as this is changed weekly, minimally. In between all this activity we are preparing the new international directory, beginning the process of formatting the upcoming Constitution, installing software upgrades and answering phone calls and emails. We stay busy here making sure everything runs smoothly.

Next week the four administrators travel to Little Rock for our first full sessions with the new board and committee chairs. For some this will be their first international committee experience while others have been on the board before or worked on a committee. We want everything to be wonderful as we meet at the Peabody Hotel to learn, grow and design the future of the Society together. This will also be a first experience for me in my new role. I know some of the members we will met and some will become new friends. I spoke to Peggy McCall on the phone the other day and this is her first committee adventure. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she said, "I'm so excited about this experience and coming to Austin." Peggy is one of those friends I already know and I too am looking forward to seeing her. Watch the Web site for updates on these experiences. I'm taking pictures so be a web watcher and find someone you know.

International Convention Success

2010-08-01T23:25:00.001-05:00

The 2010 International Convention had lots for all. You could go to workshops, attend a panel discussion, learn more about the proposed Constitution, enjoy Spokane on a variety of tours and meet friends from everywhere. The 2008-2010 administrative board met prior to convention to complete the final aspects of their work. The executive board met and had an enjoyable lunch together in preparation for convention events. Iowa state organization held a reception for Dr. Carolyn Rants and every region had a special breakfast.

This was my first international convention as a headquarters staff member and I was busy doing so many things I never thought about as an attending member. I had lots of backstage work. Some days it was running presentations, other days making sure speakers knew how to get backstage and to their assigned microphones. Other days were spent helping a member solve an issue or attending pre-convention training for editors and web masters. I met so many wonderful members and enjoyed putting names and faces together.

Gather on the River was an incredible evening. For those who were not able to be there this was a new experience. Coca Cola Enterprises sponsored the event. We had wrap sandwiches, coke products in special bottles and a jazz group playing from the river. The weather cooperated everyday and this event launched the convention on a positive note.

During the workshop days, I was on the technology panel which Judy Merz organized. What an experience. Judy lead us through practical topics to set the audience up for the Q & A time. We started on time and ended on time with lots of interaction from those attending.
During another workshop session, I slipped into one of the DKGnetwork sessions. Since convention we have had more than 50 new members join the social network. That's a fine beginning. Jensi Souders has told me she has updated her blog in the network so I must take a few minutes to read it.

One of the highlights for me was the President's Banquet. I had guests. My cousin, Jack and his wife Donna, drove up to Spokane on Friday to visit for a short time. I invited them to the dinner and they dressed up and met lots of ladies. They made friends at the Double Tree, too. I warned them that I'd have to sit at the head table but they would be fine for our members are friendly. They had a great time. We went out afterwards to catch up.

I stayed a few extra days as vacation and went to the park, relaxed with an afternoon at the spa and had dinner with a few remaining friends. The convention was a great success. Watch for more highlights and news on the DKG Web site.

Convention Preparations

2010-06-22T17:31:00.001-05:00

It's down to the edge of no return as the Society headquarters building becomes a slew of boxes, stacks of handouts, extra forms and bundles of materials for convention as the staff and the DKG store begin packing for the shipment to Spokane, WA. It's an exciting time but can also become messy but have no fear, all know what their role is and what still must be done. Everyone is working hard to make things just right for all in attendance. We ship everything before convention begins to be ready.

New signs arrived that will be at convention to help everyone find the right hallway. The convention program and event agendas have been shipped off to the printer. The supply room has started printing materials to be shipped so stacks of paper line the counter. It's convention time. Have you registered? The Davenport Hotel and Towers, the Doubletree and the Red Lion are ready and waiting for the arrival of DKG members. Can you count yourself as one to attend? I'll be there and look forward to meeting old friends and getting to meet some new ones. It's only a few weeks away. There are so many new things Dr. Rants has planned and we will review, discuss and vote on the proposed Constitution and Standing Rules. There is a grand market place and over 90 workshops including 3 panels for your learning and enjoyment.
Mark your calendar. There is still time to register and reserve a room.

State visits completed

2010-05-07T16:14:00.001-05:00

I was assigned Arizona and Alberta as my two spots to visit as the international representative. First, off to the desert and Arizona. I made in time for the Life Experiences photo journey to the Desert Botanical Gardens. What a glorious day to be outside as the weather was perfect, filled with billowing clouds and a soft breeze. The desert as a wonderful array of colors and many cacti were blooming in whites, yellows, bright pinks and oranges. A few wildflowers with a cornflower blue color, similar to the Texas Blue Bonnet, were blooming. We spent the afternoon getting tips on making better pictures with one's camera and it was a remarkable introduction to the state of Arizona.

The first evening new chapter officers attended training and the gala opening started off the convention. On Saturday the state had its general session, executive board meeting, arts auction boutique and the Birthday Lunch to honor founders. Workshop and forum sessions filled the late morning and early afternoon and the Rose Banquet finished the night. The state achievement award was presented and a reception was held after the event. I saw members sharing genuine fellowship, learned about the state's effort with collaborative connections, a mentoring project in schools with retired members helping teachers and students. Everyone in Arizona made this a remarkable journey. I'm thankful for the new friends and the adventure.

On to Alberta, a Canadian province, and they really like being called a province. The conference was for one evening for those that came in early and all day Saturday. On Friday night, a PJ party was held. Members showed up in the pj's for refreshments, games, singing and fellowship. On Saturday the day was full. They had a special guest speaker in the morning from "A Better World." He shared the experiences he has had over the past year working to help education world wide. It was eye-opening, joyous, heart wrenching and inspiring.On Sunday and Monday I became a tourist. Debbie Johnston, state organization president, and Margaret Beames took me to the Canadian side of the Rocky Mountains. What a treat. It was quite cold but beautiful. I so enjoyed meeting members from new places. I will see some of them again in Spokane.

Wordle Your Personality

2010-03-22T21:59:00.003-05:00

This is a Wordle. It's written online and is free. I was recently reminded that this tool was out there. I'm going to be working with a new group of people soon that I've never met them. The purpose of this exercise is to have a different way to share something of oneself with those we don't know and to offer something of ourselves to those who know things about us. This is an exciting way to open the doors to learning new things about new people or ideas. This tool can be used for ice breakers, brainstorming and more. It's easy.

Social Network for DKG

2010-02-19T14:04:00.002-06:00

We have launched the dkgnetwork for members only. Currently, we are in beta testing, phase II. It is exciting to see what this small group has started. I'm looking forward to opening the site to more members.

Social Networking Update

2009-11-28T14:32:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the newest update for moving forward into the virtual world.

We have been busy behind the scenes getting the technical side of connecting the Delta Kappa Society Website and the DKGnetwork connected. Installations have been completed and URL's point to the right spot. We will finish all the navigation pieces for the website soon. Then we provide that information to the GoLightly team for integration. This will allow the 2 sites to have the same look and blend from one to another as you choose to enter the DKGnetwork. Oh one other thing, we now own dkg.org which will be the new URL for the international site. Our email has already made the change. So you can reach me at lindae@dkg.org. I'd love to hear from you.

This is very exciting to me as we are getting closer to launching the new look and feel for the international website and the beginnings of the social network component. We are planning this launch in January. The website will have a great new beautiful appearance and new navigation. Our aim is to make it much easier to find what members need. With that in mind here's a hint... to find anything to do with committees, you'll go to the committee tab which will be part of the top navigation. To find forms, applications, resources, program ideas and much more, you'll go to the library, also in the top navigation. I've shared the new changes with Phyllis Hickey and Corlea Plowman and they are excited with the new design.

I'll keep you posted about the new website but for the next couple of weeks, I'll be working to develop the next issue of the DKG NEWS.

DKGnetwork

2009-10-20T20:55:00.000-05:00

Social networking will soon be available to the members of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Headquarters has planned the launch for January 2010.

The GoLightly platform will house the network and be a part of the international website. Within this site, members will have web 2.0 tools to create committee wikis, develop their own blogs, establish private discussion forums, use video and images to convey meaning to today's new teaching generation.

In addition to wikis and blogs, web 2.0 tools can include social bookmarking, like delicious, RSS, tag clouding, podcasts, photo sharing, and online video or media, such as YouTube or TeacherTube. Most of these tools are free. All one does is sign up for an account. One's involvement level deepens the experiences of collaborative community learning. In any social community we learn from others. The more one reads other blogs and participates in the social community, the more you learn.

In his book Smart Mobs, Howard Rheingold talks about "people who are able to act in concert even when they don't know each other. The people who make up smart mobs cooperate in ways never before possible..." His views on smart mobs relate to the entire idea of social networking and collaborative work. Will Richardson talks about social media and how we as participants will de-focus on the tools of today but continue to latch onto "the “properties and dynamics” or the “network effects” that they bring about." The way of communication has forever changed. It is up to us, the world of educators at any level, to help one another learn the new world of collaboration and connectivity. The DKGnetwork is our first step toward that effort. Look for the launch in January.

Texas Executive Education

2009-09-18T15:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the privilege to attend the Open House event at the Texas Executive Education center at the University of Austin. The event hosted two panel sessions and a reception. In the first panel session we heard from industry leaders who have been instrumental in helping their company grow in the difficult economic times of today.

John Hanks, VP of Industrial and Embedded Product Lines at National Instruments discussed how success of customers, suppliers, shareholders and employees all played a part of their success. He referred to Lego Mind Storm kits as one of the items they were involved with in the marketplace. He also talked about how the social media world and one's ability to collaborate will impact the future. Tiffany Davila-Dunne came from the banking industry. She talked about building a strong company culture and the importance of collaboration. John Berra, Chairman Emerson Process Management, spoke about growth strategies and developing leaders in their organization. In between the two sessions we went outside for a delightful reception.

After a time, the staff helped all visiting to work their way back inside to attend the second panel session held in the amphitheater. In this session we heard from faculty members, John N. Doggett, Raji Srinivasan, and James A. Nolen. They shared their thoughts on the topics presented by the industry leaders from the first session and spent over an hour addressing questions from the participants. Gaylen D. Paulson, Associate Dean and Director of Texas Executive Education facilitated the entire event.

This experience jogged our minds and made us think. This morning. Dr. Rants called a meeting to discuss what we learned and to begin thinking about how we might apply to our organization. The time spent in both efforts was both empowering and purposeful.

Austin Arrival

2009-09-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all my Delta Kappa Gamma sisters,

I have just joined the international headquarters team here in Austin. My role is as the Communications Services Administrator and we are here to serve you. I am so excited to be here and have this opportunity. We will be working on improving the international website, making your needs and orders a priority and creating some new opportunities for you to become part of the social network world. Watch for news of coming things.

I have moved to Austin from Memphis, Tennessee where I have lived most of my life. I'm enjoying learning my way around and getting to know new people here.