National eXtension Initiative

eXtension’s professional development opportunities are open to all Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and employees. Please share this announcement with others and encourage them to pick a topic and try it out!

SPECIAL GUEST PRESENTATION
On April 24 from 3:00 – 4:30 Eastern Time (2:00p CT, 1:00p MT, 12:00p PT, 9:00a HT) we are excited to have special guest Beth Kanter present “Ten Steps to Web 2.0″. Web 2.0 refers to a second generation of Web-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users. Come learn with us!

Beth Kanter is an experienced coach to “digital immigrants” in the personal mastery of using new web tools (blogging, tagging, wikis, photo sharing, video blogging, screencasting, social networking sites, and virtual worlds, etc). Her work primarily deals with educational technology and working in communities. Many of the things she writes and presents about fit closely with Extension. You can learn more about Beth Kanter at http://www.bethkanter.org and read her blog at http://beth.typepad.com.

Please mark your calendar now to attend “Ten Steps to Web 2.0″ via Adobe Connect (formerly Breeze) at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn and with your telephone. Join the session 5-10 minutes before the starting time at 3:00 Eastern Time (2:00p CT, 1:00p MT, 12:00p PT, 9:00a HT) (for all Extension).

30 MINUTE SESSIONS
This month we are offering “30 Minute Sessions” on some new things: widgets, browser configurations, as well as repeated topics on using feeds (Feeding Frenzy) and templates for images in the CoP wiki (Finishing Touches). Give us 30 minutes and we’ll teach you something useful! These sessions will be held via Adobe Connect (formerly Breeze) at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn and your telephone. Plan to join the session 5 minutes before the starting time. Each session will be held at 3:30 Eastern Time (2:30p CT, 1:30p MT, 12:30p PT, 9:30a HT) unless otherwise noted.

* On Thursday, April 5, a “30 Minute Session” called Feeding Frenzy – an introduction to Feeds and Web syndication. Feeds are everywhere today. Even eXtension is syndicating everything. So what are these things? How do they work? And most importantly, how can you use them to save yourself a ton of time. Come to the Feeding Frenzy session to learn how you can start using feeds and change your life forever. Participants will be introduced to Google Reader and it’s use for managing syndication feeds. (for all Extension)

* On Wednesday, April 11, a “30 Minute Session” on Getting Started With Widgets. “Widgets,” are tiny applications that allow you to stream information to your own personalized web page. They are a central part of the deportilzation of the Web, and will most definitely be a part of your online future. This session will show you what widgets are, demonstrate some handy examples of widgets in action, and introduce you to creating your own personalized widget Web page using Netvibes. By the end of the 30 minute session you will be ready to create your own personalized page, and will be ready to begin experiencing the “come to me Web.” (for all Extension)

Then on Wednesday, April 18, we’ll have a follow-up Widget session to allow participants who added Widgets to their Netvibes or other web page to share their experiences. This session will be open sharing of what worked for you and discussion of implications for extension program delivery and knowledge acquisition… how this changes the way information is consumed. (for all Extension)

* On Tuesday, April 17, a “30 Minute Session” on optimal configuration and use of your Web browser with eXtension applications. This session will include spell checking (for all Extension).

* On Wednesday, April 25, a “30 Minute Session” Finishing Touches – using templates for final stylistic touches of images in the CoP wiki (for those working in the CoP wiki).

To participate in any of the 30 Minute sessions…

1. Five minutes before the start time, go to the Adobe Connect (formerly Breeze) meeting room at http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/learn .

2. You will be presented with a login screen that has an “Enter as Guest” option.

3. Enter your first name, your last name, and your institution/university, then click the “Enter Room” button to join the conference.

4. To hear the audio of the workshop and participate in the Q&A portion of the workshop we will be using a built-in teleconferencing capability of Macromedia’s Breeze conferencing software to call your telephone. Once you log into the meeting you will be presented with the option to enter your call-back number, your phone will automatically be called. After entering your number you will be automatically called and joined into the audio portion of the Web conference on your phone.

If you or a colleague would like to get notices about upcoming professional development sessions offered by eXtension, go to https://lists.extension.org/mailman/listinfo/learn” and subscribe to the “Learn” email list.

Recordings of past professional development sessions can be found at the main eXtension wiki at http://about.eXtension.org and search on Recordings.

Add these dates & topics to your calendar, and plan to join us on for one or more of these sessions in April!!

Nominations are being accepted for the eXtension Evaluation and Research Advisory Committee. The purpose of the committee is to provide guidance and direction for evaluation and research activities associated with eXtension (see http://about.extension.org/ and http://www.extension.org/ for more information on eXtension). Some of the early work of the committee will be developing an overall evaluation plan for the initiative, identifying evaluation resources to assist Communities of Practice in their evaluation efforts, and establishing a research agenda.

The committee will meet periodically via telephone conference and/or
Breeze conferences.

If you would like to nominate someone (including yourself), please send an e-mail to Michael Lambur (mike.lambur@extension.org) with the nominee’s qualifications and potential contributions to the advisory committee. Please feel free to get in touch if you have questions.

The first iTeam meetings for 2007 will be held on Monday, March 19; Tuesday, March 20; and Wednesday, March 21 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 1:30 to 3:00 Central Time, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Mountain Time and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time.

The meetings will be conducted via the eXtension web conferencing center at Iowa State University using Breeze technology.

Go to: http://breeze.extension.iastate.edu/iteam/ and follow the
instructions presented to connect.

HorseQuest, the online resource from the nation’s Cooperative Extension services, will host a one-hour chat about feeding supplements Tuesday, March 20. Horse enthusiasts across the country can log into their computers to learn about best practices and ask questions. The chat is at 3 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Mountain and 12 noon Pacific time. Join in at www.extension.org/horses.

The chat will be hosted by Bob Mowrey, extension horse husbandry coordinator at North Carolina State University, Bob Van Saun, extension veterinarian from Penn State University, and Carey Williams, equine extension specialist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Betsy Greene from the University of Vermont will be the moderator.

“Feed supplements for horses can be over used resulting in essentially unbalanced rations. Feeding multiple supplements may be a repetition of the same nutrients and can be at potentially detrimental levels. This may result in a waste of excess nutrients, drive up feeding costs and potentially cause toxicity,” Williams said.

Equine experts host chats quarterly on HorseQuest, www.extension.org/horses. Upcoming sessions are on managing horses on small acreages (May), conditioning horses for different equine events (September) and selection of a first horse (November).

HorseQuest offers more than chat sessions. Consumers can get answers to questions from leading experts; take self-paced lessons on how to care for and choose the right horse; find the latest information on feeding, breeding, health and selection; check a calendar of upcoming equine events across the county; read equine news from universities across the county and even take a certificate credit course at My Horse University.

HorseQuest is a community within eXtension, an educational partnership of more than 70 land grant universities helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities.

eXtension’s interactive Web resource, www.extension.org, is customized with links to local Cooperative Extension Web sites. Land-grant colleges were founded on the ideals that higher education should be accessible to all, that the college should teach liberal and practical subjects, and share the college’s knowledge with people throughout their states.

Another Professional Development Opportunity from eXtension:

An addition to our March professional development schedule is a “30 Minute Session” – a Guided Tour on how an existing CoP (eXtension Community of Practice) is organized and operates. Come and see how CoPs organize and work in the collaborative environment. Hear it first hand from a leader of CoP.

Presenters: Kathy Flanders, Auburn, Fire Ant CoP Leader
and Craig Wood, Associate Director, eXtension

Date: Monday, March 12, 2007

Time: 3:30 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time (2:30p CT, 1:30p MT, 12:30p PT, 9:30a HT)

To participate, five minutes before the start time, go to the Breeze meeting room
at http://breeze.extension.iastate.edu/learn. Enter as a Guest.

eXtension’s professional development opportunities are open to all
Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and employees. Please share this
announcement with others and encourage them to pick a topic and try
it out! The FAQ system and Collaborative wiki are for anyone in
Extension to use.

This month we are offering “30 Minute Sessions” on topics related to
the collaborative work tools such as the wiki and FAQ, and also a new
topic, Blogging. Give us 30 minutes and we’ll teach you something
useful! These sessions will be held via Breeze at http://
breeze.extension.iastate.edu/learn and your telephone. Plan to join
the session 5 minutes before the starting time. Each session will be
held at 3:30 Eastern Time (2:30p CT, 1:30p MT, 12:30p PT, 9:30a HT)
unless otherwise noted.

* March 12, a “30 Minute Session” with a Guided Tour
on how an existing CoP is organized and operates. Come and see how
CoPs organize and work in the collaborative environment. Hear it
first hand from a leader of CoP.

* March 6, we’re offering a “30 Minute Session” Wikimedia Bare
Essentials – what you need to get started working in a wiki.

* March 7, we’re offering a “30 Minute Session” Google Juice — Help
search engines find your information and ours! The basics of search
engine optimization.

* March 13, a “30 Minute Session” MediaWiki Finishing Touches – using
templates for final stylistic touches in the CoP wiki.

* March 14, we’re offering a “30 Minute Session” Categories in the
Wiki. Categories are the primary mechanism for navigation thats to
let you find what you’re looking for at the right time in a wiki.

* March 22, a “30 Minute Session” Blogging — So you think you want to
be a blogger? How you can use blogging to enhance your educational
programming? What’s involved, how it’s done, and how to get started.
Participants will be exposed to several blogging tools with an
emphasis on Blogger.com, Google’s newly revamped blog hosting site.
(for all Extension).

* March 27, a “30 Minute Session” MediaWiki Finishing Touches – using
templates for final stylistic touches in the CoP wiki.

* March 28, we’re offering a “30 Minute Session” FAQ — FAQ
Orientation for agents/educators to find answers to your clients’
questions, also how everyone can contribute to enhancing quality of
the FAQ System to make it a more valuable resource.

To participate in any of the 30 Minute sessions…

1. Five minutes before the start time, go to the Breeze meeting room
at http://breeze.extension.iastate.edu/learn.

2. You will be presented with a login screen that has an “Enter as
Guest” option.

3. Enter your first name, your last name, and your institution/
university, then click the “Enter Room” button to join the conference.

4. To hear the audio of the workshop and participate in the Q&A
portion of the workshop we will be using a built-in teleconferencing
capability of Macromedia’s Breeze conferencing software. Once you log
into the meeting you will be presented with the option to enter your
call-back number, your phone will automatically be called. After
entering your number you will be automatically called and joined into
the audio portion of the Web conference on your phone.

If you or a colleague would like to get notices about upcoming
professional development sessions offered by eXtension, go to https://
lists.extension.org/mailman/listinfo/learn and subscribe to the
“Learn” email list.

Add these to your calendar, and plan to join us on for one or more of
these sessions in March!!