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 Cathy Swift on April 11, 2014 at 1:17pm

Your research interests are very unusual. From all I hear about gaming, it's a great way to engage students and help them learn better. Hopefully you can make a lot of contributions to the MERLOT collection. I'm sure that would interest our users.

Permalink Reply by Tina Pitt on April 17, 2014 at 12:01pm

Hi! I'm Tina Pitt and in 1997 when I worked for California State University, Fullerton we were awarded a grant to create a web site that introduced students to the Internet. It was a joint institutional grant that included the MERLOT project. That was my first introduction to MERLOT and their ambitious goals. Well obviously they succeeded. Over the years I have worked with many faculty members on curriculum design and instructional strategies and I always suggest they take a look at MERLOT for high quality activities for their students. Currently I am a Subject Matter Expert with Northcentral University. My discipline falls into the areas of adult education, curriculum design/development, distance education, development and implementation of learning management systems, administrative leadership, and professional development for faculty in the art and science of teaching and learning. Currently I am working on a book on instructional strategies for use in all learning environments.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on April 18, 2014 at 5:29pm

Hi, Tina, I'm glad to hear you've been such a supporter of MERLOT. I joined back when it was a pilot program...1999... When I was a faculty member at Georgia Southern. You've obviously seen a lot of changes. Welcome to GRAPE camp.

Permalink Reply by Dr. Jacqueline Chestnut on May 12, 2014 at 11:14am

Hi Tina,

Nice to meet you. You have a wealth of knowledge and experience. I look forward to interacting with you.

Permalink Reply by Paul Burwick on April 18, 2014 at 11:51am

Greetings Scholars and Intellectuals!

My name is Paul Burwick and I am just now joining MERLOT. I am currently working on an online Master's Degree at Texas A&M University, Commerce. My division is Education and my degree is in Global E-Learning, I look forward to getting to read more about all of you. I live in Northern California. I work at Shasta College - one of the 112 colleges in the California Community College system.

Not far from me is Wine Country. I love to go on winery tours by train or by foot. MERLOT GRAPE Camps reminds me of the good times I have interacting with people at the wineries and eriching my life. I hope to gain the same experience (minus the little buzz) from this camp and opportunity for Peer Review.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on April 18, 2014 at 5:24pm

Hi, Paul.
Welcome. You must be one of Rick Lumadue's students. I just saw him at the MERLOT conference in Dallas. Did you know that the Calif Community College system is a MERLOT partner? I'm in Mexico right now on vacation and typing this one handed on a mini tablet, so will cut this short

Permalink Reply by Paul Burwick on April 19, 2014 at 8:25am

Hi Cathy,

Yes, I am in 2 of Rick Lumadue's classes right now at TAMUC! I am a new student in the MS of Global E-Learning - I just started this term. I am not overwhelmed, as yet but definitely staying busy.

I had never heard of MERLOT (except on a train in the Napa Valley, in a crystal glass with cheese and crackers) prior to this term and did not know that CCC is a MERLOT partner. I will definitely ask around and refer people if they do not know. Do you "know" anyone from Shasta College?

I LOVE Mexico - where are you? What tablet are you using? I have a Kindle Fire and I have loved my little tablet for a while now. But, it has definite limitations for this course work. So, I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy tab3 8.0 (has a slightly larger screen than my Kindle) and I am very pleased with the compatibility. I cruised Amazon and found a Bluetooth keyboard case and am extremely pleased with the setup. I have to travel to San Diego the last week of this term so I wanted to make sure I could do my work while laying by the pool.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on April 19, 2014 at 9:06am

Laying by the pool is a great place to work! I have a mini iPad. I use a laptop at home, so I'm not too accustomed to this yet...no exterior keypad.

Rick has a great program...lots of diversity in the people enrolled.

I don't know anyone at Shasta but it sounds familiar. You might want to check...I just did an advanced member search o MERLOT and there are 12 members. Doug Cremer used to be the project director but he retired. Now it is Blaine Morrow in the CCC Technology center.

Permalink Reply by Paul Burwick on April 19, 2014 at 11:42am

I got my bluetooth keyboard case on Amazon for like $29 - I don't know if they make one for Ipad Mini or not but it is a great addition to my Samsung. I am practicing with it right now looking at the Sacramento River.

I love this program so far. I am nervous as heck as I am a new Master's Student after getting my Bachelor's in 1998...and I am 50 and everyone else seems so with it

I asked my husband, who has been in the CCC for 15 years, if he had ever heard of MERLOT and he replied with a quick "Yes!" and sent me a link to the ASCCC. He is currently the Director of Research and Planning at Shasta College.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on April 19, 2014 at 2:52pm

Aha! Glad to hear he is familiar with MERLOT!

Permalink Reply by Paul Burwick on April 19, 2014 at 3:05pm

Yeah he's been around with CCC for a long time. I worked at Cal State in San Marcos back in the late 90's but I wasn't very savvy at the time

Permalink Reply by Dr. Jacqueline Chestnut on May 12, 2014 at 11:07am

Hi Group,

I currently a Full Time Faculty at Jones International University in Business and Adjunct Faculty at Lawrence Technological University in the College of Engineering. I have educational research projects at both Universities. I currently live in Michigan and worked in the automotive industry for 12 years. I am looking to learning and sharing in the Merlot camp.

Jacqueline