One of the things I have been trying to do is to find ways to get people together on a regular basis to talk. We’ve been trying new things to create opportunities to engage in open conversations. With that in mind, this week we held our first TLT Innovators Speaker Series talk featuring Dr. Kyle Peck. It was a great time and a great session. Kyle is one of Penn State’s most well respected and loved faculty members. He is the Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Lab, Associate Dean for Outreach and Technology, and Professor of Education within the College of Education here at Penn State. Having Kyle kick off the series was a no-brainer — he brings a real passion to teaching and learning that gets people excited. This is the first of three talks in this series this semester … here are some photos of the event.

Kyle was one of the first faculty members I met when I arrived at PSU as an instructional designer back in 1998. We spent some time talking and he ended up inviting me out to his houseto discuss one of newest adventures — the creation of a new breed of charter schools. He and I talked about starting a software company that would be connected to the school and produce innovative tools to enhance the teaching, learning, and assessment experiences of students and teachers. He started the school but we never did start the company. Good thing as we now have the opportunity to work together at the Unviersity shaping what goes on.

His talk was titled, “It’s What the Student Does that Counts: Rethinking the Roles of Students, Teachers, and Technologies.” He makes a case that it isn’t about the technology, but about knowing how to connect with students. I was so proud to see the turnout — both faculty and staff showed up to share the time with us. A bunch of us (including Kyle) even headed out for an adult beverage afterwards to continue the conversation.

Direct Link to MP3 | Direct Link to Penn State on iTunes U Podcast