Welcome to the Technology Test Kitchen

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What is the Technology Test Kitchen?

The Technology Test Kitchen, simply put, is designed to provide you with hands-on learning experiences that will support your online/digital teaching and learning efforts. The space was originally designed as an exploratory installation which leveraged the metaphor of a teaching kitchen. In this “Test Kitchen,” participants interacted with “chefs,” who had prepared teaching and learning related demonstrations and activities, guided and reinforced by “recipes” that they could take with them beyond the conference. While the chefs were the resident “experts,” the idea was to foster a low-stakes and approachable learning space whereby through direct engagement with the application of the “recipes,” participants walked away with the skills and confidence to see themselves as “chefs” and “experts.” Importantly, to make this experience meaningful to participants, recipes were always structured as contextualized and relating to practical application which could be translated to their personal teaching and learning contexts.

Based on who is running the Technology Test Kitchen, the space and therefore the experience has looked different from year to year, and has featured everything from Chef Battles and educational robot demonstrations, to open, free-flowing sandboxes where participants can bring their own devices for collaborative play. This year we welcome back the popular and challenging OLC Escape Room and the informative and engaging Chef Demos, and introduce a new and exciting narrative-based, gamified journey to the mix. Through a series of themed, interactive stations (each with their own set of fun challenges and tasks), the Technology Test Kitchen will invite participants to embark on a “Choose Your Own Adventure”-styled learning journey. Expect to be wowed by multiple pedagogical approaches, new and interesting ways to engage with educational technologies, and ‘out of this world’ opportunities for prizes! Whether you’re new to the OLC, new to thinking about technology, or someone who has returned for yet another year or simply a new venue to explore with others, this low-stakes, fun, playful, and collaborative space is for you. Join the adventure and write your own story with us in Orlando.

Check out some of the Technology Test Kitchen themes and stations below (referred to as “mini-missions”). Stay-tuned for more details!

 

The 2019 OLC TTK Pathfinder Mission

Click on the badge to join the mission and begin your journey.

This year the Technology Test Kitchen has been transformed into the “OLC TTK Space Base.” Through entering the Base, you will take on the role of a “space traveler,” and will be invited to join an epic adventure, as you and the TTK Space Team work together to complete the 2019 OLC TTK PATHFINDER MISSION.

 

Featured OLC TTK Stations

• The ENGAGEMENT Mini-Mission: Throughout this mini-mission, space travelers will face tasks and fun challenges related to the ways in which students interact and collaborate with other students, the ways they relate, respond, and interact with content, curriculum, and technology, and their relationship with educators. Together we will explore what it looks like or might look like to facilitate learning environments that promote regular, but responsive, engagement, which critically considers the needs, preferences, and desires of all members of the learning community. Space travelers will depart from this mission with stories to tell and resources to share. Most importantly, accomplishing this mini-mission is critical for the successful completion of the 2019 OLC TTK PATHFINDER MISSION.

• The INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ADVOCACY (IDEA) Mini-Mission: Throughout this mini-mission, space travelers will face tasks and fun challenges related to the ways in which we create supportive environments, where we regularly attend to learner needs and consistently share resources. Together we will explore what it looks like or might look like to transparently recognize oppressive structures and work towards more equitable learning environments. We will also dwell on the importance of anti-oppressive pedagogical orientations and examine and develop strategies for coming to know, recognizing, and valuing multiple identities. Space travelers will depart from this mission with stories to tell and resources to share. Most importantly, accomplishing this mini-mission is critical for the successful completion of the 2019 OLC TTK PATHFINDER MISSION.

• The ASSESSMENT Mini-Mission: Throughout this mini-mission, space travelers will face tasks and fun challenges related to the ways in which we build regular and ongoing assessment into learning environments, which is aligned with objectives, considers multiple modalities, and is intentionally incorporated as a fundamental for growth (both on the part of learners and educators). Together we will explore what it looks like or might look like to integrate forms of reflective practice into learning environments, communicate both informal and formal assessment with others, and situate evaluation and feedback within unique learning contexts. Space travelers will depart from this mission with stories to tell and resources to share. Most importantly, accomplishing this mini-mission is critical for the successful completion of the 2019 OLC TTK PATHFINDER MISSION.

• The PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mini-Mission: Throughout this mini-mission, space travelers will face tasks and fun challenges related to the ways in which we seek opportunities to grow in practice. Together we will explore what it looks like or might look like to treat educators as learners and take a lifelong learning approach to our own development. We will consider everything from digital presence and educator identity to strategies for growth in project management, personal organization, and mentoring/leadership. Space travelers will depart from this mission with stories to tell and resources to share. Most importantly, accomplishing this mini-mission is critical for the successful completion of the 2019 OLC TTK PATHFINDER MISSION.

• The UNIVERSITY-AS-LEARNING-CONTEXT Mini-Mission: Throughout this mini-mission, space travelers will face tasks and fun challenges related to the ways in which the institution works in meaningful ways and impacts educational and learning practices. Together we will explore what it looks like or might look like to examine and contextualize our rights and responsibilities in relation to policy, critically consider our relationship to learner data and practices of consent, and understand how university structures inform our practices. We will also discuss and share ideas for effectively collaborating within and across institutional contexts for the purposes of contributing to meaningful and sustainable change to learning environments. Space travelers will depart from this mission with stories to tell and resources to share. Most importantly, accomplishing this mini-mission is critical for the successful completion of the 2019 OLC TTK PATHFINDER MISSION.

 

The OLC Escape Room Mission

In the spirit of constructivist learning, the Technology Test Kitchen will feature an EdTech themed Escape Room event on Friday morning, 9:45am – 12:30pm in Northern Hemisphere C.

For those daring space travelers who are looking for something more exciting and adventurous, we invite you to join others in completing the OLC Escape Room Mission (#OLCEscapeRoom) – a fun challenge and puzzle-based experience that unites participants around collaboration and strategy. It will take place Friday morning in Northern Hemisphere C. Space travelers will have the option to choose between four 30-minute time slots, which run between 9:45am -12:30pm.

Escape Rooms are collaborative experiences where participants work together to solve a series of puzzles, challenges, riddles, or mysteries using clues, hints, and intentional strategy. They often feature a specific theme and a particular set of objectives that require participants to work as a team if they hope to complete the challenge in time. 

In the spirit of the Technology Test Kitchen, the OLC Escape Room will allow conference participants a fun and unique space to not only engage with a variety of educational technologies, but do so in a themed, challenge-based environment with others. Challenges might include finding a hidden code within a database to unlock a presentation, navigating through a virtual or augmented reality to receive your next clue, using distance-learning technologies to communicate with your teammates, or completing a circuit to turn on a device, among others. That said, they will all be fun, practical, and representative of the types of teaching and learning challenges that educators face in their day-to-day lives.  

To hear from others who have participated in OLC Escape Room challenges before, visit the OLC Escape Room Testimonials flipgrid page.

Each member of the winning team (max 10 members per team) will receive a $25 OLC gift card and some fun OLC swag!

Report to the space crew sign-up form to join your team and review the 2019 OLC Escape Room Mission today! 

TTK Schedule of Sessions

Connect with us

Want to learn more about the Technology Test Kitchen and how you can get involved? Contact us at ttk@onlinelearning-c.org. 

 

Meet the Team

Co-Chairs

Maddie Shellgren

Adam Davi

Chefs

Robin Johnston

Dr Robin (Berenson) Johnston serves as Nexford’s Vice President of Academic Innovation. Throughout her career, Dr Johnston has held executive leadership positions in higher education, human resources, and healthcare. Prior to joining Nexford full time, Dr Johnston worked as a consultant for the university.

Like Nexford, Robin was born to be different and make a difference in the lives of others.  Throughout her academic career, Robin has been known as an innovator, disruptor, mentor, and transformer of higher education. She is passionate about lifelong learning, mentoring, and bridging the connection between education and the workforce.

Her past experience includes the director of academic innovation for McGraw Hill Higher Education and associate dean for business at Excelsior College. She has served as dean, associate dean, program chair, professor, instructional designer, adjunct instructor for various online and traditional institutions, C-BEN member, and mentor and peer reviewer for the Online Learning Consortium. Dr Johnston lives in Venice, Florida and holds an EdD in Organizational Leadership, an MS in Human Resource Development and Management, a BA in Psychology, and is a certified job and career transition coach.  She has published and presented on competency based education, student and faculty success and engagement, leadership, and emotional intelligence as a predictor for success in online learning. 

Anchalee Ngampornchai 

Anchalee Ngampornchai is an instructional designer, working for universities, grant projects, government, and private companies. She was nominated for The Gagne/Briggs Award for Excellent Performance in the Instructional Systems Master’s Program at Florida State University. She was also voted “the most normal” person among her PhD cohort at University of New Mexico. She has lived in seven cities and four states in the U.S. over the past 20 years. She now calls Tallahassee home. Anchalee practices yoga and enjoys non-fiction books. 

Dr. Deborah Taylor

Educational Consultant.  Currently developing and facilitating a new OLC Institute Workshop: Adaptive Learning Fundamentals and Courseware Exploration, to be offered December 2-8, 2019.  Retired faculty from the University of Kansas. Adjunct at Baker University Graduate School of Education and Kansas City Kansas Community College. I have a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do, enjoy doing Tai Chi, and sing with my husband playing guitar.

I have a long history with the OLC and was a member and attended conferences and workshops when it was still known as SloanC.  OLC conferences are always enjoyable and I love the way everyone is so positive and encouraging. I recently participated in an OLC workshop on Online Discussions as part of my training to teach for the OLC.  The facilitator, Angela Gibson, was amazing. When I mentioned to her that I was thinking about attending OLC Accelerate 19, she said she thought that the TTK still needed some volunteers.   I contacted Maddie and Adam, and well, here I am! I enjoy providing faculty development training and am working with Evan Straub on the Faculty Development mini-Mission. At a recent conference a participant told me that she loves learning about new technologies, but then when she gets home from the conference, she forgets how to do them.  She said she wished that there was a hands-on component at conferences, so that she could use the technology herself and see how it works, and that’s what the TTK offers!  

Kristin Ziska Strange

Kristin Ziska Strange is the Assistant Director, Technology & Innovation in Digital Learning at University of Arizona.  She earned her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University and her Bachelor’s in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Methodist College. Currently, Krys is finishing her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, focusing her dissertation on the intersections between faculty professional/academic identity and faculty professional development.  She is most interested and passionate about gaming in higher education, micro credentials, student engagement, first-generation student populations, and the tech-supported classroom. When not working for Digital Learning, she is teaching gaming courses and technology courses for UArizona and NAU.

Jim Brinson

Traveler, wanderer, scientist, conservationist, educator, techie, musician, foodie, online teaching and learning evangelist, and lover of craft beer, single barrel bourbon, good cigars, and the great outdoors. Ecology professor at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College who also has spent the last 15 years working in and leading virtual teams, training faculty in educational technology, teaching and learning online, and researching the efficacy of online science laboratory education and its associated technologies.

Nick Noel

Nick Noel is an Instructional Designer with Michigan State University’s Digital Experience Team. There he assists in designing courses, technology training and media production. 

Evan Straub

Evan Straub is the Online Faculty Program Manager at the Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan. After realizing that technology frustration is a unifying factor for educators, she started working with all educators to use technology for (chaotic) good in the classroom.