Enhancing the Instructional Paradigm: The CSU Faculty Digital Ambassadors Project

Concurrent Session 1

Brief Abstract

CSU Digital Ambassadors champion the use of educational technologies within their campuses. We will discuss how campuses can empower faculty as ambassadors on their campuses.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Daniel Soodjinda, CSU Stanislaus

Dr. Daniel Soodjinda is currently an assistant professor of liberal studies and teacher education at California State University (CSU), Stanislaus. He uses a lens of equity and social justice to teach graduate and undergraduate students in educational foundations, curriculum development, instructional technology, and social justice. More recently, Dr. Soodjinda was appointed to direct the California State University's (CSU) Digital Ambassador program, a position that is charged with supporting faculty and teacher candidates in utilizing online and computer-based resources to support enriched blended learning experiences. His Twitter handle is @TheTeacherProf.

Extended Abstract

The California State University Faculty Digital Ambassadors Program seeks to transform teaching and learning opportunities within the CSU system through the increased use of emerging and online technologies. With particular attention to teacher preparation at the teacher credential level, CSU Digital Ambassadors are faculty leaders who champion the use of educational technologies within their respective campuses, engage faculty and educational stakeholders in the sharing of best practices and strategies for campus-specific and K-12 outreach initiatives. The key success factors of this 4-year-old program are the empowerment of the Digital Ambassadors as a group to develop and implement the broader innovation strategies and the requirements to mentor others and capture their innovations in teaching ePortfolios. This session will share the variety of engaging educational technology initiatives they are currently fostering and their future plans to expand their emphases into the STAR and ATLAS projects. The session will facilitate small group discussions and respond to participants' ideas and questions about implementing this strategy on their own campuses. We will review the suite of materials created for the CSU campuses, the rationale behind why these resources are recommended, and how they can be used to effectively empower faculty as ambassadors on your campuses.