My goal is to provide the best possible service to support the integration of technology in the classroom, in blended and online scenarios through the employment of sound pedagogy and instructional design. To most effectively accomplish this, it is vital to develop strong personal relationships and facilitate collaborations among faculty across the organization.
eLearning Initiatives
- Trained 50 faculty and supported the development of more than 80 hybrid and 20 online courses in three semesters.
- Developed a variety of E-Learning initiatives including: E-Learning Institute, Quick Tip of the Week, Learning Communities of Practice, E-Learning Website for faculty and students (in collaboration with the Arioch Center @ Wentworth).
- Fostered partnership between Student Affairs and Division of Technology Services at Wentworth Institute of Technology to develop a variety of online training offerings leading to NASPA Conference presentation and University Business magazine “Model of Efficiency” Award (2010).
- Active participant in campus governance including: Academic Technology Advisory Committee and the E-Learning Advisory Committee, which produced a report to prioritize resource allocations and recommend guidelines, policies, and procedures for implementation of E-Learning at WIT.
- Developed and implemented online and hybrid course development process used by Instructional Design team based on researched best practices. Built rubrics based on Quality Matters to ensure high quality E-Learning courses for the Arioch Center @ Wentworth.
- Established a variety of on-demand training opportunities for Wentworth Institute of Technology faculty to learn how to develop and teach online and hybrid courses at their own pace.
Academic Technology Projects
- Defined Training + Development at WIT as key strategic resource offering needs assessments, gap-analysis, competence management, faculty relationship-building, and benchmarking initiatives.
- Implemented seven customized training programs for specific departmental needs and worked with 80% of faculty at WIT over the last academic year.
- Led team of Instructional Designers and Trainers to develop and implement 15 workshops around the theme of “Laptops in the Classroom” focused on effective technology integration across the curriculum for 140 full-time faculty at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
- Integrated Research + Development process into ongoing efforts to support E-Learning initiatives and improve the Academic Technology landscape at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Tools reviewed: Flip Cameras, Livescribe Smart Pens, VoiceThread, Virtual Clicker Systems, and Cintiq Tablets.
- Established successful program for 150 staff members at South Portland High School for training in effective methods of using technology with students.
- Wrote curriculum for North Hampton School that aligned National Educational Technology Standards with local content area standards to better support teachers’ efforts at integrating technology in the classroom.
- Worked with small group of Technology Learning Leaders through Spreading Educator to Educator Developments to deliver training to hundreds of teachers across Maine at the start of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative through a partnership with Apple, Inc.
Operations + Resource Management
- Led Technology Needs Assessment process with 120 faculty to determine training needs across the seven academic departments at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Maintain benchmarking database to track success of ongoing programs and proactively plan new initiatives.
- Established Faculty Technology Competencies at Wentworth Institute of Technology based on research from the International Society for Technology in Education and EDUCAUSE models.
- Prepare annual budget and approximately $300k in capital requests for multiple departments within the Division of Technology Services at Wentworth Institute of Technology. This includes hardware, software, and staff training needs aligned to the mission and goals of the Institute and DTS.
- Lead organizer of the first THAT Camp New England to be held at Wentworth Institute of Technology in November 2010 in partnership with five area universities (Brown, Brandeis, UMass Amherst, and CCSU). Proficient at developing productive relationships through personal communication, attention to detail, and consistent follow through.
- Founding member of CONNECT, a partnership between Academic Technology, Alumni Library, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and Disability Services at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Offer joint workshops, guest lectures, webinars, and brown bag discussions.
- Developed and delivered training at state, regional, and national conferences including ASC/ASEE (2010), NASPA (2010), NERCOMP SIG (2009), ICERI (2009), Association of Supervision and Curriculum National Conference (2008), MainEducational Technology Conference (2001-2007), MassCUE Conference (2005 & 2007), National Educational Computing Conference (2007)
- Named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2005 for innovative work with iPods at South Portland High School, one of 700 across the United States.
Publications
Cheney, S. and Dow, D. Integrating Web-Based Modules into Traditional Courses. Submitted Paper. ASEE 2010. Boston, MA.
Fuchs, M., Cheney, S., et al. A Shift in Learning Culture – Collaborating to Leverage Resources in Critical Times. Submitted Paper. ICERI 2009. Madrid. Spain.
Cheney, S. and Fuchs, M. (2009) Positioning the Learning Organization for a Successful Distance Education Strategy. In H. Song (Ed.) Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education: Applications of Today, Practices of Tomorrow. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Education
Northeastern University, Boston, MA — Graduate Certificate in Distance Learning (in progress)
University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME — Postgraduate course work in Educational Technology and Educational Leadership Courses
Thomas College, Waterville, ME — MS Instructional Technology
University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, ME — BS Elementary Education
