ITTC 2007 Programs

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SESSION 6A — Implementing Mobile Training from Registration to Evaluation

Christopher Stan, LMS Systems Administrator Co-ordinator, Connecticut Department of Public Health

Brandi Morrell, Training Program Specialist, Connecticut Department of Public Health   
Kristin Sullivan, MA, Section Chief, Workforce and Prof Dev.                 

Session Overview: This session will discuss novel management and new technologies that are being used to reach the public health workforce with a comprehensive computer training program. The program provides basic skills to support the bioterrorism program, particularly utilization of emerging technologies and surveillance systems required for preparedness and response to threats.  The computer training program includes a mobile computer laboratory as well as a statewide learning management system that supports online registration and tracking of participants. Since the inception of this program, approximately 141 sessions of 17 computer courses have been provided reaching 962 learners.  Using GIS technology with our LMS data, we are able to identify public health agencies that have been reached as well as geographic areas that have not been reached or that require additional investigation of need.  Collaboration between state and local public health, academia, and other preparedness partners is key to success of the program.

Speaker Background: Christopher Stan is Learning Management Systems Administrator and Distance Learning Coordinator for the Connecticut Department of Public Health.  He oversees the development and delivery of training through non-traditional modalities, and electronic collection of state health training data. Brandi Morrell manages planning, development, and delivery of statewide training programs in computer software, supervisory/management and leadership development for the public health workforce.  She established and maintains the DPH Mobile Computer Lab.

Kristin Sullivan is DPH Section Chief for Workforce and Professional Development.  She oversees statewide training of DPH staff and the Connecticut public health workforce.

SESSION 6B — IT Training Metrics that Work 

Bob Dust, General Manager, Gyrus

Session Overview: IT training is expensive and the cost of failure is high.  Adjustments can be made if caught in time. Without proper adjustments, the ability to recover the costs is often doubtful.  How is your IT training evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency?  How do you know if it is even working as it has been designed?

Speaker Background: Robert J. Dust, general manager of Gyrus, is a long-time developer of learning and skills management systems.  Dust is a former member of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Editorial Board and holds an MBA degree from the College of William and Mary.  He has written several articles for Training and Development magazine and CLO magazine, as well as several publications pertaining to the business of training, skills management, and human capital development.  He has also been on the boards of several non-profit organizations.

SESSION 6C — Escaping Your Time Traps

Mitzi Weinman, President, TimeFinder

Session Overview: Do you leave work at the end of the day knowing that you worked hard but you are frustrated because you didn’t make a dent in your to-do list?  Do “unexpected” requests or events throw your day off track?  Would you like to develop some strategies to dodge TimeTraps? 

The premise of Escaping your TimeTraps is that reactions to situations will either keep you in control of your day or have you spinning and reeling; therefore, making it difficult to get back on track.  Participants will be asked to reevaluate their current approach to work and take actions resulting in a positive impact each and every day.  The program will center on practical techniques to improve productivity, time effectiveness, and reduce stress.

Speaker Background: Mitzi Weinman is a dynamic, passionate speaker who stimulates her audiences to re-evaluate their approach to work and life and take actions resulting in a positive impact each and every day.  Her 16 years of hands-on coaching and training resonates with each of her topics.  Mitzi speaks on a range of subjects including:  time & productivity, projecting an organized image, balance, building routine to reduce stress, clutter, high-impact client management, etc.

SESSION 7A — Improving the Efficiency of Busy Employees with Non-Traditional Learning

Michael Bleyhl, Sales Curriculum, EMC Corporation

Session Overview: At EMC, the key to success is the alignment of learning to key business goals and then partnering with the business to create non-traditional approaches to learning and professional development.  EMC believes learning needs to be an accelerant of time, not a drag on time, and nowhere is this more crucial than with developing first line leaders where every minute has significant opportunity costs.  Michael Bleyhl will share lessons in how to reach a high-impact audience with a bold, non-traditional approach using sizzling new technologies that produce measurable results that you have to "hear" and “see” to believe.

Speaker Background: Michael Bleyhl is the Sales Curriculum Manager, with Education and Productivity for EMC2 Corporation. He is responsible for the design, development and execution of a “Just In Time” learner-centric global sales curriculum for EMC’s direct sales force. Prior to his current role Michael spent 10 years with Invensys plc.  His responsibilities included creating an e-Learning strategy that enabled and aligned all business groups within Invensys to operate from a common technological platform from which he leveraged the buying power for off-the-shelf technical and soft-skills training products.  Michael and the Global Learning Organization were responsible for setting the standards for interactive learning experiences distributed via the web and creating the Invensys University virtual learning space. Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He also holds a Masters in Engineering Management from Tufts University.

SESSION 7B — The Art of Writing Modular, Reusable Training Content

Deborah Kenny, Vice President & General Manager, Information Mapping, Inc.

Session Overview: If you write training content, you’ve probably found that you are writing the same content over and over again.  When you are able to find existing content, you cut and paste it in to a new project, but that content may not be designed for reuse and you end up revising most of it anyway.  This situation gets even worse if there are many people in many departments writing similar content without any mechanisms in place for keeping it consistent and up-to-date.  In this presentation, you will learn how you can use a research-based method to write modular content that can be easily assembled, reassembled, and repurposed to meet the needs of different audiences, media, or purposes.
 

Speaker Background: Deborah Kenny is an accomplished speaker and industry expert.  She presents at conferences and events throughout the country on meeting information challenges of the 21st century by applying research-based principles to business communications.  In 2006, Kenny was interviewed by the ABC-TV news primetime Technology Report on practical tips for writing results-getting e-mails and presented at a variety of events in all industries on topics ranging from identifying communication failures to writing effective policies and procedures.  In the 20 years she has been with Information Mapping, Inc., she has helped to define its direction and positioning.

SESSION 7C — The Challenges of Blending Traditional & Remote Classroom Instruction

Andy Williamson, CEO, ONLC Training Centers                                                                

Glenn Siebert

Session Overview: Remote Classroom Instruction (RCI) is the name of the process used by ONLC Training Centers to train thousands of students each year in classrooms with no instructors present.  These remote classes are linked to traditional instructor-led events being delivered in other cities.

What challenges had to be overcome in order to successfully blend high volumes of remote students with traditional classes?  Andy Williamson and Glenn Siebert will share the problems their company had to solve and their solutions as it slowly expanded remote training from an experiment to a major driver for their business growth. In order to successfully blend traditional and remote training his organization had to deal with many changes. 
First there were internal changes to the organization’s processes and facilities; then there were changes in how learners interacted in the sessions. Finally, there were changes in the instructional techniques used during the blended events. 

Speaker Background: Andy Williamson is the CEO of ONLC Training Centers, which he co-founded in 1983.  He has given numerous talks at national training conferences and will share his company’s techniques for successfully blending traditional instructor-led classes with students in remote classrooms.  They call the process RCI for Remote Classroom Instruction. Andy holds a BS in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from the University of Delaware, is a past president of the Philadelphia Information Center Association, and served two years as a member of the University of Delaware’s Board of Trustees. 

Conference At-A-Glance | Keynote Speakers | Session Presenters & Descriptions |
Special Events | Download Brochure