I recently had the privilege to accept the Learning Impact Platinum Award, along with Dr. Sam Slike of Bloomsburg University, at the IMS Global Learning Impact Conference for the design and implementation of an online program that improves access and delivery of specialized education. The Learning Impact Awards are designed to recognize the most impactful use of technology worldwide in support of learning. Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania uses the Wimba platform (a Blackboard Collaborate solution) to facilitate a fully online Masters in Education program for school-based speech-language pathologists. By facilitating a full-online program, Wimba has allowed Bloomsburg to double graduate-level degrees in Speech-Language Pathology – helping address a severe shortage in teachers qualified to work with special needs students in Pennsylvania’s elementary schools.

When the Blackboard Collaborate Connections Summit 2011 team began planning for our annual conference this summer in Las Vegas, we held a group brainstorming exercise in hopes of picking the perfect theme.  We threw out some fun ideas such as “Viva Collaboration” and “Collaboration: A Safe Bet” and some real clunkers too, like “Cirque du Collaboration.”  But after the brainstorming session ended and we had some time to take a step back to truly reflect on the goal of this year’s conference, the real theme hit us like a blackjack savant hits on a 16 – the theme obviously should be one of coming together.