Phil Brown: My journey into the world of EduTech began long ago, but via a gritty back road, if you will. From an early age, be it with 8mm/Super 8mm, 16mm, video/digital media, to researching and studying it — I have been immersed in cinema and filmmaking. It is a passion that informs most everything I do. So, it makes sense that I teach a whole range of film courses — Film Analysis, U.S. and World Film History and film genre studies. It has led me into television production, as well. I produce/write/host/perform a weekly tv show that airs on our college cable station, At the Movies with Philm. I am also a film reviewer on our college radio station — KCCK.  Technology and I have been, let’s say, well acquainted for some time.

I have been at Kirkwood since 1991, teaching on the variety of distance delivery platforms we have evolved through – from television instruction via microwave/ICN to web-live systems. I also teach a full set of online courses and sit as the chair of the Learning Technology Committee.

Kate Schellberg wears a number of hats at Kirkwood. Besides her official title of Digital Services Librarian for the college, she staffs the reference desk, visits classes for research instruction, tends to the library website and databases, and supports faculty adoption of open educational resources (OER). As a 2012 Endowed Faculty Chair she studied the role of play in adult learning, and continues to ponder and apply the ideas she researched and wrote about to her daily work with students and faculty. She seeks to honor each individual’s unique path that drives them to learn, engage with their own life, and create fulfillment. And she loves a good technology tool that makes a tough job easier or helps organize something messy.

Tony Arduini: I teach the basic speech communication course in the Communication, English, and Media Department on the Cedar Rapids campus. I have been a long-time user of computers and web technology in education, with an interest in Apple technologies. I was an early adopter of the iPad, and I have used Macs since 1989. I have a broad interest in leveraging technology to improve education. I am particularly interested in technologies used to create Open Educational Resources (OER), including Pressbooks and H5P web services. I think computer technology has done some wonderful things for education in general and for my success in education personally, but I am aware that it has a dark side. As a result, I follow news of the edtech industry as well as criticism of it.

Sharon Blanchard is not new to Kirkwood, but has been an Eagle since 2008 in various departments and roles as staff, (Student Life, Business & IT, and Distance Learning), adjunct, and now as faculty coordinator for the Business Administration: Administrative Management program and coordinating the Project Management Certificate. I enjoy using the latest technology in my courses to keep on the cusp of industry trends in business and streamline instructional design. I am a proud Community College graduate and continued my education earning my B.A. from The University of Iowa (Communication Studies) and my Masters from St. Ambrose University (Organizational Leadership) and am currently working on my Doctorate from St. Ambrose University (DBA). While earning my MOL, I found inspiration in a project management course. After, I continued learning about the PM field and earned a Certificate in Project Management from St. Ambrose University and eventually Project Management Institute’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Discipline Agile Scrum Master (DASM) certificates. I have also taught for the University of Iowa and North Carolina State University’s Project Management Certificate programs.

Randy Langel: Randy obtained his A.A. in Communication Media (Kirkwood Community College), B.A. in Film and Comparative Literature (University of Iowa), and his M.S. in Graphic Information Technology (Arizona State University). Randy is an associate professor in the CEM department and teaches Digital Media courses, such as Mass Media, Video Production, Audio Production, Broadcast Writing & Performance, and News Media Convergence. He is the advisor of Kirkwood Student Productions and has a passion for visual storytelling. Randy is also interested in exploring the use of virtual reality, 360 video, and augmented reality.