Dr. Robbie Melton, Afternoon Keynote Speaker
The TLT Symposium Program Committee along with the Center for Online Innovation in Learning (COIL) are excited to announce that the afternoon keynote speaker for the 2014 Penn State Symposium for Teaching with Technology will be Dr. Robbie Melton, associate vice chancellor of mobilization and emerging technology with the Tennessee Board of Regents. Dr. Melton will close the Symposium with a high-energy keynote that will take a unique look at the role of mobile technology in education.
Mobilization (the use of smart phones, tablets and mobile apps) has impacted every facet of education from PreK-Ph.D. and the workplace across the globe. Strategically, the Tennessee Board of Regents established a System Wide Office of Mobilization to provide support to the campuses and to assist faculty and students in utilizing mobilization as teaching, learning, training, and workforce tools, as well as for increasing student engagement and retention.
Dr. Melton serves as the chief system level administrator to oversee the system’s mission and initiatives for the Strategic Mobilization Planning and Business Models; Mobilization Quality Assurances; Faculty and Student Use of Mobile Devices related to teaching, learning, training, and workforce development; and the coordination of research, product testing, pilots, and security safety networks. She has published and presented around the nation on the impact and value of mobilization for education and the workforce and has acquired a new distinction as an “Appologist”. This is due to her study of the pedagogy and best teaching practices with mobilization, quality standards for the utilization of mobile apps, and for her creation of the Mobile App Education and Workforce Resource Center (50,000+ apps that have been aligned with over ninety-five subject areas from Pre-K to Ph.D., including workforce careers, professional development and life-long-learning; according to one’s mobile device of choice).
Dr. Melton formally served for ten years as the chief administrator responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of Tennessee Board of Regents System-Wide Regents Online Campus Collaborative (ROCC): Regents Online Degree Programs (RODP) and Regents Online Continuing Education (ROCE). Chief responsibilities included TBR eLearning Strategic Planning, program planning, program implementation and management (eight online degree programs including technical certificates, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, MSN, M.Ed.) and seven teacher education additional endorsements (ESL, special education, Math, Biology, Chemistry, vocational education, and early childhood education), online continuing education and professional certificates), faculty training, student services, course development, pedagogy of online teaching and learning, and program evaluations. ROCC received the 2008 Platinum Award for Outstanding eLearning Program from the IMS Global Learning Consortium.
Throughout her forty years in the field of education, Dr. Melton has received numerous teaching and technology awards and acclaims, including the 2012 WCET WOW Education Technology, Tennessee Board of Regents 2011 Catalyst Leadership Award, 2010 IMS Global Learning Leadership, 2010 MERLOT Educational Leadership Higher Education System Level, 1998 Outstanding Teaching and Advisor, The University of Tennessee 1996 Outstanding Teaching Alumni Award, 1994 Tennessee Professor of the Year presented by the Carnegie Foundation of Teaching and Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 1990 Outstanding Professor and University Services at Winthrop College, the Zenith Master of Innovations Award, and the South Central Bell Award for Outstanding Teaching Using Emerging Technologies.
