UMBC's Center for History Education (CHE) and New Media Studio have collaborated with teachers from Baltimore County Public Schools to create a new online resource for Hampton National Historic Site. "Hampton: A Revolutionary Place" was created as part of CHE's Making American History Master Teachers in Baltimore County Program, funded with a grant to Baltimore County Public Schools from the United States Department of Education. The Hampton project is one of several "virtual fieldtrips" to come out of last summer's workshop in digital storytelling and oral history. During the program, the New Media Studio worked with BCPS teachers to create rich media resources combining digital storytelling, photography, videography and web design.

The National Park Service is featuring the project on the Hampton website.

Participants learn the principles of good course design and apply them to a traditional, face-to-face (F2F) course that could be delivered as a hybrid (part-online, part F2F) course. Using hybrid delivery to demonstrate best practices of hybrid teaching, this workshop is open to any UMBC instructor considering teaching a hybrid course in any semester.

Striking a Balance

The professional challenges of balancing care-giving responsibilities for an aging parent and a full-time job can be significant and daunting.

UMBC�s Wellness in the Workplace program has partnered with the Erickson School to create a workshop designed to help UMBC employees who face difficult caregiving situations related to aging.

On April 30, three leading experts from the Erickson School will provide guidance and advice on caregiving in a workshop titled �Striking a Balance: Eldercare in the Workplace.� The workshop will be held in The Commons 331 from 10-11:30 a.m.

The workshop will be led by Interim Dean Judah Ronch, professor Bill Thomas, author of �What are Old People For?� and M.A. in Aging Services alumnus Steve Gurney �08, founder and publisher of the regional publication – Guide to Retirement Living.

Employees caring for aging parents often find that new family dynamics and the responsibilities of caregiving are difficult to balance with work, said Ronch.

�Whenever you�re dealing with the aging of a parent you�re going to face an entirely new family situation. You�re family is not alone in having this kind of difficult adjustment,� Ronch said.

The workshop will offer new perspectives on aging and will include time for participants to ask questions about eldercare, including balancing the burden of care-giving among family members, transitioning a parent from home care to nursing care and making end-of-life care decisions.

�We want to take advantage of something that�s unique to UMBC — the Erickson School has a specific approach to aging and the organizations that serve families of elders and we want to share that expertise with our fellow staff an faculty on campus,� said Thomas.

Click here to register. Space is limited � Registration deadline is April 22.

Watch the Feb. 24, 2010 Wellness in the Workplace workshop on Eldercare featuring Judah Ronch, Bill Thomas and Steve Guerney.

(4/21/10)