Under the Pines 2025
Welcome to Summer Professional Development
Under the Pines: Reflect, Refresh, Learn
This summer, the APEX Team invites you to step out of the daily grind, breathe deeply, and join us Under the Pines for professional development that encourages reflection, refreshment, and learning. Whether you ’ re up for a full-on hike through new technology, a short trail walk to sharpen your teaching skills, or simply a quiet moment by the campfire with a good book, we have something on the map for you.
Our offerings include deep-dive workshops, quick trail-tip sessions, selfpaced online adventures, and on-the-road visits to your campus campsite. Each experience is designed to equip you with fresh tools, spark new ideas, and support your journey whether you ’ re blazing new trails or just want to keep your skills polished and your gear ready.
�� So, grab your gear, pick your path, and join us for a season of learning under the peaceful canopy of summer.
See you on the trail!
Lea Ann Turner
Dean, Academic & Professional Excellence
I grew up in the hot, dusty desert, so being under the pines is really special to me. I remember camping in the Gila National Forest in the mountains of New Mexico as a kid and listening to the wind “sing”through the pine trees. I was enchanted. Now I can open my bedroom window or sit on my back deck and hear the wind singing in the pines all summer long.
Kristina Topness
Instructional Design & Profession Development Specialist
Todd Will
Teaching &Technology Innovation Specialist
Being under the pines means summer is in full swing. Most weekends we’re out on the water boating, watching my daughter perform with her water ski team, or sneaking in a few ski runs ourselves. When we’re not at the lake, I’m usually running through the woods trying to catch my son during a mountain bike race or just hanging out in the backyard soaking up what’s left ofthe day.
Meet Your Meet Your Trail Trail Guides Guides
When I’m under the pines, I’m likely sneaking in a peaceful walk between weekend softball games both of my daughters play. If I’m not at thefield, I’m walking our golden retrievers, listening to the wind stir through the trees. The pines remind me to slow down, breathe deeply, and soak in the simple joys oftime well spent.
Alyssa Anderson
riculum & Assessment Specialist
Being under the pines is where I feel most myself. I love the sunlight on myface, cool shade at my back, and the scent ofthe forest all around. I livefor the quiet moments spent bow hunting, turkey hunting, or foraging wild mushrooms and plants. The woods have always been my refuge, a place where I can reconnect with nature, with old memories, and with myfour kids as we carve out new adventures together.
Book Reads: Fireside Reflections
Campfire Storytime:
Professors at Play - Online PlayBook
Pull up a log around the virtual campfire and explore over 50 playful strategies to spark engagement in your online classroom. This anthology of creative ideas featuring our very own Mid-State instructors, Abby Ferrell and Kelly Soczka Steidinger helps you build connections, break the ice, and make online learning feel a bit more like gathering around the fire.
Blazing New Trails: Professors at Play - AI PlayBook
Explore the frontier of AI through the lens of play! This resource-packed guide helps you unpack the possibilities of AI in your classroom while keeping the spirit of fun alive. Whether you ' re just setting out or already on the trail, you'll discover ideas to energize your teaching and fuel meaningful discussions.
From the APEX Bookshelf: Choose Your Own Adventure
Select a book on AI or teaching and learning from the APEX bookshelf and embark on your own reading journey this summer. When you sign up you will receive a templated “book report” that we will turn into an interactive flip book of great nuggets of information that you have discovered in your reading and share it during faculty teaching and learning days. Early sign-up ensures you snag the book that speaks to your path!
Sign Up Here
Faculty Deep Dives: Gear Up & Explore
Camp ULTRA: Blackboard Ultra Workshop
Monday, May 19, 10:30 - 4:30
APEX Center
Get your courses trail-ready by converting them to Blackboard Ultra. Our goal? 100% Ultra by Fall 2025! Bring your courses and we’ll provide the guideposts (and snacks) to help you navigate the switch with ease. Bonus: Arrive early for two quick morning sessions Blackboard AI Tools and Canva for Blackboard Ultra Banners & Modules to pack your backpack with extra tools.
Trail Guide to AI: Collaborating with AI for Teaching & Learning
APEX Center
Tuesday, May 20, 8:00 - 12:00 (Optional Work Time: 1:00 - 4:00)
Set up camp and dive into AI as your collaborator in this hands-on, in-person workshop. We will explore questions, collaborate on ideas, practice prompting, and dive deep into the practical uses of AI for Teaching & Learning In the afternoon you have an option to stay and work with the APEX team available for collaboration and support.
Put Your Backpack on First:
Putting Self-Care in ICARE
APEX Center
Thursday, May 22, 9:00 - 12:00
Join Michelle Stromme for a mindful hike into setting healthy boundaries, practicing self-care, and navigating difficult student situations all while staying grounded in the ICARE values. This session will leave you refreshed and ready to continue your journey with balance.
Faculty Workshops: Quick Trail Tips
Blackboard AI Tools: Blaze Your Own Trail
May 19, 8:30 - 10:00
In-person (APEX) or TEAMS
Practice using the built-in AI tools in Blackboard to make your teaching trail smoother and your materials shine.
Design Camp: Canva for Blackboard Ultra
May 19, 10:00 - 10:30
In-person (APEX) or TEAMS
Spruce up your course with easy-to-create visuals that fit perfectly into Blackboard Ultra banners and modules.
Trail-Tested Assessments:
Building AI-Resilient Learning Paths
May 22, 1:00-2:30
In-Person (APEX) or TEAMS
Just like a good trail map helps keep hikers on course, well-designed assessments can guide students toward authentic learning even in the age of AI. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore ways to “trail-proof” your assessments so they remain meaningful, engaging, and resistant to AI shortcuts Bonus: Bring one of your own assessments or exam questions along we’ll take time to workshop real examples and apply these strategies together.
Online for Summer Learning: Choose Your Own Path
AI Odyssey: Navigating the Future of Teaching
Online at your own pace. Open all summer.
Be a pioneer this summer and take a systematic exploration of AI and it’s applications in teaching and learning. There are four levels of discovery. Badge out at any level or climb all the way to the summit! Each topic is 30-45 minutes. (This will eventually be required of all faculty, so get a head start!)
Level 1: AI Explorer
Topic 1: What is AI & Why Does it Matter?
Topic 2: AI Tools for Faculty - Your AI Collaborator
Topic 3: The Ethics of AI - Bias, Hallucinations, & Responsible Use
Topic 4: Integrating AI Thoughtfully into Your Work
Level 2: AI Pathfinder
Topic 1: AI for Time Management & Administrative Efficiency
Topic 2: Lesson & Course Planning with AI
Topic 3: AI for Research and Data Synthesis
Topic 4: Creating AI Enhanced Teaching Materials
Level 3: AI Navigator
Topic 1: AI as a Learning Assistant
Topic 2: AI for Personalized Learning and Engagement
Topic 3: AI in Assessment & Feedback
Topic 4: AI-Powered Course Analytics & Insights
Level 4: AI Innovator
Topic 1: AI Literacy for Students - What They Need to Know
Topic 2: AI in Professional & Technical Fields
Topic 3: AI & Academic Integrity
Topic 4: Preparing Students for an AI Integrated Future
Staff Workshops: Trail Skills for the Journey
AI Workshop Roadshow: Campfire Chats on Your Campus
The APEX team is hitting the trail and coming to your neck of the woods! Join us at your home base for hands-on AI tips, tricks, and open lab time to explore how AI can help make your workday more productive
�� Roadshow Campsites & Times:
��Adams Campus – June 5, 10:00-11:00 or1:00-2:00
��Stevens Point Downtown – June19, 9:00-10:00 or1:00-2:00
��AMETA Center – June19, 10:30-11:30 or 2:30-3:30
��Marshfield Campus – June 26, 10:00-11:00 or1:00-2:00
��Wisconsin Rapids Campus – July 9, 9:00-10:00 or1:00-2:00
Excel Explorer:
A Personalized Learning Map
You Schedule with Us
Not interested in retracing the basics you already know? Meet one-on-one with an APEX guide to build your personalized trail map through Excel, using Infobase software. Choose your route, set your pace, and we’ll be here to keep you on track and answer questions along the way.
Design Like a Pro in Canva: Trail Signs & Camp Gear
�� Option 1: May 29, 10:00 - 11:00
�� Option 2: June 24, 2:00 - 3:00
Learn to craft eye-catching materials that work great for internal use whether it’s flyers for your “campsite” (office) or quick guides for your team. No need for marketing-level polish just smart, solid design.
Sign Up Here
Staff Workshops: Trail Skills for the Journey (cont.)
New Outlook: Clearing the Trail Ahead
�� Option 1: July 15, 9:00 - 10:00
�� Option 2: July 22, 2:00 - 3:00
The new Outlook is faster, smarter and a bit of a curve to learn Straighten out the switchback trail and get the tools you need to make the most of New Outlook. We'll help you dodge the pitfalls and hike the smoothest path.
AI Tailored to Your Team:
Guided Hikes for Your Workgroup
You Schedule
Every team’s trail looks a little different Invite the APEX crew to your summer team meeting for a custom session where we’ll match AI tools and workflows to your group ’ s tasks. Let’s find the right gear for your journey. Reach out to Lea Ann Turner to schedule your session.
Tidy Desktop, Tidy Mind: Clearing the Campsite
�� Option 1: June 4, 10:00 - 11:00
�� Option 2: June 18, 2:00 - 3:00
Lost in the clutter of digital brush and bramble? Learn strategies to keep your digital workspace clean and organized, so you can find what you need when you need it. Bonus: Share your best campsite-clearing tips with the group!
Staff Workshops: Trail Skills for the Journey (cont.)
Cognito Forms: Camp Setup & Trail Markers
Beginning Setup & Workflow
�� Option 1: June 3, 2:00 - 3:00
�� Option 2: July 15, 2:30 - 3:30
Learn the basics of Cognito Forms the tent stakes and trail markers of your digital workflows Great for beginners or those needing a quick refresh.
Advanced Cognito Workflows:
The Backcountry Version
You Schedule
Ready to head off the beaten path? If you want to explore more advanced features like conditional logic, multi-step processes, and data routing, schedule a one-on-one session with Lea Ann. She’ll help you blaze a new trail through your Cognito Forms setup.
Lunch & A Movies: Stories by the Fire
Focuson Autism &Neurodiversity
Don’t let the wisdom from ourTemple Grandin event fade like smokefrom the campfire. Bring your lunch (and your laptop if you like) and join us in the APEX or via Teamsfor these eye-opening films and discussions around supporting students with autism and neurodiversity.
The Reason I Jump
(1 hr. 22 min.)
Wednesday, June 25, 12:00-1:30
In Person in the APEX or via TEAMS
An immersive journey into the world of nonspeaking autistic people based on the bestselling book by Naoki Higashida.
Autism GoestoCollege
(1 hr. 4 min.)
Wednesday, July 23, 12:00-1:15
In Person in the APEX or via TEAMS
Followfive autistic students as they navigate the highs and lows of campus life, sharing honest insights into their experiences.
Sign Up Here
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