Barry Dahl dot com

All of the following are printed with permission:

Received November 2009

Hi Barry,

You probably don’t remember me, but I attended the technology conference at Elgin Community College in March 2009 where you were the keynote speaker. We sat at the same table for lunch. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I just won the Glenn Reich Memorial Award which Harper College gives to one faculty member each year for commitment to using technology to advance teaching and learning. I was so inspired by your talk and session in March, and I worked really hard to incorporate Web 2.0 and other technologies with my adult ESL literacy and GED students to help open up my students’ world to technology and help bridge the digital divide of the underprivileged population that I work with. To make a long story short, I applied for the award, and I just won the $1000 award. However, I just wanted to let you know you were a major inspiration for me to learn and incorporate new technology with the students I serve. I wanted to take a moment to thank you, and I hope you continue to inspire other teachers like me.

Jennifer E. Bell
William Rainey Harper College

From EAT-IT 09 – August 2009

“It’s an eye-opening conference for me. I’ve been using some technologies in preparing classes but it’s like nothing after attending the conference. There are definitely some resources I learned that I’d like to try out in the future. Thanks for the great conference!!!”
Liwen Yu, Inver Hills Community College

“This was a great conference for the simple reason that the presentations were aimed at experienced users (higher levels of content) providing direct applications of technology in teaching (rather than “research presentations” delivered at many conferences). Even as a power-user, I picked up several great tips and learned about new tools which I can directly incoporate into my work. I think it is important for the continuous quality improvement efforts within MnSCU to continue to offer state and regional conferences which help faculty and support staff continue to grow their technology skills. The investment is very small for an impact which is very large.”
James Falkofske from St. Cloud Technical College

“WONDERFUL EXCELLENT INFORMATIVE WELL-ORGANIZED. When I first saw the 4 key-note speaker list I thought, “Oh, no. That part is going to be SO boring.” But it was not at all–it was a great mix of big group/small group. Again, thanks! Maybe just a little more scheduled “free conversation” time like the 5 minutes of fame–it is nice to have people share what works for them. Maybe they could even plan ahead and bring a small handout, etc? All was really, really great.”
Lynn Rabuse, Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical

From ETOM (June 2009)

Hi Barry,

Thanks again for coming back to Michigan for ETOM’s Higgins Lake Retreat. On behalf of ETOM, I just wanted to tell you that your presentations were very well received. I’ve looked through the evaluations and your keynote as well as your break-out session were all ranked either good or excellent (mostly excellent). Some said that even tho’ they had heard you speak several times before they still learned new stuff.

From Northwestern Michigan College (Jan. 2009):

“The Web 2.0 Professional Development was excellent, the best one I’ve attended in all of my time here at NMC. Thank You, Mike Torre, Humanities / Fine Arts

That was a great day in Traverse City, Michigan.

9/4/2007 via e-mail after Web 2.0 workshops

Barry,
Hi. I hope all’s well with you and yours. I also hope you had a safe trip back to Duluth and an enjoyable Labor Day holiday. I’ve been meaning to write to you since you presented the technology seminar at Norfolk State University last month. I just wanted to say “Thank you” for coming, and thanks for sharing your technology insights with us. The seminar was an unqualified success! Words cannot express our profound, sincere appreciation. Faculty who attended are still talking about it. Your presentation style was engaging, the information was invaluable and useful, and perhaps most importantly, you met the faculty where they were in terms of their technology expertise. A number of those same faculty who prior to the seminar were sitting on the fence when it comes to technology have since started blogs and have asked me how they can incorporate what you shared with us in their Blackboard courses. In short, your presentation created a buzz the likes of which NSU has never seen. We cannot thank you enough.

Harry Styles
Norfolk State University

6/4/2008 via email after Virtual High School session.
Hi Barry,
Thank you so much for giving us a GREAT start to the workshop!

I really liked how you involved your audience and incorporated the questions and concerns that I am sure they have often thought about. I feel they left your session thinking that their future experience, that they were about to begin, was one in which they would be successful. As I meet with others in the online field, with your permission I will share your name with them as an outstanding speaker in the online field!

Joe Joerger
Freshwater (MN) Education District

7/26/2007 via e-mail after Desire2Learn FUSION07

Barry:
Hi. I attended your presentation the first day of the D2L Fusion conference and was really excited about all the tools you presented. I wish the workshop would have lasted a whole day! (and, the wireless was working better <smile>). Anyway, I wanted to go back and look through the resources you had shown us, and I found all my directions except I seem to have lost my password … would it be possible for you to send me access information again so that I could spend a day going through all the cool tools you have found for faculty to use?

Shirley
Lead Instructional Designer
University of Wisconsin Colleges – Online

2/21/2007 via e-mail after ITC Conference in Albuquerque
Hi Barry,

This is the first time I’ve had free to visit your site and I want you to know I think this is a fantastic service!!! I can’t say enough. Thanks for being so on top of it. I heard you say “blogs and wikis are old” and I’m excited to see what all you’ve identified and come up with. Please keep doing this – it will help me touch what’s new and exciting! Especially when my organization isn’t really that up-to-date. You’ve given me a starting place.

Smiles, Susann C. N., CPT
Instructional Designer