Meet Alison Glace & Joanna Edwards. Both Alison and Joanna are alumni of Loyola’s Educational Technology Program ‘21 and now serve as Executive Board Members on the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET). They are also co-Editors of the MSET blog.

Here we catch up with Alison and Joanna about their board service and learn how to submit content to MSET's Blog "Innovative Minds" that looks for pieces that inspire innovative teaching, leading, and learning.

Allison: Having recently graduated from Loyola, I thought that serving on the MSET executive board would be a good experience for further professional development as well as networking.

Joanna: I joined the executive board of MSET as the Blog Co-Editor to work with other technology leaders in the state in promoting best practices for the use of technology in K-16 classrooms.

Allison: Being involved with MSET has exposed me to many professional development experiences. MSET is a great place to experience webinars on relevant Ed Tech topics and develop PLNs with like-minded educators. You don’t need to be on the executive board to benefit from all that MSET has to offer, but being on the board helps keep me involved.

Joanna: Since joining the executive board of MSET, I have learned that it takes a village of like-minded people to promote educational technology to educators across Maryland. Every person on the board has a specific role which is a cog in the wheel. Recruiting new members and spreading the word about the importance of being a member of MSET is a major goal. This is the first year we have been providing professional development every month for anyone interested in participating. 

Allison: Being an editor-in-chief for the MSET blog means needing to be up to date on the latest best practices in teaching, pedagogy, and instructional technology. I believe that my recent completion of the Ed Tech masters program at Loyola set me up for success in this role.

Joanna: Earning my degree from Loyola prepared me for a leadership position in the Ed Tech field. The well-rounded curriculum afforded me the knowledge and skills needed to assume a leadership position working with seasoned ed tech professionals.

Allison: In addition to attending monthly Executive meetings, Joanna and I work together to coordinate the collection, review process, and posting of blog submissions.

Joanna: I am the MSET Blog Co-Editor along with Alison Glace. During the monthly Executive Board meetings, I report on the status of blog entries and discuss current plans and initiatives. The various members report on their activities which include: Sponsorship, Awards, Blog, Higher Ed PLN, MSDE, Treasurer’s Report, Professional Learning, Social Media, and planning for Summer PL.

Allison: Those who are interested in writing for the MSET blog should first review these editorial guidelines. Once complete, blog posts can be submitted via a Google Form that can be found on the MSET Web site as a link from the editorial guidelines.

Allison & Joanna: Once blog posts are submitted, they go through a blind review process using a rubric. One of our first tasks on the job was to compile a committee of editorial reviewers including:

Accepted posts may need revisions prior to publication. Minor edits, including commas, periods, or one-sentence edits will be made by committee members and the edited blog post will be sent back to the submitter for approval. Posts should be between 300 - 1000 words. If we feel the author has written too much or not enough, suggestions to contract or expand will be given. At this time, we may request photos to support the blog post. As soon as the post is published, we send the author a link and suggested social media posts to share with the world.

Want to know more about the Loyola Educational Technology Program? Find more information on the program at https://loyola.edu/edtech and follow the Loyola Ed Tech program on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok  - @LoyolaET