Dr. Maria Clayton
Associate Professor
Department Webmaster

Member, Graduate Faculty

Office: PH 329; Phone/Voice Mail: 898-2585

Dr. Clayton teaches courses in web-assisted composition at all levels--from freshman composition, Engl 1010, to Computers and Writing, Engl 6580/7580. She developed the first online general studies English course, Engl 2030, and earned her Certified Online Instructor credentials in 2005. She also teaches Modern English Grammar and Usage, Engl 4510/5510, and a new course, Hispanic Writers in American Literature, Engl 3367. Additionally, she serves as the Department's current webmaster. Honors she has received include the Distinguished Educator Award in Distance Learning, 1998-99; Office of Information Technology Faculty Intern, Tennessee Board of Regents Distance Education Committee Innovations Award, and MTSU Foundation Outstanding Achievement in Instructional Technology Award, 2000-01; LT&ITC Faculty Fellow, 2006-07; and the Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology, 2008-09.

Dr. Clayton's Home Page

See Publications

Presentations

2009

• Proposal to 2010 CCCC Annual Convention, “Flipping the ‘Old into Something New’: Putting CCCC’s Five R’s into Practice.” Louisville, KY (1-20 Mar 2010)
• “Building Bridges: Using Technology to Move Students from Old Concepts to New.” 20^th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. Jacksonville, FL (13-17 April)

2008

• “If You Build It, They Still Might Not Come—Overcoming Faculty Resistance to IT Integration.” MERLOT International Conference. Minneapolis, MN (7-10 August)
• “Changing the Graduate Student Paradigm: Immersed in Learning about Teaching.” 13^th Annual Instructional Technology Conference. MTSU, Murfreesboro, TN (2-4 April 2008)
• “Technology and Writing.” Scholars Week 2008. MTSU (31 Mar-4 Apr)
• “Collaboration Design: Working Together and Sharing What We Produce.” Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching. Greensboro, NC (8-10 Feb)

2007

• “Engl 6580/7580 Web-assisted Course Delivery at the Graduate Level.” MTSU ShareFair, (31 Oct 2007)
• “Overcoming Faculty Barriers to IT Integration.” Annual Campus Technology Conference, Washington, D.C. (31 July-2 August)
• “What Barriers Still Exist for IT Integration by Higher Education Faculty and What Strategies Could Dispel Them?” 12^th Annual Instructional Technology Conference, MTSU (1-3 April)
• “Defining and Overcoming Faculty Barriers to IT Integration.” EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 2007, Atlanta, GA (22-24 Jan)

2006

• “Interactivity Tools for In-Class & Cross-Class Collaboration: Expanded Peer Groups in the Composition Classroom.” Tennessee Technological University’s annual Technology Day, Cookeville, TN (9 Feb)

2005

• “Departmental Initiative: Guiding Faculty Through Online Teaching.” MERLOT International Conference, Nashville, TN (25-28 July)

2004

• “Bringing WebCT Home: Faculty Training in the English Department.” 9^th Annual Instructional Technology Conference, MTSU, Murfreesboro, TN (4-6 April)
• “Who Is Ever Going to Read This? Making Composition Matter.” Conference on College Composition and Communication’s 55^th Annual Convention, San Antonio, TX (24-27 March)
• “WebCT Best Practices: Peer and Instructor Response to Student Writing.” 8^th Annual TBR Distance Learning Conference, Nashville, TN (18-20 Feb)

2003

• “Learning from Each Other: Electronic Peer Groups and Making Audience Real.” 93^rd NCTE Annual Convention in San Francisco, CA (20-25 Nov.)
• “Effective IT Integration in the Composition Classroom: Instructor and Student Perspectives.” 8^th MTSU Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN (30 Mar.-1 Apr.)

2002

• “Familiarize Them with IT: Well-rounded, Prospective Teacher Preparation.” 92^nd National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention in Atlanta, GA. (21-24 Nov.)
• “The Challenge of Effective Instructional Technology Integration in the Composition Classroom: Instructor and Student Perspectives.” 2003 Conference on College Composition and Communication in New York City (19-22 Mar.)
• “Communities of Learners: Connecting Students to Maximize Learning.” 7^th MTSU Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN (7-9 Apr.)
• “Teacher Audience Awareness: Who’s at the Other End of My Online Course.” Distance Education Conference in Nashville, TN (27 Feb.-1 Mar.)

2001

• “Reaffirming Interactivity: The Merits of Fostering Learning Communities in Traditional and Online Courses.” International Online Conference on Teaching Online in Higher Education (12-14 Nov.)
• “Collaborative Teaching, Collaborative Learning: Expanding Communities of Writing Teachers and Students Cross Institutional Boundaries at Three Tennessee Colleges.” Writers for the 21st Century Conference in Geneva, NY (3-4 Nov.)
• “Who’s Online: A Look at Demographics of Online Student Population.” The V Congress of the Americas, University of the Americas, Puebla, Mexico (18-21 Oct.)
• “Technology & Literature: A Comparative Case Study of Three Course-Delivery Formats.” Syllabus Conference in Santa Clara, CA (July 20-24).
• “Faculty Experiences Using an Online Course Management System.” Panel discussion at the 6^th MTSU Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN (Apr. 8-10)
• “The Impact of Technology on Teaching and Learning, Revisited: A Comparative Study.” 6^th MTSU Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN (Apr. 8-10)
• “Technology & Literature: A Comparative Case Study of Three Course-Delivery Formats.” 6^th MTSU Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN (Apr. 8-10)
• “Collaborative Teaching, Collaborative Learning: Expanding Communities of Writing Teachers and Students Cross Institutional Boundaries.” Conference on College Composition and Communication in Denver, CO (Mar. 14-17)
• “Technology and Literary Studies: A Comparative Case Study of Three Course-Delivery Formats.” Distance Education Conference in Nashville, TN (Feb. 21-23)

2000

• “Technology & Literature: A Comparative Study of Three Course-Delivery Formats.” 2000 International Online Conference on Teaching Online in Higher Education (Nov. 13-14)
• “Technology & Literature:  A Comparative Case Study of Three Course-Delivery Formats.” Tennessee Council of Teachers of English Conference in Gatlinburg, TN (Sept. 29-30)
• “Technology and Literary Studies: A Comparative Study of Three Course-Delivery Formats.” MTSU Faculty Instructional Technology Institute (23 June)
• "Middle Tennessee State University's Experience in Evaluating On-line Course management Systems." 5^th Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, MTSU, Murfreesboro, TN (9-11 Apr.)
• "Faculty Technological Literacy and the English Department: A Case Study." Paper proposed for The Thomas R. Watson Conference on Rhetoric and Composition, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

1999

• "Gradual Progression: A Key Consideration in Online Instruction." Online Conference on Teaching Online in Higher Education, hosted by Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN (8-9 Nov.)
• "Cross-Grade-Level Mentoring: A collaboration in Writing Project." Tennessee Council of Teachers of English Conference, Memphis, TN (1-2 Oct.)
• "Moving Online: Ground-breaking Changes for Middle Tennessee State University." Syllabus Regional Conference on Education Technology, Orlando, FL (18-21 Mar.)

1998

• "The Challenges of Re-inventing Writing Instruction: Portfolio Composition and Faculty Development at Middle Tennessee State University." Panel participant at the National Council for Teachers of English, Nashville, TN (19-24 Nov.)
• "Computer-Assisted, Portfolio-Based Composition: The Next Step for Freshman Composition at MTSU." 3^rd Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN (5-7 Apr.)

Awards

• Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology, 2008-09
• MTSU Foundation Awards 2000-2001, Outstanding Achievement in Instructional Technology Award
• Tennessee Board of Regents Distance Education Committee 2000 Innovations Award
• Distinguished Educator Award in Distance Learning, 1999-2000