Program for Online Teaching Newsletter #30
February 2011
http://www.miracosta.edu/onlineteaching
First Friday workshop is this Friday!
Every First Friday of the month features a simulearn session in OC 4607 / Elluminate online, followed by a face-to-face meet-up, also in 4607. Register for all at the flex site after January 25. See the POT website for links to Elluminate if you’re attending online.
Friday, March 4
1:30-2:20 Workshop: Strategies for Groups (with Claudia Faulk)
Simple strategies to maximize the potential in cooperative learning exercises that range from one class “period” to multi-week group projects. Use blackboard discussion board or google docs to track student progress.
2:45-3:35 f2f Face-To-Face Get-Together about Online Teaching: Connections (with Laura Paciorek)
This workshop is immediately after the first Friday workshop about group work in online classes. The face-to-face setting may provide an opportunity to continue the discussion about group work or go into different interests that are brought up by the instructors in attendance. Instructors who are new to online teaching can have a forum to ask questions or share thoughts. Instructors with more experience may have an opportunity to mentor faculty who are new to online teaching. Please bring a snack, questions, and ideas. Faculty will benefit from this workshop by learning tips to improve instruction. Students will potentially benefit as participants may be able to create new learning experiences for them based upon what is discussed in the workshop.
We are very happy to have Andrea Petri showcasing his course during the first part of the face-to-face section. He will be showing how he has created “almost a mirror/reinforcement of the textbook” for his class in his online course site.
Next First Friday Workshops
Friday, April 1
1:30-2:20 Workshop: Google Forms (with Barbara McPherson)
2:45-3:35 f2f Face-To-Face Get-Together about Online Teaching: Experiences with Tools (with Laura Paciorek)
Friday, May 6
1:30-2:20 Workshop: Redesigning Your Class (with Jim Sullivan)
2:45-3:35 f2f Face-To-Face Get-Together about Online Teaching: Online Class Design (with Laura Paciorek)
Tool news: free wikis from Wikispaces
Wikispaces now has free accounts for higher education use. Wikispaces is a great way to create a class wiki that includes images and other media, and the system handles student accounts easily. For more information, see http://www.wikispaces.com/.
Moodlers: new extended time testing
Karen Korstad has created a new student role that ignores the timing setting on exams, so you can use it to offer a test without a time limit to DSPS or other students who need it. For a video tutorial on how to set up a student for extended time in Moodle, see POT’s How-To page at http://mccpot.org/wp/?page_id=21.
Microsoft software available for home use
Under the Home Use Program, employees who are users of qualifying applications at work (e.g. Office Enterprise) may acquire a licensed copy of the corresponding Home Use Program software to install and use on a home computer. You may continue using HUP software while you are under our employment and as long as the corresponding software you use at work has active Software Assurance coverage.
To access the Microsoft Home Use Program Web site:
1. Go to http://hup.microsoft.com/
2. Select the country to which you want your order to be shipped to and choose the language for viewing the order Web site.
3. Enter your corporate e-mail address and insert the following program code . 70B1422719 .
Note: This program code is assigned to our organization for our sole use in accessing this site. You may not share this number with anyone outside our organization.
4. Place your order online, and it will be shipped to the location you have chosen. Please note that a fulfillment fee will be charged to cover packaging, shipping, and handling costs.
Recommended communities
EdTechTalk is a collaborative community that creates podcasts about educational technology for all levels of educators. Check out their website at http://edtechtalk.com/.
The Future of Education social network, hosted by Steve Hargadon, offers ongoing webinars in many topics of interest to educators. See http://www.futureofeducation.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network .
And, don’t forget MCC’s own online community at the POT website and the Pedagogy First! blog!
POT nominated for Excellence
POT was a nominee for MiraCosta’s Exemplary and Innovative Programs Award, and received an award of $500 to forward our professional development goals for MCC’s faculty.
Happy online, hybrid and edtech-enhanced teaching,
Lisa