We are the Program for Online Teaching, a group of volunteer faculty helping other faculty teach better online.

Our focus is on pedagogy as the guiding force for using technologies for teaching.

Many of us are from MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California. MiraCostans may access the Teaching/Technology Innovations Center for technical help, resources, news and more.

The POT Network

  • POT Diigo group
    (see tutorial on how to save bookmarks)
  • POT Facebook group
  • POT Vimeo Channel (workshops)
  • POT YouTube Channel
  • Twittter (please use hashtag #potcomm)

Spring 2016 flex week schedule

Join us for our upcoming workshops in January. If you are a MiraCosta College faculty member, sign up at MCC’s Flex Page. Faculty from all colleges are welcome at all workshops. Online teachers, facilitators and faculty from anywhere in the world may join our online workshops.

Online workshops

Tuesday, Jan 19 7-7:50 pm Pacific Time
POT Online: Discussing Student Retention
Online 7-7:50 pm CCC Confer (click Webinars Participant Login to locate meeting, phone participation is 1-888-886-3951)
Lisa M Lane and Laura Paciorek
POT’s discussion of student retention continues as we look at the current research in online retention and keeping students enrolled. We’ll talk about what elements seem to affect drop rates, and techniques to counter the trends. A Program for Online Teaching workshop.
Recording is here. If you were unable to attend the workshop and want flex credit, add this to Other Activities – Conferences and Presentations, and write a reflection after you view the recording.

Thursday, Jan 21 7-8:20 pm Pacific Time
POT Online: Quizzes for Teaching, Not Assessing
Online 7-8:20 pm CCCConfer
Jim Sullivan
In this workshop we will explore quizzes as a teaching tool rather than assessment tool. How can a quiz function like an alternatively formatted lecture? How can we use quizzes to encourage students to read and reflect upon each other’s discussion forum posts (or face 2 face discussions)? What kinds of questions can help students better understand concepts or ideas we wish to highlight from readings? These are the kinds of questions we will explore during this workshop. Jim Sullivan will share some of the quizzes he uses and then participants will work on developing some questions of their own and discussing them with each other, and imagining ways that these approaches might enrich learning in their own classes. A Program for Online Teaching workshop, presented by Jim Sullivan.
Recording is hereIf you were unable to attend the workshop and want flex credit, add this to Other Activities – Conferences and Presentations, and write a reflection after you view the recording.

On-campus Workshops

Friday, January 15
POT F2F: Blogging Across the Disciplines
OC campus 4612, 9:30-10:50 am
Jim Sullivan
Workshop participants will explore ways to use blogging in their classrooms as an instructional technique and professionally as a powerful communication tool in their discipline. We will explore some prominent blogs in a variety of disciplines, discuss possible teaching assignments, and give participants to start or enhance their own blogs.

Wednesday, January 20
POT F2F: Creativity in Online Teaching: Content
OC campus 4610, 1-2:20 pm
Pilar Hernández, Paulino Mendoza, Rachèle DeMéo, Shahrzad Zahedi
A showcase of creative ways to create and deliver course content. Pick and choose the techniques that are relevant to your discipline and teaching. Walk away inspired to create engaging content. A Program for Online Teaching workshop, presented by Pilar Hernández, Paulino Mendoza, Rachèle DeMéo, and Shahrzad Zahedi.

Wednesday, January 20
POT F2F: Creativity in Online Teaching: Screencasting
OC campus lab 4610, 2:30-3:50 pm
Robert Kelley and Joanne Carrubba
Don’t just tell your online students – show them! Screencasting is a great way for instructors to develop and share mini-lecturettes, make quick replies to students, demonstrate a method, or provide students with feedback on their assignments/quizzes. You simply record and share with your students whatever you have displayed on your computer screen, while you talk about it (e.g. using a microphone). In this workshop you’ll get hands on experience with how to make a screencast easily and for free. We’ll focus on learning the basics of Screencast-O-Matic. You’ll learn how to share your screencasts either as a URL link or how to embed the video directly within your course (e.g. using Bb or Moodle). Other screencasting tools will also be shown. We’ll also cover options for closed captioning your course materials. A Program for Online Teaching workshop, presented by Robert Kelley and Joanne Carrubba.

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