Program for Online Teaching Newsletter #38

January 2012

Flex workshops a great success

Our workshops on screencasting, Moodle and the all-day workshop Beyond the Basics during January flex week were full up, plus PDP sponsored food so everyone was happy and fed! Materials and video from the workshops will be posted soon at the POT website.

First Fridays at Oceanside

Feb 3, Mar 2, Apr 6, May 4

Discussion/Experiment Workshops
2:00-2:50 pm, OC 4804

Beginning February 3, our First Fridays this semester will be at Oceanside campus in 4804, hosted by Laura Paciorek. Each  will feature a discussion and experimentation workshop for individuals interested in online teaching. The first part of the workshop will feature a focused discussion, suggested by the facilitator and/or attendees, then participants can move to computers in the lab to practice and or demonstrate some of the things we discuss. Each First Friday workshop may have a different focus and can evolve based upon interests.  There may even be some mini demonstrations and guest presentations. Topics:

• Setting the Stage for Online Classes (Feb 3, Room 4804, 2-2:50 pm)
• A Mid-Semester Check-In (March 2, Room 4804, 2-2:50pm)
• Rejuvenating Your Classes (April 6, Room 4804, 2-2:50pm)
• Successes! (May 4, Room 4804, 2-2:50pm)

POT Book Discussion Group: Connections: Virtual Learning Communities
3:00-3:50 pm, OC 4802

We are pleased to announce POT’s first book book discussion group, led by Laura Paciorek from 3:00-3:50 pm on each First Friday, following the Discussion/Experiment Workshops.

The first book is a free e-book by Richard Schwier, titled Connections: Virtual Learning Communities. For more information about the book, visit: http://rickscafe.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/connections-virtual-learning-communities-ebook-launch/.  To get your free copy of the ebook (epub file): http://edmac.usask.ca/rick/ebookflyer/

Sign up at the flex website.

Third Thursdays Online

Beginning Thursday, February 16 at 3 pm, we will have online presentations and discussions in Collaborate (previously Elluminate) as part a collaborative effort with other community colleges whose faculty are involved in the Pedagogy First! online certificate class. Everyone is welcome to join us. The topic for February 16 is “Control and Freedom in Online Classes” (Collaborate session is here).  Sessions will be at either 11 am or 3 pm to accommodate our international participants.

Our two other sessions will be:

Thursday, March 15 at 3 pm in Collaborate (topic TBA)

Thursday, April 19 at 3 pm in Collaborate (closing session for Pedagogy First! 2011-12)

Sign up at the flex website.

PLN session at Pedagogy First! February 2

All faculty from all community colleges are welcome to join us for these online events at Pedagogy First!, the POT Certificate Class website. Our first is:

• Feb 2 Pedagogy First! 3-4:30 Pacific Time — Welcome back and Personal Learning Networks  (Collaborate session here)

Get flex credit for viewing POT videos

You can get flex credit for viewing videos of our POT workshops here at the site. See the Recordings for Flex page for more details.

Self-paced Blackboard Training

Some faculty still don’t know that inside of Blackboard, Karen Korstad has created a full set of training modules that count for flex and will get you using Bb like an expert! All faculty have access to the Program for Online Teaching class in Blackboard, and all the self-graded modules are located there.

Just added to the POT website

• Tutorial for adding captioning to video easily using Overstream
• On the POT Policies and Legal Page
• MiraCosta Online Education Plan
• Online Class Visit Policy
• Office hours policy
• Resource Guide for MCC Online Education (2011)

Happy online and hybrid and web-enhanced teaching,

Lisa