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.
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Program for Online Teaching Newsletter #48
May 2013
Congratulations!
To this year’s POT Online Teaching Certificate earners:
| Stephanie Decker (MCC) |
Sou Lackkaty (MCC) |
Helen Crump (Ireland, independent) |
| Claire Major (University of Alabama) |
Donna Marqués (Cuyamaca College) |
Rachèle DeMéo (MCC) |
| Renee Fox-Moore (MCC) |
Jennifer Humber (University of Alabama) |
Ralene Friend (MCC) |
| Danièle Arnaud (MCC) |
Special thanks to all the POT organizers, mentors and moderators who helped organize and run the class!
Last First Friday is this Friday
 May 3 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) Wrap Up/Renewal
OC4803a computer lab
What are your plans for your future classes? What did you learn or what do you want to try next? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Sign up now at the flex website – limited to 20 participants!
Fall Flex 2013 is August 12
Creativity in Online Teaching series
Monday, August 12 10:00 am – 2:00 pm +
Location: OC4802
 What’s the best approach to the challenges of online teaching? Creativity! POT’s fall flex workshop day will focus on the enthusiasm, tip, tools, and generative process of building online components for student learning. As always, POT’s focus is on realizing your teaching goals through technology, rather than letting the technology control what you do.
Cost $15/participant for all day, $10 if bringing own lunch, $5 donation requested for single workshop (make checks payable to MCC Academic Senate with POT Workshop in the subject line).
10:00-10:50 Creativity When Starting Out
How can you be creative about building your online class? Faced with a bunch of Blackboard buttons or a blank screen, it’s hard to focus on your own teaching strengths and design a good learning experience for students. We’ll share a process and some tips for getting started.
11-11:50 Creativity in Presentation and Discussion
Great lecturers and facilitators can take advantage of the web’s many resources and tools to create engaging presentations and discussions for their classes. We’ll share tool-choosing tips and ways to help make decisions based on your own teaching strengths.
12:00-12:50 Creativity in Online Teaching lunch with seminar
Come join us for a lunch a lively roundtable based on your requests for topics (add them at http://bit.ly/potcreativity).
1:00-1:50 Creativity in Interactivity and Student-Led Projects
Creative classes use individual and group shared projects, media creation, and projects led by the students themselves. Come discuss the many options for featuring more active learning in your online class.
Additional workshop: 2-3:30 Screencasting, OC4804
Don’t just tell your online students – show them! Screencasting is a great way to share mini-lecturettes, make quick replies to students, demonstrate a method, or provide students with feedback on their assignments/quizzes. Importantly, you’ll get hands on experience with how to do this 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).
Sign up after June 30 at the flex website.
POT Online Teaching Certificate Class starts September 1
 The POT Cert class returns for its fourth year, helping faculty to learn how to teach effectively in the online environment. The class features…
- a focus on pedagogy, with technology at the service of teaching
- an opportunity to be an online student
- experimentation with the latest online tools and techniques
- a creative teaching and learning environment
- participant documentation and reflection
- maximum flex hours
We are revising the class now to make it even more current and friendly – more coming soon!
Moodle 2
AIS in conjunction with Moodlerooms is offering Moodle 2 training on Friday, May 10. From Jim Julius:
 Moodle 2 Overview & Demo
Friday, May 10, 12:45-2:15 pm
View with others in OC 1253B, or attend online (see directions below)
Moodle is a course management system that MiraCosta supports as an alternative to Blackboard. This summer, all MiraCosta Moodle classes will run in the Moodle 2 software, a significant change from the older Moodle 1.9. Whether you’re experienced with Moodle or just curious, this overview will help you to see what you and your students can do with Moodle 2. The webinar will be presented by staff from Moodlerooms, which runs MiraCosta’s Moodle system.
To attend on your own on 5/10:
- Join the meeting: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/join/380110278
- Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) – a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone:
- Dial +1 (213) 493-0601
- Access Code: 380-110-278
- Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Super new tools
 Three ring: a way to capture audio or video on iOS or Android, interesting for classroom use
Talkwalker alerts: get an email whenever the topic you want to follow has news on the web
Swipe: still in beta, a way to make presentations on the fly from your mobile device
Ghost: also brand new, a clean, plain site for hosting blogs
The POT Network
Happy online, hybrid and web-enhanced teaching,
Lisa
 Program for Online Teaching: Fall Flex 2013
Creativity in Online Teaching series
Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity.
– T.S. Eliot
Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.
– John Updike
Monday, August 12 10:00 am – 2:00 pm +
Location: OC4802
What’s the best approach to the challenges of online teaching? Creativity! POT’s fall flex workshop day will focus on the enthusiasm, tip, tools, and generative process of building online components for student learning. As always, POT’s focus is on realizing your teaching goals through technology, rather than letting the technology control what you do.
Cost $15/participant for all day, $10 if bringing own lunch, $5 donation requested for single workshop (make checks payable to MCC Academic Senate with POT Workshop in the subject line).
10:00-10:50 Creativity When Starting Out [video]
How can you be creative about building your online class? Faced with a bunch of Blackboard buttons or a blank screen, it’s hard to focus on your own teaching strengths and design a good learning experience for students. We’ll share a process and some tips for getting started.
11-11:50 Creativity in Presentation and Discussion [video]
Great lecturers and facilitators can take advantage of the web’s many resources and tools to create engaging presentations and discussions for their classes. We’ll share tool-choosing tips and ways to help make decisions based on your own teaching strengths.
12:00-12:50 Creativity in Online Teaching lunch with seminar
Come join us for a lunch a lively roundtable based on your requests for topics (add them at http://bit.ly/potcreativity).
1:00-1:50 Creativity in Interactivity and Student-Led Projects [video]
Creative classes use individual and group shared projects, media creation, and projects led by the students themselves. Come discuss the many options for featuring more active learning in your online class.
Additional workshop: 2-3:30 Screencasting, OC4804
Don’t just tell your online students – show them! Screencasting is a great way to share mini-lecturettes, make quick replies to students, demonstrate a method, or provide students with feedback on their assignments/quizzes. Importantly, you’ll get hands on experience with how to do this 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).
Register after June 30 at the flex website
[For workshop use: planning doc]
Program for Online Teaching Newsletter #47
April 2013
First Fridays: This Friday plus one more!
Laura Paciorek and Jo Moore, facilitators
Apr. 5 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) Making Your Mark – Personalizing Courses
OC4803a computer lab
Have you ever wondered how to make your courses reflect how you are as an instructor? Do you have questions about how you might be able to make some of your content in a place like a blog or website? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
May 3 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) Wrap Up/Renewal
OC4803a computer lab
What are your plans for your future classes? What did you learn or what do you want to try next? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Sign up now at the flex website – limited to 20 participants!
Moodle 2 training
Two opportunities coming up for training in Moodle 2, which all Moodle users are being switched to for summer.
1. Now (started April 1): Here’s a 5-week $59 class offered in Moodle by Dr. Nellie Deutsch:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-UzW0IJj8U8KdeTuzU5iKvblmqNU0h1c5xyujAEXUkI/edit?usp=sharing
2. May 10: Jim Julius reports that Moodlerooms will offer training: a 90-minute online session on Moodle 2 free for MiraCostans. It will be on May 10, 1-2:30 pm. We’ll host people in the TIC or it can be accessed online. Details to come as the date gets closer.
3. July 8-August 2: @ONE Moodle 2 class (this fills fast -sign up now!) $65
Open course in Technology-Enhanced Learning
Beginning April 4, the Association for Learning Technology offers a free 11-week class in technology-enhanced learning for Higher Education.
Fall flex POT workshops
We are in the planning stages for offering a set of pedagogy workshops on Creativity in Online Teaching, including sessions on creativity when starting out, for presentation, for discussion and interactivity, and for student-led projects. Cost will be a mere $5/workshop or $15 for all sessions including lunch. More to come!
Great reading/viewing at the POT Cert Class
We are wrapping up the final weeks for this year’s POT Certificate Class. Participants are working on complex issues of theory and design. Come check it out at Pedagogy First!
Readings for online instructors
A selection of some current views:
- In February, a paper issued from Teachers College’s Community College Research Center found that males, black students and students with lower levels of academic preparation experienced “significantly stronger negative coefficients for online learning compared with their counterparts, in terms of both course persistence and course grade.” More here…
- Bob Barrett’s paper Creating Structure out of Chaos in a Virtual Learning Environment to Meet the Needs of Today’s Adult Learner (2013) examines student’s response to the new trend toward student-centered versus instructor-centered learning.
- A post from Miguel Guhlin on a new Google Group that discusses using Google as an LMS.
- Lisa blogs about the bill in the California Legislature to create a faculty-free New University of California using MOOCs, and why plutocracy loves the new online model.
A couple of cool tools
- Wallflux lets you get a feed from a Facebook group (like the one for a class) and embed it in a webpage or LMS.
- Wigflip makes bits of code for you to do things like add sticky notes and speech bubbles.
Happy online, hybrid, and technology-enhanced teaching,
Lisa
First Fridays: Face-to-Face
Facilitators: Laura Paciorek and Jo Moore, OC4803a computer lab
The main theme of our F2F’s this semester has been that people are excited to hear about resources, but don’t always get to try them. When Jo and I met, we thought about starting the semester off with some resource discussions and then move into more general discussions. We felt the resource discussions would be a little longer (1.5 hours) so people can try them out. Maximum capacity: 20 people.
Feb. 1 – 3:00 – 4:20 (1.5 hours) – POT Discussion and Hands-On – Content Resources
Have you always wondered what neat content/information resources are out there for your classes? Are you looking for high quality videos, animations, or articles? This discussion and work workshop will give us a chance to learn about and share content resources that we could use in teaching our classes. If you have an idea of a content resource to share, please bring the idea along with you. The focus of these is on learning from one another. We will save the last part of the workshop to actually work on finding things or looking at the tools discussed. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Mar. 1 – 3:00 – 4:20 (1.5 hours) – POT Discussion and Hands-On – Tool Resources
Have you ever heard about some neat technology tools out there, but haven’t had time to try them? Do you feel new to the idea of teaching online with technology tools outside of the course management system? This discussion and work workshop will give us a chance to learn about and share technology tools that we could use in teaching our classes. If you have an idea of a tool to share, please bring the idea along with you. The focus of these is on learning from one another. We will save the last part of the workshop to actually work on finding things or looking at the tools discussed. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Apr. 5 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) – POT Making Your Mark – Personalizing Courses
Have you ever wondered how to make your courses reflect how you are as an instructor? Do you have questions about how you might be able to make some of your content in a place like a blog or website? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
May 3 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) – POT First Friday – Wrap Up/Renewal
What are your plans for your future classes? What did you learn or what do you want to try next? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Program for Online Teaching Newsletter #46
January 2013
Moodle 2 workshop is Tuesday 2-3:20 – attend on campus OC4607 or online!
MiraCosta will switch to Moodle 2 this summer, and it’s a very different animal. Jim Julius’ workshop “Introducing the New Moodle” this Tuesday, is now open for online attendance, for the same flex credit. Training is provided remotely by Moodlerooms. To log in to the online version of the workshop:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/join/996529438
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) – a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial +1 (619) 550-0002
Access Code: 996-529-438
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 996-529-438
Sign up now at the flex website.
POT flex on Thursday
11:15 Screencasting for Educators (1.5 hours – OC 4804) Robert Kelley and Shafin Ali — this workshop is full!
Screencasting is a great way to share mini-lecturettes, make quick replies to students, demonstrate a method, or provide students with feedback on their assignments/quizzes. Importantly, you’ll get hands on experience with how to do this 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). This is a hands-on workshop.
1:00 Blackboard vs Moodle Smack Down (1 hour – OC 4809) Pilar Hernandez vs Lisa M Lane
The ultimate contest between our two learning management systems. Blackboard and Moodle go head to head on the most challenging jobs of the online instructor. Which is best for you? Keep score to find out! (Betting is not permitted on college grounds.)
2:00 Top 10 Resources for Teaching Online (1 hour – OC 4809) Lisa M Lane, Pilar Hernandez, Robert Kelley and Laura Paciorek
Have a question about online teaching but don’t know where to go? Just starting teaching online and want to know where to start? Been teaching online awhile but want to try a new tool? Need tutorials on Blackboard or information on how to earn flex credit watching videos about online teaching? We will explore a number of resources collected by the Program for Online Teaching.
3:00 Open discussion on online teaching (1 hour – OC 4809) Laura Paciorek and Jo Moore
Come and discuss your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. This discussion will focus on what the group wants to discuss. However, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Sign up now at the flex website.
First Fridays during Spring semester
Get great ideas and renew enthusiasm at our on-campus First Friday workshops. Join the community for discussing online teaching, with hosts Laura Paciorek and Jo Moore.
Feb. 1 – 3:00 – 4:20 (1.5 hours) – POT Discussion and Hands-On – Content Resources
Have you always wondered what neat content/information resources are out there for your classes? Are you looking for high quality videos, animations, or articles? This discussion and work workshop will give us a chance to learn about and share content resources that we could use in teaching our classes. If you have an idea of a content resource to share, please bring the idea along with you. The focus of these is on learning from one another. We will save the last part of the workshop to actually work on finding things or looking at the tools discussed. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Mar. 1 – 3:00 – 4:20 (1.5 hours) – POT Discussion and Hands-On – Tool Resources
Have you ever heard about some neat technology tools out there, but haven’t had time to try them? Do you feel new to the idea of teaching online with technology tools outside of the course management system? This discussion and work workshop will give us a chance to learn about and share technology tools that we could use in teaching our classes. If you have an idea of a tool to share, please bring the idea along with you. The focus of these is on learning from one another. We will save the last part of the workshop to actually work on finding things or looking at the tools discussed. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Apr. 5 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) – POT Making Your Mark – Personalizing Courses
Have you ever wondered how to make your courses reflect how you are as an instructor? Do you have questions about how you might be able to make some of your content in a place like a blog or website? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
May 3 – 3:00 – 3:50 (1 hour) – POT First Friday – Wrap Up/Renewal
What are your plans for your future classes? What did you learn or what do you want to try next? Come and discuss these topics and/or your online teaching adventures with fellow faculty members. Individuals with no, little, some, and a lot of online teaching experience are all welcome. Each Program for Online Teaching (POT) First Friday will focus on what the group wants to discuss, however, prompts will also be provided to start the discussion. Questions are welcome, too! This workshop benefits faculty by giving them ideas that may improve instruction.
Sign up now at the flex website.
Free Educational Technology class starts soon!
Educator extraordinaire Alec Couros is hosting a Massive Open Online Class in educational technology, starting January 13. Alec is a master teacher, whose connections to the online educational community (both K-12 and college) are far-reaching. Unlike the MOOCs you read about in the New York Times, this class is not-for-profit and its sole purpose is learning and forming community among teachers who want to improve their skills in using the latest technologies.
Check out http://etmooc.org for more information.
Flex credit opportunities
We know that our flex obligation has increased, and POT can help. If you teach online, might teach online someday, or want to use educational technology as part of your classroom, POT has resources and workshops that count for flex. Check out our Get Flex Credit page for ways to earn flex outside of on-campus workshops. All POT activities are always open to all, full-timers, associates, and faculty from other colleges.
Happy online, hybrid, and technology-enhanced teaching,
Lisa
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