iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (9/8/2014)

Welcome to iDevelop, a weekly eNewsletter providing faculty with information about professional development opportunities at NSCC.  The intent of this eNewsletter is to spotlight the various professional development events for faculty in one convenient location as well as share best practices, resources and tips related to the teaching practice.

20 Minute Online Professional Development: How Can I Be an Effective Mentor?
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the fall semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets.  The topic for the week of September 8th is How Can I Be an Effective Mentor?

For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the email version of iDevelop or the Bulletin notice.  More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available http://www.magnapubs.com/catalog/how-can-i-be-an-effective-mentor/.

The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week.

Upcoming Instructional Technology Workshops
This week, Instructional Technology and Design is offering several workshops on a variety of topics around integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment. Please reserve your slot at any of these sessions by emailing itd@northshore.edu.

Smart Classrooms
Come and find out all of the little ins and outs of using a Smart Classroom here at North Shore Community College. We will also share with you best practices when using one of these rooms. You will have the opportunity to try out the technology for yourself.

• Monday, September 8th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Danvers HPSS 226
• Friday, September 12th from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in Lynn LW 323

Share your Teaching Strategies
Here are some teaching strategies shared with us that faculty use to ensure that students start off the course on the right track and to develop a course community.

• Have students complete a syllabus quiz or scavenger hunt to ensure that they have reviewed the syllabus and are familiar with the course expectations.
• Before launching into the first content class, take some time to do a simple ice breaker.  Ask students a series of questions by calling on different students to ensure that everyone gets a chance.  Sample questions:  Do you have kids?  Do you have pets?  Do you have unusual pets? Have you traveled outside the US?  Do you like to use Instagram?  Have you ever met someone famous?  Have you climbed a mountain?  Are you a vegetarian or vegan?  Can you walk to campus?  Can you bike to campus?  If you drive, do you drive more than 10 miles?  25 miles?  50 miles?  This will help build a classroom community from day one and help you learn student names that much quicker.

What other ways methods do you use to remember students’ names?  Send an email with your teaching strategies to itd@northshore.edu and we will share them in the next few issues of iDevelop.

Other Professional Development Opportunities
Did you know that NSCC employees can find Professional Development ideas, blogs and webinars for free via our college's affiliation with the Life Scope Plan? In addition to offering legal guidance, and tips on managing your out-of-work life (from caregiving to finances), did you know that Life Scope offers many pointers on productivity, career development, and training....all for free, just because you're a NSCC employee. Check out the Life Scope homepage at https://www.advantageengagement.com/1108/login_company_lifescope.php.  Login using the information provided in the iDevelop email.

Resources

•  Learning Students' Names
  http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/current/teaching/names  

iDevelop is being brought to you by Academic Technology and the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment.  If you have any professional development events, best practices, resources or tips to share with other faculty, please send them our way.  Also, we would love your input on this eNewsletter.

Thank you,
Academic Technology and the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment