Showing posts with label Classroom Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classroom Technology. Show all posts

Friday, January 2, 2026

20 Minute Mentor - Online Faculty Professional Development - Spring 2026 Schedule

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) offers faculty a professional development series from Magna Publications, called the 20 Minute Mentor. The goal of the 20 Minute Mentor series is to offer faculty practical professional development opportunities in twenty minute snippets that can be accessed from anywhere and at any time during the given week. Session topics cover the areas of student engagement, teaching and learning, teaching online, assessment and learning goals, and classroom management.

Information on how to access the 20 Minute Mentor sessions is available each week in the Bulletin and the iDevelop e-newsletter.

New video presentations (with supplementary materials) go live at 10:00am each Monday morning and are only accessible through Sunday. 


Banner with "Got 20 Minutes? Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor!"

The following sessions are on the schedule for spring 2026. For session descriptions, objectives, and mentor bios, click on the titles below. 

We would love to hear your feedback on the usefulness of these sessions. Please send your input to ctli@northshore.edu. 

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Wednesday, June 29, 2022

20 Minute Mentor - Online Faculty Professional Development - Fall 2022 Schedule

The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) offers faculty a professional development series from Magna Publications, called the 20-Minute Mentor. The goal of the 20-Minute Mentor series is to offer faculty practical professional development opportunities in twenty minute snippets that can be accessed from anywhere and at any time during the given week. Session topics cover the areas of student engagement, teaching and learning, teaching online, assessment and learning goals, and classroom management.

Information on how to access the 20-Minute Mentor sessions is available each week in the Bulletin and the iDevelop e-newsletter.

New video presentations (with supplementary materials) go live at 10:00am each Monday morning and are only accessible through Sunday. 


Banner with "Got 20 Minutes? Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor!"

The following sessions are on the schedule for fall 2022. For session descriptions, objectives, and mentor bios, click on the titles below. 
We would love to hear your feedback on the usefulness of these sessions. Please send your input to ctli@northshore.edu. 
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Thursday, October 22, 2020

iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Professional Development eNewsletter (10/19/2020)

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. iDevelop is being brought to you by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI).  

  
Sign reads: Got 20 minutes? Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor
  
20 Minute Online Professional Development
The Monday Morning Mentor series will be available over the spring semester to bring you professional development in twenty minute snippets. The topic for the week of October 19th is How Can I Use Technology to Foster the Emotional Processing of Course Content? The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week. For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the Bulletin or the email version of iDevelop.

More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available at https://www.magnapubs.com/product/program/how-can-i-use-technology-to-foster-the-emotional-processing-of-course-content/. The complete fall 2020 schedule of Monday Morning Mentor sessions is available at http://nscclets.blogspot.com/2020/09/20-minute-mentor-online-faculty.html. 

Looking for transcripts of past Monday Morning Mentor sessions? Please email ctli@northshore.edu with the session title and we can provide you with the transcript and supplementary materials. 

Other Professional Development Opportunities
  • 44th Forum on Tolerance. This year, the Forum on Tolerance is focusing on Black Lives Matter: the U.S. Journey towards Justice and Healing and will take place in individual segments that will be broadcast over Zoom Monday, October 19th through Thursday, October 22nd. The keynote for this event will be Georgetown Professor of Sociology and minister, Michael Eric Dyson http://michaelericdyson.com/.  Dr. Dyson is a New York Times contributing opinion writer, a contributing editor of The New Republic, and of ESPN's The Undefeated website. Some of his recent books are The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America (2016), Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America (2017), What Truth Sounds Like (2018), and JAY-Z: Made in America (2019). A schedule of events as well as the links to register for each segment is available at http://www.northshore.edu/tolerance/.
  • Ninth Annual Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Assessment Conference. The Conference will be held virtually on Friday, October 30th from 9:00am to 3:00pm. You can view the conference program and register for this free conference at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9th-annual-amcoa-conference-registration-123746809037. The conference keynote speaker will be Dr. Natasha Jankowski, executive director of NILOA, who will give a talk entitled, “Equity & Assessment: Moving Towards Culturally Responsive Assessment.” Dr. Jankowski is one of the country’s leading voices on the topic of equity in assessment work. Session leaders from public and private institutions will share their knowledge and experience during eight 75-minute workshops. The conference’s morning session will focus on applying the equity agenda to assessment in practice, and the afternoon session will explore assessment tools & approaches. Of particular note for those interested in the topic of Transparency in Learning and Teaching, Dr. Mary-Ann Winkelmes will be leading one of the conference’s afternoon sessions.
       
Upcoming Webinars of Interest
  • Engaging College Students Using Active Learning Techniques [Magna Online Seminar] on Tuesday, October 27th at 2:00pm EST. “Educators everywhere are facing the challenge of teaching students who do not engage deeply at a cognitive level. Even more challenging is being able to get students to actively engage in online courses. In this free Magna Online Seminar, you will learn how to think differently about active learning and how to encourage students to engage in it. You will also learn about different challenges to active learning and about active learning techniques that help students overcome those challenges.” (description from event email) More information as well as registration link available at https://www.magnapubs.com/product/online-seminars/live/engaging-college-students-using-active-learning-techniques/        
Interesting Resources
    Share Your Teaching Resources and Professional Development Opportunities
    If you have any teaching resources that you would like to share with other NSCC faculty or know of any other professional development opportunities that NSCC faculty might be interested in, please feel free to send them to ctli@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop.

    We hope you have enjoyed this weekly eNewsletter and would love your input. Please let us know if you have any feedback on the format, content, and resources or if there is anything else you would like to see in the eNewsletter.

    Thank you,
    CTLI 
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    Monday, December 9, 2019

    20 Minute Mentor - Online Faculty Professional Development - Spring 2020 Schedule

    The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) offers faculty a professional development series from Magna Publications, called the 20 Minute Mentor. The goal of the 20 Minute Mentor series is to offer faculty practical professional development opportunities in twenty minute snippets that can be accessed from anywhere and at any time during the given week. Session topics cover the areas of student engagement, teaching and learning, teaching online, assessment and learning goals, and classroom management.

    Information on how to access the 20 Minute Mentor sessions is available each week in the Bulletin and the iDevelop e-newsletter.

    New video presentations (with supplementary materials) go live at 10:00am each Monday morning and are only accessible through Sunday. 

    Banner with "Got 20 Minutes? Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor!"

    The following sessions are on the schedule for spring 2020. For session descriptions, objectives, and mentor bios, click on the titles below.
    We would love to hear your feedback on the usefulness of these sessions. Please send your input to ctli@northshore.edu.
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    Tuesday, January 23, 2018

    20 Minute Mentor - Online Faculty Professional Development - Spring 2018 Schedule

    The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation (CTLI) offers faculty a professional development series from Magna Publications, called the 20 Minute Mentor. The goal of the 20 Minute Mentor series is to offer faculty practical professional development opportunities in twenty minute snippets that can be accessed from anywhere and at any time during the given week. Session topics cover the areas of student engagement, teaching and learning, teaching online, assessment and learning goals, and classroom management.

    Information on how to access the 20 Minute Mentor sessions is available each week in the Bulletin and the iDevelop e-newsletter.

    New video presentations (with supplementary materials) go live at 10:00am each Monday morning and are only accessible through Sunday. 

    Banner with "Got 20 Minutes? Then you have time to learn with the Monday Morning Mentor!"

    The following sessions are on the schedule for spring 2018. For session descriptions, objectives, and mentor bios, click on the titles below. 
    We would love to hear your feedback on the usefulness of these sessions. Please send your input to ctli@northshore.edu.
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    Friday, August 11, 2017

    August and September Blackboard Learn and Instructional Technology Workshops

    The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation's Instructional Technology and Design team will be holding various Blackboard Learn and Instructional Technology workshops in August and September.

    In August and September, the CTLI's Instructional Technology and Design team will be sponsoring a series of workshops on a variety of topics around integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment as well as on using Blackboard Learn.

    Workshops include:
    • Introduction to Blackboard Learn
    • Blackboard Learn Interaction Tool: Discussion Board
    • Blackboard Learn: Using Interactive Grading Rubrics
    • Blackboard Learn: Assignments and Safe Assign
    • Blackboard Learn: Tests and Surveys
    • Blackboard Learn: Grade Center and Grading
    • Blackboard Learn: Mobile Apps and Mobile Course Design
    • Blackboard Collaborate: Virtual Classrooms
    • Using Google Docs for Communication and Collaboration
    • New to Smart Classrooms
    To view the complete schedule of workshop sessions (with descriptions) and to RSVP, please visit this web site: https://goo.gl/forms/aVtgRWsTsGb2GDO62.

    If interested in attending a workshop, please make sure to RSVP. A workshop will be cancelled if less than three people sign up for it.
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    Monday, February 6, 2017

    Revisiting Snow Days

    Are you concerned your courses might be impacted by snow days? Are you looking for a way to continue student learning even when classes are cancelled due to weather? 

    NSCC in the snow
    NSCC in the Snow!
    February 2017
    North Shore Community College’s learning management system, Blackboard Learn, is a great instructional technology tool that can aid you in maintaining the continuity of your course. All courses automatically have a Blackboard Learn course shell that provides faculty with a “private classroom” area for you and your students. In Blackboard Learn, faculty can post announcements about the status of class with instructions on how to proceed through related learning activities; upload various types of content such as assignments, readings, lecture notes, or PowerPoint slides; link to related online resources such as YouTube videos or web sites; set up assignment submissions areas drop boxes where students can submit homework; and facilitate discussions for students to engage with the course materials. 

    CTLI's Instructional Technology and Design team has created a list of a few instructional technology tools that can be used to extend the teaching and learning environment outside the classroom walls to support your students’ engagement with the course content and facilitate your communication with them.

    What other instructional technologies have you used to extend the teaching and learning environment and to keep your classes moving forward even with snow day cancellations?

    When one of my evening classes was cancelled due to snow, here is how I used various instructional technologies to keep the students on track and not miss a beat.
    1. I sent an email to all my students providing them information on the activities we would be completing instead of class and directed them to the learning management system for more detailed information.
    2. In the learning management system, I posted an announcement with detailed directions on the learning activities that the students needed to complete during the week to make up for the cancelled class.
    3. I used Screencast-o-matic to record several mini-presentations demonstrating the key tasks and concepts covered in the chapter (we were just getting started with Excel) and walking them through the steps of the project that they needed to complete. These videos were posted up in YouTube and then linked into the learning management system for students to view.
    4. In the learning management system, I posted directions for a project that the students needed to work on and then submit through the assignment drop box feature of the  learning management system.
    5. I also held a discussion forum in the learning management system where students posted their thoughts on and discussed with each other the benefits of using Excel, the ways it could be used personally and professionally, and the types of decisions that need to be made when creating workbooks and charts.
    What specific strategies have you employed to keep the learning process going when classes are cancelled due to snow?

    Please contact itd@northshore.edu if you need any additional information or support to implement these in your courses.


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    Tuesday, February 10, 2015

    A Simpler Solution to Tablets and Laptops

    David von Schlichten mentioned in his recent Conversation blog post on The Chronicle that he is fine with students using their digital devices to do whatever they want in the class and that it is their choice to engage or not engage. I can appreciate that hands-off approach but I agree with some of the commentators that while it may work for the instructor, it is likely to be challenging for other students in the classroom and they may be distracted. This point was made obvious to me when a student was once caught watching inappropriate material in my class. Granted, it was likely way more interesting than whatever I was teaching at the time, but his peers ratted him out by the astonished and bemused looks on their faces.  

    In the last few years, I have enlisted a new tactic in dealing with digital devices that works out well for all parties. At the start of the course and in the syllabus, I provide the following three rules for using laptops and tablets in the course. 
    1. If a student is going to use a device, they must sit in the front center area of the class.
    2. If other students are distracted by non-course related activities, the student will receive a warning (and eventual restriction of use).
    3. At the end of class, the student is required to email me the notes.
    Classroom with desks. Source: https://farm1.static.flickr.com/9/74907741_c2d59deb64.jpg
    Source
    The first rule means that the students know their peers will be seeing what they are doing and when coupled with the second, they know their peers can hold them accountable.  By sharing the rules to the class, I also make it clear that students should communicate with me if there is distracting laptop use. 

    However, the third rule is the most invaluable. I clarify that the notes need to be substantial and not just copying my usually sparse PowerPoint slides. It provides a check and level of accountability that students often thank me for at the end of the course. If students know they need to produce something with their device, they are more likely to stay on task. As an instructor, it’s a great feedback loop about where they are placing emphasis within the notes. It means that if I think subject X was important but they fixated on subject Y, I might need to revisit the material. 

    I used to be the instructor who would be quite strict about device usage, but I quickly realized that I can’t remember a time when I have been in a classroom as a student and not been doodling, writing non-class-related notes and ideas and still been able to take substantial notes. I found this approach great in guiding students toward staying on track and also getting quick feedback about what they are learning. It also gives them the freedom to direct their attention as they see fit, but know they need to use the device as a tool for learning, not for entertaining. 

    What ways have you found to integrate or deal with digital devices in your classes?

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    Tuesday, September 16, 2014

    Active Learning Classrooms

    Active Learning Classrooms are teaching and learning spaces that allow faculty to move their course design beyond lecture.  Faculty are supported through the room design, flexible furniture, multiple writing surfaces, and interactive technologies.  In these rooms, students move from a static learning environments (rows of chairs) to a more dynamic one (group seating often utilizing chairs and tables on wheels).

     Here at North Shore Community College, we have designed two spaces as Active Learning Classrooms.  LE 304 in Lynn and DB 101 in Danvers have portable chairs on wheels and white boards have been installed around the wall surfaces of the classrooms.  Faculty have begun to requests these spaces as they allow for students to work together more efficiently and effectively.  The teacher's role then becomes more of a guide to learning.

     Some effective teaching models in these kinds of  classrooms include:

     1.  Think--Pair--Share
    This is a discussion strategy where the teacher gets the students thinking about a posed question.  The students then "pair up" to talk about their thoughts or answers to the question.  The teacher then calls on the pairs to share their thoughts with the rest of the class.

     2.  Focused Listening
    Here students recall what they know about a subject.  This can be done in pairs or groups  They list what they know on a sheet of paper.   The instructor roams the room requesting the lists to be read out loud by the pairs or groups.

     3.  Brainstorming
    This is similar to focused listening.  Here, though, students might stretch what they know by forming creative connections between previous knowledge and new possibilities.  In Brainstorming, there are no wrong answers.

     4.  Note Check
    With Note Check, students partner with someone.  They compare notes.  They notice each other's misconceptions or lack of clarity, and then assist in pointing that out and cleaning it up.

     5.  The Two Minute Paper
    Here the faculty member asks students to summarize the most important points in the day's lecture.  It helps students to put things in their own words.  It also helps students to identify their gaps in their understanding.

     6.  The Final Question
    At the end of class, the faculty member asks the students if they had one last question about the material, what would it be?  It encourages students to think deeply about material before leaving the room.

     Resources:
    If you would like to know more about Active Learning Classrooms, please contact us at itd@northshore.edu.

    Dave Houle
    Coordinator, Instructional Technology
    dhoule@northshore.edu
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    iDevelop – NSCC’s Faculty Profession​al Developmen​t eNewslette​r (9/15/2014​)

    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 Enhance Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Skills?
    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 15th is How Can I Enhance Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Skills? 

    More information about this session (including description, topics, and learning goals) is available http://www.magnapubs.com/catalog/how-can-i-enhance-students-self-regulated-learning-skills/.

    The presentation is available Monday at 10:00am and is accessible through Sunday of that week.  For information on accessing the presentation and supplemental materials, please view the email version of iDevelop or the Bulletin notice. 

    Word cloud of instructional technology terminology. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/26878261@N07/7981461774/
    Image Source.
    Other Professional Development Opportunities
    1. What are you doing this Thursday afternoon (September 18th)?  A few spaces are available for full or part time faculty to attend an information session in the CTLA (DB 388) about Academic Technology and Library Services here at North Shore Community College.  Although this session and others that will follow (stay tuned!) are designed for new full time faculty, whether you are new to North Shore, full time or part time, or if you simply feel that you or your students could use a refresher to kick off a new academic year, you are invited to come.  Learn from our fantastic and friendly professionals--Andrea Milligan and Christine Goodchild.  Please RSVP to Andrea DeFusco-Sullivan (adefusco@northshore.edu) by noontime on Wednesday so that we can have enough coffee ready!  The coffee's on at 2:00 p.m. and things will wrap up around 4:00 p.m., but if you need to come a little late or leave a little earlier due to class/meeting scheduling, do not fret--come anyway.
          
    2. The Tri-State Multi-State Collaborative Consortium, consisting of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, will co-host a Professional Development Day for faculty, administrators and professional staff at participating Multi-State Collaborative institutions.  The event will be held at the Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center on September 26, 2014 from 9:00am – 3:30pm, with registration and a continental breakfast beginning at 8:30am.  The event is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the State Higher Education Executive Officers and funded by a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant.  The event is free but space is limited to the first 150 participants to register.  Please contact Andrea DeFusco-Sullivan (adefusco@northshore.edu) for registration information.

     Share your Teaching Strategies
    Here are some teaching strategies shared with us around early semester community building.  Please continue to send us your great ideas at itd@northshore.edu and we will share them in the upcoming issues of iDevelop. 
    • “I tried something new this semester.  Introductions in my class include: creating a 6 word memoir (there's a great YouTube video that introduces the concept) and having them tell me and the class what their hopes and dreams beyond NSCC are, what's their favorite sport and day of the year.  One of my edu objectives for all my students is to have them give three stand-up presentations each semester.  The introverts either don't come to class that day, or refuse to do it in class.  My strategy this year was that at the 2nd class I brought a fairly large ball (not quite a beach ball) to class.  I have students line up on either side of the room and toss the ball back and forth.  When you get the ball you do your intro.  100% of students spoke.  But more importantly, I polled the class afterwards for those who HATE public speaking and explained they'd just successfully spoken in front of the class.  The ball gives their mind something to do besides being crazy nervous, standing with a group of students gives them strength/courage, and tossing the ball back and forth provides comic relief.  I'm going to use the ball when we have our next presentation to further give them confidence.”
      -Dianne McDermott Cerasuolo (please feel free to contact her directly if you have questions or want to brainstorm around using her idea)
    Resources
    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
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    Tuesday, September 9, 2014

    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
    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
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    Monday, August 18, 2014

    August and September Instructional Technology Workshops

    In August and September, Instructional Technology and Design will be offering several workshops for faculty 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.
      

    Video Anywhere

    Video Anywhere is a tool in ANGEL (also in Blackboard) that allows faculty to easily record a video from a webcam and embed that video directly into any of the text box editors throughout ANGEL (for example, Announcements, Pages, Discussion Forums, Drop Boxes, etc.).
    • Thursday, August 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in Danvers DB 202

    Google Documents for Collaboration and Communication

    Looking for a way to promote student collaboration on a project? Need a simple way for students to share documents or give presentations? Want to collect information from your students quickly? Then Google Documents is for you. This workshop will present the benefits of using NSCC’s Google Documents application in the classroom to easily create, edit, and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
    • Thursday, August 21st from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Danvers DB 202

    New to ANGEL

    The New to ANGEL workshop is designed to familiarize faculty with ANGEL and introduce basic course building functionality. In this workshop, participants will learn to: navigate around the course site, add different types of content, organize content in folders, and enable the course for student access. While the college migrates to Blackboard, ANGEL will be available for faculty to use during the 2014-2015 academic year.
    • Thursday, August 21st from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Danvers DB 202
    • Wednesday, August 27th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Danvers DB 202
    • Tuesday, September 2nd from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Lynn LW 305

    Blackboard Learn Sneak Peek

    Over the 2014-2015 academic year, the college will be migrating to a new learning management system, Blackboard Learn. This session will provide participants with an opportunity to get a sneak peek at some of the features and functionality of Blackboard Learn as well as learn more about the implementation timeframe and the course migration process from ANGEL.
    • Wednesday, August 27th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Danvers DB202

    Open Educational Resources

    This session will provide an overview of what open educational resources are, how faculty can find and evaluate them, ideas for using them in classes, and their role in the community college to help make textbooks more affordable to students.
    • Wednesday, August 27th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Danvers DB 202

    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.
    • Friday, August 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Danvers HPSS 226
    • Tuesday, September 2nd from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Lynn LW 323
    • Monday, September 8th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Danvers HPSS 226
    • Friday, September 9th from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in Lynn LW 323

    We hope to see you at the workshops!  If you are unable to attend or are interested in learning more about other instructional technologies, please email us at itd@northshore.edu. We are happy to schedule a one-on-one session.
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    Tuesday, October 29, 2013

    The Gold Standard Implementation of Peer Instruction Using Clickers

    Recently, I watched a webinar from Turning Technologies that addressed a standard of implementation for using clickers for peer instruction.  Julie Schell, the Director of OnRamps and Strategic Initiatives, was the presenter.  In her presentation, "Using Clickers with Peer Instruction," she offered the 7 basic steps of this standard:

    1.  Provide a mini lecture
    2.  The instructor asks a question to the class
    3.  The students are given time to think about the question
    4.  The students vote for the first time
    (The answer is not shown if there is a right answer; the answer may be shown if there is not a correct answer)
    5.  Students discuss their response to the question with a neighbor or in groups
    6.  A second vote is taking in class
    (The answer  is shown)
    7.  There is an explanation of why the answer is correct.

     Peer instruction and class interaction often fall apart when one or more of these steps are left out of the process. Check out the entire webinar here. 

    If you'd like more information about survey and polling solutions to help enable peer instruction and student discussion in your classroom, please contact me, Dave Houle, at dhoule@northshore.edu.
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    Thursday, September 26, 2013

    Online and Hybrid Course Accessibility Checklist

    North Shore Community College is committed to providing equal access to all educational courses for all students.  To assist faculty in developing accessible online and hybrid courses, Instructional Technology and Design has developed a checklist that outlines things to think about when designing an online or hybrid course and in developing online content.  Our checklist is based on a great resource developed by Portland Community College (thank you so much for your permission to use).

     Online and Hybrid Course Accessibility Checklist

     Design
    • Navigation is clear and consistent.
    • Contrast between text and background colors is strong.
    • Flashing content is limited and only used when necessary.
    • Clearly identify the destination of a link so that users know where they will be taken if they click.
    • Instructions, operation, or navigation do not depend on solely visual or solely auditory information.
    • The page/site is navigable with just a keyboard (no mouse or touchpad necessary).
    Documents and Multimedia
    • Alternative text is provided for all images and graphics.
    • Text transcripts are provided for all audio.
    • Captions are provided for all video.
    • In documents, use text formatting styles provided.
    • Tables are kept small.  Large tables are broken into multiple smaller tables.
    • All external content linked to from within the course should also be accessible.
    Technology
    • Technology utilized within or incorporated into the course should also be accessible.
    Throughout the year, we hope to publish several additional blog posts to provide tips, best practices, and resources for faculty that will help them accomplish the various items in the checklist.

     What strategies do you follow to ensure that your online and hybrid courses are accessible?  What challenges do you encountering in developing online content?  Do you have any helpful resources to share?

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    Friday, September 6, 2013

    Polling in the Classroom

    Of course every great instructor loves to see their students engaged in the classroom.  Students, believe it or not, love to have their voices heard too, although many may be shy about doing that.
    With the influx of new technologies over the last few years, many new ways have been developed to get your student's voice heard in your class.  One kind of technology that has been used here at North Shore Community College is clicker technology, which is often times referred to as audience response, classroom response, or student response technology.

     This little device, the clicker, allows the student to make their voice heard anonymously in class.  Many faculty have used polling when talking about controversial issues.  The student submits their actually feelings on an issue without class influence.  Other faculty have used clickers to get a sense of whether or not the class has understood the gist of the material just presented in class.  It's a kind of "pre-testing" or "assessment" of student knowledge.  It helps you as the instructor understand just where they are in their learning or any common misconceptions that might be happening.

     Formal polling can be developed in PowerPoint.  On-the-fly polling can be conducted anywhere, anytime.  We use Turning Technologies' Turning Point software here at the College for both formal and anywhere/anytime polling.  You, as the instructor, get to tailor the polling to your classes needs.   For instructors, who for whatever reason choose not to clicker hardware in their class, web-based and phone-based solutions are also available through Poll Everywhere.  Submitting answers through a web site are often preferred over submitting answers via text as students texting may cost that student money depending on their texting plan.

     For "first steps" in this process, please contact me at dhoule@northshore.edu or 978-739-5530.  Also, here is a great resource for getting started with clickers here at North Shore.  We are happy and here to help! 

    General Overview of Clickers 
    Assessment
     Peer Discussion/Peer Learning/Student Engagement 
    • Classroom Reconsidered: Understanding and Engaging Students with Clickers
      http://www.slideshare.net/derekbruff/hpers-keynote-2010           

    Have you used clickers or other similar tools in your class?  What are some of your best experiences with it?  What surprised you about the experience?

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    Thursday, August 8, 2013

    Best Apps for Teaching

    In May, I went to a 1-day conference on by "Tablets, Handhelds, Smartphones; Oh My: Challenges and Solutions in Supporting Mobile Devices and on Campus" by NERCOMP.  In one session, they spoke about great apps for teaching that are certainly worth sharing:

    Poll Everywhere
    http://www.polleverywhere.com
    Platform(s):  Any device with internet access.
    Cost:  Free account with limitations on size of polls.
    This a classroom response system that uses mobile phones, Twitter, and the web.  This is similar to clicker technology except online and without having to use clickers.

    Socrative
    http://www.socrative.com
    Platform(s):  Works on all platforms and web-enabled devices.
    Cost:  Free with registration.
    This is a smart classroom response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smart phones, laptops, and tablets.

    Flipboard
    http://www.flipboard.com
    Platform(s):  Apple & Android Devices
    Cost:  Free with registration.
    With the latest version of this (2.0), you can not only look at the news that you care about but you can save and collect things that you love into your own magazines.  Examples: "Cars I Like" "Best Vacation Offers."

    Evernote
    http://www.evernote.com
    Platform(s):  Any device with internet access.
    Cost:  Free with registration.
    This is a suite of software and services that allows you to take notes and archive.  It supports many operating platforms.

    Cloud On
    http://site.cloudon.com
    Platform(s): Apple & Android Devices
    Cost:  Free with registration.
    This brings Microsoft Office to your iPhone and iPad and links it to your Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and SkyDrive accounts.


    Air Sketch
    http://www.qrayon.com/home/airsketch/default.aspx
    Platform(s): iTunes
    Cost: $9.99
    This allows you to turn your iPad into a wireless whiteboard.  You can also annotate PDF documents and images live.
    1-2 Educational Uses


    What apps to you use in the classroom to help with student engagement?

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