TLC 2011 Newsletters by Christa Crawford

Cedar Valley College

January 2011 Volume 55

Teaching Learning Center Organizing Your Workspace for a New Year The start of a new year is as good a time as any to get organized. Organizing your workspace can reduce stress and increase productivity while also saving you time and energy. Monitor Placement: Placing your computer monitor directly in front of you can help to discourage people from interrupting your work. Desk Placement: Position your desk so that you are able to see when someone is approaching. Managing Files: Organize your desk so you never have to handle the same piece of paper twice. Begin using a three file system with a file for review, one called archive or to file, and another labeled to do. Anything which doesn’t fall into one of these three categories should be able to be thrown away. Computer Files: Keep a clean and organized computer desktop by clearly labeling file folders with logical names for faster recall. Create a ‘Junk Drawer’ on your desktop where you can move things that must be sorted or saved for later. You may also want to create three additional folders: docs, docs-archived, and multimedia. Filter your files into one of these three folders. This will help keep your desktop and file system as clean as possible to help you to find things easier.

WEAVE FINDINGS FOR FALL 2010: 

Click the ‘assessment’ tab and select ‘measures and findings’ (double check that you are in the correct cycle 2010-2011)

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Scroll down to the measures and findings area, select the gray arrow next to your first measure.

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You should be able to see the finding for Spring 2010 listed. Select the ‘add finding’ button with the green + and add your data for Fall 2010.

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If your target was met, scroll down, click ‘final’ and ‘save’

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If your target was not met, click ‘not met’, ‘final’, and ‘save’

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An ‘action plan’ must be entered by clicking the button with the green + labeled ‘add action plan’

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Fill in the fields provided, then click ‘final’ and ‘save’. Move on to the next measure and repeat the process.

Old Documents: Regularly review your desk and computer files discarding or creating a backup of old or unnecessary documents. Google Desktop: Just like using Google for the web only this version works with your personal computer. It has the same style search function to help you locate files on your computer. Email Folders: Handle these folders the same way as we handled the ones on the computer desktop. Create three folders; hold, archive, and action. Use these to sort through your emails so you will know the ones which require further action, need to be saved, or should be reviewed at a later date. Color coding also helps. Groupwise allows you to change the color of emails addressed to you personally, email from a specific source, etc… Groupwise will also let you sort emails as you receive them, routing them to specific folders. Email: Type specifics in the subject line so the recipient will be able to see exactly what the intent of the email will be. If your entire email is within the subject line type EOM - end of message to indicate to the recipient that there is no need to open the email for further information. If you have several questions it’s a good idea to use bullet points. This makes it clear what questions you’re asking and helps the recipient respond quickly and easily. Say NO to Multitasking: Multitasking just causes you to be fragmented and unable to focus your energies on any one task through to completion. It is actually counter-productive.

ONLINE TEACHING: USING TEAMS It can be difficult to get students involved and talking in an online course. Dividing students into groups or teams can be extremely helpful depending on the size of the class. Simply break the students up into teams of 5 or so members and name each team with a different name ie. a color or random name like tigers, cats, eagles, etc… Once the teams are created explain that each student should refer to the table provided to find his/her team and post to the discussion board accordingly. You will have already created the team headings on the discussion board so students will be able to clearly see the area in which they should post. As the instructor, you will be able to pose questions to each team and allow them to respond within their group. This makes the discussion board much less overwhelming to the students and to you as the teacher. Students may interact with other groups but are only required to actively participate with their own team members.

“Organize your desk so you never have to handle the same piece of paper twice.“ - Tim Xeriland, TLC

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

ONLINE TEACHING: ICEBREAKERS

Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 8:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30 Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

Getting students to actively participate in online discussion can be a daunting and often unsuccessful task. Students may feel insecure about posting their comments and/or ideas for the whole class to see. Starting the course off with an icebreaker can really help to ease students into using the discussion board and getting more comfortable with their classmates. Two truths, one lie: As the first assignment, have students post to the discussion board two true statements and one statement which is not about themselves. The other students attempt to guess which statement is the lie. Students learn about each other and have fun doing it. Nine nouns: This works especially well for a developmental writing course. Have students post nine nouns about themselves. You, as the instructor start things off by providing an example: reader, learner, knitter, baker, biker, gamer, gardener, etc… The idea is to get students talking about their common interests. No one else has done this!: Students post a blurb about themselves listing something they think no one else in the class has done before. Other students respond whether they have already done what the others have done. The posting continues until each person has listed something no one else in the class has done before. Three words: Ask participants to write a story together. The rule is that everyone is only allowed to put up three words. They are allowed to post again if at least one other participant has put up three words. At the end of the exercise you can summarize the whole story or post it as an audio file or a video.

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! www.teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

WELCOME BACK, HAVE A GREAT SEMESTER!

Cedar Valley College

February 2011 Volume 56

Teaching Learning Center Using Blogs in Class Blogs have become a popular way to share information over the past several years. The classroom provides an excellent environment for blog use. Course documents and assignments can be uploaded in a matter of moments providing students with an easy way to access the information they need for a course. Students today are more comfortable than ever with the web and the use of digital media. A blog can reach students in ways other course materials cannot. There are several sites on the web who offer free blog hosting services. Blogger is a commonly used, straightforward site which allows you to create, manage, and maintain your blog for free. As a blogger, you will be able to: Create Posts – Communicate with students by posting your thoughts about subject matter discussed in class. Posting further details pertaining to a specific assignment can also be helpful. Create Links – Provide links to other pages on the web. Upload documents to Google Docs and link to these items on the blog. For instance, create a link to your course calendar or syllabus via Google Docs.

TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR ECAMPUS SITE:

Upload or Embed Video/Media – Upload your own video or embed a YouTube video directly in a post for students to watch.

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Add a simple banner

Comments – Allow students to make comments on posts. This can open an ongoing dialog and provide a window into student comprehension.

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Remove any unnecessary buttons

Using Tabs – Blogger allows the use of up to ten multiple pages. These pages will appear as separate tabs at the top of the page just under the header. Using multiple pages makes it easy to combine more than one class on a single blog. Tabs can simply be named with the course number which makes it easy for students to locate the information pertinent to their specific class.

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Make sure all links work properly

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Make sure it takes no more than 3 clicks to get where you need to go

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Try to avoid using dates when possible, fewer revisions will be necessary next semester

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Make sure it is clear where students should begin

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Stop by the TLC for more tips and let us show you how to incorporate Articulate into you site!

Post Student Work – During the course of the semester there could be some friendly competition between students to see whose work will be displayed for all to see on the blog. Not only does this provide some motivation, it also gives the students some résumé/portfolio material. Visit Other Blogs – Blogs can be a great source of information. Reading through other blogs can offer a good deal of insight. Get familiar with what’s out there, a fresh perspective and a new direction can completely change a class for the students and the teacher. Feel free to visit the Teaching Learning Center blog for an example of what is possible as a blogger! http://teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com/

THE TEACHING ANALYSIS POLL Once your classes have gotten off to a good start it's a great idea to consider the Teaching Analysis Poll (TAP). The TLC offers this service as a way for instructors to receive feedback from their students as to how they feel the class is going and what they like or dislike about your teaching style and methods. This information can be hugely valuable in making your classes the best they can be. Students will often open up to an outsider easier than they ever would to you as the instructor. It can be hard to tell a professor they are the best teacher they have ever had, that they are hard to follow, or that they do not seem to quiet disruptive students quickly enough. Please contact the TLC if you are interested. We'll set up a time to visit your class and conduct the poll which typically takes10-15 minutes.

“Before you leave for the day organize your workstation so you will be able to ‘hit the ground running’ first thing in the morning.“ - Tim Xeriland, TLC

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

PRODUCTIVITY TIPS

Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

One of Tim Xeriland’s workshops titled ‘Work Hackers’ clues us in to a multitude of excellent time saving practices which streamline the workday resulting in far less stress! Here are a few of his great ideas: To-do lists: Many of us use a to-do list but end up with several things that we never get around to crossing off the list. Tim suggests the list be categorized by importance. If you have some tasks which are very large, it’s a good idea to break those items down into smaller steps so you won’t continue to put them off. Park on a slope: Before you leave for the day organize your workstation so you will be able to ‘hit the ground running’ first thing in the morning. Studies show we are most productive in the morning so if you are able to jump right in when you arrive at your desk you will be able to mark more off your to-do list. Focus on short bursts: Most people are able to concentrate for no more than 50 minutes at a time. Figure out how long you are capable of focusing your attention and work for that period of time then take a break. Tim suggests increasing this amount of time gradually over time and working up to 50 minutes or more if you are unable to focus for longer than a few minutes. Stop caring about things that don’t matter: Some things that have been on your to-do list forever may be able to be dropped off. You may be able to locate a business to do a task for you like scanning all of your pictures to make them digital.

Cedar Valley College

March 2011 Volume 57

Teaching Learning Center LOOKING AT HOW WE LEARN Knowledge is constructed, not received – We begin as children to develop our view of how the world works. All of the sensory input we receive helps us to construct our version of reality. Ken Bain has found that “at some point we begin using those existing patterns to understand new sensory input. By the time we reach college, we have thousands of mental models, or schemas, that we use to try to understand the lectures we hear, the texts we read, and so forth.” Mental models change slowly - To accomplish “deep” learning students must (1) face a situation in which their mental model will not work (2) care that it does not work strongly enough to stop and grapple with the issue at hand; and (3) be able to handle the emotional trauma that sometimes accompanies challenges to longstanding belief. Questions are crucial – Once we are able to get students to think and question the ideas presented to them, we have succeeded in laying a foundation for learning. “The more questions we ask, the more ways we can index a thought in memory,” says Ken Bain. Caring is crucial – Ken Bain explains that “people learn best when they ask an important question that they care about answering, or adopt a goal that they want to reach. If they don’t care, they will not try to reconcile, explain, modify, or integrate new knowledge with old.” What motivates? What discourages? – Students seem to learn more when they do not receive external rewards. If they are faced with receiving a reward for completing a certain task their interest in the subject decreases if the reward is taken away. A student who receives positive feedback and encouragement rather than an extrinsic reward is more likely to keep an interest in a given subject over time. Taking a developmental view of learning – Learning not only impacts what you know, but how you know something.  Separate Knowers – These types of ‘knowers’ prefer to remain objective, or skeptical about a subject and are always willing to take part in a debate about it.  Connected Knowers – These types of ‘knowers’ examine the other person’s point of view rather than trying to shoot them down. They are not “dispassionate, unbiased observers. They deliberately bias themselves in favor of the thing they are examining.” Implications for teaching – People are most comfortable learning when they are solving problems that appeal to or interest them. “They develop an intrinsic interest that guides their quest for knowledge, and an intrinsic interest…that can diminish in the face of extrinsic rewards and punishments that appear to manipulate their focus. People are most likely to enjoy their education if they believe they are in charge of the decision to learn,” says Ken Bain. Taken from “What the Best College Teachers do”, Ken Bain

TIPS FOR FOSTERING LEARNING:  Raise questions that challenge a students’ preconceived ideas.  Help them deal with the emotional upheaval that follows having long term beliefs challenged.  Encourage them to question everything. The more questions they ask, the more involved they are and the more apt they are to learn.  Make the subject matter appealing and relevant, help them want to learn the material. The more they care, the more they learn.  People learn more if they believe they are in control of their choice to learn.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“The more questions we ask, the more ways we can index a thought in memory.” - Ken Bain WEAVE ONLINE: TIPS

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center

Things to keep in mind when entering your program level data into WEAVE Online: 

Use the degree plan description from the district Web site to list as the Mission/ Purpose of your Degree or Certificate.

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Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 8:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30

Use your Academic Discipline Review as a reference for goals, outcomes, and measures. The goals entered should be listed towards the back of your discipline review as Form_2. Be sure to make your goals measurable and related to student learning.

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Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu

Outcomes/Objective should relate to your goals and can be the strategies listed alongside the goals from Form_2 of your discipline review. (What the student will gain once the goals are met.)

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For Measures, list the tools you will use to measure whether you have achieved your objectives.

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Target should be what you hope the result of your measure to be.

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The findings should be where you stand to date on achieving your goals for the degree/certificate.

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

Keep in mind the TLC is here to make this process easier. Feel free to drop in and get help or discuss your WEAVE data at any time. Additional resources can be found here: teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Cedar Valley College

April 2011 Volume 58

Teaching Learning Center HELPING STUDENTS WITH ASSIGNED READING It’s hard for students to see the value in the task laid before them in the form of an enormous reading assignment. Finding the time, energy and interest in the subject necessary to forge ahead and retain the information needed to do well on the test and ultimately in the course is at times insurmountable. Helping students to see that getting acquainted with their textbooks and learning how to use them will help them to have a successful college career. The following information may help you to help your students conquer their reading woes. Help students see what their textbook can do:

 Prepare you for lecture so you are not overwhelmed by new ideas.  Find answers to question you had during class.  Provide information in a different format – images, diagrams, illustrations.  Give practice questions and problems.  Allow you to review at your own pace. Make sure students know that reading a textbook effectively is hard work. With practice, they should be able to read more quickly, and comprehend and retain more of what they read. These tips can help students become better at textbook reading: Choose a good environment. Select the time of day when you are the most alert and a location free of excess noise or distractions. Don’t put it off. If possible give yourself time to read the assignment in chunks rather than all at once the night before a test. Use your syllabus to keep you on track. Review your notes first. If your assigned reading covers subject matter already discussed in class, re-reading your notes can help get the concepts fresh in your mind and aid in comprehension. Skim ahead. Skimming over the entire assignment first can help to give a big picture. Look for headings, bold print, notes and summaries which can help make sense of the text. Do it in chunks. Read one section at a time and look for the main idea and supporting ideas in each paragraph. Take notes. Outline the main ideas in your own words, it can help you understand and remember the information you’re reading while also helping you to see the bigger picture. Look up words. Take the time to look up words you don’t understand. Create questions and look for answers. Turning headings into questions and jotting them, along with the answers down can really help when the times come to study for the test. Read aloud. Sometimes reading aloud can really help keep your mind focused. Reading aloud with another student can also be an effective study group. Take turns reading aloud and quiz each other on what has been read. Teaching and explaining is a powerful way to learn. Work on reading faster. Concentrate on trying to read fast, not focusing on each word but rather on groups of words. With practice you will be able to train your brain to do so. Take breaks. Your brain may only be able to focus on something for about 20 minutes. When you find you are unable to concentrate, stop and take a break.

QUICK TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR ECAMPUS SITE:  Add a banner to personalize your site.  Include a tutorial for problems students encounter frequently.  Make sure all links work properly.  Add a bulleted list whenever possible to avoid large areas of text.  Is there a trail of breadcrumbs? Can students navigate the site easily?  Keep it simple! Remember that less is more.  Dividing the class into groups on the DB can make students less overwhelmed with the amount of content and more likely to post or respond.

VANGUARD ONLINE RETURNS Tim Xeriland’s hugely popular Vanguard Online is returning to the TLC April 4th—8th. This is your chance to participate in lively discussions with colleagues while learning how to make your online courses more dynamic and engaging. Any faculty, adjunct, or staff member is welcome to participate, even if you’ve already earned your certificate. As noted by Marilyn Lancster, Vanguard graduate, “ I’ve signed up for Vanguard more than once because it helps me learn more about Blackboard. It helps me get around and know what I can do and what’s possible.” Vanguard Online provides a view into the eyes of the student, what they experience when taking an online course. This gives some perspective as you work to improve your own course. Discussions with colleagues can give great new ideas and breathe life into a course. “You have people asking the kinds of questions you’re afraid to ask. I like to hear what other teachers say and how they teach. I love to hear what they have to say about my posts. I’m getting a lot of different kinds of feedback” says Lancaster. Marilyn Lancster feels “the confidence Vanguard can give is important. You are able to try things you have never tried before.”

"Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three." - Confucius CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

ASYNCHRONOUS DISCUSSION TIPS

Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Be explicit and optimistic about expectations for course participation. Tell students upfront how many times they are expected to log in each week and that their attendance is being monitored. This helps to “…create a little momentum, get(s) them in the habit of coming to the course. If they’re more active in the course, I’ve found that they tend to become a little bit more motivated,” Alejandro said. Encourage students to talk to one another and question each other. Have students post a message and respond to others. Alejandro suggests “students who get to know one another tend to want to take subsequent online courses together, which can improve motivation as well. Positive interactions among students can help motivate students who are not as comfortable in the online environment because they feel that they can rely on the faculty member and classmates.” Build in accountability “by assigning students on a rotating basis to summarize the weekly discussions,” Dennis says. Link discussion topics to learning outcomes. Keep a bank of questions, refer back to your learning objectives and try to match questions to them. Look to the assigned reading when you have trouble coming up with good questions. “That’s much better in the long run than putting up questions that you know at the time are kind of so-so,” Dennis said. Once students post a couple of things, she monitors the discussion to determine how to improve it and keep it lively. Have students contribute discussion questions. Divide assignments into sections and encourage students to contribute their own questions which will be asked for the given week, suggests Alejandro. This gives students the chance to ask questions which are relevant to them. http://www.facultyfocus.com/ Rob Kelly “Asynchronous Learning and Trends” Kay Dennis and Jeffery Alejandro “Tips from the Pros – Maintaining Motivation in Online Discussions”

Cedar Valley College

May 2011 Volume 59

Teaching Learning Center VANGUARD ONLINE Vanguard Online was, yet again a fantastic success. Tim Xeriland lead participants through another eye-opening, engaging, fun-filled learning experience which left them feeling both motivated and eager to conduct online courses in new, exciting ways. Vanguard participant Marilyn Lancaster has enrolled in Vanguard multiple times. She says “it helps me learn more about Blackboard. Helps me get around and know what I can do and what’s possible. It gives me more confidence to know what I’m doing. It also helps me in my regular classes to know how to enhance a class. Tim is very patient and professional; you rarely find those two qualities together.” As an adjunct, Marilyn teaches on other campuses which required her to complete training to teach online. “I showed my certificate at another school where I am an adjunct and they accepted it in lieu of training,” says Lancaster. She found Vanguard to be a real time saver in this regard. “Tim emphasizes image – when you don’t see the students face to face it is important. He gives you ways to create a sense of self, an image, and your own personality...I’ve used many more images in all my classes since enrolling in Vanguard Online. The images seem to help people focus and to understand the subject matter easier. I would’ve never done this if I hadn’t been a part of Vanguard,” says Lancaster. Vanguard helps participants to see what’s possible and how to achieve it. Logging in to eCampus for the first time can be intimidating. Tim makes Blackboard more accessible and much less overwhelming. Marilyn Lancaster continues to say, “Tim was able to give very specific instructions and if you stop and read exactly what he says he walks you through it step by step. Tim knows how to teach using a computer program – he knows how to tell you all the right buttons to push.”. Tim communicates assignments through Articulate presentations participants watch and then are expected to respond to. Tim provides “lots of little seductive problems to solve; they create just the right amount of thinking. Challenge you without overpowering you. Not so much that it interferes with class work but just enough to keep it challenging” says Lancaster.

E-MAIL ETIQUETTE :  Proof-read - Always read through the e-mail prior to hitting send.  Check spelling  Be specific in your subject line. Offer information that will inform the reader exactly what the intent of the message.  Get to the point - Be brief. The reader may not have much time to spend on each email they receive. Don’t send chatty or pointless e-mails unless you’re sure the receiver has time.  Be polite - Never say in an e-mail what you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. E-mail is not necessarily private.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“I showed my (Vanguard) certificate at another school where I am an adjunct and they accepted it in lieu of training.” - Marilyn Lancaster CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

ECAPMUS GRADEBOOK IN EXCEL FORMAT

Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 8:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30

We were fortunate here in the TLC to have Mary Lou present a workshop on downloading your eCampus grade book and putting it in Excel format. There are some specifics that all online instructors should know to make sure their spreadsheet is done correctly. Once you are logged in to eCampus and ready to download your grades, do so then save them to your desktop (click ‘work offline’ in the grade center, then choose download). They will then be able to be opened in Excel. Please remember the following:  Do a separate spreadsheet for each section in Excel  Always include a grading scale on the spreadsheet (may choose to display it via a footer)  Make sure your Excel document is set to “landscape”

Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

 Format the cells so all text is visible (center & expand cells as necessary)  The necessary columns are the students first and last name, student ID, & grades  The Header (custom header) should include: (left) name of course, (center) college, (right) date, semester, & section number  Include the grading scale  Save the file as the course title, section number, & semester  Any 9000 sections should be placed on a separate spreadsheet  Always include each students’ final grade on the spreadsheet (including all “W” grades)

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

 Please choose to show gridlines, it makes it easier to read once it’s printed Now you are ready to give your spreadsheet to Mary Lou. She keeps track of your “blue rolls” and will make sure the final grades are entered and submitted to LeCroy. If you have any questions, feel free to drop by the TLC or contact Mary Lou directly at ext. 8050.

Cedar Valley College

June 2011 Volume 60

Teaching Learning Center FROM THE CLASSROOM Helen C. Gibson-Ausbrooks Many of our younger students lack enrichment. By enrichment, I mean knowledge learned by participating in activities outside of their usual sphere of influence of home, family, church and school. How can they know whether they might have an interest in something new, if they never venture out of their familiar circle. Going to an opera, listening to classical music, watching a documentary on the Civil War, attending live theater, or visiting the Kimball Art Museum, are examples of enriching activities, that many young students don’t seem to do, from my point of view, but should. Enrichment makes for a well-rounded student, a student that explores other worlds outside of his own, and a student that loves learning. I was reviewing my biology class over various vertebrate phyla in preparation for an upcoming test. I would just toss out a word, they were to think about it, find a connection between that word and an animal that was a vertebrate, then, match that animal with the correct phylum. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? Just read on. I tossed out the word “milk”. Hands quickly popped up. One student answered, “Milk comes from cows and cows are in the phylum “Mammalia”. I said, “Correct, thank you.” Then I moved on to the next word. The review continued on in this manner for a few minutes, until I tossed out the word “down”, the room fell silent. There were no hands in the air. More and more silence followed. Finally, one student said, “Up?” The whole class had a chuckle at that response. I then proceeded to tell them the story of “down”, the small, fluffy feathers plucked from the breast of the Eider goose, to make a soft lining for it’s nest. I explained that a goose is a bird and therefore is in the phylum “Aves”. None of them had ever heard of down ski jackets, while a few had heard the term “down bed comforters”, but had no idea what “down” meant when they heard it. One student thought that “down” was a brand name. Enrichment! That’s all they need is just a little enrichment.

SUMMER IN THE TLC : DROP IN TO GET HELP!  Let us help you with any WEAVE Online questions you may have.  Update and tweak your eCampus site.  Learn more about social media and the impact it can have on your classes.  Learn how to incorporate multi media in you classes.  Find out some of the best FREE software available on the web.  Learn how to get more done throughout the day.  Learn how to make your PowerPoint presentations even better.  Learn more about how to use Excel formulas.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“It’s after my students have completed my classes and have gone on to graduate and begin their careers that makes me most proud. When you get to be my age and you are still teaching, you stop doing it for the money and start doing it for the joy of their success.” - Dr. Steve Brown, Real Estate TOP TEN WAYS TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE STUDENT

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

Develop good time management skills.

Be aware of deadlines – print out a copy of the course calendar and keep it handy.

Take the course just as seriously as a face to face class.

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 8:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30

Respond to emails and discussion board posts promptly.

Be sure to give the instructor a valid email address that you check frequently.

If assignments are unclear always ask for clarification.

Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu

Resolve problems quickly i.e. if you are unable to log-in contact your instructor immediately.

Actively participate in discussions on the discussion board, it is often a requirement.

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

10. Turn your work in by the deadline.

Cedar Valley College

July 2011 Volume 61

Teaching Learning Center CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHERS By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Faculty Development, Teaching Professor Blog

Occasionally we need a reminder like this: based on a thorough literature review, Paul Ramsden, a noted researcher on teaching and learning, along with several co-authors offered this description of good teachers. 

Good teachers are also good learners; for example, they learn through their own reading, by participating in a variety of professional-development activities, by listening to their students, by sharing ideas with their colleagues, and by reflecting on classroom interactions and students’ achievements. Good teaching is therefore dynamic, reflective, and constantly evolving.

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Good teachers display enthusiasm for their subject and a desire to share it with their students.

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Good teachers know how to modify their teaching strategies according to the particular students, subject matter, and learning environment.

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Good teachers encourage learning for understanding and are concerned with developing their students’ critical-thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and problem-approach behaviors.



TOP TEN SUMMER TRAVEL DESTINATIONS



Orlando



Las Vegas



Los Angeles



San Francisco

Good teachers demonstrate an ability to transform and extend knowledge, rather than merely transmitting it; they draw on their knowledge of their subject, their knowledge of their learners, and their general pedagogical knowledge to transform the concepts of the discipline into terms that are understandable to their students.



New York City



Miami



San Diego

Good teachers set clear goals, use valid and appropriate assessment methods, and provide high-quality feedback to their students.



Washington DC



Honolulu

Good teachers show respect for their students; they are interested in both their professional and their personal growth, encourage their independence, and sustain high expectations of them.



Seattle

The description sets the bar high. But it so ably captures the essence of what we should aspire to be and do for our students. Reference, Ramsden, P. D., Margetson, E. M. and Clarke, S. Recognizing and Rewarding Good Teaching. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Services, 1995.

According to ASTA survey

FROM THE CLASSROOM Kim Greer - Developmental Math One summer session I had a student in class who professed his relentless fear of math. He froze when taking tests. During one class this student asked an unusual question. I told him that I did not know the answer to his question and would find out for him. He was shocked when this happened, he had never had a teacher admit they did not know the answer to a question. From that point on his fear left him and he succeeded in my class as well as future math classes.

“Good teachers encourage learning for understanding and are concerned with developing their students’ critical-thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and problem-approach behaviors.” - Maryellen Weimer, Teaching Professor Blog

SUDOKU CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

Cedar Valley College

August 2011 Volume 62

Teaching Learning Center CONDUCTING CLASS A study was conducted to settle the debate over whether the lecture is the most effective way to deliver material to students. Ken Bain, author of “What the Best College Teachers Do,” uncovered seven fairly common principles among the teachers studied. 1. Create a Natural Critical learning Environment: “’Natural’ because students encounter the skills, habits, attitudes, and information they are trying to learn embedded in questions and tasks they find fascinating. ’Critical’ because students learn to think critically, to reason from evidence, to examine the quality of their reasoning using a variety of intellectual standards, to make improvements while thinking, and to ask probing and insightful questions about the thinking of other people.” Some teachers are able to create this environment with their lectures while others use discussions, role playing, field work, or a variety of other techniques to achieve this environment. 2. Get Students’ Attention and Keep It: Teachers are most successful when beginning a class with “a provocative question or problem that raises issues in ways that students had never thought about before, or by using stimulating case studies or goal-based scenarios.” 3. Start with the Students Rather Than the Discipline: Socrates used this method as explained by Michael Sandel, a Harvard political theorist, “by attending to what people thought they knew, and then he tried to gradually and systematically to wrench them from their familiar place.” This forces the students to grapple with an issue from their own perspective, prior to them knowing much about it, getting them to articulate a position. 4. Seek Commitments: This is often carried out on the first class day. Teachers lay out the plans, promises, and commit to making the course worthwhile, and then invite the students to make a commitment to the learning objectives and to attend class. 5. Help Students Learn Outside of Class: Teaching students material that will best help and encourage them to learn outside of class is much more beneficial than teaching material simply because it’s traditional or because it covers a subject. 6. Engage Students in Disciplinary Thinking: Ken Bain notes “the most effective teachers use class time to help students think about information and ideas the way scholars in the discipline do.” They don’t concentrate on only teaching their discipline; they focus on “teaching students to understand, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate evidence and conclusions.” 7. Create Diverse Learning Experiences: “The brain loves diversity,” as stated by Jeanette Norden. The best teachers seemed to offer a nice balance between the systematic approach and the creative, non-traditional approach.

From “What the Best College Teachers Do,” Ken Bain

ONLINE TEACHING STRATEGIES:  Design methods to introduce learners to each other  Develop team-building activities  Share biographical information or stories  Create a social space  Involve learners in team projects  Develop asynchronous group discussions  Develop challenging problems  Encourage learners to evaluate, analyze, & connect information  Use simulations as opportunities for learning by doing  Use external communities, people, & resources to build content knowledge  Consider online office hours

FROM THE CLASSROOM Dan Rogers - Speech/Drama I recently had a student offer me a packet containing his speech. The topic he chose was Same-Sex Marriage, the number one topic listed on the assignment sheet as OFF limits and NOT to do. Even though the students selected an inappropriate topic, I reviewed his speech and discovered it was copied almost word for word from the Harvard Law and Policy Journal. He even submitted it to the wrong class; it should have been handed in for a different section!

“The most effective teachers use class time to help students think about information and ideas the way scholars in the discipline do.” - Ken Bain, ‘What the Best College Teachers Do’

SUDOKU CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

Cedar Valley College

September 2011 Volume 63

Teaching Learning Center FIRST CLASS DAY Tim Xeriland led a roundtable discussion in the TLC recently covering the most important day of the semester, the first day of class. The first class day sets the tone for the whole course and dramatically impacts student perceptions of you as their professor. Take a look at the following and try to choose your top three. Then take it a step further and select the one role which stands out as dominate, the one you would prefer to fill, and the one you would like to convey to your students. Think carefully, this will set the tone for the entire semester. 

The Expert - The person who knows everything there is to know about their subject matter.



The Authority - The person who lays down the law, instructing exactly what is expected and when.



The Socializing Agent - The person who provides students with the skills and habits necessary for success in a course.



Stop procrastinating



Set realistic goals

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The Facilitator - The person who contributes structure and process helping student achieve their potential.



Make long term goals with immediate steps

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The Role Model - The person students are able to look up to as an ideal.



Have a plan of action

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The Person - The person students see as an individual, someone who is approachable.



Organize your work space



Try to get enough sleep



Concentrate on one task at a time



Don’t plan too many activities



Do the hard tasks first



Prioritize



Learn to say No



Use a To-Do list

Give some thought to what you would like to cover the first day. This also impacts perception. If you choose to cover the syllabus the first day, think about alternative ways to present the material. Simply standing in front of the class and reading the syllabus may not be the best choice. Try to add a little interest. Think about including some interactive elements to the process. Dr. Desai pairs his students up and sends them on a syllabus scavenger hunt. While in pairs they are to go over the syllabus together looking for specifics like the drop date, date of the first test, etc. Then students will be quizzed over the material, providing them with the opportunity to make an easy 100% right from the start. Studies have shown an improvement in test scores when exams begin with a simpler question and get more difficult as they progress. The same is true for a course, beginning the semester with an easy first quiz or assignment can help students start off on the right foot.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGMENT:

FROM THE CLASSROOM Dorcas Little—Math There was a time when I taught algebra in high school in a little small town where the students did not want to learn one particular day. That day I was mad that they were dragging their feet. I got so mad at them until I was just furious. The classroom was very small, I had no place to walk but to pace back and forth in front of the class. I was bickering and fussing about how they must do better and one of my students started to sing the Barney song, “I Love You, You Love Me”. The entire class then all chimed in and started to sing with him until I could no longer be mad anymore but smile.

“By understanding your own perspectives and abilities, you will be able to

better assist and contribute to the learning of others.” -”147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups”

SUDOKU CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center

Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

Cedar Valley College

October 2011 Volume 64

Teaching Learning Center BEST FREE WEB APPS The web has so much to offer and often times, the price is right. Free web applications can go a long way in helping you to work faster, smarter, and better in a flash. Recently the Teaching Learning Center offered an informative workshop highlighting the best the web has to offer in web based applications. There are numerous options in various categories: Photo Editing, Presentation, and Creativity: Google Picnik - Free image editing software. Photoshop - Free online version of Photoshop. Tagxedo - Create word clouds from web pages or your own text file. Animoto - Animoto turns your pictures into very interesting videos. Prezi - Online ‘zooming’ presentation software. Sharing and Authoring: Google Docs - Create, upload and share documents with an individual or the world. Meebo - Web based IM client that lets you connect with friends on various other chat clients. LiveMesh - Just add some folders to Mesh from one computer and access that content from anywhere else. Mesh also offers remote desktop capabilities with copy-paste support. LogMeIn - Allows you to access your computer’s desktop from another computer. join.me - Allows you to share your desktop with others easily. Time Management: Google Calendar - Keep track of appointments, special days etc... and share your calendar with friends. Google Desktop - A search engine for your desktop. RescueTime - Time management software. Helps you see how you spend your time. Search Engines: Wolfram Aplpha - Answer engine that gives you information about your search request.

WHY USE THE TEACHING ANALYSIS POLE?:  The Teaching Analysis Pole (TAP) offers feedback from students.  Quickly obtain an analysis of your teaching.  Discover how students are responding to your teaching.  The TLC staff will come to your class and pole your students directly.  Fastest, easiest way to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.  It only takes about 10-15 minutes!

For more information please visit the TLC Blog or contact the TLC directly for information or to set up an appointment for a TAP.

A WARM WELCOME Join us in welcoming Tacia Dillard to CVC and to the TLC. Tacia comes to us from Richland where she worked for 9 years with faculty and staff focusing on their professional development needs. Ms. Dillard is thrilled to be part of the TLC team and anxious to learn all she can to better serve the faculty and staff of Cedar Valley. Tacia will be available M-F in the TLC to assist in all matters concerning eCampus. Please feel free to stop by and extend a warm welcome to Tacia or contact her via e-mail at tacia@dcccd.edu or ext. 8083.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

BEST FREE WEB APPS CONTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D...

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 7:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30 Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

File Conversion: Zamzar - Free online file conversion. Audio: Pandora - Create your own Internet radio station that plays your favorite genre of music. Storage: SkyDrive - 25 GB of free online storage for sharing Microsoft Office docs, photos, and other files. DropBox - Free online storage that makes it easy to move files from computer to computer. Classroom: Google Reader - Keeps blogs and news feeds you like to read at your fingertips. Google Book - Gives you access to free books which can be read right from your computer. Google Scholar - A search engine for scholarly articles. Google Apps Marketplace - Browse for free and for pay apps. ShoolRack - Build colorful, customizable websites, while storing mailing lists and moderating private discussions with students. CreateDebate - Help students discuss and debate their thoughts online. EasyBib - Online bibliographic management tool. Instantly cite books, websites, journals, & more.

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Be sure to visit the TLC blog for links to all these great apps!

Cedar Valley College

November 2011 Volume 65

Teaching Learning Center Use and Misuse of PowerPoint PowerPoint is often looked down on as an instructional tool but it isn’t the use of PowerPoint that’s issue, the misuse is where the problems start. We are bombarded, specifically in education, with mind numbing PowerPoint presentations packed with countless bullet points, walls of text, and not a single image. PowerPoint is just a tool and as with any tool, it can be used well or poorly or somewhere in between. As a tool, PowerPoint is a terrific option for online and face-to-face content. It’s widely used and easy to learn, so we might as well learn to use it well!

Avoid

Why

Using large blocks of text or long lists of bullet points.

Insert images and maintain a less is more mentality with text use.

Your audience will lose focus when faced with a wall of text. It’s easier to recall information related to an image than text by itself.

Too much content.

Keep it simple. Try using the C.R.A.P. Design Principles. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity.)

Nice clean, simple slides will increase your credibility and make the information you’re trying to relay much easier to decipher.

Too little content.

Along with narration, use images and just enough text to make your message clear and memorable.

Students will not be able to fill in the blanks. One simple image on a slide is fine if you include a narration to further explain your point.

Random color use.

Select a group of colors that work well together and use them consistently throughout the PowerPoint.

The colors you choose will impact the readability of your slides. Make sure there is good contrast between the background and foreground text.

Small fonts or overly decorative fonts.

Stick with a font size and style that’s easy to read from across the room.

Fonts that are too small or decorative can be much harder to read, especially from a distance.

Animation over-use. Too many distracting effects.

Use, when appropriate, a simple animation to control the amount of content you choose to display at a given time.

Flashy animated text effects can be extremely distracting. Especially when you use a variety of styles. Students will be looking at your animations not your content.

PowerPoint is more powerful than you may realize. Not only can you create simple, straightforward presentations, but narrations, animations, and navigation controls can also be added easily. Be careful to keep animations simple and consistent. Adding hyperlinks to slides allows students to actively participate in the presentation on their own. Simply insert hyperlinks on a table of contents slide which automatically jump to the slides associated to the content. Students will then be able to choose the order in which they view the material, allowing for a much more active learning experience. For more information and one-on-one assistance please drop by the TLC.

Vanguard²:  Learn how to prepare an online course.  Learn the basics of effective Web site design.  Learn how to create an online syllabus.  Learn how to make the most of group work.  Learn how to create and use graphics successfully.  Learn about chats, blogs, wikis and more.  Learn how to create and use media in your course.  Learn how to use videos and create an avatar.  Receive a stipend with graduation from the course!

E-Mail Tim today to enroll! txeriland@dcccd.edu

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” ~Sydney J. Harris CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

eCampus Troubleshooting with Tacia Dillard

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

The TLC staff recently conducted an eCampus Troubleshooting session. By group consensus, students not receiving instructor emails topped the list. Through research and analysis, listed below are the concerns and simple steps for solutions:

Issue Some students share the same email and eCampus automatically kicks out duplicates.

Students' email address is not up-to-date.

Solution Make sure each student has an individual email account, instead of a shared one (DCCCD provides all current students a free account). Verify the email on record is the correct account. If not, you may instruct the student to log-in to their eConnect account and update the information under the edit my personal profile icon.

Student’s e-mail address is invalid or not checked frequently.

Once the e-mail has been verified as valid, make sure it is an e-mail address the student checks frequently.

Some of the more popular email systems, such as Yahoo, see distance learning course emails as spam or junk mail and automatically block or delete them upon arrival.

Inform students to turn off the block pop-up feature and/or check their spam/junk mail folder for messages.

Cedar Valley College

December 2011 Volume 66

Teaching Learning Center Engaging Millennial Learners Taken from: Faculty Focus. com Christy Price, EdD, a psychology professor at Dalton State College, became interested in Millennial learners when she noticed a gap between students’ expectation for success and the effort they put forth in the classroom (Price, 2009). Price then conducted a qualitative analysis of narratives provided by more than a hundred Millennial learners to get a more accurate picture of what makes them tick. In the recent online seminar Five Strategies to Engage Today’s Students, Price shared some of what she’s learned regarding the characteristics of Millennials’ ideal learning environments, their preferences regarding assignments and assessment, and the characteristics of their ideal professor. She then outlined the instructional implications of her findings with these five R’s for engaging Millennial students: Research-based methods: Research suggests Millennials prefer a variety of active learning methods. When they are not interested in something, their attention quickly shifts elsewhere. Interestingly, many of the components of their ideal learning environment – less lecture, use of multimedia, collaborating with peers – are some of the same techniques research has shown to be effective, Price said. Relevance: Millennials have grown up being able to Google anything they want to know, therefore they do not typically value information for information’s sake. As a result, the professor’s role is shifting from disseminating information to helping students apply the information. One of the greatest challenges for teachers is to connect course content to the current culture and make learning outcomes and activities relevant, Price said. Rationale: Unlike Boomers who were raised in a more authoritarian manner in which they more readily accept the chain of command, Millennials were raised in a non-authoritarian manner and are more likely to comply with course policies when teachers provide them with a rationale for specific policies and assignments. Relaxed: Millennials prefer a less formal learning environment in which they can informally interact with the professor and one another. In interviews with students, the term “laid back” was used repeatedly. Rapport: Millennials are extremely relational. They are more central to their parents’ lives than previous generations and are used to having the adults in their lives show great interest in them. They appreciate it when professors show that same interest, and they seem to be more willing to pursue learning outcomes when instructors connect with them on a personal level. Continued page 2...

Help is Near: Find help on the TLC Blog! Here is a look at what’s at your fingertips:  Links to commonly used sites like WEAVE Online, Current Course Schedule, eConnect, eCampus, and more.  Templates for syllabus, HTML syllabus for eCampus, and more.  Tips and tricks for using PowerPoint and other commonly used programs.  Links to free, timesaving web applications.  How to use Blogs in class.

 How and why you should use Google Docs.

And so much more! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

For many faculty, particularly those who teach large classes, rapport is the most difficult of the five R’s, Price said. “The idea here is student learning outcomes, and getting students to achieve learning outcomes is a persuasive endeavor as much as we might hate that,” she said. “Students are going to be more likely to work toward achieving their learning outcomes if they have a positive rapport with us… You don’t have to be their best friend. You just have to be perceived as being on their side.” References: Price, C. (2009). Why Don’t My Students Think I’m Groovy? The Teaching Professor, 23 (1), 7. Price, C. Five Strategies to Engage Today’s Students. Magna Online Seminar. 1 Nov. 2011.

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” ~Sydney J. Harris CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

eCampus Gradebook in Excel Format

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

Here is a refresher on downloading and formatting your eCampus Gradebook. There are some specifics that all online instructors should know to make sure their spreadsheet is done correctly. Once you are logged in to eCampus and ready to download your grades, do so then save them to your desktop (click ‘work offline’ in the grade center, then choose download). They will then be able to be opened in Excel. Please remember the following:  Do a separate spreadsheet for each section in Excel  Always include a grading scale on the spreadsheet (may choose to display it via a footer)  Make sure your Excel document is set to ‘landscape’  Format the cells so all text is visible (center & expand cells as necessary)  The necessary columns are the students first and last name, student ID, & grades  The Header (custom header) should include: (left) name of course, (center) college, (right) date, semester, & section number  Include the grading scale  Save the file as the course title, section number, & semester  Any 9000 sections should be placed on a separate spreadsheet  Always include each students’ final grade on the spreadsheet (including all ‘W’ grades)  Please choose to show gridlines, it makes it easier to read once it’s printed

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Happy Holidays from the Teaching Learning Center!