It's that exciting beginning time. We're busy getting ready for students, and there's a buzz of enthusiasm. I hope you can take time to learn something new before the rush.
Professional development opportunities
CAFE Professional Development Day
CAFE is hosting a series of sessions starting at 8:30 am on Tuesday, August 11. Drop in for one session, or take in the whole day. See the schedule for your choices.
Register on line (preferred) or show up and register at 8:30 in Lib 307.
Applying the Quality Matters Rubric
Wednesday, August 12th, 2015, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm in LIB 214
Earn your Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) certificate in this full day interactive session. Faculty, administrators and staff will become familiar with the QM rubric and how its standards inform online course design. Participants will leave with specific and measurable ways to improve their online courses. Register now.
From Academic Innovations and eLearning
Fall Boot camp- August 17-19 Most sessions are offered online as well as in person.
Check out the Calendar for boot camp and other AIE and CAFÉ offerings. Click on the session you want to attend to register.
Report: Clear Objectives and Ease of Use Key to Successful Online Courses
This Campus Technology article by Leila Meyer summarizes research from Eduventures. For all classes, clear objectives and ease of use enable student success. They know where they're headed and there aren't confusing roadblocks. More details on the Eduventures Blog.
One of the standard ease of use techniques is to group all the tasks for a week in a weekly folder in Blackboard. Don't make the students to one place for the reading, another for the homework, another for a quiz, another for supplemental resources. Another ease of use technique is to standardize your due dates, instead of jumping around each week. Midnight the day before class, Sunday at midnight, or whatever works for your class.
The future is now
The Did You Know video was first created for high school inservice in 2008. It became a worldwide phenomenon. It's been updated since then, and its message of the future still hold true. What does the video mean for what and how you teach students?
For a more light-hearted look at our world
Complexity induced mental illness by Scott Adams on the Dilbert Blog is a commentary on our world. Maybe our world is making us crazier. And what about the Intelligence Deficit Syndrome (IDS) as described by educator Doug Johnson? These humorous pieces do have a basis in reality. I am reminded of my piece of advice on Blackboard: learn three new things each semester (not 6, not 12.). This leads to success and enjoyment in teaching with Blackboard rather than IDS.
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