Below are details on the upcoming events in the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). One piece of news to share first, though — the CTE officially moved to 308 Main! We are still getting settled, but have lounge chairs and conference space to sit and work with you on your courses or to just chat about teaching. You can register for all our events and see full descriptions at www.grcc.edu/ctereg (the descriptions can be viewed by clicking the “+” next to the name)
THIS WEEK:
Creating Accessible Documents Using Word and PowerPoint: Thursday, January 31 from 2:30 – 3:30 in 351 Main. Instructional Designer, Meegan Willi from Distance Learning and Instructional Technologies will facilitate this session that will cover the basics of how to create accessible documents in Word and PowerPoint.
Making Your Instructional Materials Accessible (Webinar replay): Friday, February 1 from 9:00 – 10:00 in 351 Main. This webinar from November introduces the principles of Web accessibility and offer techniques educators can use to create accessible instructional materials. Areas that will be covered include the materials commonly upload into the college’s learning management systems-for example, Word, PDF, and PowerPoint files. CTE Office Hours will follow from 10:00 – 11:00 in 308 Main.
NEXT WEEK:
Universal Design and Accessible Course Content: Monday, February 4 from 12:00 – 1:00 in 351 Main. Professor of Business, Ann Alexander will discuss Universal Design and its application to technology. Participants will learn specific ways to integrate UD into their own classrooms.
Donuts and DLIT & Bagels and Blackboard: Wednesday, February 6 from 11:30 – 1:30 in 347 Main. Join Distance Learning and Instructional Technologies for coffee, donuts, and bagels! This is a time to ask questions, share stories, and just hang out. No registration is necessary and you can drop in anytime. More info is available at www.grcc.edu/donuts.
ADA in the Classroom: Wednesday, February 6 from 2:00 – 3:30 in 316 Main. Join us for an interactive webinar where you will learn about recent amendments and changes to the ADA related to instruction and your work with students.
Sharing Your Expertise: Creating and Facilitating a Session Through the CTE: Thursday, February 7 from 3:00 – 4:00 in 316 Main. CTE Director, Jeremy Osborn will explain the process of creating a session through the CTE and will work with participants on developing their ideas into workshops for their colleagues.
Your Teaching, Their Learning, and Technology: Friday, February 8 from 11:00 – 12:00 in 306 Main. Mursalata Muhammad, Professor of English leads this kick-off to our Friday morning Teaching With Technology Series. This introductory session to teaching with technology is just that – an introduction to how you might take your teaching style, student-learning styles, and use various technology tools to help make learning happen.
To Care and Comply: Approaching Accessibility in Online Courses (Webinar): Friday, February 8 from 1:00 – 2:30 in 316 Main. Are your online courses accessible? Join us to learn more about Portland Community College’s strategy and lessons learned in addressing accessibility for over 400 instructors’ teaching approximately 2400 sections of online classes annually.
Also, if you have been looking for an opportunity to sit and chat with your peers from across campus, in two weeks we are launching a Universal Design Learning Circle. Meetings will be held February 13, March 13, and April 10 from 3:00 – 4:00. For each session, we will be discussing 2-3 articles that discuss Universal Design and how it applies to higher education. You can attend any or all of the sessions.
Here are the links and citations to the articles for February 13th.
1) Rose, D. H., Harbour, W. S., Johnston, C. S., Daley, S. G., & Abarbanell, L. (2006). Universal design for learning in postsecondary education: Reflections on principles and their application. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 19(2), 17 http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/UDLinPostsecondary.pdf
2) Edyburn, D. L. (2010). Would you recognize universal design for learning if you saw it? Ten propositions for new directions for the second decade of UDL . Learning Disability Quarterly ( http://www.cldinternational.org/Publications/LDQ.asp ), 33(1), 33-41. http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/UDL2ndDecade_0.pdf
All sessions are open to both full-time and adjunct faculty. You can register for all sessions at www.grcc.edu/ctereg. You can also “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/teachexcellence to receive the latest information on sessions, news, conferences, and other noteworthy happenings.
If you have any questions or have problems registering, contact us at teachexcellence@grcc.edu. Register now, as space in each session is limited.
Thanks, and I hope to see you in the CTE!
The daily employee newsletter of Grand Rapids Community College 