Teaching, Learning, and Distance Education (TLDE) News

New Season: Speaking of Teaching

TLDE’s podcast, Speaking of Teaching, is beginning a new season. The first episode is out, featuring Sam Sprague of Psychology. We discuss Sam’s path to GRCC, her classroom game of “fear pong,” and more! Check back this Monday and every other Monday after for new episodes.

Recent Panopto Workshop Recordings Now Available

Couldn’t make the sessions or need a refresher? Have questions about Panopto, our campus video platform? Recordings of Panopto Basics and Panopto Beyond Basics are now available.

Reminder for Online and Hybrid Course Developers

The policy requiring distance courses to meet Distance Learning standard approval goes back into effect for Winter 23. This means that any distance course must be approved by DLIT before the start of WI23 to remain on the schedule in online or hybrid modality. Please reach out to DLIT@grcc.edu with any questions.

Spots Still Available: Think Again Learning Circle

We still have a few spots open in the Learning Circle focused on Think Again: The power of knowing what you don’t know by Adam Grant. The learning circle will meet virtually in the evenings from 6:00-7:30 p.m. on the following dates: October 6, November 3, and December 1.

“This book has changed how I ask questions in my class,” according to one reader of Think Again. Did you receive a copy of the book from the CTE this summer? Have you already read Think Again?  Are you intrigued by the author’s premise that in a rapidly changing world, we need to spend as much time rethinking as we do thinking? Please join us for a learning circle to discuss the reading and explore strategies to build cultures of learning in our work. Contact cte@grcc.edu to reserve your book and spot in the learning circle. 

Featured Upcoming Workshops/Events and Reminders:

1. Classroom Observation Training – Wednesday, 9/28, 3-4 p.m., In Person
2. Classroom Observation Training – Friday, 9/30, 10-11 a.m., In Person
3. Curriculog Training – Friday, 9/30, 10-11 a.m., HyFlex
4. Design-Based Research in Education – Friday, 9/30, 12-2 p.m., In Person
5. Online-Hybrid Certification Course – Monday, 10/30-Sunday, 11/13, Online
6. Reminder: ETOM Fall 2022 Conference Proposals due on October 4 and Conference @ GVSU on November 4.  See http://etom.org/event/fall2022conference for more information.
7. Reminder: Community of Practice ImpACT Grant applications due on October 21, 2022.  As previously announced during the latest Read to Act Collective, this opportunity is still available. See the attached document for all of the details.

Please visit CTE’s Calendar and Programming webpage for the current listing of all Fall 2022 Professional Development opportunities being offered by TLDE!

30 Day Challenge event

The Exercise is Medicine on Campus Team (EIM-OC) is inviting you to join in our 30-day challenge event. The challenge consists of a water challenge, push up challenge, plank challenge, and squat challenge for 30 days.

You can choose to just focus on 1 skill, 2 skills, 3 skills, or all 4 skills during the challenge. You can even complete this challenge multiple times too (especially if you chose to focus on just one skill at a time). 

We challenge you to not only do this but to invite a colleague, classmate, family member, friend, etc. to join you in this challenge. Let’s Go- Grand Rapids Community College.

new-30-day-challenge-exercise-is-medicineDownload

Volunteers needed for GRCC Scholarfest 2022

GRCC Scholarfest 2022 is back on campus! This year we will be honoring Dr. Juan and Mary Olivarez on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

Are you available during the evening of Tuesday, November 1 from 5 – 9 p.m.? Would you like to assist in making this year’s Scholarfest another success? Yes? Then volunteer! 

What we need:

• Parking Help
• Greeters
• Coat Check
• Registration

We need at least 15 dedicated volunteers. All volunteer positions will be assigned.  

Contact Mary Reed at 3930 or mreed@grcc.edu to sign up. 

My Story Started at GRCC: After Harvard, Abbie Groff-Blaszak headed to GRCC for specialized career skills

When you have a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Indiana University and a master’s in education from Harvard, where do you go next?

For Abbie Groff-Blaszak, it was Grand Rapids Community College.

Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful.

After a 20-year career in K-12 education – including nine years with the state Department of Education – she was ready for a change.

“I knew that I wanted to do something different, try something different, and the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education provided everything I needed to not only explore an entirely new field but to visualize myself within it and equip me to jump right in,” she said.

Groff-Blaszak, who received her certificate in Craft Brewing in August, is now the head brewer for Creston Brewery.

“I knew I wanted to work for myself, and rather than limit myself to working toward that goal within the fields I knew, I decided to explore a bit,” she said. “I’d always harbored a desire to go to culinary school, so I enrolled in the Secchia Institute and decided to pursue both the Baking and Pastry Arts and Craft Brewing certificates.”

The Craft Brewing classes fit better around her schedule as director of the West Michigan Leadership Academy and “everything just clicked.”

“I entered the program as an experienced craft beer enthusiast but with zero knowledge of the scientific and technical aspects of brewing,” Groff-Blaszak said. “In less than a year, GRCC equipped me with the practical knowledge and hands-on learning and experience to be a capable brewer and earn the confidence of an established Michigan brewery.”

She especially appreciated the connections she was able to make through the program.

“I got to learn how to brew from a brewer, learn sensory analysis from a certified cicerone and spend time in multiple breweries around the area,” she said.

While she isn’t working for herself yet, she loves her head brewer job and is thinking about what she will do when she’s ready to start her own business.

“For me, GRCC is the place that gave me the tools, resources and support to not only envision, but fully inhabit and embrace a career I wouldn’t have imagined possible.”

Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply.

Deadline approaching for people looking to coach GRCC’s new soccer teams

Grand Rapids Community College is looking for coaches to head its fledgling soccer program, and the deadline to apply for the posts is approaching.

Candidates have until midnight on Oct. 3 to apply for the head coaching posts for the men’s and women’s teams, which will start playing in fall 2023.

Details about the jobs and online applications are available here.

The GRCC Athletic Department is looking for candidates, preferably with collegiate head coaching experiences, collegiate recruiting experience, knowledge of NJCAA or NCAA eligibility, administrative experience and NJCAA experience.

Applicants are required to have three or more years of soccer coaching, and a minimum of an associate degree.  

The soccer teams are a first for GRCC, and Athletic director Lauren Ferullo said the sport is the most asked about sport from prospective student-athletes when they visit campus.

Soccer is the most followed sport in the world and is growing in popularity in the United States.  The FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship, is planned to be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.  Interest in the sport increased in 1994, when four World Cup matches were played in Michigan in the Pontiac Silverdome when the United States hosted the tournament.

Currently GRCC offers volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, golf, baseball, softball, men’s cross country and women’s cross country.  Soccer will be the first new sport introduced since the cross country program was resurrected in 2014.

The Michigan Community College Athletic Association includes five colleges with men’s and women’s soccer programs: Muskegon Community College, Schoolcraft College, Jackson College, Ancilla College and Lake Michigan College fielding teams.  Kellogg Community College, St. Clair County Community College and Delta College have women’s teams.

Potential players are encouraged to fill out an athletic recruiting questionnaire. 

GRCC cross country teams earn second-place finish, led by Kaylee Scott, Audrey Meyering and Mason Kolhoff

All-American runners Kaylee Scott and Audrey Meyering and freshman Mason Kolhoff finished among the top five, helping the nationally ranked Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams to a second-place finish at the Kirtland Firebird Invitational on Friday.

The women’s team, ranked No. 6 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll of the season, was just 14 points back of first place and No. 1 ranked Lansing Community College, but 34 points ahead of third-place Mott Community College.

First-year head coach Rob Hyde said it was a really fun race to watch while waiting for his men’s race to begin.

“The women really put themselves in a good spot and then moved all the way through the entire race.  Definitely beat more people in the second half,” he said.

Scott placed second overall in a field of runners that consisted of 87 Michigan Community College Athletic Association competitors. Her time of 20:46 was 26 seconds faster than Meyering, who finished in fifth place.

Other women runners included Rose Meyer, ninth place with a time of 21:31; Mariana Zaragoza, 17th place in 22:08; Chloe Jones in 25th place in 22:56; and Zoe Zawacki, 46th place in 25:04.

The men’s team, which came into the rankings at No. 13, lost to Lansing Community College, the top-ranked team in the nation, by just two points.

Kolhoff led GRCC for the fourth time this season with an 8-kilometer time of 27:02, good for third place, in a field of 109 MCCAA runners.

Both Dan Kehoe and Andrew Periard also cracked the top 10, with times of 27:32 and 27:47.

2021 All-American Coleman Clark placed 19th in his first event of the season with a time of 28:31.

Other men runners included Lucas Schneider, 20th place with a time of 28:36; Craig Fuller, 23rd place in 28:43; Derek Hopkins in 27th place in 28:55; Zach Richards, 39th place in 30:03; and Alex Weber, 63rd place in 32:29.

“I’m very happy with the men today,” Hyde said. “They definitely beat their ranking. Good pack running helped us get a good team placing, along with personal records and team bests. Our eyes are on the regionals and the nationals, and today helped us get closer as a team.”

 GRCC is next scheduled to compete in the Oakland Community College Invitational on Sept. 30.  

Tech Tip: Unsend an email

Have you ever sent an email by accident or pressed the send button and then realized you had a spelling error or forgot to attach a document?

Google has a feature that can assist with this. The Unsend feature allows you to unsend a message up to 30 seconds after sending. This can be turned on in just a few short clicks. See the instructions below.

Article- Unsend an Email

For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Customer Support Portal or contact the IT Customer Support Desk at x4357.

If you have a suggestion or a Technology Tip you think can be useful, you can submit them by emailing techtips@grcc.edu

GRCC In the News 09/26/2022

National cross-country poll ranks GRCC teams among best in US

9/23/22 FOX 17

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is celebrating the success of its cross-country teams, who are now ranked among the best teams in the nation.

GRCC student gaining following for her musical perspective

9/23/22 secondwavemedia.com

Although still a college student, Hailey Cone is gaining a following for the perspective she brings to her love of music. 

… The 25-year-old credits her experience studying at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) for providing a place where her love of music could flourish.

Snapshots

9/24/22 Community College Daily (American Association of Community  Colleges)

… Famed rocker — and avid golfer — Alice Cooper (far left) and his bandmates play a round with Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) golf coaches John Forton and Mark Rasmussen prior to his Grand Rapids concert. (Photo: GRCC)

Can Grand Rapids’ resurgent soccer scene lure a pro team?

9/26/22 Crain’s Detroit Business

GRAND RAPIDS — When the popular Grand Rapids Football Club dissolved last October, it left a hole in the market among soccer fans and players. A year later, several West Michigan organizations are tapping into unmet demand for the sport.

Grand Rapids Community College recently announced it will field men’s and women’s soccer teams in 2023, a first for the school.

Fall 2022 Homecoming: Chili Cookoff

The competition is heating up for Homecoming!!

Sign up to enter your chili into the GRCC employee cookoff contest.

All employees are welcome to participate by voting for their favorite culinary creation.

Wednesday October 5 

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

234 Student Center (Multi-Purpose Room)

Cook off participants will receive further details via email following registration.

Please sign up by Friday, September 30.

For questions, contact Angela Salinas or Mary Reed.

Fall 2022 Homecoming: GRCC Spirit Award

In celebration of Fall 2022 Homecoming, the GRCC Spirit Award is back again!

The tradition of the GRCC Spirit Award makes a comeback with updated criteria and a simple nomination process. The criteria are new and fun and the process is easy!  We’re excited to award both a GRCC employee as well as a Golden Raider (GRCC Retiree) with this special honor.  

So, do you know a current GRCC employee or retiree who embodies all things GRCC?  Does this individual have unmatched school spirit and make the College a better place to work and learn? 

If so, then nominate your Raider for the GRCC Spirit Award.  Complete this form detailing how your nominee meets the four GRCC Spirit Criteria (G – Genuine, R – Radiant, C – Captivating and C – Caring) and is deserving of the GRCC Spirit Award.  

GRCC Spirit Award Criteria

G – Genuine — This person is authentic and true.  This individual’s heart and soul aligns with the College’s mission, vision and values, and brings the best to everything.

R – Radiant — This person can have fun like no other.  This individual goes the extra mile to spread positivity and pride within the GRCC family making the workplace and beyond enjoyable and engaging.

C – Captivating – This person engages others by displaying GRCC pride and positive energy.  This individual’s enthusiasm is contagious inspiring others to be better Raiders.

C – Caring — This person makes caring the pinnacle of what it means to be a GRCC Raider.  This individual extends kindness, compassion, generosity and empowerment to all.

Please submit nominations for the Spirit Award by: 5:00 p.m., Monday September 26, 2022

Questions or more information? Please email angelasalinas@grcc.edu or mreed@grcc.edu. Thank you!

Fall 2022 Homecoming: Office Decorating Contest

Deck out your work space to celebrate Homecoming at GRCC!

Office Decorating has been a fun way for employees to enjoy the Homecoming festivities and display their GRCC spirit!

For details on the guidelines and process, please review this document.

Register to include your office or department. Decorating will take place on Spirit Day Friday September 30.

The deadline to be a part of the judging process is Monday, September 26.

Judging will take place on Monday, October 3. 

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 4 via GRCC Today.

For questions contact Erin VanEgmond or Lina Blair.

Fall 2022 Homecoming: Celebrate with the GRCC Pride photo contest

Show Us Your GRCC Spirit!

Gear Up Raider Nation! Sport your GRCC pride in celebration of Homecoming on two Spirit Day Fridays, September 30 and October 7. 

 Employees, departments, families, retirees, even pets! – everyone with Raider spirit is invited to put it on display.

Suit up in your best GRCC gear – apparel, socks, hats – anything blue and gold works! 

Snap and share photos: individual, department/team, family (kids = future Raiders) and of course photos with your furry friends!  Submit your photos to this online form to be entered into the contest.  

Photos shared by Monday, October 3 will be displayed in GRCC Today during Homecoming week, October 3 – 7, and entered into a challenge for best 2022 Homecoming GRCC spirit.

Winners will be selected from various categories: department/team, employee, student, alumni, retiree and family/pet.

For questions, contact Erin VanEgmond or Lina Blair.