Monday, September 30, 2019

Week 7, Fall 2019


ECAR Study of Community College Students and Information Technology, 2019

Guest Blogger


Laura Hofmann











Teaching Personal Growth 120 Online 

Seen and Unseen: Extroverts and Introverts in College Online Learning

As a Career Counselor, my world is steeped in personality preferences such as introversion and extroversion, and how that plays in to career preferences, professional relationships, processing of information and so on. While speaking in terms of introversion and extroversion can be borderline over simplistic, it nevertheless has a time and place when helping students uncover aspects of themselves, and how that might relate to the ways they see themselves reflected in the world of work, to make choices with a sense of confidence and self awareness.

Over the years, in teaching campus based in person courses in Career and Life Planning, Human Development, and College Success, I utilize assessments such as the Myers-Briggs within the first week of class, to help students determine whether they identify as introverted or extroverted. We use self identification, classroom exercises, Youtube videos, lectures, and related assignments to further deconstruct introversion and extroversion. Students learn that the difference lies not just in the commonly held perception of outgoing individuals vs. the wallflowers, but also what energizes us, our preferred sources of intake of information, and how we interpret that input within.

As I watch the class move through this process and observe them throughout the semester, it becomes undeniably clear to me who the introverts and extroverts are. The hand raisers, the voice projectors, the chance takers. The group leaders, the beloved verbose, the endless contributors, the ones whose names you can’t help but remember first; for the way they make themselves known. They sit juxtaposed with the shy, timid and by turns pondering and thoughtful. The think before you speak, words are a precious resource, I’ll get back to you tomorrow types. I sincerely appreciate them all in their overt and covert contributions.

Yet, try as I might to draw the introverts out...certain things are just a matter of environment. While some introverts just need time, or a carefully crafted tending to come out of their shell, others remain as stoic and poker faced on the last day, as they did on the first. I will always invite, but I will never insist.

Speaking of environment, something interesting happened to me this semester, as I created my very first Canvas course to teach fully online. I adapted the materials I had to suit the new format, and evaluated the assignments to make sure the effect was the same, if not enhanced by the online delivery. I assigned class discussions, Flip Grid responses where students interfaced directly, group assignments, in addition to typical assignments where students responded not to each other, but directly to me. Within a few weeks of the class starting I noticed something, or more specifically, the lack of something. I realized that I had not noticed, or been able to discern who the introverts and extroverts were.

As a test, I went back and reread countless student submissions. Beyond the fact that some students just completed more work than others, it was very difficult to tell who was an introvert, and who was an extrovert. While some responses were more verbose, or some videos more animated, these were not definitive indicators to me. Nearly unilaterality, students were sharing in ways that felt more natural, and less forced than my in person course prompts. I was curious enough to look up research on the matter and I found plenty of it.

Countless scientific studies and anecdotal accounts explain how the very aspects of the mask of anonymity that allows individuals to bully each other mercilessly on the internet, also allows students of online learning platforms to feel more comfortable participating; and sharing in greater depth. I went a step further to consider that since the course I taught was completely online, and that the students never had to meet physically in person, it may have created an even denser or nearly impenetrable wall of social immunity, whereby students could share with their peers and myself, without the vulnerability hangover that might accompany them should they have to actually physically appear in person and face one another at the next class meeting. In essence, I found that all students were sharing more, and in greater depth, and that the true introverts were nearly unrecognizable. I won’t go so far as to say it is the very same as cathartic confession, but I believe a distinct sense of Carl Rogers’s unconditional positive regard is at play.

Again, this is my first semester teaching a fully online class. At less than two months in, I still have a lot to learn about this new environment, and how students react to it, in the context of my particular subject which by nature is rife with opportunities for self reflection and self exposition. My sense, and research based inquiry thus far, leads me to believe that online learning platforms offer unique bastions of safety for students, both introverted and extroverted to reflect, mirror, see, be seen, or be deliciously unseen...in the intoxicating ethers of the internet.


Try This!

Name Coach


Research shows that pronouncing students' names correctly matters, and that starts with us modeling it. This article has a few concrete strategies too.

You may have noticed my NameCoach email signature, you can record yours for free here: NameCoach Personal Badge and easily add the link to Canvas, your email, or other messages.


Resources & Links

Did you know that you can caption live on the fly with Google Slides?! #gamechanger

A helpful post on Teaching Students how to Legally Use Images Online (and some great places to get images).

Last week I followed this Twitter thread of online ice breaker activities.

Conference Information

Can-Innovate


Registration is open for this free online conference. Pop by the Miramar Viewing Room: H-108, or participate from the comfort of home.


SDCCD Distance Learning Summit


Stay tuned for the registration link!

Monday, September 23, 2019

Week 6, Fall 2019


SDCCD Online Focus Group Report 2019

Guest Blogger: 








Patti Manley, Professor of History
Teaching History 105 and History 109 Online

Increasing Student to Student Engagement with VoiceThread  (Title V)

I’ve been using VoiceThread in my online and on campus courses for about four years.  VoiceThread is extremely easy to use for both instructors and students and can be embedded into a Canvas assignment or linked out to VoiceThread website. I really like that with the VoiceThread app students can complete their video posts using their phones.

For my online courses, students are required to post “video” responses to a prompt related to an image, document, artifact or website and to also interact with other students. Students are given a rubric that outlines the requirements and points possible. I’m happy to share with anyone who wants a copy of the rubric.   Don’t worry, students initially may be somewhat hesitant to use “video” but my experience has been, that within a few weeks, students already know each other’s names and have created a very interactive learning community. VoiceThread is a great way to promote the same student to student interaction as in a face to face classroom.

By moderating the VoiceThread, instructors can also use it as an assessment method other than the typical written assignment. Students whose writing skills are not as advanced, ELAC students or students with different learning styles have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning as well. I let students know that the post only needs to be about 1-2 minutes, but students’ posts are typically longer 3-4 minutes because they realize they have a lot to say about what they’ve learned.

Below are a few VoiceThread screenshots. 


In this VoiceThread, students read a document on Columbus interactions with the Taino peoples in the Caribbean, learn about vandalism to a Columbus statue in Chula Vista and comment on various historical interpretations of Columbus. 


In this example, students are asked to evaluate the extent of the Byzantine empire and the significance of the geographical location of Constantinople. Rather than just reading the text, students can crosstalk about the importance of geography in History and can visually understand how an empire’s expansive control affects other nations and individuals living within their empire.



The third example is an introduction VoiceThread.  Students were asked to tell others about the family background and history.  For confidentially reasons, student posts are hidden here but this one VoiceThread lead to over 2 hours of discussion among the students.  Students are excited to share and really excited when they find maybe someone they already know in the class or that their parents or grandparents grew up near each other. Student post video posts discussing their history and love to use the drawing tools in VoiceThread to circle the various areas on the map that their family has lived or a place that marks their heritage.

Don’t forget - VoiceThread has a Certified Educator course that teaches how to use all the great features and tools of VoiceThread.

See you online!


Canvas Hack: Hiding Grades (formerly known as "muting")














OK, why would anyone want to hide grades from students? Sounds a bit rude. But here are some ways I find this feature helpful:

  • When I want to grade everyone’s papers before I release grades.
  • When I have a discussion post assignment with multiple parts, such as a post + peer responses. I can grade posts as they’re submitted, then swing back after the deadline and look at the peer responses (it's a time management thing). No one but me will see the grades-in-progress.
  • When I want to look at a certain group of students (those who are excelling, those who are struggling) first, to get a feel for how well they understood the assignment.
The setup
In the new Canvas gradebook, all grades are set up by default to post immediately when you enter them. When an assignment is hidden/muted, you will see an  eye with a line crossed through it in the gradebook.

In Speedgrader, the crossed eye will appear in the header AFTER you’ve graded the first entry (scary, I know, but the Canvas folks say it’s supposed to work that way). Once you submit a grade for the first student, you’ll see the word HIDDEN to reassure you that you’re still the only one who sees it.

Nuts and bolts
To set it up so that grades are hidden until you release them, you can select "manual" for a specific assignment or the whole course.


*There have been a few random problems with hiding specific assignments only—I’ve found that setting the whole course to manual release works the best for me. You just have to remember to release them!

Troubleshooting
If YOU can’t see the grades when you hide them from students/set them up to be posted manually, do this:
  • Go to the specific Assignment or Discussion
  • Open the rubric (either through the little dots menu at the upper right or at the bottom of the page, depending on type of assignment)
  • Click on the pencil icon to edit
  • Make sure Use this rubric for assignment grading is checked.
  • Hit save.

Seriously, it takes longer to write about this than to do it.

Resources & Links

Great ideas here: Cool Things You Can Do with the Canvas Discussions

Jumping off Patti Manley's post, here is an article about using Voicethread in Canvas along with accessiblity and universal design information.

If you're up for some reading, here is ECAR's 2019 Study of Community College Students and Information Technology.

Upcoming Conferences

The SDCCD Distance Education Summit is Friday, October 18, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Details and an invitation to RSVP coming soon - space is limited.

Registration is open for Can-Innovate, Friday, October 25, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. 
  • This is a free, online conference designed for California Community College Canvas Users.
  • H-108 is our Miramar Viewing Room, so pop by anytime for one or more sessions. We'll be able to view together, try things out on our devices, and chat about what we learn.
CUE (Computer Using Educators) Conference, March 19-21, Palm Springs
Online Teaching Conference, July 17-19, Pasadena (Registration is now open with early bird pricing through April 14, 2020)

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Week 5, Fall 2019

SDCCD Online Faculty Training Update


Exciting News
Unicheck is available for this semester! We should be receiving an email from the district soon with details.


Save the Date
The SDCCD Distance Education Summit is Friday, October 18, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Details and an invitation to RSVP coming soon - space is limited.

Can-Innovate is Friday, October 25, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. 
  • This is a free, online conference designed for California Community College Canvas Users.
  • H-108 is our Miramar Viewing Room, so pop by anytime for one or more sessions. We'll be able to view together, try things out on our devices, and chat about what we learn.


Films on Demand
One of our Miramar librarians, Roger Olson let us know about a new feature to Canvas that makes it super simple to embed videos in your courses from the library’s Films on Demand streaming video database.

Here’s how it works:

  • When you are in “edit” mode in Canvas, click on the V-shaped icon on the toolbar and select Films on Demand.
  • A search box then appears, enabling you to search the database.
  • When you find a video you’d like your class to view, click the “embed” button. You can choose whether to size the video small, medium, or large.
  • That’s it.  Of course, be sure to save the Canvas page to which you have just added the video.

Don’t hesitate to contact the library if you have questions about Films on Demand or any other library resources. 

·      Mary Hart  –  mhart@sdccd.edu  – x7614
·      Angela Boyd  – aboyd001@sdccd.edu  –  x7615
·      Roger Olson  –  rolson@sdccd.edu  –  x7622



Title V
Cheryl Reed



I started this class believing it would be easier, but it is just as difficult as any other class I have had even so far. I simply have the privilege to sit on my bed instead of a plastic chair.  

Online English 101 student





Title V § 55202. Course Quality Standards
The same standards of course quality shall be applied to any portion of a class conducted through distance education as are applied to in-person classes. . . click the link here for Full text



Try This! 
Denise Maduli-Williams


Padlet is web tool where you can create digital boards for students to view and contribute to. I incorporate them in different ways in both my onground and online classes.

Try it out below by clicking on the pink + button in the right bottom corner. Then add a picture and three fun facts about yourself.

Made with Padlet


Links & Resources

Fabiola Torres, Professor of Ethnic Studies at Glendale Community College, recently shared this short 2-minute video about her online teaching experience. 

She says, "Online education isn't more work, online education is different work. In so many ways we actually have more contact with technology . . . we can actually have more connection with students, and again it's different and rewarding."