Week 8, Spring 2020

Slide from Humanizing Remote Teaching & Learning Webinar, Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Well here we are at the end of our first week fully online as an entire college!

As we head into a well-deserved Spring Break, here are just a few links and resources for you to mull over to support you and your students when we return:

Try This! 

DIY Doc Cam

Dr. Jae Calanog, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy 

Jae created his own DIY document camera for Zoom sessions based on a hack he saw on Instagram:

           Inspiration from Professor Krissy Venosdale                                   Jae's DIY doc cam                                

You can also try a Shoebox Hug to create a DIY doc cam with a simple shoebox and your phone:

See Bonni Stachowiak from the Teaching in Highered Podcast show how here: Shoebox Hug Document Camera

Student Information Links

Duane Short, Professor, Business

Duane pulled together a list of resources for our students during the campus closure and public health emergency.

California has launched a new website to provide useful COVID-19 information to all state residents. It highlights critical steps people can take to stay healthy and includes public service announcements from state health leaders.

Here are some student resources and FAQs related to education from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

The CDC has created a checklist on how to prepare your household.

Federal student loan payments can be suspended for 60 days.

The California Department of Education has made an app to help families locate meals during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Department of Public Health is maintaining a COVID-19 information page with updates and guidance about the disease.

The California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance has a wealth of information and resources for undocumented families, including resources by region.

There has been an increase in fraud schemes related to COVID-19 including fake emails and counterfeit treatments or equipment. 

The CDC has put together a guide on easing fear and anxiety during this uncertain time.

The meditation site Headspace is offering a free collection called Weathering the Storm. It offers guided meditations and sleep and movement exercises to help get everyone through this time.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

We can all safely help our communities during this difficult time. You can find a number of ways to take action on the California Volunteers website. I will accept any volunteer work you do as extra credit in lieu of a workshop or student club meeting.

Two Timely Webinars

Denise Maduli-Williams (and Bella)

If you missed either one of these webinars, the slides and recording are here and as we push forward online, we must consider these timely topics:

Humanizing Temporary Remote Teaching and Learning, by CVC-OEI Online Faculty Mentor, Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Equity Minded Online Teaching Practices, by Dr. Luke Wood and Dr. Frank Harris III from the Center for Organizational Responsiblity and Advancement (CORA).

Special Edition 4: Canvas Hack: Create a Internet Access Survey

Thanks to Mara Palma-Sanft for sharing a survey her high schoolers received in preparation for going remote!  This can help you get a sense of your students' ability to access your course materials online, and work directly with students who may have challenges that have nothing to do with course content.

I revised the high school-oriented survey to reflect Miramar's setup and created a poll in Canvas for my students. 

 To create a poll in Canvas: 

• Create a new Quiz
• Select UNGRADED SURVEY in the pull down menu
• Create multiple choice or fill-in-the blank questions
• Save and publish!

Technology and Internet Access Survey

Instructions: This is a quick survey to let us know the best way to keep you in touch with online class materials. If you need to talk beyond the questions here, please email me at -------

1.  First Name, Last Name


2.  Which of these devices do you use primarily to connect to the internet?
            Computer (Desktop or Laptop)
            Tablet (iPad, Galaxy, etc.)
            Smart Phone
            I do not have access to the internet


3.
Which of the following best describes your access to the device (computer, tablet, smart phone)?
            I have exclusive use of the device.

            I share the device with others.


4 . What's the best time for you to access course materials/the Internet?
            In the morning
            In the afternoon
            In the evening
            Any time I need it

5.  Where do you access the Internet?

            At home

            At work

            At a public place like the library

            At a friend's


6. Is there a data limit on your internet access?
            Yes
            No

7.  Do you have the capability to watch videos, Face Time, or Skype?
            Yes
            No

8. How many people use your Internet access?

Special Edition #3: Canvas Hack: Editing Announcements

Ever wish you could edit Canvas Announcements? Well, you can. It's a little sneaky. You use the delay option. This function was designed for times when you want to write an announcement ahead of time and release it as needed, but it also works as an face-saving edit tool.

As you've probably noticed, when you hit Save in Announcements, the post gets emailed to all students immediately. Even if you go back and edit a typo, it changes only what's on your course shell. That first message, with all its typos, has already left the building.

So, if you know that you will want to add or adjust what you say later (or are just really, really tired and are in danger of creating multiple, embarrassing typos) you can delay the post.

In the Options menu at the bottom of the announcement, click delay, pick a date you know is too far in the future to cause you problems if you forget to change it, and then save. You can come back and edit right up until that date you chose rolls around.

Special Edition #2: Latest Resources and Links

Resources and Links:

So many resources, links, and tips are being shared to help us move to temporary remote instruction. Here are some that I've found particularly helpful:

Temporary Remote Instruction Canvas Course

Please go there. The SDCCCD has curated doable, smart, tips for teaching remotely and it's on a Canvas shell (you do not need Canvas to login), so that you can also get a feel for Canvas Modules.

Instructional, Student Services, and Shared College Resource Information
From the CVC-OEI, this Canvas Course (you do not need Canvas to log in), has provided pages that support individual colleges with the development of instructional continuity resources to support faculty and professionals.

Dave Giberson's Youtube Channel

Dave has been doing nonstop Zoom and Canvas trainings via Zoom and recording all of them. Trust me, these are helpful and what you need to get set up. You can watch them when you want to, pause to follow along, and rewatch as needed.

Zoom in Under 5 Minutes

This the best tutorial for quick-starting Zoom. Thank you Katie Palacios!

Zoom for Students in Under 5 Minutes
Don't forget to share with your students!

VitalSource and Publishers
VitalSources will have free access to digital learning materials through the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.

Charter Communications
Free access to spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi for 60 days for K-12 and college student households.

"Physical-not Social-Distancing," by Michelle Pacansky-Brock

A wonderful article by our CVC-OEI @ONE Faculty Mentor of Online Teaching and Learning, starting with the recognition of how stressful this time is for our students, and one small tip to reach out.

Facebook Groups
If Facebook is your thing, you'll notice there are a number of groups now that are sharing wonderful crowdsourced tips for teaching. Many are specific to discipline as well. Here just a few:

• Chronicle of Higher Education's Facebook Group 
• Pandemic Pedagogy
• Online Learning Collective
• Online Art and Design Studio Instruction in the Age of Social Distancing

Special Edition #1: Temporary Remote Teaching

Upcoming Canvas Workshops

Resources

Reach out to the experts and colleagues in your department and discpline. There are many questions and issues that depend on what you teach.

A wonderful curated playlist of educators creating brief How-to Videos in support of remote teaching: Keep Teaching Playlist

Thinking about how to reproduce some of what you do in a face-to-face classroom to an online setting can be challenging. This table from Jim Julius, Director of Online Learning, MiraCosta College, includes specific ideas: Taking Classroom Activities Online

Temporary Remote Teaching

As we think about how to support students through temporary remote teaching, here are a few considerations:

1. Communication with students. Students are even more worried and stressed than we are, so be sure to let them know how they can reach you and how you will communicate with them. That could be through email, Canvas inbox, or other apps that you may have already set up (Pronto, Remind, etc.). If you are meeting students still, this is the number one priority - how can they communicate with you (and you them) not for compliance, but because you care.

2. Canvas. Using Canvas is not mandatory, but all of us already have Canvas shells provided for us for our F2F classes. You can quickly set yours up to at least be able to hold discussions and/or send announcements. Just be sure to publish your course. There are many tutorials below:

How to Log in to your Canvas shell:

• URL: http://sdccd.instructure.com
• USERNAME: 10-Digit Employee ID
• PASSWORD: 8-DIGIT BIRTHDATE (MMDDYYYY)

• Create a page 
• Create a module 
• Publish (make items visible to students)
• Upload a file 
• Create a quiz 
• Create an announcement 
• Create a discussion 

3. Zoom. Zoom is available to all of us for video conferencing (live or recorded). BE sure to use your SDCCD email to create a Pro account.

• Get your free Zoom Pro account here: conferzoom.org 
• Here is a great tutorial by Katie Palacios at Mesa: Zoom in under 5 mins. Darn – not quite!
• A short video on How to hold a Whiteboard Lecture using Zoom

4. Youtube. In addition to using Youtube to upload videos you create, you can also create an account and then curate existing videos into a playlist to share with students. 

• Short how-to video here from Kelly Spoon at Mesa: Creating a Youtube account and Playlist 

5. Other technology tools. There are variety of tech tools that can support the interaction, engagement, learning, and assessment in online spaces. Some that have been highlighted on this blog in past posts include:

• VoiceThread
• Flipgrid
• Hypothesis
• AnswerGarden
• Padlet
• Google Suite (Docs, Sites, etc.)
• Adobe Spark Suite (Posts, Pages, Video)
• Perusall

Many of you are already using some or all of these. However, it's not the time to overwhelm yourself or students with a bunch of new tools. If you want to try one, fine, but also don't feel obligated to.

Be kind, be flexible, be patient.

Helpful Resources to Keep Teaching

Excellent resources from CVC-OEI Online Network of Educators on How to Keep Teaching During an Emergency. They include straightforward things we can do to keep communicating, teaching, and assessing students.

Our SDCCD Canvas Shell of Resources and Training Materials for Online and Web-enhanced Teaching


From the Chronicle of Higher Education: Going Online in a Hurry: What to Do and Where to Start?


Spring 2020 Canvas Institute

ZOOM Sessions:  All listed workshops will be held online via Zoom. Zoom URL https://cccconfer.zoom.us/my/dgiberson

By Popular Demand:

Date	Time	College	Cont. Ed	Topic	Presenter
3/12/2020	2-4 pm	Flex #2176	Flex #11464	Intro to Canvas and Canvas Q&A	Dave Giberson
3/17/2020	9-11am	Flex #2177	Flex #11465	Intro to Canvas and Canvas Q&A	Dave Giberson
3/20/2020	10am-12 pm	Flex #2178	Flex #11466	Intro to Canvas and Canvas Q&A	Dave Giberson

Week 6, Spring 2020

Canvas Hack: Continuity of Instruction

Emergency Preparedness & Online Learning

Resolution-Miramar Distance Education Committee:

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently urged schools and other public institutions to begin making plans for "teleschool" in case there is a nationwide spread of coronavirus that leads to school closures. The Miramar Distance Education Committee encourages all faculty (even those teaching on-campus classes) to consider how they can use the features of Canvas and other online tools to provide students with ongoing access to course materials as a general preparedness measure.

To be clear: We're talking here about how classes can engage in "temporary remote teaching" where applicable. We aren't talking about any classes magically becoming Distance Education courses or about suspending online teaching certification. However, the CDC has asked schools to consider how they might use online tools to provide "continuity of instruction" should school closures or individual student quarantines become necessary.

How can we maintain discussions with our students and continue applicable coursework remotely for a short, temporary period of time during a public health situation? 

To go to last week's post with many ideas for using Canvas including a variety of tutorials: Week 5 Canvas Hack

OER Resources

Angela Boyd, Miramar Librarian

Are you interested in trying out an OER textbook for your class? Maybe you would like to see the latest that is out there for your subject area. 

• The University of North Georgia is giving away print copies of approximately 30 titles that are free to you if you request a review copy. The subjects range from accounting to literature to warfare. Digital copies are freely available on their website: North Georgia Textbooks and OERs  

• Bookstores, libraries, schools and educators, museums, stores and gift shops, book bloggers, book review programs are all eligible to receive a review copy. To order one, please go to this site: Request a Review Copy 

As always, if you have any questions about OER/ZTC materials, please come see me in the library or or give me a holler at 619-388-7310.

Links and Resources

Pronto is now available at no cost to faculty in an effort to allow teachers and students to stay connected while they work from home. (I've been using Pronto this semester to stay in touch with students and they love it).

They aren't the only company, there's a growing list of EdTech Companies offering FREE subscriptions during closure.

It's not as simple as "flipping a switch," Learning in a Pandemic Part 1 and Part 2.

On a positive note, in this Inside Higher Ed article, "Quiet Power," by Karen Costa explains how online learning benefits introverted students.

Week 5, Spring 2020

SDCCD Chancellor's Cabinet Update, February 2020

Canvas Hacks: Coronavirus

Well, not only is it flu season--the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) just this week urged schools to begin making plans for "teleschool" in case there is a nationwide spread of coronavirus that leads to school closures. In fact, local San Diego K-12 is currently contacting parents about preparedness measures.

 

We should talk.

Our fully online students are in a sweet spot: if school closes or if they need to quarantine, they have all the materials they need right there online. Read, view, learn, submit, get feedback!

The trick comes in covering classes that are set up to meet in person. Can we use Canvas and other online tools to provide students with ongoing access to course materials if we have to, er, step away from campus for a bit?

Here are some ways we can start right now to use Canvas for possible "away missions," even for in-person classes:

• Store material such as links, videos, handouts, and quizzes in your Canvas shell or other LMS, including things you're currently planning to use in person. You want students to be able to access your materials if you're not there! [You can publish/unpublish individual items at will so you don't give away any secrets before you want to.]
• Use the Discussion Board & peer replies to achieve a virtual class discussion.
• Use Modules and Pages to create short written versions of key concepts.
• Use Announcements to contact your students. Since these go out as emails as well as being stored on the class site, you can use also these to introduce the concepts for the day/week. So far, I haven't hit the limit on length, but I'd opt for several shorter messages over one long one. Just sayin'. The students are reading these on their phones!
• Upload screenshots and still images to illustrate concepts you'd normally demonstrate in person.
• Show students now how to upload assignments electronically. (If you haven't already, set up assignment instructions and submission links in your Canvas shell to test them out, even if you usually grade with pen and ink.)
• Set up a free Zoom PRO account @ https://cccconfer.zoom.us/ so you can connect with students in real-time. Try a Zoom session with them now so you know it will work when you're off campus.
• If you're familiar with filming & posting to social media, consider creating short screencasts or videos of some of your usual lecture/instruction materials.

Yes, these don't cover every possible classroom interaction, especially in classes that require hands-on activities. But they're a start, we can do them a bit at a time now, and they can help us get through any sudden absences. Denise and I recently found that out when we were called into jury duty!

Canvas tutorials for instructors: 

• Create a page 
• Create a module 
• Publish (make items visible to students)
• Upload a file 
• Create a quiz 
• Create an announcement 
• Create a discussion 

Canvas tutorials for students:

• Viewing an assignment 
• Submitting an assignment
• Replying to a discussion  

Guest Blogger: 

Mary Klann

Lecturer, History Department

Collaborative Annotation with Hypothesis

Hypothesis is one of my favorite tools available for encouraging students to engage thoughtfully with course readings and with each other. I’ve used Hypothesis in face-to-face classes since Spring 2018. When I started teaching online last semester (Fall 2019), I made it a key piece of each module.

How it works:

Hypothesis is an open-source annotation tool which allows students to annotate any text on the web. Students can attach text comments, photos, or videos to highlighted words or phrases in course readings. As an instructor, Hypothesis provides a way for me to actually see how students are taking notes. Additionally, all members of the class can engage with each other’s notes by replying to comments.  

Why collaborative annotation?

Before integrating Hypothesis into my courses, I utilized weekly reading quizzes. I was never completely happy with these assignments because I didn’t feel as though they were the best gauge for assessing student’s comprehension of and engagement with the course readings. I’ve found reading annotations to be more fluid and flexible in terms of what students can actually get out of course readings. The best things I’ve found?

• Students learn how to take notes! Because I can see their annotations, I can give individual feedback. I didn’t learn how to effectively annotate assigned course readings until I was in graduate school. This is a valuable skill, and one that requires practice.
• Students can talk to each other about the course readings. They can ask and answer questions of other students. Thus, in online courses, Hypothesis helps to build community by facilitating student-to-student communication.
• And, students get credit, just for taking notes! No more creating reading quizzes for me, no more stress of taking quizzes for them. Because annotating readings is about practicing the skills of analysis and written communication, it isn’t really about getting quiz questions “right” or “wrong,” which I find encourages students to engage more thoughtfully and deeply with the material.

What to annotate?

In order to get students thinking about what they should be writing in their annotations, I always provide a brief “Reading Guide” with questions they can answer. I also instruct them that they won’t receive credit for one-word annotations like, “Interesting,” or “Shocking!” For example, in my HIST 109 (US History to 1877) course, students just read John Winthrop’s “city on a hill” sermon from 1630. The reading guide to this source included questions such as, “What did Winthrop believe to be British settlers’ mission in New England?” and “How does Winthrop believe society is regulated by religion?” When they stop to consider a particular phrase or sentence and how it helps them answer the questions in the Reading Guide, they begin to analyze the source itself.

Here is a brief orientation video for Hypothesis that I posted for my online course, to see how Hypothesis works with Canvas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY4y8A9OM1c.

Evaluating annotations:

In my online courses, students are required to annotate 3 brief readings per module. I only require one annotation per reading. However, students rarely annotate just once! As they become more comfortable with the tool, and depending on the source, I have seen quite in-depth analyses of these readings emerge, as well as conversations between multiple students about particular themes. In terms of grading, as long as the annotations are thoughtful (and longer than the one word exclamations I mentioned above), I award full points. The goal with this assignment is to get them reading, and more critically, get them engaging with the reading in a way that helps them to understand the themes from each module more deeply.

Two options for using Hypothesis:

Student create free accounts at hypothes.is:

Students can create free accounts through Hypothesis. They can download and install the Hypothesis app into their web browser, and after downloading a PDF or opening a link to a course reading, they can start annotating. Hypothesis also provides the option of creating private groups, which students can join. This ensures that annotations can’t been seen by anyone outside of your course. Students provide their username to me so I can evaluate them.

Hypothesis App in Canvas:

Hypothesis is currently offering their LMS app for free for testing and limited use (up to 50 students for one academic term). (They are in the process of implementing an LMS Pilot Program that will provide support for schools looking to adopt it.) If you choose this option, students do not have to create a separate Hypothesis account, as the tool will load right in Canvas. You can upload individual readings to each module, or create Assignments using Hypothesis where you can give students feedback through the Speed Grader.

One of my main goals for students in my class is that by the end of the course, they will be able to critically analyze a source and effectively communicate their arguments. Hypothesis is a great way for students for students to practice these skills over the course of the semester. You can learn more at https://web.hypothes.is/.

Join in on the HOOPLA!

If  you missed our first HOOPLA Workshop: Regular and Effective Contact, Instructor-to-Student, you can click here to access the workshops slides and activities: Regular and Effective Contact, Part 1 Resources

Head to the Flex site to sign up for upcoming HOOPLA Workshops:

• Regular and Effective Contact, Part 2, Student-to-Student, Friday, March 20, Flex # 2134
• Accessibility in your Canvas Course, Friday, April 17, Flex #2135
• Canvas Gradebook: Tips and Drop-in Support, Friday, May 15, Flex 2136

All workshops are in L-102 from 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Links and Resources

If you have any bandwidth left for reading, here are two recent articles that caught my attention:

"What Counts for Proximity?" a timely article from Inside Higher Ed about working remotely and the question of proximity vs. engagement.

"Promoting Online Learners' Social-Emotional Growth: A Montessori Perspective," from Faculty Focus