Invitation to Blackboard Ultra Presentation at Harper Campus
Blackboard will be visiting the Harper campus on October 3 to discuss Blackboard Ultra, a new and modern course design from Blackboard. Currently, seven faculty members from the Blackboard User Group are piloting courses using the Ultra platform, and we have plans to expand this pilot program in the spring (to learn more about the Ultra Pilot, RSVP for a session using the link below).
During their visit, representatives from Blackboard will introduce Ultra and its features, such as the new AI design assistant, and will be available to answer any questions you might have. You can learn more about the Ultra platform here.
There are two sessions to choose from (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and we are offering an optional lunch.
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Small Group Instructional Feedback (SGIF) - Sign Up By October 20
Pioneered at the University of Washington, SGIF is a voluntary, non-evaluative process for collecting feedback from your students on their experiences and perceptions of your course mid-way through the semester. In SGIF, a faculty peer conducts a 30-minute session in your class or distributes an online survey in which they ask your students to respond to five questions about your course: 1) What helps your learning? 2) What hinders your learning? 3) What can the instructor do to improve your learning? 4) What can you to do improve your learning? and 5) What increases (or could increase) your sense of belonging in the course? The peer will provide you with a confidential, written report of feedback collected, allowing you and your students an opportunity to make positive changes.
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Attendance Tool in Blackboard
Do you need to take attendance for live face-to-face or online synchronous class meetings? The great news is that you can do that in a snap by using Blackboard’s Attendance tool. Any day that you want to track students’ attendance as present, late, absent, or excused you can do so with just a few clicks. For written directions feel free to access this Blackboard link, or to watch how to set up and use the tool, access this 3-minute video.
Looking for more tips on Blackboard tools? Visit the Faculty Blackboard Support page on the Academy website and find the heading "Blackboard Tips, Tools, & Resources for Faculty". Click the toggle to view a list of topics with a quick write-up and/or short video for each topic.
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Ally for Everyone - Lunch & Learn Sessions
Join us for an informational session on Blackboard’s Ally – a powerful tool designed to enhance the accessibility and usability of course content for all students. We will provide an overview of the tool, dive into the process of becoming an Ally Advocate, and highlight the numerous benefits associated with it. If you’re already an Advocate, don’t miss the opportunity to learn about the exciting new addition of Ally Peer Coaching, available this year. No matter what your previous experience is with Ally, we have something to share with you.
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Cite It Right with the Library!
Shared by Jennifer Lau-Bond, Coordinator of Library Instruction
Do your students get confused about the finer points of plagiarism? Do they struggle to accurately cite their sources? Encourage them to come to one of the Library’s workshops this fall! The Library is offering three separate 45-minute workshops to help students learn how to avoid plagiarism, cite in MLA style, and cite in APA style. Workshops are being held online during both day and evening times in October and November.
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Academy & Blackboard Support for Faculty: How to Get Help
The Academy team is available on campus for drop-in support in Building F, Room F317, as well as available for remote support.
Not sure what to ask or where to start? We’re here for you! Just fill out the Academy Request Form, and an Academy team member will follow-up with you.
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Unleash the power of Panopto in this virtual workshop designed to provide faculty with essential skills to get started with this all-in-one video platform. Explore creating, managing, and editing videos in Panopto, while seamlessly integrating it with Blackboard and Webex. Join us and tap into the potential of Panopto to enhance your teaching and learning experience. Register using the link above.
The annual Diversity Symposium will be on October 20. This year's theme is "ANTI: Meeting at the Intersection of Oppressions" and will feature a keynote by Dr. Nataka Moore and a closing address by Dr. Joseph Flynn. The deadline to register is October 9. View details and register using the link above.
Explore adult learning strategies and best practices in compressed learning formats and across multiple modalities. Instructors interested in discovering and practicing successful teaching strategies in compressed, and/or distance learning formats designed for non-traditional learners are encouraged to attend. Learn more and register using the link above.
Student success is at the heart of Harper’s mission. Our early alert tool, Starfish, is used to facilitate communication among students, faculty, and advisors regarding students’ academic achievements and areas for improvement. In addition to awarding Kudos to acknowledge excellent performance, Starfish is also used by faculty to raise concerns and to direct students to free resources.
The fall Redesign ingathering brings educators from Harper and Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS) partnership schools participating in the grant program an opportunity to share what they have worked on over the summer for redesigning their courses, further refine their implementation based on actionable feedback from previous redesign cohorts, and prepare for assessments throughout the semester. Continue reading using the link above.
The Harper IT Security and Business Operations team is excited to announce the launch of the 2023 Annual Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign. This year, the focus is on Social Engineering. By understanding and safeguarding against social engineering tactics, we can collectively enhance our organization's overall cybersecurity posture. Starting October 4, the Annual Security Awareness Training Session will be emailed to all employees; the deadline to complete the session is December 1.
Use the link above to view important dates and deadlines from the Registrar's Office.
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Last Chance to Register for the September 29 Conference!
Shared by the Learning Assessment Committee
Friday, September 29, 2023 – Wojcik Conference Center
- 8-8:45 a.m.: Poster Session and Breakfast
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8:45-10:30 a.m.: Keynote Session - Building Responsiveness and Serving Our Students: For Integrity, Efficacy, and Equity
- Dr. Divya Bheda, Senior Fellow from the American Association of Colleges and Universities
- 10:40-11:25 a.m.: Breakout Sessions 1
- 11:35 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Breakout Sessions 2
- 12:20-12:30 p.m.: Raffle
View the agenda; join us for one or more sessions. Attendees can win raffle prizes (must be present) including a Fire Tablet and the book, “The Impact of a Sense of Belonging in College: Implications for Student Persistence, Retention, and Success.”
This is a great opportunity to pause – step away from your workspace – and learn something new!
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Congratulations, Level II Adjunct Faculty!
Congratulations to the 2023 cohort of Level II Adjunct Faculty! These faculty members completed the Reflective Educator Graduate Equivalency Course during the summer semester and developed a comprehensive ePortfolio documenting their reflective practices, college service, and professional development that was reviewed by a committee of peers.
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Photos from the Communities of Practice Share-ousel (Spring 2023) |
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"Collaboration For Online Learning Success"
We all know that a sense of connection is imperative for online learners’ success. One way to build connection is by creating collaborative learning experiences for students.
In this article, “Collaboration for Online Learning Success” five tips for positively impacting online collaboration are revealed.
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Upcoming Professional Development Credit Opportunities |
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September 29, 8 a.m. (CEUs: up to 0.4)
October 2 - December 1 (GECs: 3) registration now closed
October 10, 9 a.m. (CEUs: 0.1)
October 16 - November 5 (CEUs: 1.2)
October 2 - October 15 (GECs: 1) registration now closed
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What's Happening @ Harper? |
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Academy for Teaching Excellence | 847.925.6174 | Building F, Room F317
Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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The mission of the Academy for Teaching Excellence is to create a vibrant teaching and learning culture for full-time and adjunct faculty that cultivates professional development in support of student success. |
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Accessibility: Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation or who have questions about physical access may contact the event host or Access and Disability Services at ads@harpercollege.edu, 847.925.6266, at least two weeks in advance of the event date.
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Harper College enriches its diverse communities by providing quality, affordable, and accessible education. Harper College, in collaboration with its partners, inspires the transformation of individual lives, the workforce, and society. |
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