OFDIT Newsletter October 2021

The below newsletter was originally sent out in October 2021 and was not posted to the blog at that time.

October 2021

Dear CUNY SPS Faculty,
The Fall semester is in full swing, and we hope your classes are going well! In this month’s edition, we provide information on the Reflective Pedagogy Reading Group, the Teaching Matters virtual teaching workshop series, and the In/Visibility: Disability Awareness Film Discussion Event.
We also share a Blackboard tip on the “Search” tool feature for discussion boards as well as a tip on the “Send Reminder” feature, submitted by Curtis Izen through our Faculty Corner.
At the end of the newsletter, you can find a list of our upcoming training sessions — we look forward to seeing you there!
As always, thank you for reading. We look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the Fall semester.

Reflective Pedagogy Reading Group

The CUNY SPS Reflective Pedagogy Reading Group continues its fall meetings on Thursday, October 28, 1-2 pm. Dr. Kate Moss will moderate a discussion of Asao B Inoue’s 2019 Chair’s Address to the Conference on College Composition & Communication, “How Do We Language So People Stop Killing Each Other, or What Do We Do About White Language Supremacy?” (College composition and communication 71.2 (2019): 352–369. Print.) To RSVP or for more information, please contact Melanie Lorek (Melanie.Lorek@cuny.edu). All are welcome!

Teaching Matters Virtual Teaching Workshop

The CUNY Innovative Teaching Academy is kicking off a new virtual teaching workshop series for the 2021-22 academic year. In their presentation “Accessibility as Good Pedagogy: Universal Design for Inclusive Learning,” SPS OFDIT’s own Antonia Levy and Michelle Gastulo will facilitate an interactive conversation on how we can make our courses more inclusive and engaging for all learners. For more details and to register for the event, please visit the events page.

In/Visibility: Disability Awareness Film Discussion Event

The committee on Institutional Equity and Diversity & Office of Student Disability Services Presents a film discussion event on “Deaf in the Military” and “The Power of 504.” These videos are available on Youtube and it is recommended that both videos are watched prior to the event. The facilitated group discussion will be held over Zoom. The program will be presented twice:

Search Tool in Discussion Boards

Have you ever wanted to search your discussion boards for a specific phrase, word, or part of a word, or by author? You can do so using the “Search” tool! This tool can be found on the top-right hand side of your Blackboard screen in the “Discussion Board” area.
Once you click “Search,” you can search by “Current Discussion Board,” or if you have multiple discussion boards, you can select “All Forums in Course.” You can narrow your search by entering After and Before dates and times. Once you are done, you can select “Go.”
From the “Search Results” page, you can reply to posts as well as mark posts read and unread.

Faculty Corner Submission: Using the “Send Reminder” Feature in Blackboard

“In my BUS 325 Principles of MIS, I send email reminders through the Grade Center instead of sending emails through Blackboard or from my college email to remind students of missing work. Using the Send Reminders feature in the Grade Center automatically sends a system-generated email to all students missing work for that assignment. This feature eliminates the time spent searching the Grade Center for students that have not yet submitted. It also helps the entire class avoid notifications (or reminders) about work they already completed.”
-Curtis Izen

Fall Semester Training Sessions:

VoiceThread for SPS Faculty

This training will introduce VoiceThread, a collaborative, multimedia program that allows faculty (or students) to upload various media like slides, images, or video and engage the class in an enhanced discussion. You and your students can add commentary by means of microphone, webcam, keyboard, or phone. In this session, SPS faculty will learn how to create a VoiceThread and how to integrate it into their Blackboard course.

The VoiceThread Grader

VoiceThread, an asynchronous audio/video discussion board integrated into Blackboard, can be set up for efficient grading. Join this session to learn about the three different assignment types, their advantages/disadvantages, and common obstacles students encounter. By using the assignment builder your VoiceThread will be contained inside a grading tool that aggregates student comments, provides a gallery of student work, and pushes grades to a column in the Blackboard Grade Center.

Using Blackboard Groups

Wondering how to set up student group work in your courses? In this session, you will learn how to use the Blackboard groups tool effectively, including how to create groups and how to create group assignments. The training will also cover how to grade group work.

Blackboard Grading Tips 

This training is all about grading! We will cover Grade Center basics, the Needs Grading area, Grade Center vs My Grades, how to create and use rubrics, and more!

Introduction to Blackboard Tests

In addition to covering the basics such as creating tests and pools, this training answers some common questions: how do I import/export a test? How do I grant an exception? What are all those options on the Grade Details page? And what do all these feedback option settings actually mean? Join us as we answer your questions on Blackboard Tests.

Introduction to BB Mobile

Over half of participants in SPS’s New Student Orientation plan to use mobile devices as a part of their online learning experience – will your online courses transfer well into this interface? In this session, we will explore the Blackboard Mobile application and gain an understanding of how students experience learning on the go. We will also discuss the major interface differences between Blackboard Mobile and Blackboard for Desktop and best practices for online course design for mobile devices.

Student Engagement in Online Learning

Join us for a discussion of best practices for generating and sustaining student engagement in the virtual classroom. This training will review approaches to enhance student engagement, including different ways to present content, the role of feedback in sustaining engagement, activities to promote student interaction, active learning approaches, and connecting your course content to the real world. You’ll have an opportunity to discuss challenges and successes you’ve experienced and share strategies with colleagues.

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

Estimates of the percentage of the general population that had experienced trauma *before* the Covid-19 pandemic were in the 80% range. Since Spring 2020, the relevance of Trauma-Informed Pedagogy has become clearer, but what is trauma? How does it affect learning? What can educators do about it? Please join us for a discussion of the principles of Trauma-Informed Pedagogy and of strategies for implementing these in a practical way that supports both you and your students.

Call for Faculty Corner Submissions

 

If you have a useful or interesting pedagogical or technical tip (in 200 words or less!) that you are excited about, we would love to hear from you and add your submission to our next Faculty Newsletter! Please use our Faculty Corner Submission Form to submit your pitch.

 

 

As always, OFDIT is here to help with any questions you may have. We are available for one-on-one support and would be happy to schedule a Zoom call to discuss any questions you may have. You can contact us at facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu.
All the best,
Your OFDIT Team