HCC now has NROC!

NROC is the National Repository of Online Courses. So, why choose NROC?

• High-quality content is media-rich, adaptable and affordable.
• Mapped to state and federal standards.
• Content can be used with or without a textbook to enhance online, blended and face-to-face learning environments.
• Content can be used for co-requisite, remedial and/or modularized learning per Senate Bill 1720.



Available content in:

- Math (Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Statistics, and Probability)

- Natural Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental Science),

- Social Science (History, Government, Economics and Religion)

• Instructors can modify their own HippoCampus site with custom Subject Displays, and Textbook Correlations, topic-level Annotations and Playlists.

For more about NROC, including information on how to login to HCC's portal page, click here.

What I Learned at the Florida Master Teacher Seminar

By Mustapha Lahrach

Imagine a completely immersive learning environment. Like the first day of any class, you are in a room with 34 people you have never met. You don’t know anything about their backgrounds, but if they’ve been assigned to your same class, you must have something in common. Imagine sitting in a dark room with this group of people watching a planetarium show as “The Dark Side of the Moon” plays in the background. Imagine sitting in a different room, facing each other, sharing the challenges we stumble upon from day to day. And finally, imagine spending four whole days with that same group of people.

This is true immersion.

The Florida Master Teacher Seminar brings teachers together in a comfortable environment to share their experiences of mastering their field and to help each other achieve excellence in education. This was accomplished through group discussions and by introducing excellent ideas that can be implemented easily and effectively. One example was the in-class activity, “One-Minute Motivator,” which balances a lecture with a visual aid to help focus students’ attention while they listen to the instructor. It could be an activity, a quick quiz, a magic trick, or a riddle that grabs attention or causes students to focus on a specific issue or topic.

Before arriving, each attendee was asked to bring a favorite, motivational book (mine was Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist), which was placed in a room for the duration of the seminar. This gave us the opportunity to skim through pages of inspiration between workshops and discussions. One of the inspirational presentations that supplemented the group discussions was titled “How to Succeed at Almost Anything, Almost All the Time.”

And the secret is

• Vision (know what you want to accomplish)
• Equipment (have everything you need to accomplish it)
• Preparation (be prepared with plan B)
• Mystique (don’t be predictable!)
• Participation (to get others involved, be involved)
• Execution (as Nike says, just do it!)

If we can incorporate these elements into our teaching and into our lives, we should be able to master the challenges we face with confidence and be a positive force for our students and each other.

In facing these challenges, we push ourselves to improve, and in order to reach a higher level, we must improve on what we do now, by revisiting and revising what we have been doing year upon year. At the end of the seminar, each attendee shared a 15-minute teaching demonstration; upon completion, the audience contributed only positive, constructive feedback on notecards that the presenter could keep. What better way to get and keep advice, recommendations, and feedback from a trusted group of experienced teachers! This sort of self-improvement activity could help all of us, even without attending a seminar… I can ask a trusted colleague to sit in my class for 15 minutes. What will he or she see? How can I improve my teaching?

This is what I learned at the Florida Master Teacher Seminar…

Want Professional Development On-Demand?

HCC has Go2Knowledge! Go2Knowledge is an on-demand professional development system that offers over 75 webinars. Certificates are issued upon the completion of each webinar.

Training topics include:

• At-Risk Populations
• Campus Safety
• Organizational Development
• Student Success
• Teaching & Learning
• Technology

Visit the MyHCC Assistance Center (in Blackboard) for login instructions. Don't have access to the MyHCC Assistance Center? Register on the CITT Website.

Dealing with a Diverse Student Body

By Johana Melendez

Dealing with a diverse student body

Would you like to hear more about 4 core principles that all students long for? Regardless of their background, ethnicity, language, gender, religion, age, and all differences you can name, I believe these are core principles that if you embrace them, it can advance your connections with students that could eventually lead to improvement in their academic progress. If you want to hear more about it and some practical strategies to use in your classroom when dealing with a diverse student body click in the link to read more.

Dealing with a diverse student body

We all know very well that our students are different in many ways: physically, ethnically, culturally, socially, economically, emotionally, by age, gender, religion, level of intelligence, etc… So, how can we teach and reach out to all of them? Is it even possible? I personally think it is possible, however, it will be challenging because it all begins with “Me”, the teacher. In reading different publications about this topic and reflecting in my own personal experiences, I have come to the realization that most of the things that we want to change about our students may not be possible to change. But we can always change ourselves, our perceptions and expectations and educate ourselves so we can better deal with those things we cannot change. No matter how diverse your classroom is, there are principles that are common to all human beings and if you understand that, and embrace it, it will help you reach out to all your students and be a more effective teacher, regardless of their background and differences. Here, I list some of those core principles that we all long for with some ideas on how to apply them in your classroom.

1. Students want to be accepted and respected for who they are: Never assume, do not generalize. To better understand their behaviors, try to understand their home culture and family values and beliefs. The first day of class you can ask questions about what they think of education, their expectations of your class and you, as their teacher. Ask them if those ideas come from their family or the society they live in. Clarify your expectations that you have of them from day one, so they know where you stand and what you expect of them. Acknowledge that there may be differences in opinions and explain why you value your methods and philosophy of teaching. Always use a tone that demonstrates respect. After all, they are adults, just like you.
2. Students appreciate being thought of as if they are “smart and capable." We all enjoy being told how smart we are and love being able to achieve challenging things. People like challenge. Nothing feels better than being able to say: “That was hard, but I did it”. Don’t assume they are lazy and want and easy class. They may be anxious and feel lost, but with guidance and respect they are more likely to get inspired and start believing in themselves. Make your class challenging and always keep high standards but be sure to help them by providing them with structure and guidance on how to study the material. Many of them don’t know how to study. And then praise them when they achieve results. Demonstrate high expectations, but make sure you are available to help them achieve. The more practice and challenging discussions happen inside the classroom, the more they master the material and become confident outside the classroom and during the tests. If it’s too difficult, be flexible by offering them different alternatives to the same assignment. For example, if it’s a microbiology project, ask them to pick the diseases they want to research, instead of you making the decision for them. Give them periodic reviews, prompt feedback and frequent tests or practice tests so they have a chance to master material before final test. Give them the opportunity to drop a low grade. If they know that it is realistically possible to achieve a good grade, they will be more motivated to work on your class. If they know their whole grade depends on just a few tests, they will feel insecure and hopeless, and may give up.
3. Students want to know that you care: Everyone needs and wants to be loved. Showing that you care is a sign of love that goes the extra mile. Allow students to share their personal dreams, goals, concerns and hopes. Remember the saying: “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." Get them involved with community projects. Service learning is a great way to do that while they learn class material because they get to help the community and feel part of something. That will help you connect with the students in the class and outside the class. Attend SGA events to celebrate with students and thank them for their involvement in extracurricular activities.
4. Students love to share their life stories with the class and you: Tap into students' backgrounds to enhance learning. Students' self-esteem and motivation are enhanced when teachers ask them to share their experiences by creating class discussions and validating what they say. Students are more likely to be interested in your class when they can relate the concepts to their own life stories and experiences. So, do your homework and get to know them on first day so you can be prepared with ideas and examples that touch each of them.

In conclusion, I believe that teaching students here at HCC can be challenging because of the diversity of students we have, but if we embrace it, we can also learn from it and enjoy it. Although everything I wrote here comes from my heart and beliefs, I gathered ideas from the reference below to write this article and if you want to learn more, visit the link or read in the book “Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition Edited by Robert W. Cole; Chapter 2. Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners written by Marietta Saravia-Shore. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107003/chapters/Diverse-Teaching-Strategies-for-Diverse-Learners.aspx

Accessing and Utilizing SmartBook

"SmartBook provides an adaptive and interactive reading experience, allowing students to engage with course content and study efficiently." Interested in accessing and utilizing SmartBook Assignments?

Then, check out a great video by John Bacheller to learn more!

John Bacheller teaches in the Biology department at the Dale Mabry Campus.

HCC's STEM Grant - Published!

Bethany Cordell and Walt Justice, of HCC's Title III Stem Grant have been published. You can purchase their book, Title III (HSI) STEM Grant Technology Manual, in the Apple App Store.

Download the book from the Apple App Store today: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/title-iii-hsi-stem-grant-technology/id659027749?mt=11

Universal Design Module

The Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education and Intellectual Disabilities has created a module on Universal Design for Online Learning. The module is five sections and takes about two hours to review.

From the module's webpage:

• Section 1: Introduction to UDL provides the history of UDL, its relevance to what we know about variability in learning, and the principles that comprise the UDL framework. Four sections addressing the interrelated components of the UDL curriculum follow the introduction.
• Section 2:Network-Based Goals provides guidance of how to structure a learning activity such as a lecture, presentation, laboratory experiment, or an assessment by identifying its true purpose and how to effectively communicate goals to students.
• Section 3:Methods presents flexible strategies to support student learning.
• Section 4:Materials guides you in the selection of flexible media and materials that support a variety of pathways to meet specific learning expectations.
• Section 5:Assessing Students offers considerations for designing assessments that accurately measure student knowledge, skills and engagement by maintaining construct relevance and reducing irrelevant or distracting elements that interfere with the assessment’s validity.

Click Universal Design for Online Learning to view the the module.

Free Learner Centered Assessment Webcasts

Join turnitin for free 30-Minute Webcasts on Learner Centered Assessments.

1. Thursday, March 14 at 12pm
   Learner Centered Assessment: Do Rubrics Enhance the Learning Experience?
   with Heidi Andrade, University at Albany—State University of New York
   
   Rubrics have been the standard in assessment for several years now and are widely used by educators in both secondary and higher education. Join us as we explore whether rubrics really work to improve student success.
   
   Register Now



2. Thursday, March 28 at 1pm
   Learner Centered Assessment: The Complete Assessment Package
   with Dr. Antonia Levi, Simon Fraser University
   
   This webcast will explore the Complete Assessment Package, an innovative new concept that mixes various traditional elements of assessment such as rubrics and norming into an easy-to-implement assessment program that can increase student learning and success.
   
   Register Now

Safe Assign is Here!

SafeAssign compares submitted assignments against a set of academic papers to identify areas of overlap between the submitted assignment and existing works. Safe Assign is used to prevent plagiarism and to create opportunities to help students identify how to properly attribute sources rather than paraphrase. SafeAssign is effective as both a deterrent and an educational tool.

After a paper has been processed, a report will be available detailing the percentage of text in the submitted paper that matches existing sources. It also shows the suspected sources of each section of the submitted paper that returns a match. Instructors can delete matching sources from the report and process it again. This may be useful if the paper is a continuation of a previously submitted work by the same student. Because SafeAssign identifies all matching blocks of text, it is important to read the report carefully and investigate whether or not the block of text is properly attributed.

Want to start using Safe Assign in your classes? Click the link for a step-by-step tutorial on activating Safe Assign and setting up Safe Assignments: http://citt.hccfl.edu/files/Bb_SafeAssign.pdf

25 Ways Teachers Can Integrate Social Media into Education

From edumedic.

A great information graphic on integrating social media in education was posted on edumedic.

For the full article (and a larger version of the graphic), visit 25 Ways Teachers Can Integrate Social Media into Education.

Free Technology Toolkit for Universal Design

Universal Design is a design approach that gives all users equal opportunities to learn, regardless of age, ability or situation. Universal Design presents environments and materials in manners that are not stigmatizing to non-average users and results in easier use for everyone. Universal Design especially aids students with cognitive disabilities. The Wiki, Free Technology Toolkit for UDL in All Classrooms, is a comprehensive listing of different technologies that speak to the principles of Universal Design. The technologies are grouped by category:

• Free text to speech
• Graphic organizers
• Multimedia and digital storytelling
• Study skills tools
• Literacy tools
• Writing tools
• Collaborative tools
• Research tools
• Math tools
• Tools That Compensate for Handwriting Issues
• Helpful Apps

You can access the Wiki by clicking the following link: http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/Home

Elite Universities' Online Play - from Inside Higher Ed

From Inside Higher Ed

Elite Universities' Online Play
April 18, 2012 - 5:00am
By Steve Kolowich

Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor have teamed up with a for-profit company to offer free versions of their coveted courses this year to online audiences. By doing so, they join a growing group of top-tier universities that are embracing massively open online courses, or MOOCs, as the logical extension of elite higher education in an increasingly online, global landscape.

Princeton, Penn and Michigan will join Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley as partners of Coursera, a company founded earlier this year by the Stanford engineering professors Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng. Using Coursera’s platform, the universities will produce free, online versions of their courses that anyone can take.

The move is perhaps the most coordinated foray into online learning by high-profile education institutions since early last decade, when Fathom (a Columbia University-led for-profit venture into online education that also involved the London School of Economics, the University of Chicago, and Michigan) and AllLearn (a nonprofit collaboration between Oxford University, Yale University, Princeton and Stanford) became casualties in what was then a relatively underdeveloped online learning sector.

Online education, and the technology universities are using in that medium, has matured significantly since then. And brand-name elites, this time with little or no emphasis on making profit or even breaking even, are making a new push toward finding their place in the constellation of Web-based higher education.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/04/18/princeton-penn-and-michigan-join-mooc-party

20+ Active Learning Techniques

Dr. Bonnie B. Mullinix created a website with 20+ Active Learning Techniques. The site lists the techniques, along with their advantages and instructions and ideas on how to use them in your courses.

You can find the list here: https://gvltec.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/orgs/GTC_UYF_GUI/Teaching%20Resources/20%2BActive%20Learning%20Techniques-BBMullinix.pdf

Use to CloudOn to Access MS Office Products on iPad

Taken from The Ledge (www.theledger.com)

By KEVIN WING
LEDGER CORRESPONDENT

If you're one of the about 50 million people who use an iPad and want to use it to review, edit or create documents using the Microsoft Office suite of products, then CloudOn just may be your answer.

CloudOn works by employing the combination of application hosting and web service to deliver Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint to your iPad, meaning you need to be online to use it. Since the application is running on the CloudOn servers, you must also have access to your files. Right now, CloudOn seamlessly integrates with Dropbox (set up a free Dropbox account at www.dropbox.com).

After creating your online account, you're asked if you have a DropBox account through which you can store your online documents. If not, you can create one on the fly. CloudOn then opens to reveal any documents you already have stored on DropBox. Beyond editing existing documents, you can create new ones in all three Office applications. And since the documents are automatically saved and synced with your DropBox storage, you can access them locally to edit on your PC as well as your iPad.

CloudOn offers the closest experience to working in Microsoft Office on your desktop that is available for the iPad. However, there are items to consider when using CloudOn. First, you cannot open password-protected files via CloudOn. Second, there are rumors that CloudOn will not remain a free app. So I would suggest downloading CloudOn while it's free.

[ Kevin Wing is director of managed services and Data Center Network for Lakeland-based DSM Technology Consultants. ]

Little Libraries

Todd Bol, of Hudson, WI, is the creator of Little Libraries. These makeshift structures sit on lawns and house books. People are invited to browse the Little Library's selection and then take a book/leave a book. Bol's friend, Rick Brooks, an outreach program manager for the Division of Continuing Studies at the University of Wisconsin, caught wind of the idea. Together, the two have been working to launch this growing movement.

To learn more about Little Libraries, click here.

Seminar on Copyright, Distance Learning & Open Access Overview

Hosted by the USF-St. Petersburg, the January 2012 Seminar on Copyright, Distance Learning & Open Access explored the educational impact of copyright legislation with two dynamic speakers. Dr. Kenneth Crews, Director, Copyright Advisory Office, Columbia University examined the legal implication of fair legal usage as applied to college libraries and distance learning courses. In contrast, Dr. Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law of the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law provided a synopsis and evaluation of international anti-privacy legislation – SOPA and PIPA. Both speakers agree that international forces will impact future legislation. They speculate litigation will prompt colleges to re-examine e-reserves, library photocopying, video streaming, and course packs. To explore the how SOPA legislation impacts HCC, review the Chronicle at http://chronicle.com/article/A-GoodBad-Week-for-Free/130422/

Instructional Technology Council Newsletter

Check out the latest from the Instructional Technology Council's Newsletter.

• Using YouTube to Support Online Instruction, Ken Haley at Paris Junior College
• Strategies for Successfully Teaching Math Online, Carrie Naughton at Inver Hills Community College
• Expanding the Discussion Board, LindaLee Massoud at Mott Community College

Look What’s Happening in iStream This Month!

Focus on Community College Global Learning for Worldwide Markets

INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT - A Virtual Event Showcasing National Award-Winning Innovations!
You are invited to attend the second annual Innovator Spotlight virtual event honoring the League’s outstanding innovations and the 2011 Innovation of the Year Award Winners. These innovations represent significant achievements at member colleges and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded. In collaboration with Teaching Colleges and Community (T.C.C.) and Learning Times, join us February 15, 2012, for this exciting one-day online event for just $75 per person—with a maximum of only $400 for full college registration. Register today!

• Project Highlight
  Anne Arundel Community College sparks international interest with the Global Giving Market.


• Partner Spotlight
  Rio Salado College partners with Pearson to offer students textbook bargains.


• Conference Presentations
  The 2011 STEMtech conference keynotes are posted and ready for viewing.


• Publications - Leadership Abstracts
  Looking for a great read? Check out The Nature of Innovation in the Community College.


• Innovative Educators
  Don’t miss Leadership Development for Students: How To Be An Effective Leader In A Changing World


• NROC
  Catch the NROC member and iStream subscriber exclusive webinar for November: Individualized Learning: Using Data to Track Student Success.


• 10 Questions
  Andy Meyer, Vice President for Learning at Anne Arundel Community College, shares the development and success of AACC’s Global Giving Market.

Using Google+ Hangouts for Teaching

Google+ is the newcomer of the social media explosion. Aiming to marry the substance of real-world interactions with an online platform, Google+ uses Circles, Hangouts and Huddles to bring users together.

The Hangout feature can be a useful tool in education, as teachers can use the service to conduct virtual classrooms. A teacher can teach up to ten virtual classrooms at a time. Those ten receiving classrooms can each relay the stream to ten more classrooms each!

Interested in learning how to use Google+ Hangouts for teaching? Click here.

Blended Learning Toolkit

Blended Learning Toolkit has some great resources for faculty. The toolkit, hosted by UCF, features tips, tools and information across a variety of topics including course development, design principles and student success strategies.

This is a site that you'll definitely want to bookmark!

Click here to access the Blended Learning Toolkit.