Workshops

 

Check out our Fall 2022 events schedule! We're offering four tracks of events this semester:

Questions? Please get in touch at AcTech@groups.mcla.edu.

Fall '22 events

Colleagues & Conversation (in-person)

Dates/Times: Every Wednesday, 11-12 PM
Location: Faculty Lounge (Bowman)

For our in-person gatherings, we'll be alternating between recurring programming and three marquee events.

Equity in Action: What OER Is, Does, and Means for Students (9/28)

You’ve heard of open educational resources, but does it mean anything more than “free stuff”? Join us to learn why the OER movement is a strategy for realizing our values as a college committed to equity – and how Massachusetts is advancing OER right now. Lunch will be provided; please RSVP.

Minimalist Design: Tuning the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (10/26)

As you use Canvas for more of your course material, one of the challenges can be that key information gets harder to find. We'll focus on design strategies to help make the essential course information pop. Lunch will be provided; please RSVP.

6 Research-backed Strategies for Learning (11/16)

With all the resources on teaching strategies out there, it’s hard to know where to focus your (limited!) energy. In this workshop, we’ll look at 6 strategies that stand out in the research for having strong consistent evidence of supporting student learning. Lunch will be provided; please RSVP.

Ye Olde AcTech Curiosity Shoppe (9/14, 10/5, 10/19, 11/9)

Do you enjoy technology? So do we! And we're always collecting new digital bits and bobs that may not be "standard" teaching tools, but we find fascinating nonetheless. Join us for delightful off-beat explorations of small, niche, or otherwise off-the-beaten-path tech topics. Plus: tea and scones!

The Coffeeshop: Topics in Security/Privacy (9/21, 10/12, 11/2, 11/30)

Join Gerol and Jessica in the Faculty Lounge for tasty caffeinated drinks, plus a lively exploration of methods and tools for keeping your personal information secure. Geolocation, VPNs, password managers, MFA, encryption, and more.

 

Workshops: tools & Features (hyflex / async)

Dates/Times: Mondays at 11 AM
Location: Murdock 209 / Teams

Join the HyFlex events in person (Murdock 209) or on Teams, or check out the recording later on! For "async" events, recordings and slides will be available on-demand after the date listed.

  • 9/12 - Student Tech Readiness (Async): Slides (PPTX) and session recording.
    **Note: this session is great for new-to-Canvas instructors.
  • 9/19 - CanvasCore (HyFlex). 
    Nothin' but the LMS Essentials! Syllabus, Assignments + Gradebook, Discussions, Quizzes, Attendance, and Announcements. **Note: this session is great for new-to-Canvas instructors.
  • 9/26 - Your Digital Security Toolkit (Async): Slides (PPTX) and session recording.
  • 10/3 - Forms: Dynamic & Otherwise (HyFlex)
    Dynamic Forms are essential to College workflows, from A&F to the Registrar to Canvas Course Requests. Unlock the mysteries and get your questions answered! We'll also cover how to use Microsoft Forms, to easily gather feedback and get fantastic data and visualizations. 
  • 10/17 - Accessibility: Tools to Check your Work (Async): Slides (PPTX) and session recording.
    **Note: this session is great for new-to-Canvas instructors.
  • 10/24 - Turnitin Upgrade (Async): Slides (PPTX) and session recording.
  • 10/31 - Assignment & Gradebook Enhancements (HyFlex)
    Get familiar with the recent updates that improve the Canvas assignment interface and submission workflow for students, and make the Gradebook more functional for instructors.  
  • 11/7 - Video Equipment @ MCLA (Async): Slides (PPTX)
  • 11/14 - Stats & Analytics (Async): Slides (PPTX)
  • 11/21 - Viral Videos (Async) Slides (PPTX)
  • 11/28 - Adobe Creative Suite (HyFlex)
    From PDFs to animation, we're offering a guided tour of this tutorial video series (available through EAP) to unlock your creative potential with this powerful set of tools.

 

Workshops: Design & Practice (hyflex /async)

Dates/Times: Tuesdays at 2:30 PM
Location: Murdock 209 / Teams

Join the HyFlex events in person (Murdock 209) or on Teams, or check out the recording later on! For "async" events, recordings and slides will be available on-demand after the date listed.

 

Office Hours (virtual)

Dates/Times: Thursdays at 2:30 PM and Fridays at 11 AM
Location: Teams

We're offering a handful of Office Hours geared towards specific topics (see the list below); the rest of the sessions will be open for any discussions or questions on your mind. All of them are virtual, and can be joined on Teams.

  • 9/29 - Tech Policies in the Classroom
  • 10/13 - "Only Connect": Bookings + Teams to Streamline Student Contact
    **Note: this session is great for new-to-Canvas instructors.
  • 11/3 - Attendance Policy Update & Implications
  • 11/4 - Lightweight Frequent Feedback: Tools for Students' Voices
    **Note: this session is great for new-to-Canvas instructors.
  • 12/1 - Farewell Dropout Detective, Hello Navigate
  • 12/9 - Generating Images with DALL-E