FCTL Blog

Here’s What’s Happening at the FCTL in April

by

Spotlight on Teaching and Learning Webinar – Helena Metzker
Join us on Friday, April 9, 2021, to learn how Chemistry instructor, Helena Metzker, incorporates clickers to engage students who attend her classes both in person and online.
Date: Friday, April 9
Time: 2:00 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 944 1571 4623
Passcode: 569580

Blend by Design: A Professional Development Opportunity
This past year blended instruction played a significant role in traditional face-to-face instruction. This experience highlighted both strengths and challenges when incorporating blended instruction into our teaching.

The Provost Office and the FCTL have purchased 50 seats in an online course for faculty titled Blend by Design. This course is facilitated by Dr. Katie Linder author of The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide. The course is self-paced providing step-by-step activities for designing blended instruction that is engaging and student-centered. You will receive life-time access to the course and all the course guides and materials.  You will also receive a copy of the companion book, The Blended Course Design Workbook: A Practical Guide.

To reserve you seat in this course and to request a copy of the book, contact fctl@missouristat.edu

Curriculum Innovation Mini-Grants
There is now additional funding available for Curriculum innovation mini-grants. Awards are limited up to $1,200 per grant application.

Curriculum innovation mini-grants support faculty with ‘pivoting’ their courses during the ongoing Coronavirus. Applicants must complete an application indicating:

  1. What one change do you want to make to your course? i.e., better engage students with the content, create more engaging video lectures, determine better strategies for blended instruction.
  2. What do you think might help you with this change? i.e., document camera or other video equipment, digital tools that will engage students, not sure.
  3. How will you know if you were successful in creating this change? i.e., I will see better scores, I will have more engaging course materials online, my students will be more satisfied with their learning experience.

Submit Curriculum Innovation Mini-Grant Application.

Mini-Grants are one-time funding and faculty should consider ongoing costs such as annual subscription services. Applications will be considered until the funding is depleted.

Disability Identity Week

Date: Monday, April 5, 2021

Adaptive Archery: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Foster Recreation Center
Peanut Butter Falcon: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – PSU Theater

Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Adaptive Archery: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Foster Recreation Center

Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Adaptive Rock Wall Climbing: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Foster Recreation Center

Bear Power Hosting Arc of the Ozarks: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Zoom

Meeting ID: 987 1360 4046

https://missouristate.zoom.us/j/98713604046

Date: Thursday, April 8th

Adaptive Rock Wall Climbing: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Foster Recreation Center

Date: Friday, April 9th

Round Table Discussion: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Zoom

Meeting ID: 972 1374 4686

https://missouristate.zoom.us/j/97213744686

For more information, please contact DRC@MissouriState.edu

Summer Conference Opportunities

Interested in attending a faculty conference to recharge this summer? Many conferences are still being offered virtually and some are FREE!

Conference

Date

Virtual/In-person

Free/Fee-based

Course Hero: One Day Virtual Symposium

focused on pedagogy, assessment, and grading in remote contexts.

April 16

virtual

Free

The Teaching Professor Conference

June 4 – 6

Virtual & In-person

Fee-based

REMOTE: The Connected Faculty Summit

June 9 – 10

Virtual

Free

Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference

June 10 – 11

Virtual

Fee-based

EdMedia +Innovate Learning

July 6 – 8

Virtual

Fee-based

BbWorld

July 13-15 + July 20-22

Virtual

Fee-based and some free sessions

Equity & Excellence Access in Higher Ed

July 28 – 30

Virtual

Fee-based

Lilly Conference

August 2 – 4

In-person

Fee-based

Distance Teaching & Learning Conference

August 2 – 5

In-person

Fee-based

Showcase on Teaching and Learning

August 18

Virtual

Free

Course Video Sharing for Faculty

The Office of the Provost, the FCTL, and Information Services would like to share some information with faculty about uploading video to Blackboard.
We are recommending video be shared via Microsoft Stream or YouTube. Please see How to Share a Video to Blackboard. As storage space is at a premium, you are encouraged to remove video files. Here is an article on how to do so How to Remove Video Files from Blackboard.

Blackboard is not a video streaming service and storage is at a premium. Videos need to be stored on a video streaming platform such as Microsoft Stream or YouTube. The links to the videos can be shared within your Blackboard courses. Here is a list of Blackboard best practices Blackboard Best Practices for Faculty. 

The FCTL Academic Community is on Yammer!

You may be asking yourself “what the heck is Yammer”? Yammer is essentially a social networking tool for organizations that helps facilitate conversation and sharing of ideas and resources. It is part of the Office 365 package here at Missouri State. 

The FCTL Instructional Designers have created a Yammer Community site as an extension to the resources available through the Academic Community in Blackboard. We want to use it as another way to collaborate with faculty through shared ideas and resources around the topics of Teaching and Learning. It is an open group so all you need to do is locate Yammer in your Office 365 apps, select Discover Communities, locate the FCTL’s Academic Community and select Join. We look forward to connecting with you on Yammer!

LinkedIn Learning – Professional Development Opportunity

All employees now have access to LinkedIn Learning content through their My Missouri State portal.  Instructions for access: https://www.missouristate.edu/Human/linkedin-learning.htm
Participate in the April Learning Challenge focusing on communication:   https://www.missouristate.edu/Assets/human/LiLAprilChallenge_Final.pdf

Public Affairs Talks! The Power of Voice through Writing
Public Affairs Talks! The Power of Voice through Writing

Date:  Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Time:  4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Format:  Live Zoom Webinar.  This event is free and open to the public.

Description: Program description and presenter information will be available soon.
Questions? Contact Stacey Trewatha-Bach at StaceyTrewatha@MissouriState.edu

Virtual Faculty Writing Retreats

Regularly scheduled writing blocks can increase your productivity and publishing rates.  The FCTL will be hosting monthly Virtual Faculty Writing Retreats this semester to provide faculty time to focus on scholarly writing in the company of colleagues.

For Spring 2021, we have simplified the Virtual Writing Retreat Sign Up process. Each month, we will have a two-day session with day-long Zoom rooms open.  People may drop in and out as they please and work together virtually for as long as they like. Each Zoom link (provided below) will be good for both days of each month’s retreat. We will schedule any workshops or special activities during the same Zoom meetings.   All sessions are 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m..

Retreat Dates: 

Please register through MyLearning Connection by searching for “Faculty Write Program” and choose the blocks and workshops you wish to attend.
Please email facultywriting@missouristate.edu with any questions or feedback.  This event is proudly sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Assessment Grants Opportunities

Faculty Assessment of Student Learning Grants are available.  The purpose of these grants is to support you, the faculty, in your innovative practices in the assessment of student learning.  Apply today for a $500 Program Assessment Grants to share how your program assesses student learning.

Magna Professional Development opportunities  – Are You Interested in Participating in an Online Seminar Directly from Your Office?

MSU has an institutional license to the following on-demand resources.

  • The Teaching Professor – access great articles and practical, evidence-based insights on strategies for creating a better learning environment.  This online newsletter has been a trusted guide for educators for more than 30 years.  Editor Dr. Maryellen Weimer has over 25 years of experience in college teaching.  She has authored a number of books and is a highly-regarded proponent of effective teaching practices.
  • Magna Commons – a content library of on-demand versions of many of Magna’s most popular Magna Online Seminars, covering a broad range of topics of interest to faculty and administrators.
  • 20-Minute Mentor – a content library of on-demand versions of Magna’s popular 20-Minute Mentor programs, covering a broad range of faculty development topics. (See below).

Access these resources by activating your Magna subscription through the Academic Community located in Blackboard.  Select the Academic Community from the Community tab in Blackboard, and from the Academic Community’s main menu, select Magna Subscriptions located under Professional Learning.  Follow the instructions provided to activate your subscription.

Magna Commons

MSU has a license to the Magna Commons library which provides on-demand professional development on a variety of topics.  These programs are available at no cost to you and include a variety of topics like online teaching, active learning, grading and feedback, classroom inclusion, and others.  You can activate your account by going to the Magna Subscription link in the Blackboard Academic Community.  If you have questions about how to activate your account, contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu

Below are descriptions to programs that you can easily watch in an hour.  Schedule lunch with Magna and discover some new practical ideas that you can easily incorporate into your classroom.

Monday Morning Mentor

Beginning January 25, a new 20-Minute Mentor will be available on Monday mornings.  Through your Magna subscription, the program will be available for on-demand viewing for one full week.  Here are the next few sessions that will be available:

  • April 5, 2021 How Can I Gauge Online Learning Through Engaging Activities and Assignments?
  • April 12, 2021 What Are 5 Easy-to-use Technologies That Have a Big Impact on Learning in the Online Classroom?
  • April 19, 2021 How Can I Extend My Research to the Public with a Podcast?
  • April 26, 2021 How Can Faculty Advocates Promote Online Education on Campus?
  • May 3, 2021 What Is the Best Citizenship Advice I Ever Received?
  • May 10, 2021 What Is the Best Leadership Advice I Ever Received?

Go to the Academic Community to activate your subscription and view the complete schedule. Passwords will be provided weekly.

FCTL Course Development Boot Camps – Virtual

The Online Course Development Boot Camp is now offered virtually!  The next session will be May 17 to 28, 2021.
All sessions will run from 10:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. and no cap on the enrollment. You will have the opportunity to participate in the Boot Camp through an online experience much like students do when taking an online class.  The Boot Camp will include:

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Technology tools that are used in online teaching (lecture capture, test proctoring tools, and others)
  • How to translate learning activities to the online classroom and create opportunities for student collaboration and engagement
  • Legal and ethical issues associated with online teaching such as copyright, accessibility, and academic integrity

The Boot Camp is an immersive-style experience providing you hands-on training and a structured process for developing an online course.

Throughout the two-week time frame, you will participate both synchronous and asynchronously to create an online course.   [All synchronous sessions will be recorded for later review. After you register you will receive an outline of Boot Camp sessions and activities.]  You will receive feedback and support from an instructional designer throughout the entire process.

Objectives: You will have the opportunity to participate in the Boot Camp through an online experience much like students do when taking an online class.

The Boot Camp will include:

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Technology tools that are used in online teaching (lecture capture, test proctoring tools, and others)
  • How to translate learning activities to the online classroom and create opportunities for student collaboration and engagement
  • Legal and ethical issues associated with online teaching such as copyright, accessibility, and academic integrity

For more information contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu or visit the FCTL website. Please register through My Learning Connection by searching for “Two Week Virtual Online Boot Camp”.

FCTL Course Development Boot Camps – Self-paced

Since June 1, 2020, the resources from the FCTL’s virtual online boot camps have been available as a self-paced course development boot camp. This self-paced version will cover many of the same things as the virtual and on-campus boot camps, but you will be participating at your own schedule and can contact the FCTL Instructional Designers at any time during this process. Their contact information is listed in the meet your instructional designers area of the modules.

What’s included in the self-paced course development boot camp

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Different assessment options available in Blackboard
  • How to remove potential barriers for students with disabilities.
  • Strategies to foster community and engagement in the online classroom
  • Strategies to prevent student cheating
  • Copyright and fair use in distance education

How to find the self-paced boot camp (access began June 1, 2020)

  • Log into Blackboard and select the Community Tab at the top of the page.
  • Select Academic Community from the My Organizations module.
  • Once in the site, on the main menu, locate “self-paced course development boot camp” to access the boot camp materials.

Upon completion of each of the activities within the module you will be able to print a certificate of completion. Contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu for additional information or if any questions.

Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
Meyer Library Room 202
Voice: 417-836-3059
Email: fctl@missouristate.edu

Here’s What’s Happening at the FCTL

by

36th Showcase on Teaching and Learning Call for Proposals

The Showcase on Teaching and Learning will be held as a virtual conference on August 18, 2021.  As we are starting to look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the FCTL Advisory Council is inviting faculty to submit presentation proposals on how we can leverage our recent experiences teaching with technology and new modalities for learning.  How can we build upon these experiences to enhance student engagement and reimagine what teaching and learning might look like during and after the pandemic?

We invite proposals for 50-minute, interactive virtual sessions that highlights the innovative use of a technology or pedagogical strategy and its impact on teaching and learning. We will record sessions for faculty who are unable to attend and will only be made available to the campus community.

Presenter time slots will be limited for the day of Showcase, but we will be offering some faculty presentations as Showcase Friday sessions throughout Fall semester.

The submission deadline is March 31st.  Showcase proposal submission

For questions, please contact FCTL@MissouriState.edu

Curriculum Innovation Mini-Grants

There is now additional funding available for Curriculum innovation mini-grants. Awards are limited up to $1,200 per grant application.

Curriculum innovation mini-grants support faculty with ‘pivoting’ their courses during the ongoing Coronavirus. Applicants must complete an application indicating:

  1. What one change do you want to make to your course? i.e., better engage students with the content, create more engaging video lectures, determine better strategies for blended instruction.
  2. What do you think might help you with this change? i.e., document camera or other video equipment, digital tools that will engage students, not sure.
  3. How will you know if you were successful in creating this change? i.e., I will see better scores, I will have more engaging course materials online, my students will be more satisfied with their learning experience.

Submit Curriculum Innovation Mini-Grant Application.

Mini-Grants are one-time funding and faculty should consider ongoing costs such as annual subscription services. Applications will be considered until the funding is depleted.

Course Video Sharing for Faculty

The Office of the Provost, the FCTL, and Information Services would like to share some information with faculty about uploading video to Blackboard.

We are recommending video be shared via Microsoft Stream or YouTube. Please see How to Share a Video to Blackboard.

As storage space is at a premium, you are encouraged to remove video files. Here is an article on how to do so How to Remove Video Files from Blackboard.

Blackboard is not a video streaming service and storage is at a premium. Videos need to be stored on a video streaming platform such as Microsoft Stream or YouTube. The links to the videos can be shared within your Blackboard courses. Here is a list of Blackboard best practices Blackboard Best Practices for Faculty.

 The FCTL Academic Community is on Yammer!

You may be asking yourself “what the heck is Yammer”? Yammer is essentially a social networking tool for organizations that helps facilitate conversation and sharing of ideas and resources. It is part of the Office 365 package here at Missouri State. 

The FCTL instructional designers have created a Yammer Community site as an extension to the resources available through the Academic Community in Blackboard. We want to use it as another way to collaborate with faculty through shared ideas and resources around the topics of Teaching and Learning. It is an open group so all you need to do is locate Yammer in your Office 365 apps, select Discover Communities, locate the FCTL’s Academic Community and select Join. We look forward to connecting with you on Yammer!

LinkedIn Learning – Professional Development Opportunity

All employees now have access to LinkedIn Learning content through their My Missouri State portal.  Instructions for access: https://www.missouristate.edu/Human/linkedin-learning.htm

Participate in the March LinkedIn Learning Challenge celebrating Women’s History Month.

Public Affairs Talks! Voices from the Past: Pandemics and What We Have Learned

Presented by: Dr. Tom Dicke and Dr. Philippa Koch

Date:  March 24, 2021  [Wednesday]  Time:  4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Format:  Live Zoom Webinar with moderated Q&A.  This event is free and open to the public.

Description:

Pandemics are not new.  However, for most of us, COVID-19 is the first pandemic we have experienced first-hand.  There have been numerous periods of mass illness and epidemics that have affected America, specifically during the early years of our country’s formation and the more well-known Spanish Flu (1918-1920).  Join us as we have a conversation with two of our campus experts, Dr. Tom Dicke and Dr. Philippa Koch, about these past events, what we have learned, and how those experiences were similar or different from what we are experiencing today.

 Zoom Webinar Link

Questions? Contact Stacey Trewatha-Bach at StaceyTrewatha@MissouriState.edu.

Writing and Wellbeing

Are the pressures of productivity, perfectionism, and/or the pandemic taking a toll on your health and well-being?

If you missed the workshop with Helen Sword, you can view the recording.  She can help you establish a calming, nurturing writing routine that will replenish your physical and emotional energy rather than sucking you dry.

Virtual Faculty Writing Retreats

Regularly scheduled writing blocks can increase your productivity and publishing rates.

The FCTL will be hosting monthly Virtual Faculty Writing Retreats this semester to provide faculty time to focus on scholarly writing in the company of colleagues.

For Spring 2021, we have simplified the Virtual Writing Retreat Sign Up process. Each month, we will have a two day session with day-long Zoom rooms open.  People may drop in and out as they please and work together virtually for as long as they like. Each Zoom link )provided below) will be good for both days of each month’s retreat. We will schedule any workshops or special activities during the same Zoom meetings.   All sessions are 9 am – 4 pm.

Retreat Dates:

Please register through MyLearning Connection by searching for “Faculty Write Program” and choose the blocks and workshops you wish to attend.

Please email facultywriting@missouristate.edu with any questions or feedback.

This event is proudly sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

 

Assessment Grants Opportunities

Faculty Assessment of Student Learning Grants are available.  The purpose of these grants is to support you, the faculty, in your innovative practices in the assessment of student learning.

Apply today for a $500 Program Assessment Grants to share how your program assesses student learning.

Magna Professional Development opportunities

Are You Interested in Participating in an Online Seminar Directly from Your Office?

MSU has an institutional license to the following on-demand resources.

·        The Teaching Professor – access great articles and practical, evidence-based insights on strategies for creating a better learning environment.  This online newsletter has been a trusted guide for educators for more than 30 years.  Editor Dr. Maryellen Weimer has over 25 years of experience in college teaching.  She has authored a number of books and is a highly-regarded proponent of effective teaching practices.

·        Magna Commons – a content library of on-demand versions of many of Magna’s most popular Magna Online Seminars, covering a broad range of topics of interest to faculty and administrators.

·        20-Minute Mentor – a content library of on-demand versions of Magna’s popular 20-Minute Mentor programs, covering a broad range of faculty development topics. (See below).

Access these resources by activating your Magna subscription through the Academic Community located in Blackboard.  Select the Academic Community from the Community tab in Blackboard, and from the Academic Community’s main menu, select Magna Subscriptions located under Professional Learning.  Follow the instructions provided to activate your subscription.

 Magna Commons

MSU has a license to the Magna Commons library which provides on-demand professional development on a variety of topics.  These programs are available at no cost to you and include a variety of topics like online teaching, active learning, grading and feedback, classroom inclusion, and others.

You can activate your account by going to the Magna Subscription link in the Blackboard Academic Community.  If you have questions about how to activate your account, contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu

Below are descriptions to programs that you can easily watch in an hour.  Schedule lunch with Magna and discover some new practical ideas that you can easily incorporate into your classroom.

Monday Morning Mentor

Beginning January 25th, a new 20-Minute Mentor will be available on Monday mornings.  Through your Magna subscription, the program will be available for on-demand viewing for one full week.

Here are the next few sessions that will be available:

  • Mar. 8, 2021 What Are 9 Practical Steps to Implement Mastery Learning?
  • Mar. 15, 2021 How Can Effective Note-taking Improve Online Student Learning?
  • Mar. 22, 2021 How Can Educational Programs Use Backwards Design to Drive Learning and Student Success?
  • Mar. 29, 2021 How Can a Teaching Calendar Help Me Be More Effective and Efficient in the Online Classroom?
  • Apr. 5, 2021 How Can I Gauge Online Learning Through Engaging Activities and Assignments?

Go to the Academic Community to activate your subscription and view the complete schedule. Passwords will be provided weekly.

Self-Care Resources for Faculty

This Faculty Resource webpage is a collection of self-care resources and advice on teaching during times of uncertainty.

FCTL Course Development Boot Camps – Virtual

The Online Course Development Boot Camp is now offered virtually!

The next session will be May 17 to 28, 2021.

All sessions will run from 10:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. and no cap on the enrollment.

You will have the opportunity to participate in the Boot Camp through an online experience much like students do when taking an online class.

The Boot Camp is an immersive-style experience providing you hands-on training and a structured process for developing an online course.

Throughout the two-week time frame, you will participate both synchronous and asynchronously to create an online course.   [All synchronous sessions will be recorded for later review. After you register you will receive an outline of Boot Camp sessions and activities.]  You will receive feedback and support from an instructional designer throughout the entire process.

The Boot Camp will include:

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Technology tools that are used in online teaching (lecture capture, test proctoring tools, and others)
  • How to translate learning activities to the online classroom and create opportunities for student collaboration and engagement
  • Legal and ethical issues associated with online teaching such as copyright, accessibility, and academic integrity

For more information contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu or visit the FCTL website. Please register through My Learning Connection by searching for “Two Week Virtual Online Boot Camp”.

FCTL Course Development Boot Camps – Self-paced

Since June 1, 2020, the resources from the FCTL’s virtual online boot camps have been available as a self-paced course development boot camp. This self-paced version will cover many of the same things as the virtual and on-campus boot camps, but you will be participating at your own schedule and can contact the FCTL Instructional Designers at any time during this process. Their contact information is listed in the meet your instructional designers area of the modules.

What’s included in the self-paced course development boot camp

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Different assessment options available in Blackboard
  • How to remove potential barriers for students with disabilities.
  • Strategies to foster community and engagement in the online classroom
  • Strategies to prevent student cheating
  • Copyright and fair use in distance education

How to find the self-paced boot camp (access begins June 1, 2020)

  • Log into Blackboard and select the Community Tab at the top of the page.
  • Select Academic Community from the My Organizations module.
  • Once in the site, on the main menu, locate “self-paced course development boot camp” to access the boot camp materials.

Upon completion of each of the activities within the module you will be able to print a certificate of completion.

Contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu for additional information or if any questions.

Here’s What’s Happening at the FCTL

by

Writing and Wellbeing

Are the pressures of productivity, perfectionism, and/or the pandemic taking a toll on your health and well-being? Attend a workshop with Helen Sword where she will help you establish a calming, nurturing writing routine that will replenish your physical and emotional energy rather than sucking you dry.

Date: Thursday, February 11
Time: 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Location: ZOOM
Presenter: Helen Sword

Registration: Register through My Learning Connection. When you register, you will receive a copy of her book Air & Light & Time and Space: How Successful Academics Write (Harvard UP, 2017). A Zoom link will be included in the confirmation email from My Learning Connection.

LinkedIn Learning – February challenge

 All employees now have access to LinkedIn Learning content through their My Missouri State portal.  Instructions for access: https://www.missouristate.edu/Human/linkedin-learning.htm

Participate in the February’s Black History Month LinkedIn Learning Challenge, spotlighting some of the incredible courses taught by black authors.

Mindful Writing Series

NCTE is offering a Mindful Writing Series every Saturday from January 9 to February 13.
Sessions are hosted by Dr. Alexandria Peary. Dr. Peary specializes in mindful writing presenting a 2019 TEDx talk titled “How Mindfulness Can Transform the Way You Write.”

We are at risk for burnout and COVID fatigue and this impacts our writing as well. This series is designed to help you refuel and find balance.  Sessions will include guest speakers and experts on mindfulness and guided meditation.

This series is NOT sequential, you can participate in any of the sessions that work with your schedule. There is a registration fee of $10 per session or $60 for the series.  Mindful Writing Series Registration. Contact facultywriting@missouristate.edu for additional information or if any questions.

Virtual Faculty Writing Retreats

Regularly scheduled writing blocks can increase your productivity and publishing rates.
The FCTL will be hosting monthly Virtual Faculty Writing Retreats this semester to provide faculty time to focus on scholarly writing in the company of colleagues.

For Spring 2021, we have simplified the Virtual Writing Retreat Sign Up process. Each month, we will have a two day session with day-long Zoom rooms open.  People may drop in and out as they please and work together virtually for as long as they like. Each Zoom link )provided below) will be good for both days of each month’s retreat. We will schedule any workshops or special activities during the same Zoom meetings.   All sessions are 9 am – 4 pm.

Retreat Dates:

Please register through MyLearning Connection by searching for “Faculty Write Program” and choose the blocks and workshops you wish to attend.
Please email facultywriting@missouristate.edu with any questions or feedback.
This event is proudly sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Assessment Grants Opportunities

Faculty Assessment of Student Learning Grants are available.  The purpose of these grants is to support you, the faculty, in your innovative practices in the assessment of student learning.  Apply today for a $500 Program Assessment Grants to share how your program assesses student learning.

Missouri Affordable and Open Educational Resources Symposium

The Symposium will be held virtually on March 3 – 5, 2021.
Click here for more information.

 Magna Professional Development opportunities

Are You Interested in Participating in an Online Seminar Directly from Your Office?

MSU has an institutional license to the following on-demand resources.

·        The Teaching Professor – access great articles and practical, evidence-based insights on strategies for creating a better learning environment.  This online newsletter has been a trusted guide for educators for more than 30 years.  Editor Dr. Maryellen Weimer has over 25 years of experience in college teaching.  She has authored a number of books and is a highly-regarded proponent of effective teaching practices.

·        Magna Commons – a content library of on-demand versions of many of Magna’s most popular Magna Online Seminars, covering a broad range of topics of interest to faculty and administrators.

·        20-Minute Mentor – a content library of on-demand versions of Magna’s popular 20-Minute Mentor programs, covering a broad range of faculty development topics. (See below).

Access these resources by activating your Magna subscription through the Academic Community located in Blackboard.  Select the Academic Community from the Community tab in Blackboard, and from the Academic Community’s main menu, select Magna Subscriptions located under Professional Learning.  Follow the instructions provided to activate your subscription.

 Magna Commons

 MSU has a license to the Magna Commons library which provides on-demand professional development on a variety of topics.  These programs are available at no cost to you and include a variety of topics like online teaching, active learning, grading and feedback, classroom inclusion, and others.

You can activate your account by going to the Magna Subscription link in the Blackboard Academic Community.  If you have questions about how to activate your account, contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu
Below are descriptions to programs that you can easily watch in an hour.  Schedule lunch with Magna and discover some new practical ideas that you can easily incorporate into your classroom.

Monday Morning Mentor

Beginning January 25th, a new 20-Minute Mentor will be available on Monday mornings.  Through your Magna subscription, the program will be available for on-demand viewing for one full week.

  • Feb 8th How Do I Create Questions that Stimulate Engaging Conversations in Online Discussion Boards?
  • Feb 15th How Can I Maximize the First 10 Minutes of Remote Teaching to Spark Student Engagement?
  • Feb 22nd How Can I Optimize Announcements to Help Online Students Navigate my Class?
  • March 1st How Can I Guide Online Learning by Engaging with Students?

Go to the Academic Community to activate your subscription and view the complete schedule. Passwords will be provided weekly.

Examining the Intersection of Equity, Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, and Social Emotional Learning

Dr. Mays Imad, a neuroscientist and professor of pathophysiology and biomedical ethics at Pima Community College, and John Gardner Institute Fellow provided open access to a webinar she presented after Kennesaw State cancelled their annual teaching and learning conference, Research on Teaching and Learning Summit. This recorded webinar is informative concerning the current situation we are experiencing with a global pandemic and a good introduction to trauma-informed pedagogy.  The recording can be viewed through the RoTL SUMMIT website.  Note: The webinar is approximately 75 minutes, Kennesaw State had some technical issues at the beginning which is music only, so you can fast-forward through that portion if you want.

Self-Care Resources for Faculty

– This Faculty Resource webpage is a collection of self-care resources and advice on teaching during times of uncertainty.

New FCTL Studio reservation system

The FCTL is happy to announce the roll out of their new online reservation system for their Mediasite and Learning Glass studios. Faculty can now see availability and reserve a time to use these resources.  Please note, because Learning Glass and first-time Mediasite users will need to schedule when staffing is available, and all reservation requests must be confirmed by the FCTL before reservations are finalized.

The reservation system can be found on the FCTL website under the Support > Reserve a Time in Our Studio. We would like to extend thanks to Brooks Travis, with the Meyer Library for his assistance in getting this reservation system up and running!

FCTL Course Development Boot Camps – Virtual

The Online Course Development Boot Camp is now offered virtually!  The next session will be May 17 to 28, 2021. All sessions will run from 10:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. and no cap on the enrollment.
You will have the opportunity to participate in the Boot Camp through an online experience much like students do when taking an online class.  The Boot Camp will include:

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Technology tools that are used in online teaching (lecture capture, test proctoring tools, and others)
  • How to translate learning activities to the online classroom and create opportunities for student collaboration and engagement
  • Legal and ethical issues associated with online teaching such as copyright, accessibility, and academic integrity

The Boot Camp is an immersive-style experience providing you hands-on training and a structured process for developing an online course. Throughout the two-week time frame, you will participate both synchronous and asynchronously to create an online course.   [All synchronous sessions will be recorded for later review. After you register you will receive an outline of Boot Camp sessions and activities.]  You will receive feedback and support from an instructional designer throughout the entire process.

Objectives:

  • You will have the opportunity to participate in the Boot Camp through an online experience much like students do when taking an online class.

The Boot Camp will include:

  • Best practices related to online courses and teaching
  • Technology tools that are used in online teaching (lecture capture, test proctoring tools, and others)
  • How to translate learning activities to the online classroom and create opportunities for student collaboration and engagement
  • Legal and ethical issues associated with online teaching such as copyright, accessibility, and academic integrity

For more information contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu or visit the FCTL website. Please register through My Learning Connection by searching for “Two Week Virtual Online Boot Camp”.

FCTL Course Development Boot Camps – Self-paced

Since June 1, 2020, the resources from the FCTL’s virtual online boot camps have been available as a self-paced course development boot camp. This self-paced version will cover many of the same things as the virtual and on-campus boot camps, but you will be participating at your own schedule and can contact the FCTL Instructional Designers at any time during this process. Their contact information is listed in the meet your instructional designers area of the modules.

What’s included in the self-paced course development boot camp

§  Best practices related to online courses and teaching

§  Different assessment options available in Blackboard

§  How to remove potential barriers for students with disabilities.

§  Strategies to foster community and engagement in the online classroom

§  Strategies to prevent student cheating

§  Copyright and fair use in distance education

How to find the self-paced boot camp (access begins June 1, 2020)

§  Log into Blackboard and select the Community Tab at the top of the page.

§  select Academic Community from the My Organizations module.

§  Once in the site, on the main menu, locate “self-paced course development boot camp” to access the boot camp materials.

Upon completion of each of the activities within the module you will be able to print a certificate of completion.

Contact the FCTL@MissouriState.edu for additional information or if any questions.

Dr. Margaret Weaver Earns Teaching Award for Online Teaching

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Dr. Margaret Weaver has taught ENG 100 online to help students with writing, but more importantly to remove a barrier for online students that are the most at-risk for persistence to graduation.  Creating an engaging online writing community was critical for these students and Margaret used tools such as audio files, Wikis and videos to support the development of their writing skills.  Students interacted by reading and providing feedback on classmates’ work and Margaret modeled communication by providing routine feedback through videoconferencing and chat.  Dr. Weaver’s class stands out for its emphasis on building community. Building community can be difficult in writing courses; many students believe writing evaluation is a one-way process with the teacher assesses the student. It can also be difficult for students online who view assignments as an individual activity.  Margaret challenges these assumptions in her use of collaborative and experiential online learning. Margaret’s department head shared, “Dr. Waver is an excellent online instructor whose online efforts have improved the learning of her students.”

Heather Haynes Earns Teaching Award for Per-Course Teaching

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Heather works in the History Department and serves as one of two observers, reviewing the classroom practicum teaching of students taking HST 418, Teaching of Secondary School Social Studies. She provides detailed, concrete feedback and mentors BSED students so they can improve their teaching as the semester progresses. She also teaches larger enrollment seated sections of History 122 where she instructs students how to write using carefully designed assignments and formative assessment. Students have shared that these assignments have positively impacted their writing and learning in other classes. The History BSED program is nationally recognized for its excellent in social studies teacher preparation. People like Heather are one of the reasons the program has earned the reputation and recognition.