Categories for News
Tablet Initiative Learning Sessions
Mesa Community College has recently launched the Faculty Tablet Initiative. Through a joint effort of College Technology Services and the Center for Teaching & Learning, MCC will be offering learning sessions in support of the transformation of teaching and learning with the integration of tablets in the classroom. Learn more about the Faculty Tablet Initiative.
iPad Basics, Pt.1 Settings & Productivity
Are you a new iPad user? During this 2 hour hands-on session participants will learn how to use the iPad tablet effectively right out of the box. We will walk through all the basic functions/settings, managing of applications and connectivity features that the iPad offers. In addition, we will explore important productivity tools for organizing yourself on the go! Participants will leave the session with a fully operational iPad with best practice settings, email and calendar enabled. Critical security and MCCCD use policies will also be addressed. Users must bring their own or a college issued tablet to the session.
Choose from one of the following sessions:
Monday, November 17, 3-5pm
Course #002212, Session #0001; AS175 Southern & Dobson Campus
Tuesday, November 18, 3-5pm
Course #002212, Session #0002; AS175 Southern & Dobson CampusRegister Now!
iPad Basics, Pt.2 Transforming Learning (Teaching with Tablets)
iPads and tablets are becoming increasingly popular in education, but for the integration of these devices to be successful instructors must carefully plan and prepare lessons aligned with the technology. During this 2 hour hands-on session participants will learn the practicalities of presenting with the iPad (mirroring/podium options). They will then go beyond the limitations of using the tablet as a mobile lectern to transforming teaching and learning through the support of a student BYOD (bring your own device) classroom initiative. A variety of applications and web-based tools will be explored that align with specific lesson objectives: building community, building background/connections, making content meaningful and interaction/collaboration. Users must bring their own or a college issued tablet to the session.Choose from one of the following sessions:
Tuesday, December 2, 3-5pm
Course #002213, Session #0001; AS175 Southern & Dobson Campus
Wednesday, December 3, 3-5pm
Course #002213, Session #0002; AS175 Southern & Dobson Campus
Register Now!
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Spring 2015 Canvas Course Shells are Open
Spring 2015 course shells have been opened in Canvas. You will find links to all your assigned Spring sections on your Canvas Course List. Feel free to develop 
your courses within these unpublished shells throughout the Fall. TIP: Customize your course menu to include Spring courses in your quick pick list.
Delays in Instructor/Enrollment Updates
If you don’t see your Spring 2015 course shell in Canvas, please be patient. The SIS (My.Maricopa) to Canvas update is experiencing delays, so recent instructional changes/additions within the schedule may not yet be reflected in Canvas. We hope that this situation will resolve itself soon. Please contact the CTL with any questions or concerns.
Course Copy Tips
Don’t forget that you can copy course content from your previous Spring or Fall courses into these shells. Please see our copy guidelines to get started. Don’t forget to use the Adjust Events and Due Dates option to save yourself time. It can take up to 2 hours for copies of courses from one semester to another to be completed (size and traffic determine speed). Feel free to leave the copy page or logout of Canvas while the copy is being made.
Additionally, pay close attention to any error notices at the end of the copy process. Review any alerts reported (posted notice in the import history) and take corrective action. Errors will most often be related to broken links or empty pages.
Maintenance on Roll Call/Attendance on November 9
Canvas will perform maintenance on the Roll Call/Attendance tool on November 9 beginning at 10pm MST. The tool will be unavailable at this time for an estimated 2 hours. Learn more about the Roll Call/Attendance Tool.
Canvas Update Cycle
Canvas is on a 3-week update-release cycle. The beta (preview) release for this cycle was on 10/27, production notes were shared and the release and documentation will follow on 11/8. Follow the release schedule on the Canvas Updates Calendar.
Recent & Upcoming Updates
Strikeouts for Assignments Improve Calendar Functionality
On the calendar, students will see submitted assignments with a text strikeout. This is a visual indicator that work for that assignment has already been turned-in. For instructors, a crossed out assignment indicates that the due date has passed and that all grading has be completed.
Learn More: The Canvas Calendar
Interface Changes Expand Accessibility & Streamline Navigation
Canvas has made a variety of changes to the interface to improve the user experience, enhance navigation and comply with best practices in accessible design. Recent changes include:
- The removal of the Assignments Tab from the Global Canvas Navigation to encourage students to enter the course to find and submit assignments.
- The addition of Term Dates in the Course List to make it easier to identify courses by semester.
- The improvement of contrasting within the calendar and to grade score formatting within the Gradebook.
Be in the Know with Canvas Status Updates
Want up to the minute reports on the status of Canvas and Canvas features? Check out the improved Canvas Status tracker at http://status.instructure.com/. In this interactive interface you can review the current functionality of all the major features from Document previewing to the Media recording tools. Subscribe to Updates to receive notices of issues/incidents in your Gmail.
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Learn about Quality Matters at MCC
APPQMR Session Begins November 10 – ONLINE
Register Now (Registration through HRMS/Time & Labor)
Quality Matters (QM) is a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer review process designed to acknowledge the quality of online/hybrid courses. The QM framework, implemented through a rubric, is about course design and making your course navigation and structure intuitive, so that students’ questions will be more focused on the content of your course. QM recognized courses improve both student learning outcomes, student success, and retention.
Applying the Quality Matters Rubric – ONLINE COURSE
Monday, November 10th – Sunday, November 23rd (3 weeks)
COURSE#001817, Section #0005
Now featuring the Fifth Edition Rubric – Released in August 2014!
The Quality Matters course is designed to help you prepare your course for QM certification and is a prerequisite for the QM Peer Reviewer Certification (PRC) Course. This in-depth workshop explains each of the QM Rubric Standards through interactive activities and assignments.
Participants will complete the training with tools and ideas to design your course to meet QM and skills to become a Quality Matters peer reviewer. Course Syllabus – Abbreviated.
Please note that participants can expect to spend about 10-11 hours per week in this workshop to successfully complete it.
How do I register for the Quality Matters at MCC course? Who can register?
Registration is through the HRMS (MCCCD Time & Labor) system. View detailed registration instructions. Anyone in MCCCD interested in the QM Process and Rubric is welcome to attend.
Alternative Face-to-Face Session Option
A face-to-face APPQMR session, 7.5 hours, will be offered at MCC on Friday, November 21 from 9am – 4pm (with a lunch break). Course #001515, Session #0007.
Be CyberSecure!
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. This month is designed to engage and raise awareness of important cyber security issues in an effort to limit risk in the digital age.
Throughout this month MCCCD has been sponsoring activities and events to make the district aware of important security concerns.
Join the Discussion at MCC
Stop.Think.Connect. Learn how to Secure Your Assets with MCC’s Director of IT Security Planning, Jeremy Kurtz, who will introduce the “Tbird Top Ten” cyber security tips. An important session for all MCC employees.
Co-hosted by College Technology Services and the Center for Teaching & Learning.
Wednesday, October 29, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Brown Bag Session
AS175, Center for Teaching & Learning Lab Room; AS Building – Southern & Dobson Campus [Please Bring your own lunch.]
Come alone OR bring your team.
Questions or Concerns?
Contact the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning
Email: ctl@mesacc.edu
Telephone: (480) 461-7331
A Festival of Learning Just for You
The Center for Teaching & Learning will be holding its 3rd Annual Fall Tech & Teach Fest Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24 on the Southern and Dobson Campus.
What is the Fest?
The Fall Tech & Teach fest is a week of activities to support teaching & learning at MCC. The week will consist of sessions, discussions, hands-on demonstrations and other events that address excellence in education pedagogy and technology. All MCCCD faculty and staff welcome. Attend one or attend all, we hope to see you there! Register soon for this festival of learning.
Topics will include:
Google, Canvas (conferences, collaborations, apps and other best kept secrets), VoiceThread (discussions around media), Nearpod (interactive presentations), Accessibility, Video Production, Outcome-based Learning, Designing for Online Learning, Building Effective Discussions, Kahoot (course polling/gaming) and more! See the Full Fest Guide for a day-to-day listing and description of all sessions and events. Topics are both staff and faculty oriented.
Event Maker Party!
Join us for food, fun and making! Learn how to create web mashables and applications to engage learners in content & activities for your program or course. Quickly remix web content, video, audio, images and pages using free web-based Maker Tools. Also feel free to bring your thoughts and ideas from any of the sessions throughout the week. Fest staff will be on hand to answer questions and help you develop your projects. Register Now.
See the Event Full Calendar:
Fall 2014 Tech & Teach Fest Guide
Sessions will be hosted in the CTL Room AS175, AS Building; Southern & Dobson Campus.
Register Now!
Register through the HRMS (Time & Labor System)
Registration Instructions
Having trouble registering? Call us at (480) 461-7331 and we will register you. Questions? Send us an email at ctl@mesacc.edu.
Earn a Badge!
All event attendees will earn a 2014 Fall Fest Digital Badge. Earn and share your sills, accomplishments and professional development with others. Learn more about digital badging.
* We apologize, but C.A.F.E. Funds have been exhausted for this semester.
** Sessions with low enrollment may be canceled up to 24 hours prior to the start time/date.
Teaching & Learning Goes Beyond the 45th Day
October Professional Development Opportunities in the MCC CTL
Register Now Registration Instructions
Go for Quality Course Design:
Outcome-Based Learning & Informative Assessment – FPG Approved
Participants will be able to connect the three main functions of formative assessment (including Classroom Assessment Techniques) with instruction. You will be provided the opportunity to identify and/or create formative assessments, that are clearly aligned to lesson objectives, to check for understanding, adjust or refine instruction and give appropriate feedback to students. This process is student-centered and will promote the development of metacognitive skills for learners. Pre-requisites: None
Session Dates: (Select from one of the following)
Friday, October 10, 9:30am – 12:30pm
COURSE #001762, Session #0009 Register through HRMS
Tuesday, October 14, 3:30pm – 6:30pm
COURSE #001762, Session #0008 Register through HRMS
Go Flipping Wild with Screencast-O-Matic
Screen recording, also known as screencasting, is a valuable tool in teaching and learning. An essential element of the Flipped Model of learning, screencast videos provide both a dynamic and personalized learning experience for students, freeing up classroom time for valuable problem-based collaboration. This hands-on session will introduce participants to the PRO VERSION recording and editing features of Screencast-O-Matic, a web-based screen capture software that makes it easy to create engaging content lecture, demonstrations, tutorials and more. Come to this session to get the basics and beyond! Bonus learning: storyboarding, scripting and captioning advice!
Session Date:
Monday, October 13, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
COURSE #002073, Session #0005 Register through HRMS
Go Far with Nearpod Interactive Presentations
Trade-in your presentation program, lose the clickers and the polling software! Nearpod, the all-in-one presentation solution is all you need! In this session you will learn how to easily create multimedia presentations that allow you to collect student/participant feedback and assess learner understanding using mobile devices in real-time right inside the presentation itself!
Session Date:
Tuesday, October 14, 9:00am – 11:00am
COURSE #002002, Session #0004 Register through HRMS
‘Go-To’ Tools for Cool C.A.T.s (Classroom Assessment Techniques)
Transform your Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) with cool, interactive and relevant tools that assist in checking for understanding as your students engage in the lessons. In this session we will review the classic Classroom Assessment Techniques (Muddiest Point, Fish Bowl, Minute Paper, etc.) and re-imagine them with digital tools (Google Forms, Tricider, Padlet, etc.) making it easier to review and adjust lessons to meet learner needs in the Hybrid, Online or F2F format.
Session Date:
Thursday, October 16, 11:00am – 12:30pm
COURSE #002004, Session #0002 Register through HRMS
*Note: 6 participants are required for these sessions to run. Participants will be notified 24 hours prior to a session (via email) if a session is to be canceled.
Questions? Call the CTL (480) 461-7331.
Visit the CTL Calendar, ctl.mesacc.edu/events/calendar for all upcoming learning sessions and activities.
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Look and ‘C’ Sessions Begin Monday, September 29th in the CTL
Not sure what the MCC 4’s are and want to learn more? Ready to use the C’s, but not sure which ‘C’ aligns with your course? Want to see examples of how faculty plan to assess MCC’s 4Cs in their courses? Do you want to participate in SOC’s assessment pilot this spring? If you answered yes to any of these questions you should attend one of the Look and ‘C’ Sessions beginning Monday, September 29th in the MCC Center for Teaching & Learning.
4C’s? What are those?
Through the leadership of the Student Outcomes Committee, MCC has adopted Institutional Student Learning Outcomes, the MCC 4C’s, that are consistent with the Vision, Mission, and Values of Mesa Community College and reflect our commitment to Individuals and Community, Innovation, Integrity, Learning, and Service Excellence. These 4C’s are Communication, Civic Engagement, Critical Thinking, and Cultural & Global Engagement. All faculty are encouraged to incorporate the C’s into their courses.
This Fall you will get a chance to dive deeper into each of these Learning Outcomes at a special Look and ‘C’ Session. Sessions will be presented by members of the SOC Committee and by faculty who are incorporating one or more of the 4C’s into their courses. Participants in the hands-on sessions will walk away with an in depth knowledge of each ‘C’ including the criterion and scoring rubrics. Additionally participants will get a chance to see the each ‘C’ in action and to brainstorm ideas for adding an aligned activity, assignment or project to one of the outcomes.
Register Now for Look and ‘C’: Diving into Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement encompasses actions to promote the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.
Choose from one of the following sessions:
Monday, September 29th 12:30-2:00pm in the CTL Lab
HRMS Course#002179, Session #0001 – Register now through HRMS
OR
Friday, October 3rd 1:00-2:30pm in the CTL Lab
HRMS Course#002179, Session #0002 – Register now through HRMS
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Mark Your Calendar & Join the Conversation
Please plan to join us for the 3rd Annual Canvas Conversations event on Friday, November 7, 2014 from 9 am to 3 pm at Scottsdale Community College. This event is open to all Maricopa faculty and staff. This all day event will focus on all things Canvas. Opportunities for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Participate in:
- Roundtables
- Hands-on workshops
- Show and tell
- Dialog with colleagues
Registration will open soon! Check the MCLI web site for details!
Submit a Proposal to Present at the Conference
We know you are doing awesome work in Canvas; please consider sharing your ideas and expertise by submitting a proposal today! Proposals are due by 11:59 pm Sunday, October 19, 2014.
Registration Open for the 2014 Student Success Conference
The Division of Academic and Student Affairs & Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction
REGISTER TODAY
Expectations, Aspirations, and Achievement
The 26th Annual Student Success Conference will be held Friday, October 17, 2014, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Please reserve this date on your calendar and register today to engage in systemic conversations focused on student success and completion. Detailed information regarding the keynote speakers, breakout presentations, and registration can be found at:
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/success/2014
Location:
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
340 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix
(Conference parking available to attendees)
Keynote Presenters:
Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Development and Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Urban Education
Terry O’Banion, President and Senior League Fellow League for Innovation in the Community College and Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Graduate Faculty, North American University
For questions regarding the Student Success Conference contact:
Dr. Ramona Cox at 480-731-8300
ramona.cox@domail.maricopa.ed
Webinar: Improve Completion Through Redesigning Developmental Courses
Hosted by Mesa Community College and sponsored by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Mesa Community College, AS-170 CTL Conference Room
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
10:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
FPG: Not Offered
Register Today:
http://mcli.maricopa.edu/events/improve-completion-through
Description:
An Academic Impressions Webinar. Note: this session must be attended at the campus location specified. Users cannot attend virtually due to licensing agreements.
Research indicates approximately one-half of all incoming students need remedial work in at least one subject. While the majority of colleges offer developmental coursework, about 75% of students who enroll in these courses do not finish their degrees.
Join your colleagues and learn how Austin Peay State University redesigned their developmental courses using the Linked Workshop (or SLA) model. This redesign significantly increased student persistence rates and was recogniz ed by the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT).
What is the Linked Workshop (or SLA) Model?
This model provides remedial/developmental instruction by linking workshops that offer students just-in-time supplemental academic support to core college-level courses. The model also integrates supplementary instruction, tutoring, learning communities, and accelerated learning—all considered best practices in developmental coursework—into core college-level courses.
View the full webinar agenda.
Who should attend?
Academic leadership involved with coordinating and improving academic support and developmental or remedial programs will gain new ideas from this case study. More specifically, directors of developmental programs and directors of academic support programs including student success, learning, tutoring, or writing centers will brainstorm ideas for improving your support initiatives.
Host & Support:
Helice Agria, Instructional Technologist, Mesa Community College
For more information please contact:
Dr. Ramona Cox
District Director, Academic Affairs Support Programs and Services/Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Maricopa Community Colleges District
(480) 731-8295
ramona.cox@domail.maricopa.edu
