Published Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Getting to Know CTE--

The Center for Teaching Excellence values collaboration. CTE has been designed not only to provide collaborative support, but to also actively create opportunities for faculty to collaborate and learn from one another. We incorporate collaboration and a growth mindset into our approach to professional development, coaching, faculty learning communities, and our work teams. If you are looking for opportunities to collaborate with your colleagues, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

CTE Collaboration Connection:

21st Century Classroom Digital Badges

During the 2020-21 academic year MATC faculty showcased their commitment to students by teaching in extraordinary circumstances; a rapid shift was required and many MATC faculty transitioned to teaching online for the very first time. To help identify the level of support needed to maintain MATC’s commitment to teaching excellence, all faculty participated in a rigorous peer review process where a baseline for 21st Century Classroom skills was created. 

The collaborative work of a faculty-led team with representation from the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Online Learning department reviewed over 2200 Blackboard shells. Throughout the fall and spring semesters, faculty were then connected with just-right and just-in-time coaching and support provided by CTE Coaches and Blackboard Liaisons to help them achieve Level 1 and Level 2 and apply these skills to their current classes. As you know, completion of Level 1 is required of all faculty; all faculty are expected to achieve or actively be working toward Level 2 completion.

Your participation in the 21st Century Classroom process has been foundational for creating a student-centered classroom that meets and exceeds the expectations of the 21st Century student. We’ve made it easier for you to find the results of your 21st Century Classroom progress by using digital badges in SumTotal. After logging into SumTotal, faculty will be able to find “Badges and Levels” in the drop down menu in their personal profile (your photo in the upper right of the SumTotal home screen) to see their  21st Century Classroom Level 1 and/or Level 2 badges, possibly in addition to a DEI 2020/2021 badge and other badges that have been achieved.

Faculty who are interested in “leveling up” have several options. One-on-one support is available with CTE Coaches for any teaching-related idea, issue, concern, etc.; Blackboard help is available through the Blackboard Liaisons. Level 2 and Level 3 support is also available through the Online Learning Department ZERD courses and in CTE Level 3 Cohort Workshops. More information is listed below. 

Upcoming Blackboard ZERD Courses:
Need to meet  Level 2 of the 21st Century Classroom? These classes can help! Faculty may enroll in the following free, upcoming professional development courses to learn how to use Blackboard tools for teaching and learning online. Register for classes online in Self-Service. See this video for more information. Additional information is available in our schedule.
ZERD-197-500 Introduction to Blackboard 9.x (1 Credit) - Virtual: Mon. & Weds. 10/04 -10/13, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM 
ZERD-198-450 Intermediate Blackboard 9.x (1 Credit) - Virtual: Thurs. 10/14 - 10/28, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Synchronous, with related instruction online
ZERD-198-800 Intermediate Blackboard 9.x (1 Credit) - Online: Sun. 10/10 -10/24 (Flexible online course - 3 Weeks!)
ZERD-199-800 Advanced Blackboard 9.x (1 Credit) - Online: Sun. 10/ 31 - 11/14 (Flexible online course - 3 Weeks!)
Faculty who have already achieved Level 2 and would like to move towards Level 3 are welcome to join:

 21st Century Classroom Level 3 Cohort Workshop:
CTE has scheduled a 21st Century Classroom Level 3 Cohort Workshop in November. In two interactive sessions, faculty will examine and discuss advanced-level best practices that can be implemented in your courses, regardless of modality. For more information about the 21st Century Classroom Levels, the Level 3 Cohort Workshop, and to sign-up for a workshop (FQAS hours apply), visit the 21st Century Classroom Resources on CTE's website.

How can faculty use EAB Navigate to help students?

Faculty are a vital part of MATC’s Coordinated Care approach for our students because we are often the “go-to” resource for students who need additional support. Faculty’s ability to connect students with MATC resources has a major impact on retention and completion. EAB Navigate can help faculty help students find the support they need when they need it. 

Sending an Alert:

Faculty are encouraged to use EAB Navigate to create an alert to connect students with a Retention Coach. A Retention Coach connects with the student and engages them in academic and life coaching conversations to help them overcome obstacles or challenges and to create a plan to address the concern. 

Sending an alert in EAB Navigate will automatically route the student to their pathway supports and the appropriate Retention Coach. For more information on how-to send an alert and when it is appropriate to do, please see these guidelines and video demonstration.  If you have any questions, please contact Pam Schoessling, Retention Coaching Manager. If you previously used Self-Service to send an alert to the Retention Coaches, please know that this will only be available through December, when EAB Navigate fully replaces it.

 Personal and confidential needs are better served by an Licenced Professional Counselor. Counseling@matc.edu is the direct approach to reach out to Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) for mental health concerns. Behavior that can be interpreted as a threat to self, others or property should be reported immediately to Public Safety. 

Want an easy way to text your students?

EAB Navigate can help! Students can be difficult to reach by email, and they often prefer to be reached--and are more responsive--via text.  EAB Navigate allows you to text your students, individually, as a group, or as a class.  Attached is a short document and video describing how to log into EAB Navigate to text your students.

Our Work--CTE and You!

Universal Design for Learning:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn (CAST, 2021). UDL has direct application at MATC since we have such a diverse student population. 

UDL identifies three main guidelines that provide inclusive education experiences and learning environments. When following these guidelines, instructors will provide multiple means of:
  • Engagement (the why of learning)
  • Representation (the what of learning)
  • Action and Expression (the how of learning)

This short video will introduce you to UDL and the above guidelines. Please see this graphic organizer for more detailed information about the guidelines. This information is found on the CAST website, which is a nonprofit education research and development organization that created the UDL framework.

Many instructors at MATC already have multiple means of engaging students, providing multiple ways of presenting curriculum to students, and encouraging multiple ways of student actions and expression in things such as learning activities and assessments. As more and more instructors consider equity within their courses, ideas and opportunities arise for instructors to include UDL principles or to take UDL to higher levels within their courses. 

CTE is  here to support you in this important work--new UDL Resources are available on CTE's website.
 
Universal Design Technologies:
Have you tried technology such as Flipgrid or Canva? Technologies such as these can allow you to present your course content in different ways and help student learning in the ways they learn best. Included in the new Universal Design for Learning (UDL) section on CTE’s website, we have listed many technologies that will apply to UDL. Many are free to use! Feel free to explore the links to determine if any of the tools apply to your curriculum. Know of any UDL technologies that are not on our list? Please let us know, and we’ll add them to our list.

8-Week Course Conversion Workshops:
CTE is now offering an 8-Week Course Conversion Workshop on a continual basis. The workshop will provide you a “hands-on” experience in converting a course with the assistance of Faculty Coaches and an Instructional Designer. The workshop is 3 hours long and qualifies for 3 FQAS hours. To sign-up, please go to the 8-Week Course Conversions on the CTE website to learn more about the course conversion workshop and when workshops are scheduled.

Friendly Reminders:

Progress Grades: 
Progress grades for 16-week sections are due tomorrow, 10/7. You can submit your progress grades using the ILP Integration tool in Blackboard or directly in Self-Service.

TAP Reminder--Have You Connected with a Peer Coach? New Videos available!
As you know, there’s a new TAP submission process. To stay on target with your TAP submission, during the 1st semester, just make a copy of the NEW Teaching Action Plan (TAP) form, update it throughout the semester, and connect with a peer coach. 
 
  • Probationary faculty should work with their assigned Faculty Development Coach on creating a TAP for submission during the last year of their probation

  • Post-probationary faculty should work with their self-selected Peer Coach on setting up a goal and completing the TAP (annually for FT and once per 4-year cycle for PT)

Need help using the new Tap Form? Watch a video created by a Faculty Development Coach on how to download and use the new TAP form!
Curious about how to submit your TAP next semester? Watch a video on how to upload your TAP & other activities into SumTotal or review these written instructions.

Learn Pillar Integration Committee Feedback Sessions:
You are invited to a feedback session about the new Learn Pillar Integration Committee. The Learn Pillar Integration Committee keeps student success at the heart of all decisions and actions. The Committee provides a structure for faculty involvement and collaborative decision-making across all Academic and Career Pathways within the college and provides a diverse, equitable, and inclusive opportunity for front-line employees to give feedback based upon their direct interaction with students. The Committee performs this work by initiating and coordinating aspects of curriculum, instruction, and assessment using a collaborative and student-centered approach. We would like to learn more about how you think your Academic Pathway can integrate within the structure of the Learn Pillar Integration Committee. Please join us for one of the following Zoom meetings:

Wednesday, October 13, 6-7 p.m. 

Thursday, October 14, 12-1 p.m.

Log in and call-in information for either meeting can be found here.
This committee was designed through a collaborative process over the past 6 months involving primarily faculty as well as the leadership of Local 212. The Learn Pillar Integration Committee looks forward to hearing your feedback!

MATC Professional Development Opportunities:

Cultural Competency and Classroom Dynamics Workshop:

The DEI Committee and Office of Student Life are sponsoring three sessions of Cultural Competency and Classroom Dynamics workshop with presenters Jasmin Spain & Dr. Michael Vick
Thu, October 7, 9am – 12pm
Thu, October 7, 1pm – 4pm
Fri, October 8, 9am – 12pm

To register, please go to the DEI Events Calendar.

Description:
In coordination with the Student Experience team, the DEI Committee, and the Office of Judicial Affairs, this workshop will present strategies for interacting with students using a cultural competency lens. Dr Nicholas Vick (Tallahassee Community College) and Mr. Jasmin Spain (Pitt Community College) will provide a deeper dive into the MATC Student Code of Conduct process and offer strategies for developing deeper connections across cultures. The goal of this learning opportunity is to address retention through a Cultural Competency lens as a strategy to increase student success.

The workshop will be delivered in two modules within the same session. Module 1 will be led by Dr. Vick and will offer an overview of cultural competence in the classroom and in advising as well as tools for building relationships from Day 1 of an interaction. After a short break, Module 2 will be led by Mr. Spain and will feature an interactive, immersive experience which simulates the student experience. Participants are encouraged to participate in both modules, but may attend one, if there are time constraints. Post-probationary faculty who attend can earn FQAS hours for attending.

MATC Professional Development (ZERD) Courses:

Need FQAS hours? Most MATC professional development (ZERD) courses cover 40 hours of the 60 hour FQAS requirement for post-probationary faculty. All ZERD courses are free to MATC instructors!

Many courses start in October. The list of Fall 2021 Professional Development (ZERD) Courses can be found here.  For more information on how to register, please see these instructions.

DiSC Workshops:

These interactive workshops will help you identify your individual communication style and give you a tool to build more effective relationships in the workplace and classroom. Participation in a DiSC workshop is strongly recommended for all MATC employees. Register for an upcoming DiSC workshop in SumTotal, and reach out to Nick Brayton at braytonn@matc.edu with any questions.

Additional Professional Development Opportunities:

MATC has access to a wide range of professional development resources through the college’s networks, and one part of CTE’s job is to help you connect with opportunities.

Achieving the Dream  Upcoming Webinars and Events:

MATC’s partnership with Achieving the Dream (ATD) provides many opportunities for faculty to participate in outstanding professional development opportunities. Below is an excerpt from your colleagues with a first person perspective of the benefits of these opportunities:
In early May several faculty members attended the ‘Achieving the Dream: Equity in Teaching and Learning Institute’. The breadth and depth of information shared was inspiring! Our keynote speaker, Bettina Love, Ph.D., Athletic Association Endowed Professor from the University of Georgia, challenged us to connect our course activities to the community.  For example, during the pandemic Dr. Love had students create a ‘Healing Mixtape’ in her ‘Exploring the History of Hip Hop & Why It Matters Today’ class. Instead of submitting a five-page paper, for example, that will most likely be discarded after the course concludes, students in Dr. Love’s class created a unique mixtape that they shared with family, friends and community members for healing, introspection, exploration and further discussion. To read more, click here.

Many of the upcoming sessions are free; however, CTE is willing to support faculty participation in Achieving the Dream professional development opportunities. To be awarded these funds please make a copy of the College-Sponsored Professional Development Agreement and email it to cte@matc.edu. Below are some links to upcoming ATD Professional Development opportunities.

Data & Analytics Summit (virtual conference): October 18-21

Working in Unison: Fostering Collaboration between Faculty and Student Affairs Professionals (webinar): October 28 

 Holistic Student Supports and Mental Health Summit (virtual conference): November 4-5 

Moving Things Along: How Adopting Shortened Semesters Accelerates Student Momentum and Success (webinar): November 16

Virtual Conferences:

Equity in the College Classroom: Educating Ourselves as Educators is a free, online Professional Development conference for Wisconsin Faculty & Instructors.  

Friday, October 15:  Creating Community in the College Classroom

To register, please go to: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/eicc21/ 

Grants:

Participants of the Equity in the College Classroom conference are eligible to apply for Equity in the College Classroom - Mini Grants. For more information, please see the information in this form. If you attended the October 1st session, you are also eligible to apply.

Research and Best Practices

"Can we take the lessons we’re learning in our college-transformation work and move that into our community-transformation work, with us as activists? Not as passive participants in this ecosystem, but as catalysts, really helping to build equitable, prosperous communities.”
From small scale to large scale incorporations, each inclusive strategy and diversity-related topic matters. Whether you incorporate these strategies into your syllabus, curriculum, or project-based learning activities, you can start to think about how this will improve how your students engage with your course and how you can better establish a classroom culture.
Social annotation tools provide instructors with a platform for applying principles of UDL in their courses to support neurodiverse learners.

Milwaukee Area Technical College
The Center for Teaching Excellence

cte@matc.edu

CTE Website

 

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