Published: Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Getting to Know CTE--

The Center for Teaching Excellence uses a student-centered approach to professional development. By doing this, CTE hopes to be able to provide professional development opportunities that are responsive to the needs of today’s students. This creates a foundation of support for the classroom application of evidence-based teaching methodologies and best practices, which encourages innovation and excellence in teaching. CTE is dedicated to the art and craft of quality teaching, so that our students continue to receive the quality classroom experience that they deserve.
 
Plus, it’s a lot of fun to be able to do what you love and to do it well. If you are looking for opportunities to build meaningful professional development with your colleagues, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Our Work--CTE and You!

21st Century Classroom Skills: Use It--Don’t Lose It!

You worked hard last year to obtain or fine-tune a skill set that matched the needs of our 21st Century students.  Level 1 and Level 2 badges are currently being uploaded into Sum Total. This work is set to be completed by the end of the fall semester, but you don’t have to wait for the badge verification to apply your skills! 

MATC has set a goal of a 10% increase by Spring 2022 in the frequency of usage scores in the “Student-Faculty Interactions” sections of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE--commonly referred to as Ses-see). The Communication section of the 21st Century Classroom 2.0 Self-Assessment was designed to help faculty specifically assess their own processes of engagement with students. Your commitment to these high impact practices has a positive impact on student learning and engagement. Now is a good time to check-in on these student-centered communication skills:
  • Are you aware that faculty are required to maintain active engagement with students including online and face-to-face support?
  • Are you comfortable providing feedback (written, video, synchronous, etc.) as a part of your assessment process?
  • Can you utilize video conferencing software to meet with students? (i.e Collaborate)
  • MATC’s accrediting bodies require “substantive interactions” in the online environment.  Are you providing weekly substantive interactions?
  • Can you regularly respond to student inquiries (emails, texts, voicemails, etc.) within 24-48 hours of receipt, with instructor discretion on weekends and holidays?
  • Can you inform your students of your grading time frame and update this throughout the semester if needed?
  • Are you willing to provide reasonable extensions, when appropriate, to students who are impacted by COVID-19 or other related life/health issues
  • Are you able to provide a flexible time management approach in order to meet student needs?
  • Can you connect your students who are falling behind due to technical issues, including internet access and hardware, with appropriate MATC resources?

If you would like additional support in applying your 21st Century Classroom skills, please contact CTE.
 
21st Century Classroom Level 3 Cohort Workshop:
CTE has added another 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 Levels, the Level 3 Cohort Workshop, or to sign-up for a workshop (FQAS hours apply), visit the CTE website.

8-Week Course Conversion Workshops--Work with a Faculty Coach and Instructional Designer:

CTE has 8-Week Course Conversion Workshops available either November 4th or November 19th. 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. 

CTE Collaboration Connection:

Update--Learn Pillar Integration Committee Feedback Sessions:

The Learn Pillar Integration Committee keeps student success at the heart of all decisions and actions. 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 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 view the video and Google Slides from last week’s Learn Pillar Integration Committee Feedback sessions. 

Please add your thoughts and questions to our Padlet.

Friendly Reminders:

Final Grades--1st session of  8 week courses: 

Final grades for the 1st session of  8 week courses are due  October 22, 2021. You can submit your progress grades using the ILP Integration tool in Blackboard or directly in Self-Service.

2nd session of  8 week courses started this week:

Some students may not remember or realize the start date of the 8 week course. A best practice is to send a friendly reminder. Below is an email template that you can use to remind students of the start date and the new attendance policy. Please feel free to use as much or as little of the text as you would like.
Subject line: Did you know that your section of --Insert Course Name here-- started this week?
Asynchronous Template:
Hi  --Insert student name here--,
Please consider this a friendly reminder that the 8 week session of --Insert Course Name here-- started this week. You are not behind--the first assignment is not due until --insert date here--! Please be aware of the college’s new attendance policy, which requires regular attendance as well as completion of weekly assignments.  If you need help logging into Blackboard, please see the Blackboard Login Help page. Once you have accessed the course, I am available to help you with any questions you have regarding the content of this class, so please do not hesitate to contact me.

Synchronous Template (feel free to modify for a proactive email before the first class):
Hi  --Insert student name here--,
Please consider this a friendly reminder that the 8 week session of --Insert Course Name here-- started this week. We missed you in class, but you can catch up--the first assignment is not due until --insert date here--! Please be aware of the college’s new attendance policy, which requires regular attendance as well as completion of weekly assignments. We meet on --insert date and time as well as classroom or Virtual log-info--. I am available to help you with any questions you have regarding the content of this class, so please do not hesitate to contact me.

Syllabus submission for courses is usually required within one week of the start date; for the 2nd 8 week session, this means your syllabus will most likely need to be submitted during the week of 10/25/21. For more specific information, please contact your Academic and Career Pathway office. 

The census date for the 2nd 8 week session is Wednesday,  October 27, 2021. Please make sure to enter attendance for these sections throughout the semester, but especially before this date.

MATC Professional Development Opportunities:

Many of our students are the first in their families to go to college, and they experience college differently from other students. The DEI Committee invites you to participate in a virtual workshop and brainstorming session to learn about the ways other colleges have successfully supported their “first-gen” students. The workshop will be held on Friday, Oct 22 at noon via Zoom, and FQAS hours will be provided. 

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.

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 these 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.  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.

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

WTCS Virtual Conferences:
OER in Wisconsin: Inspiration to Action
Online and free professional learning opportunity.
Preconference on OER 101: Oct. 28 from 1pm – 3pm
Symposium: Oct. 29 from 9am – 4pm
This Symposium is a space for inclusive and open sharing and conversation, and creating meaningful collaborations to advance OER work. All are welcome to attend and contribute. Please share this opportunity with your colleagues.
Visit the Symposium webpage to register and submit a presentation proposal. You may need to scroll down to view the information.

Keeping You Posted:

Our goal with CTE Connections is to keep you informed, not only about CTE’s work, but to help you navigate other college-wide initiatives that directly impact faculty.

Let your students know about a professional development opportunity! The Second Latinx Career Opportunities Conference,  a virtual event designed for Latinx students exploring career opportunities and career pathways, will be held on Thursday, October 28th, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Register here!

Sign up for the OpenEd21 (Oct. 18-22) and the WTCS OER Symposium (Oct. 28-29; Four MATC faculty are presenting!), save the date for the upcoming MATC OERSeries session (Nov. 17, 11 am – noon), and explore recent OER news and publications (some addressing OER and improving DEI) in the October 2021 MATC OER Newsletter.

Research and Best Practices

Incorporating evidence-based classroom best practices has a huge impact on student success. Each week we will provide information that is meant to be engaging, thought-provoking, and applicable to various classroom environments. Enjoy!

Hear some straight talk from middle-schoolers about race and what it’s like to grow up in such racially charged times. This powerful video was shown at the MATC Day’s "Managing a Transformative Culture" workshop.
Another resource from, MATC Day’s "Managing a Transformative Culture" workshop. “The difference between microaggressions and overt discrimination or macroaggressions, is that people who commit microagressions might not even be aware of them.” An audio version is also available in this link.
What is it? What’s the theoretical basis? Is there evidence that it works? Why is it important? What are the techniques that can be used in the classroom?

Milwaukee Area Technical College
The Center for Teaching Excellence

cte@matc.edu

CTE Website

 

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