Would you like to turn your class into a paperless operation? Have you ever tried to sit down and grade student assignments only to find that you left them at the office? Or perhaps you are ready to return an assignment to students only to find that you left them at home. Utilizing the Assignments function in Blackboard may be a good solution for you. On Thursday, September 26 two training sessions on using the Blackboard Assignment function will be held. You can register now for one of two sessions to be taught by Susan Nealy and Lenora White. The first session is for those faculty who are new to Blackboard. The beginner level session will be held at 3:00 PM and is recommended for faculty who are just learning how to navigate Blackboard and may need a little extra time getting started. The session will be very deliberate through the process from setup to submission and grading. The advanced level session will begin at 4 PM. This is for faculty familiar with using Blackboard but who have not used Assignments before and will cover assignment setup, submission and grading. This workshop is part of the Teaching+Learning Center faculty professional development programming. Both sessions of the workshop will be held in 206 Cypress Building.
TESTING CENTER EXPANDS HOURS AND SERVICE
The Testing Center at the Mid City Campus has new hours of operation beginning on September 16. We will now be open on Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM, Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM. In addition, the new Testing Center scheduler has been activated. Students can now make appointments for any type of testing via the BRCC website. Students or faculty who have questions should contact one of the Testing Center specialists at testingcenter@mybrcc.edu. The Testing Center at the Acadian Campus offers testing on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM. Questions or scheduling for the Acadian Campus should be directed to yolandabatton@catc.edu.
HOW TO MAKE IDEAS STICK
Have you read the article by Chip Heath and Dan Heath entitled
"Teaching that Sticks"? It is based on their book Made to Stick: Why
Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (HM291.H43). The Heath brothers have identified the six
traits that they feel make an idea sticky and they include: simple, unexpected,
concrete, credible, emotional, and story. The Heath's say, "As a teacher,
you are on the front lines of stickiness. Every single day, you've got to wake
up in the morning and go make ideas stick. And let's face it, this is no easy
mission. Few students burst into the classroom, giddy with anticipation, ready
for the latest lesson on punctuation, polynomials, or pilgrims."
KEEP CALM AND BE ENGAGED
Another outstanding faculty member has been recognized and rewarded with a coveted green shirt. Paul Guidry, who teaches in the Criminal Justice program, is a big proponent of active learning methods and truly believes that engagement is the ultimate weapon in fighting attrition. His student, Raven Groom, says "Mr. Guidry doesn't just hand out papers and ask us to read
them. He actually teaches the material and uses real-life situations to make
sure we comprehend." Another of his students, Daniel Lynch, says "Mr. Guidry genuinely cares about the future of his student's lives and helps us prosper by leading us in the classroom." The Division of Innovative Learning and Academic Support is proud to recognize Paul Guidry for his dedication to his students and his chosen craft.
