Your Resilience Is Amazing and Inspiring

In talking with a number of you over the last two weeks, it became apparent that the new way we are required to deliver our teaching would create some challenges and also provide us with a different way to look at things. We all use computers everyday whether it is a cell phone, laptop, iPad, or the very large computer that gets us from point A to point B (auto technicians will tell you that your car is just a bunch of computers now). So teaching in this new modality should be something that is familiar and also should look something like our onsite classes. I am talking about our learning outcomes and objectives in the latter part of that last sentence. Our curriculum must still be engaging, active, and connect to the current knowledge of the learner. It should also be logical as we build on the past to help our students develop new meanings and create new knowledge all in the ultimate goal of having them work-force ready when they graduate. Instructional designers will tell you that no matter how you plan to deliver the teaching, it still must start with the learning outcomes. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? That is what we have tried to stress in the past 10-14 days in our daily Zoom sessions, discussion boards, and one-on-one meetings (both by phone and through emails). By focusing on what the ultimate goal of your course has always been, you remain focused on the important things. We can still accomplish our teaching goals with simple, straightforward learning experiences. Continue to reach out if you need help. The amount of networking that is taking place across all disciplines is incredible. Even when the hardest job in higher education is compounded by something like a pandemic, our faculty still rise to the occasion with amazing resiliency..

Recovering the Joy of Teaching in the COVID Era

As we end the first day for all of our onsite classes to be delivered remotely, I wanted to share a well done essay recently published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The author, Flower Darby, has taught using the online environment for the last 12 years and is an instructional designer at Northern Arizona University. Her comments may not come into play for many of you until about two weeks and for some of you it may never appear but the advice is sage and important. She notes, "In the first few weeks of the pandemic, a lot of faculty members were rushing out of their comfort zone, moving their face-to-face courses online, and figuring out how to teach from home with kids and pets. As head of a teaching center on my campus, I am seeing many of my earnest colleagues overcome their nerves and experiment with unfamiliar modes of instruction. They are excitedly posting their first attempts at recording mini-video lectures and drafting syllabus statements of flexibility and support for students. But how long will that fizz last? After all, many faculty members are sacrificing much of what they love about their chosen vocation. At some point, they will need time to mourn the loss of spring 2020." Continue reading here.

Remember to Update Your Syllabus for Online Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly caused a major disruption for colleges around the globe. As BRCC works to move all of our onsite (face-to-face) courses to be offered using Canvas, it is important to remember to look at your syllabus. Some of the information students may now need may not be part of your current version. Dr. Danielle Geary wrote a straightforward article complete with a list of important items back in 2018. It is very relevant to us now as we transition and I encourage you to take a look at it as you redesign your course including your syllabus. We will continue to post relevant information and updates to the Teaching and Learning Faculty Development Canvas class as well so remember to check that resource at least daily. Finally, if you are looking for some assistance, send an email to elearning@bears.mybrcc.edu along with a brief description of your needs.