Free open online class for new college instructors
First Steps into Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, is a free, open, online class targeted at new lecturers, people entering higher education teaching from other sectors and postgraduate students who teach. They also welcome experienced lecturers to update and share their knowledge and expertise. The First Steps course is an element of the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development’s (OCSLD) HEA accredited Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PCTHE).
Building on OCSLD’s experience of running courses for a national and international audience, First Steps into Learning and Teaching in Higher Education will be an open online course, free to the global academic community, with peer and general tutor support. The class runs May 21- June 22.
Free open online class with Curtis Bonk starts today
“Flipping” is not a new idea – we give students lecture material via the internet, then use class time for greater discussion and interactivity.
POT presenting at Ed-Media
For the first time, POT will be presenting at the World Conference on Educational Media and Technology in two sessions, one on the Simul-learn setup created by Laura Paciorek for out simultaneous online/on-site workshops, and one on the POT Certificate Class (see below). Laura Paciorek and Lisa M. Lane will be presenting live in Denver, with other POT leaders and certificate class members participating virtually.
Planning ahead: Fall Flex
POT All-Day Workshop: Strategies and Tools for Online Teaching
Tuesday, August 14 (tentative – not yet approved)
9:30 am - 3:50 pm, lunch included
Flex time: 6.5 hours
Limit enrollment: 35 participants
Cost: $20/person includes lunch
Instructors of all levels and styles are welcome to join us for an all-day exploration of the strategies and
tools that can be effectively used for online, hybrid or on-site classes that use web technologies. Beginning
with developing good course design through individual pedagogy, participants will work hands-on with a
selection of proven teaching tools and explore how they can be used to realize instructional goals. If you
have attended an all-day POT workshop in the past, there will be some new additions this year.
Please bring your laptop computer or smart phone if you have one.
Participants will receive 6.5 flex hours for participating (attendance of less than 6.5 hours may be recorded
on the sign-in sheet).
Planning ahead: POT Online Teaching Certificate Class
Over a dozen of this year’s participants will be receiving POT’s online certificate, with a badge they can display on their class websites. Certificate are being awarded to participants from MiraCosta, but also from schools in Spain, Pakistan, New Zealand, and across the U.S. You can see this year’s activity at our aggregated blog: Pedagogy First!
Our next class begins on September 1. There is a textbook, and activities for 12 weeks in fall and 12 weeks in spring. Participants learn about teaching online by putting their pedagogical goals first, and learning to use various technologies to fulfill their objectives, whether teaching online, hybrid, or in a classroom. The class is free and open and led by POT participants, moderators from around the globe, and graduates of the certificate program.
This mini-course takes novice online instructors through the process of determining ones own pedagogical goals, and implementing them in an online class. This model has been successfully used at several of POT’s all-day workshops, and is now available to go through at your own pace.
Thurs, April 19, 2 or 3 pm PT
On campus and online combined session with faculty from Yavapai Community College, MiraCosta Community College, Shelton State Community College, and Folsom Lake College. More information coming!
New videos at the POT website:
Louisa Moon’s Ten Time-saving Tips for Online Teachers is one of our most viewed items, but as an Elluminate recording it is a large file and difficult for some to view. A slideshow version with audio is now available.
Three for Moodlers — these tutorials work together to help make your Moodle discussions more interactive and effective:
Ted Major’s presentation on Audio and Video is available as a Collaborate recording here.
Lisa, Eric, Todd, Ted and Zack presented in Collaborate on Personal Learning Networks on Feb 2. Slides and audio are posted here.
Some cool trends and technologies
As you can see from the above sessions, Google Plus Hangout works well as a way to get up to 10 people together in a videoconference. Here’s a tutorial on activating Google +.
Robert Erichsen introduced Robert Kelley to a YouTube feature called Interactive Transcript which makes searching a video easier.
“Flipped” classes (where “homework” is done in class and “lecture” is done online outside of class) are hardly a new idea, but here’s a good video we looked at this month:
Friday, March 2: First Friday (Room 4802)
* 2:00–2:50 pm, – A Mid-Semester Check-In
* 3:00-3:50 pm – Discussion Group for Connections: Virtual Learning Communities
Wednesday, March 7 at 2 pm: Guest Speaker Kelly Trainor from Yavapai Community College
Thursday, March 15: Third Thursday at 3 pm: Google + Hangout for online instructors
Upcoming: April 17-19: TCC Conference online
This Friday is First Friday: Two great workshops!
2:00-2:50 pm, Room OC4804 – A Mid-Semester Check-In with Laura Paciorek
Each First Friday session features a discussion and experimentation workshop for individuals interested in online teaching. The first part of the workshop will feature a focused discussion, suggested by the facilitator and/or attendees, then participants can move to computers in the lab to practice and or demonstrate some of the things we discuss.
We are pleased to announce POT’s first book book discussion group, led by Laura Paciorek on each First Friday, following the Discussion/Experiment Workshops.
On Wednesday, March 7, at 2 pm Pacific Time, Yavapai Community College is hosting a Collaborate session with Kelly Trainor on teaching a hybrid class. Kelly received the Instructional Technology Council’s Excellence in Teaching award for Outstanding Blended Course. Link to the session is here. Kelly Trainor’s webpage is here.
Third Thursday Online: Come try Google Plus Hangout
Thursday, March 15 at 3:00 pm Pacific Time Lisa will be leading a discussion in teaching online at Google + Hangout. If you haven’t used Google + before, see this video on how to activate it. Then add Lisa to a circle and you’ll be notified when the Hangout begins. The first 10 people can be seen and heard on headset and webcam – the others can listen and watch.
A Great Online Conference: TCC
Mark your calendars for April 17-19: The Teaching Colleges and Community Worldwide Online Conference (TCC) is a virtual conference held annually online. While it’s sad that it’s hosted in Hawaii but it takes place online, this is one of the best online conferences anywhere for online instructors, both experienced and inexperienced.
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3:00-3:50 pm, Room OC4802 – Discussion Group for Connections: 
Mark your calendars for April 17-19: The Teaching Colleges and Community Worldwide Online Conference (TCC) is a virtual conference held annually online. While it’s sad that it’s hosted in Hawaii but it takes place online, this is one of the best online conferences anywhere for online instructors, both experienced and inexperienced.