Teaching Large Classes
Tuesday, November 3 , 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Teaching large classes effectively requires a set of different strategies and methods than teaching smaller classes. Through careful planning, using interactive activities, having the confidence and a bit of charisma, teaching large classes can be an exciting teaching and learning experience for the instructor and the students. This workshop will present a number of ways to manage paperwork, distractions, passive students, and class activities. Come prepared to share and learn ways to be effective teaching and engaging students in the large classroom setting. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Learn the basics of creating and developing a course in Blackboard, NIU's Web Course Management System. Participants will get an overview of course layout and navigation, have an opportunity to place materials in a sample course, and also get assistance with requesting their own Blackboard courses. Participants who wish to request their courses during the workshop need to have an active NIU Account ID. Workshop prerequisites: Knowledge of Web browsing and basic computing skills. Advanced registration is required.
Short Focused Tutorials
Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate the mechanics of adding voice and video to existing PowerPoint slide presentations that are streamed using broadband connectivity. Faculty may consider using this educational strategy to reinforce a concept presented in their own face-to-face-class session, provide a tutorial on new information, or review material for an upcoming examination. Participants will be using Articulate Presenter, a remarkable software that compresses large-size files for more manageable distribution online. Participants should be familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint and should bring existing PowerPoint files to experiment with. Seating is limited; advanced registration is required.
Blackboard Open Lab
Friday, November 6, 2009 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Adams Hall, Room 323
Open lab provides an excellent opportunity for faculty and staff to ask specific questions about Blackboard and other teaching-related technologies. Staff from Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center will be on hand to individually address your questions. We cannot provide an overview of Blackboard at this session, but will be happy to answer specific questions about using Blackboard and other instructional technologies. No advanced registration required.
Podcast Series: Video Podcasting
Monday, November 9, 2009 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
While the Introduction to Podcasting workshop provided participants with an overview of podcasting technology, the Video Podcast workshop will be a more thorough hands-on experience for preparing video content for online distribution. Topics will include a discussion of the pedagogy behind video podcast, a review of hardware/software necessary for video capture, editing, and file conversion, and a review of procedures to make content available for students to subscribe. A prerequisite for the workshop is the Introduction to Podcasting workshop or previous experience with Podcasting. No iPods are necessary to participate. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW** NING: Build Your Own Social Network
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Social networking technologies provide faster and more engaging online communication, help students and educators stay together, and offer a number of unique ways for students to enhance their learning experience through active communication and exchange of ideas. Ning is one of the social networking services that allows users to join and create personal networks around an area of interest. This hands-on workshop will walk participants through the steps of creating a social network for a course or around an area of interest or research. The presentation will also focus on the available Ning features and discuss how social networking technologies can be used to supplement the functionality of Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Introduction to External Funding
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, HSC 306
This workshop will introduce faculty and staff to the ins and outs of the external funding process. Topics covered will include: positioning yourself, your ideas, and your work before applying; searching for appropriate funding sources, proposal preparation (narrative, budgets, human subjects, other compliance issues), the submission process, learning from rejection, and how to work with the Office of Sponsored Projects. Presented by David Stone, Office of Sponsored Projects. Sponsored by Employee Relations and Training and Office of Sponsored Projects. Call 815-753-6000 or email hrstraining@niu.edu to register.
**NEW** Blended Learning: Finding the Right Mix
Thursday, November 12, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
In this workshop, we will introduce the unique components of blended course design and provide strategies for modifying traditional activities, assignments and assessments to fit a blended course environment. We will also share resources for further assistance with getting started teaching a blended course. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW** Tips for Teaching With Blogs
**ONLINE** Friday, November 13, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Blogs have become common tools for communicating and collaborating online. While setting up a blog takes only a matter of minutes, effectively incorporating blogs into online teaching requires purposeful planning and structuring of activities to leverage the power that blogging brings to the learning environment. This online session will share the experiences of incorporating instructor and student blogs into an online course as well as practical recommendations for those considering utilizing blogs in online learning. Advanced registration is required.
Tracking Student Performance in Blackboard
**ONLINE** Tuessday, November 17, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Blackboard provides a variety of tools that help faculty track student performance in the course. The Early Warning System is a feature integrated into Blackboard that allows faculty to monitor student performance proactively based on attendance, student assessment, and assessment due dates. This online workshop will focus on setting up and running the Early Warning System rules to generate performance notifications, using the Performance Dashboard to identify students who may experience performance problems, and viewing and interpreting performance-based statistics. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW** Games and Simulations in the Classroom
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
What do Second Life, Civilization III, and Jeopardy all have in common? They have all been used in higher education to engage and teach students. While the primary function of games and simulations is to entertain, they also make effective teaching tools. In this workshop, we will discuss why games are so effective and explore several examples of games that can be used “as-is” or modified to be used in the classroom. Advanced registration is required.
Advanced Short Focused Online Tutorials with Articulate Engage
Thursday, November 19, 2009 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to easily add stunning interactive content to your online courses. We will be using the program Articulate Engage that allows users to integrate a number of compelling learning interactions without the need for expensive designs or programming. Although there are ten engaging interactions, we will focus on three (Process, Timeline, and Frequently Asked Questions). Advanced registration is required and seating is very limited.
Controlling Student Access to Materials in Blackboard
**ONLINE** Friday, November 20, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Course content does not always apply to all users in the course. Faculty at times may wish to create custom learning paths through course content and activities, displaying content to certain users for a limited period of time. This online session will walk participants through the process of managing course content, assessments, assignments, or other activities within Blackboard using the Adaptive Release feature to create personalized learning paths for students. Principles for effective implementation within existing Blackboard courses will be shared. Advanced registration is required.
How to Avoid (and, if Necessary, Prevail) in Grade Appeals
Monday, November 30, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, Holmes Student Center, Room 505
Grade appeals can be time consuming for you, your chairperson, and your colleagues. But knowing what to do and who to contact can assist everyone involved. This interactive workshop will share suggested grading scales and methods, syllabus wordings, strategies to use during the semester, and how to most successfully respond to grade disputes should they arise. Tim Griffin has experience with hundreds of grade disputes at NIU and reflecting on these will identify proactive strategies that faculty can use to reduce the probability and frequency of appeals. Advanced registration is required.
Please register online at http://www.niu.edu/facdev/forms/fsprogreg.shtml.
Locations will be made available when you register. If you register for a program (except for those programs that already have registration and cancellation deadlines) and are unable to attend, please notify the Center at least two working days in advance so that those on the waiting list can be given the opportunity to attend that program. We request that participants have an active NIU AccountID and password before coming to workshops. Contact ITS (815-753-8100) for information concerning IDs. Contact sponsoring units for more information about their programs.
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Last Updated: 11/11/2009