Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 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. Advanced registration is required.
Advanced Video Editing
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
This hand-on workshop picks up where the Basic Video Capture and Editing left off. Workshop attendees will engage in creative activities with their raw video footage. The focus will be on digitally slicing video, adding titles, transitions, sound (music or voice narration), and outputting to a variety of formats, including: mpeg-1, 2 & 4, streaming video, and iPod-compatible .m4v and .mov. Pinnacle Studio Plus 11 will be used. Seating is limited; advanced registration is required.
Blackboard II: Building Your Blackboard Course
Thursday, October 8, 2009 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
This hands-on workshop is a follow-up to the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop; we will cover the specifics of developing a course in Blackboard, including personalizing course navigation, setting up a materials-delivery structure and creating discussion areas. Participants will work in their own Blackboard courses and should bring to the session any course materials they want to upload or work with during the workshop. Files need to be on a flash drive (readable in a USB port) or on CD. Prerequisites: attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard Open Lab
Friday, October 9, 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.
Introduction to Online Teaching and Learning
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Teaching in the online environment involves principles and practices unlike traditional face-to-face instruction methods. Unique pedagogical and pragmatic considerations for teaching online must be considered when contemplating the development of an online course. In this session, we will introduce the unique characteristics of online instruction and provide an overview of the components in an engaging and interactive online course. We will also share various institutional resources for further assistance with getting started teaching. This workshop is geared toward an audience who is new to online teaching and to those wanting to refresh their knowledge about online teaching fundamentals. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard Assessment Tools
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
The survey and testing features in Blackboard offer faculty a variety of useful options for online assessment. In this hands-on workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore the various testing tools, create quizzes using a range of questions types, and experiment with creating test and survey pools. We will discuss strategies for reducing online testing errors as well as issues involving academic concerns with online testing. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Audio Podcasting
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
While the Introduction to Podcasting workshop provided participants with an overview of podcasting technology, the Audio Podcast workshop will be a more thorough hands-on experience for preparing audio content for online distribution. Topics will include a discussion of the pedagogy behind audio podcasts, a review of hardware/ software necessary for audio capture, editing, and file conversion, and a review of procedures to make content available for students to subscribe. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard 8.0 Grade Center I: Basic Features
Monday, October 19, 2009 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
With the recent upgrade of the Blackboard course management system to version 8.0, NIU faculty will see an entirely redesigned and newly named Grade Center. This hands-on workshop will review the significant changes in the layout and functionality of the Grade Center and will cover such topics as recording grades using inline editing, entering comments, sending email from the Grade Center, using interactive and non-interactive views, and customizing the default Grade Center look. Additionally, such topics as creating calculated grades, hiding, displaying and freezing columns, Grade Center searching and sorting functionalities will also be covered. Prerequisites: attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Blackboard Communication Tools
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
The discussion and file-sharing tools provided by Blackboard can enrich communication in the web-enhanced traditional classroom as well as in the online venue. These tools provide faculty with a wealth of opportunities for building course communities, encouraging academic discussion outside the classroom and collecting assignments electronically. This hands-on session covers the features of asynchronous and synchronous discussion, group discussion, and electronic file exchange. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
Effective Teaching with Interactive Pen (SMART Panel) Displays
Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
NIU has equipped many of its smart classrooms with SMART™ Interactive Pen Displays (IPD) which allow users to display, annotate and capture on-screen electronic material such as PowerPoint slides, video clips, and multimedia content. For example, users can simultaneously write on a projected PowerPoint slide, save the file, and then send it to others. Using Interactive Pen Displays as an instructional resource requires careful consideration of those features that would effectively support your teaching. This workshop is designed to explore the possible pedagogical possibilities of IPDs and to illustrate ways in which you can utilize a number of its tools and features such as screen shade, magnifier, pointer, and screen capture. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW**Teaching During a Health Crisis
**ONLINE**Tuesday, October 27, 2009 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
The H1N1 virus, formerly referred to as Swine Flu, is expected to make a comeback to the United States this school year and officials say that college campuses could be impacted. It’s prudent for faculty to consider how their teaching may be affected by an illness outbreak and explore steps to continue teaching during such a situation. This online session will share pedagogical recommendations for teaching during a health crisis, including: steps for being ready, instructional alternatives, available technologies, and suggestions for meeting students’ needs. Available sources for further information will be highlighted. Advanced registration is required.
Rubrics for Meaningful Evaluation and Assessment
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Scene: Student asks, “Why did you grade me that way,” or “You never told us that we would be graded on grammar.” Enter: Rubrics, which are scoring tools that clearly define assignment criteria with levels of performance for each part. Because grading may be considered one of the most time consuming, frustrating, and sometimes dreaded aspects of teaching, learning how to develop and use rubrics can help faculty grade more objectively, save grading time, and assist students in preparing assignments. Workshop participants will create their own rubric that can be adapted for any assignment or task. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW**Collecting Assignments Electronically Using Blackboard
Thursday, October 29, 2009 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am
In this hands-on session, participants will learn about the Assignment and SafeAssignment tools in Blackboard. Both tools are effective ways to collect assignments electronically rather than in paper form. Both tools integrate with the Blackboard Grade Center and organize assignments so that they are easier to access than those submitted via email or the Digital Drop Box. The SafeAssignment tool even analyzes submissions for plagiarism. During the session, participants will experience both tools as students. Then, using both tools, participants will experience creating assignments, downloading submissions, and providing grades and feedback to students. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Blackboard. Advanced registration is required.
**NEW** Advanced Features of Wimba Classroom in Blackboard
Friday, October 30, 2009 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
This hands-on workshop is a follow-up to the Promoting Online Collaboration with Wimba Classroom in Blackboard workshop; we will cover many of the advanced features of the Wimba Classroom online collaboration tool in Blackboard, including: sharing your computer desktop during an online presentation, breaking students into breakout rooms for small group discussion, and enabling video archives of recorded sessions for students to download for viewing on an iPod or other mobile video player. In addition, will also explore advanced configuration settings in Blackboard for enabling Wimba Classrooms for individual class groups as well as viewing advanced polling and tracking results. Prerequisites: basic computer skills and attendance at the Promoting Online Collaboration with Wimba Classroom in Blackboard workshop or previous experience using Wimba Classroom. Advanced registration is required.
Please register online at http://www.facdev.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: 10/15/2009