NCC Online Learning Blog

Teaching Online Article

2011-05-05T07:01:00.001-07:00

I receive inquiries from a number of people looking to begin teaching online and found this article to have some use for people looking for those first online teaching jobs.

Cell Phone Boosters

2011-02-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com has a number of great videos available to learn more about getting better cell phone reception and to use Skype and Google Voice. Check out these videos Did I mention I am in-love with Jeff Bezos company?

Check out this great quote by Jeff: "Because, you know, resilience - if you think of it in terms of the Gold Rush, then you'd be pretty depressed right now because the last nugget of gold would be gone. But the good thing is, with innovation, there isn't a last nugget. Every new thing creates two new questions and two new opportunities."
Jeff Bezos

Blog Changes

2011-01-20T09:23:00.001-08:00

The blog has changed from NHCC to NCC.

Tech Training site for parents

2010-12-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you or someone you know needs some techie lessons, here is a site that is sure to help: Parents Techie Training

Excellenct Online Instructor

2010-10-18T10:55:00.001-07:00

Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt podcast on the Excellent Online Instructor

Better get Shot!!

2010-10-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

A guide to vaccinations men and women over 50 need
by: Dara Chadwick | from: AARP Bulletin | September 16, 2010 Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) (available for adults since 2005) Who should get it: Adults 50 to 64; 65 and older receive Td booster only.
The guidelines: A resurgence of pertussis-also known as whooping cough-has led to a CDC recommendation that adults 50 to 64 receive a booster immunization that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. California currently has a "raging epidemic of pertussis," says Poland of the Mayo Clinic, adding that Canada recently issued a warning to its citizens planning to travel to California.
What to consider: If you have young grandchildren or frequently spend time around infants, it's important to have a Tdap shot to boost your own immunity to avoid infecting children you spend time with, Poland says.

I had a colleague from another campus email to say her husband here in Brooklyn Park, had whooping cough!! Consider getting a booster.

MERLOT Content Builder

2010-10-04T10:52:00.001-07:00

Building content and getting ideas/tools is tough. Merlot.org has a course content builder to check out.

Cal State Course Authoring Site

2010-10-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

A very nice site to wish we had something like this: Digital Learning

NYU Offers Free Online Learning Classes

2010-09-20T06:06:00.001-07:00

Very interesting article to follow.

http://nyulocal.com/on-campus/2010/09/07/nyu-to-offer-free-online-courses-enhanced-student-versions-for-credit/

College Dropout Factories

2010-09-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

This article is so true and so sad. I think that the same holds true for those of us holding an ABD. I just think how unfortunate it is that so many bright people end up like this student.

2010-08-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome back!

It was great to see everyone in today’s training sessions for D2L and Web Accessibility! We conduct individual training sessions with you, just email Kathy Grady, kgrady@nhcc.edu or me ssteinke@nhcc.edu and we will schedule an individual appointment. We have evening hours available too!

If you don’t see the Online Teaching Best Practices Sharehouse resource course in your D2L, email one of us and we will get you into the Sharehouse. Feel free to add rubrics and other great teaching and learning examples so we can all benefit from this resource! Follow the discussions in the course too! Add a discussion too!

Upcoming Training: September 9 from 2:30-5:30 PM in ES 116.

Follow us on the blog for articles and updates

It was great to see everyone again and let us know how we can serve you best!

Bullies and Professors

2010-08-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

I am hearing of more of these instances, even on our campus, of bullies and professors.

Upcoming D2L Training

2010-08-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

The countdown to the start of the new semester is on! Next week on August 9 and 10 we will great new faculty with Jane. eFolio World Summit is on August 12--Can't wait! That conference is always good. August 18 is the next D2L and Web Content Accessibility Training from 1-2:30 pm in ES 116. See you then.

Just in Time training sessions are being scheduled now and will be posted for the first two weeks in September.

Microsoft and Nasa

2010-07-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

"Imagine having the ability to take a virtual tour of the cosmos from your living room. Not just a flat, two dimensional tour, but an experience so engrossing that you have the ability to see the entire sky at once then zoom into detailed views of distant galaxies. The Terapixel project from Microsoft Research makes all of that possible, by creating the largest and clearest image of the night sky ever produced—a terapixel image, now available in the WorldWide Telescope and Bing Maps."

Here is the tool

Universal instructional design principles for Moodle | Elias | The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

2010-07-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

Universal instructional design principles for Moodle Elias The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

Three generations of distance education pedagogy | Anderson | The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

2010-07-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Three generations of distance education pedagogy Anderson The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

If you have been searching for a presentation discussing the pedagogies of distance education, then this is the presentation for you!

Faculty Member Lauded for Online Course Approach - UT Dallas News

2010-07-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

Faculty Member Lauded for Online Course Approach - UT Dallas News

Here is an article about a faculty member who is using her experience from her online degree to make her online courses more interactive and engaging. It would be great if we, as a system, had a System Innovations In Online award and sharing event. What a great opportunity to see what others are doing well and look at incorporating those ideas into our own online courses!! Happy Summer!

Typing Analysis Software Keeps Online Students Honest

2010-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Typing Analysis Software Keeps Online Students Honest

Interesting new product to watch.

Cheating in the Online Environment

2010-05-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Cheating is an issue that we all deal with in our classes. Here is an interesting article about a Cheating Online Study.

The New Employment Model Demands Worker Flexibility

2010-05-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

The New Employment Model Demands Worker Flexibility

I added up all the careers or career jobs that I have had and I am currently at 12. Some studies say that the average person will have up to 11 different jobs in a lifetime. Imagine what that same study will soon be saying, as far as the number of jobs that an individual will have in a lifetime. The flexibility and the diversity in range, ability, and cross-training will now be the most important characteristics of workers. Specializations are great, but covering a wider base of knowledge will provide better employment opportunities.

NHCC Education Students Learn eFolio

2010-04-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

North Hennepin Community College students are taking an EDU course in which they are asked to begin to learn eFolio. eFolio Minnesota is available to all Minnesota residents free of charge, for life. Create as many eFolio sites as you need in one spot! Go to eFolio Minnesota and sign up today!

eLearn Magazine: Education and Technology in Perspective

2010-04-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

eLearn Magazine: Education and Technology in Perspective

If you haven't subscribed to this newsletter, perhaps you should consider it.

RightNow Tool Reduces Workload

2010-03-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

University of Houston Reaps 1,117% ROI With RightNow-Based “Ask Shasta” CRM Software System

Goals:

•Reduce a near-overwhelming volume of phone calls and emails

•Deliver quality information to students and prospective students online

•Ensure the information given to people is accurate and up-to-date regardless of how they contact the university or who responds to their question

Achievements:

•1,117 percent annual return on investment through workload reductions

•Consistent, accurate information available across all communication channels

•Subject-matter experts freed from having to field repetitive phone calls

The University of Houston faced a classic business challenge. The state continued to cut the UH’s budget by 5-10 percent annually. Yet, at the same time, UH had to successfully capture and retain students in the increasingly competitive higher education market.

It became essential for UH to “do more with less,” especially when it came to student-facing operations. Somehow, it had to improve the quality of the student experience while also reducing costs.

And that’s just what happened with RightNow. In fact, RightNow is saving the University around $1 million annually by substantially reducing its phone and email workloads. That savings—which the University calculates based on the tremendous number of questions RightNow answers automatically via the web—doesn’t include the more difficult-to-quantify benefits RightNow has delivered by making UH staff more efficient. But it does add up to an impressive return-on-investment of around 1117 percent every year.

At the same time, the RightNow-based CRM software system (dubbed “Ask Shasta” after the name of UH’s cougar mascot) is enabling UH to provide faster, better service to students and staff across all communication channels.

“RightNow has had a major impact on the quality-of-experience we are providing to all of our constituencies,” declares Betty Roberts, UH’s associate vice president of technology support services. “It has also allowed us to achieve significant cost savings during a period when such savings have been essential to our survival.”

Too Many Phone Calls, Too Many Emails

UH began to look for a better way of handling communications with students and staff as a growing volume of phone calls and emails threatened to overwhelm its limited human resources. Subject-matter experts who had other responsibilities were constantly distracted by phone calls that front-line staff couldn’t answer. Students and prospective students would often have to make several calls to track down the answers they were looking for. UH even had to create an office called “OnCall” specifically to act as a clearinghouse for the information callers were seeking.

There were several issues contributing to the problem. As a thriving institution, UH simply had more students asking questions and more things for them to ask questions about. Also, as with all universities, UH had a wide range of information “domains,” including various academic areas, admissions, financial aid, and campus life. And UH was under-utilizing the web as a communication channel—which put additional pressure on its phones and email.

After seeing a presentation from a RightNow sales representative and checking the experiences of other universities using RightNow, Roberts was confident that RightNow’s CRM software system could address the University’s communication challenges. She wrote specifications for a system that would provide UH with a searchable knowledge base that could be used on the web for unassisted support and internally to answer phone calls and emails.

“Several other vendors submitted proposals, but none of them could match RightNow in terms of either technical sophistication or proven success in the university world,” Roberts says.

Preserving Departmental Independence

Once Roberts and UH acquired RightNow, the next question was how to best implement it. Universities tend to operate in a very decentralized manner, and UH is no exception. At first Roberts and her team contemplated giving each functional area its own RightNow interface. Early experimentation, however, quickly revealed that this approach wouldn’t work. “Creating a bunch of totally separate knowledge bases would have defeated the whole point of giving people a single place to find their answers,” she explains.

Instead, a hybrid strategy was adopted. Each functional area had its own project liaison and content manager. Each could determine how to present the knowledge base within its individual area of the UH website. And each could determine how to use RightNow internally for phone and email. However, the knowledge base would be a common one, and search results would show users all relevant answers across all functional areas.

“We came up with a solution that allowed each area to maintain its independence without undermining the benefits of having a cross-university information resource,” Roberts boasts. “It really allows us to enjoy the best of both worlds.”

Tangible Results Across The Organization

The first areas to implement RightNow were financial aid, the registrar’s office, undergraduate admissions and IT. These were quickly joined by law school admissions and the undergraduate advisory department, with other groups slated for subsequent activation. Links to the Ask Shasta system were featured prominently on the UH home page, and it was promoted vigorously through UH publications and other programs.

All participating departments have experienced similar results. Use of the web by students and other constituencies rose dramatically from approximately 11,000 answers viewed monthly in the fall of the first year to almost 22,000 a year later. As a result, phone calls and emails have decreased substantially—in some cases, as much as 25 percent. In addition, entry-level department employees can use the RightNow knowledge base to answer all kinds of questions instead of having to refer them to subject-matter experts. This saves UH even more money, while allowing department experts to focus on their primary work responsibilities.

Plus, because they’ve been reviewed and approved by assigned content managers, the answers given by phone, email and on the web are always consistent and accurate.

University of Houston Support Site
University of Houston Homepage

About The University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

Cleaning Time

2010-02-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Time to Clean that computer out!!

Apple iPad Tablet Ushers in New Era of Computing - Mobile and Wireless from eWeek

2010-01-28T14:30:00.001-08:00

Apple iPad Tablet Ushers in New Era of Computing - Mobile and Wireless from eWeek

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KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul - Minn. Colleges See Double-Digit Increases in Online Learning

2010-01-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul - Minn. Colleges See Double-Digit Increases in Online Learning

Great article about blended learning in Minnesota. Michal Moskow is a colleague I work with.

Learn a Language before your next Vacation

2010-01-14T06:22:00.001-08:00

Library offers chance to learn foreign languages online

January 07, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

The Herald-Dispatch

ASHLAND -- Do you want to learn a foreign language, but don't have the time or money to go back to school? Or maybe you just want to brush up on that high school French?

Boyd County Public Library's newest online offering is Mango Languages, a free, fun, fast and convenient way to learn. The online language-learning system focuses on teaching actual conversation skills. Each lesson combines real-life situations and audio from native speakers with an easy-to-follow interface and simple, clear instructions. Because it is completely web-based, patrons can learn anywhere they have an internet connection.

Mango Languages currently offers 12 full language courses -- Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Greek, Russian and Mandarin Chinese, as well as ESL for Polish, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese speakers. Many additional language courses are planned.

In addition to the full courses, Mango has several quicker, basic courses - for those who don't have much time to learn, or who are planning a trip abroad within the next month or so.

To access Mango, go to www.thebookplace.org, then click on Reference tab, Tools, and the "Find an Article" link, which takes you to all of the site's database offerings. Or, use the Google site search -- keyword Mango.

Google Docs upgrades storage to all file types

2010-01-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Google Docs just became even more amazing! My dissertation is going up, shortly, to be stored and I will do my edits from Google. Students can share and work on documents with other students and or faculty. Students who do not have word processing, spreadsheet or powerpoint software can use and download files within Google Docs. Store class presentations in the cloud, versus a portable drive that can become corrupt or "left-behind".
Google Docs upgrades storage to all file types

Upcoming Training Sessions

2010-01-07T16:06:00.001-08:00

Just in Time Training sessions mean you can stop in and ask a question and get your answer without making an appointment. Otherwise, if you have lots of questions and need more time, you may contact kgrady@nhcc.edu or myself ssteinke@nhcc.edu and we will work with you to find a time to set up individual training that is tailored to you!

Dates:

January 20, 2010 2:30-5:30 pm Room: CBT 167

February 4, 2010 2:30-5:50pm Room: CBT 167

Don’t forget to put the backup D2L website in your syllabus: https://nhcc.ims.mnscu.edu If you ever go to NHCC.edu and discover the site is down, print or save that url, but do use the main login site because you may miss important announcements and other resources that are provided on the regular login pages: http://www.nhcc.edu/main/ProgramsAndMajors/OnlineLearning.aspx

Something fun to subscribe to

2010-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Merriam Websters has a great subscription of the word a day. Have fun learning and using words. Here is today's selection sent to me and they have audio pronunciations for every word they send:
Merriam-Webster’s
Word of the Day
January 5

myrmidon

\'MER-muh-dahn\
noun

Meaning
: a loyal follower; especially : a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously

Example Sentence
The boss was more likely to offer promotions to her myrmidons than to those workers who occasionally questioned her tactics or proposed alternate solutions.

Times are booming for community colleges

2010-01-05T05:57:00.001-08:00

By: RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times

Online learning boosts are part of the increase in BCCC's enrollment.

Between the economy, students considering less expensive schools, and online learning, the last decade has been community colleges' time to shine.

"Community colleges clearly have come into their own in the last 10 years," said Karen Dawkins, Bucks County Community College's vice president and dean of student affairs. "It has a lot to do with accessibility, affordability, the economy, the quality of education and the fact that students can transfer."

PhillyBurbs.com: Times are booming for community colleges

2010-01-05T05:55:00.001-08:00

PhillyBurbs.com: Times are booming for community colleges

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Moodle Pilot Update

2009-12-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

December seemed to have whooshed by. I am participating in an IMS of the Future study using MoodleRooms. Just opened up my classroom and am getting started. Let me know if you also would like to try a class or demo of Moodle. We do have Remotelearner hosted Moodle courses on campus, so I am pretty familiar with Moodle, though not what I'd ever call the expert!! Happy Holidays. Read about Moodle in Wikipedia.

Google adds Captions to Youtube!!

2009-11-23T06:08:00.001-08:00

Google will add for English-first-speaking users automatic caption capability to videos on YouTube!!!

Math Instructors using Maplesoft

2009-11-12T09:31:00.001-08:00

November Webinars: Education & Research

Throughout November, Maplesoft will be offering the following live webinars, free-of-charge. These sessions provide the perfect opportunity for you to listen to Maplesoft experts as they share their experience and expertise on a variety of topics. Please take a moment to look through these complimentary webinars and feel free to register for as many as you would like to attend. All sessions take place at 2pm Eastern Time and are best viewed in Internet Explorer.

Nov. 16: Maple 13 Academic Training
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b59b26c6f21f17a3e6feaa965df5d679f5bb109fb7049a35f8

Nov. 18: Maplesoft Solutions for Mathematics Education
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b51f83230a0bf381bb139932aadda84bd2f5bcbe5c060fbe23

Nov. 25: Introducing Modern Modeling Techniques to the Undergraduate Control Course
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b5a27fe9b17f75e3e132f3e7ac888096f58d69d5686cd10055

Nov. 30: Getting Started with Maple 13 Academic for Evaluators
Learn more about this webinar:
http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=d2371f90e7a7d2b50c84823c6493c543b4a2c7ff02fd34357b54833e58ab49f0

To view a complete list of our upcoming webinars, please visit: http://click.email.maplesoft.com/?qs=5d0689a59049e6bb64e37618018d9b11165f125a66c915e33be38dd349463875

Kind Regards,

Rick Andrade
Webinar Coordinator
Maplesoft

Great article on Learning Styles and new Media

2009-11-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of matching the technology to the activity and to incorporate a variety of tools to meet the needs of various learning styles. Social networking tools offer great promise, but knowing and having the time to study which learning style matches what technology is important. Well, here is such a study to utilize emerging web technologies for higher education based on student's learning styles. Let me know what you think of the article. I am still digesting it.

Free Appollo Space Program Virtual Conference for Educators

2009-10-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Over the next three weeks LearningTimes is pleased to be participating in three unique programs designed to improve your knowledge and effectiveness as an educator. While the topics are distinctly different – each of these live online events will be filled with opportunities to collaborate, network and learn with experts and colleagues from around the globe.

**Apollo Space Program Virtual Conference**

This is a free one-day event, taking place on November 10, 2009. The online conference highlights the Apollo Program and its impact on American and world history and our lives today. The Apollo Space Program Virtual Conference is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum and NASA.

You will participate in interactive discussions and explore ways to teach your students using primary source materials.

Topics will include:

** Placing Apollo in Historical Context
** Getting to the Moon: Apollo Technology
** Presidents, Politics, Social Climate
** Apollo Artifacts
** Apollo Imagery and its Place in Modern American Society
** Remembering Apollo

Register now at: http://www.learningtimes.net/apollo

UNC Blog on Sakai Pilot Project

2009-10-21T10:45:00.001-07:00

University of North Carolina has a Sakai Learning Management System report completed. Should be an interesting read for anyone wondering about Open Source possibilities for learning management systems.

Site to Check out

2009-10-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Check out the Academic Earth Site. It pulls together academic content from a variety of online sites.

Just in Time was Successful

2009-10-05T07:45:00.001-07:00

Wow, we had so many faculty that participated in the Just in Time Training sessions! I'll host another one in October, in case you missed the last. I am getting together days and will post the dates and send an email!

Just in Time Training on Tuesday!

2009-09-24T07:43:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, September 29, CBT 166, 2:30-5:30 pm is the next Just in Time training sessions for the Online Learning Department. If you have questions regarding Online Learning, including D2L and other tools you may be using in D2L, drop-by anytime during those times and get training!

If you have a particular issue and would like us to research it for you ahead of time, reply to this email and we will come prepared to meet with you.

If you can't make this training day, email Kathy Grady, D2L Administrator, kgrady@nhcc.edu or myself to set up an individual training session. I do have evening appointments possible for those faculty that work off our campus during the day.

See you September 29, CBT 166, 2:30-5:30! Just in Time training for you!

Cheating Online

2009-09-22T05:38:00.000-07:00

I saw this article in a blog and know many have mentioned cheating in the online environment.

Futurity Science Site

2009-09-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a news site for those interested in Scientific information. Futurity.org

Safety First in Science Game

2009-09-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting game I found in the paper back in August and finally took a couple minutes and tried it out. The Scientist Safety Game. and also located at: http://www.planet-science.com/outthere/getclobbered/get_clobbered.html

Just in Time Training Announcement

2009-09-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

The next open-lab, drop-in style training session is scheduled for September 29 from 2:30-5:30pm in CBT 166. If you are looking to expand your knowledge on D2L, podcasting, or other Online Learning-related topics, drop by and see us on the 29th. If this date and times do not work, remember you can always schedule an appointment.

D2L link our site is down

2009-09-09T05:50:00.001-07:00

The link to D2L is down only on our website. Use the backup site. Please bookmark it and give to students on your syllabus! Thanks. https://nhcc.ims.mnscu.edu/

Computer Anxiety

2009-09-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

A great PDF research article is available about Computer Anxiety in e-Learning. Click to go to the Journal of Information Technology Education and scroll to Computer Anxiety PDF. 50% of adults, including first year university students have computer anxiety! We have noticed a dramatic increase in students coming to us to learn about how to interact in their online classes (new students and students that have been here).

Course Content Web Accessibility

2009-09-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a quote from the WebAim site on Universal design importance. "Though estimates vary, most studies find that about one fifth (20%) of the population has some kind of disability. Not all of these people have disabilities that make it difficult for them to access the internet, but it is still a significant portion of the population. Businesses would be unwise to purposely exclude 20, 10, or even 5 percent of their potential customers from their web sites. For schools, universities, and government entities it would not only be unwise, but in many cases, it would also break the law." They also have a great section called Getting Started for you to apply Universal Design to Online Learning. Read more at their web site.

Wikispaces Blog ÃÂ» Blog Archive ÃÂ» Tips and Tricks: Create Templates for Your Wiki Pages

2009-08-31T10:48:00.001-07:00

Wikispaces Blog ÃÂ» Blog Archive ÃÂ» Tips and Tricks: Create Templates for Your Wiki Pages

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The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Residents say broadband needed in rural areas

2009-08-31T10:44:00.001-07:00

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Residents say broadband needed in rural areas

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NHCC D2L Back Up Login Site

2009-08-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a site to store in your favorites in case the Online Learning login page goes out on us: https://nhcc.ims.mnscu.edu/ Like it did today!!!

NVC Speaker Coming Friday Aug 21, 2009

2009-08-17T12:45:00.001-07:00

How to cultivate a culture of compassion without becoming a doormat

Non-Violent Communications (NVC) presents Jorge Rubio

Jorge Rubio has been a certified trainer of nonviolent communication for eleven years. He has worked intensively in his country of origin, Colombia, as founder and executive director of The Foundation for Nonviolent Communication Center and participated in the Presidential program "Haz Paz", with the intention to create a culture of peace in a country of war.

Jorge has a gift for modeling empathic intelligence in highly stressful situations. Establishing heart to heart connection between the stressed parties transforms conflict into a place where willing compassionate giving and receiving towards each other results. In this workshop you will learn how to bring empathic intelligence into your life.
EVERYONE is welcome! Feel free to bring guests.

Date: Friday August 21, 2009
Time(s): 1-3 and 3-5 PM
Attend one or both sessions.
Place: CLA 120

North Hennepin Community College

Sponsored by the Campus Trust and Respect Committee. Lisa Schlotterhausen 763-424-0853

New tool from EAT-IT 09m

2009-08-12T11:33:00.001-07:00

Respondus New License

2009-08-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are currently using the Respondus 3.5 (or 4.O beta) test creation software, you will need a new license number after July 31 in order to continue to use the site license version of Respondus. This is a great tool and I use it for all the test creation I do. It is great! It saves you tons of time and you just use a Word Document to initiate the process! Slick!

Please contact Carol Karnitz(carol.karnitz@nhcc.edu) to get the license number.

The new full version 4.0 (not released yet) will have the ability to auto export quizzes to your D2L courses but that is not quite ready for release. Whoohoo, can't wait for this!

Here is a link to a pdf with some of the features, visit Respondus

There is also the Respondus Test Bank Network that provides instructors a central location for obtaining publisher test banks that are in Respondus format. Test Bank

Contact me with questions or Carol for set-up. The Online Teaching Best Practices Sharehouse D2L course has all the directions for set up too!

Scientific Learning

2009-07-28T07:14:00.001-07:00

Check out these Scientific Brain Games.

Unbelievable

2009-07-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Mind Research institute. Awesome games!

What educators can learn from brain research

2009-07-28T07:04:00.001-07:00

What educators can learn from brain research

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Paradigm Shift

2009-07-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future University Paradigms.

Gates: U.S. ed has no choice but to improve

2009-07-28T06:07:00.001-07:00

Gates: U.S. ed has no choice but to improve

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Academic Technology Reads--must have!

2009-07-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hello,

As you are putting together some interesting reading for the academic year, might I suggest a few books I read (am reading) over the summer and past spring? Can't say as I have read a fiction book in years, except Harry Potter books! The recent Harry Potter movie was great too!

--The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education. Curtis Bonk
--Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, home, and School. John Medina
--iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind. Gary Small
--Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation. Don Tapscott
--Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and more Miserable than ever before. Jean Twenge
--A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule the World/Future. Daniel Pink
--Five Minds for the Future. Howard Gardner
--Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation will Change the way the World Learns. Clayton Christensen, Curtis Johnson and Michael Horn

The majority of these books are available for check-out through the Hennepin County Library System. I currently am working my way through Generation Me and Growing up Digital, courtesy of the library system. Some of them, I just had to buy too! Disrupting Class is amazing. I wanted to bury myself in that book! Generation Me is great and it really helped me understand students point of view and even my own views on why technology should be free.

Just some light reading for you! Enjoy!

eFolio World Newsletter

2009-07-23T05:58:00.001-07:00

Here is the summer edition to the eFolio World news. Hope to see you at the conference in August.

EAT IT 09 New Media Conference

2009-07-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

The schedule is posted and the conference is on. EATIT 09 Emerging Technologies. Looks to be a good session. August 12 & 13. See you there.

Faculty Development Day Presentations

2009-07-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

August 20, 2009, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm two sessions on eFolio and Peer Review. CBT 167.
These are hands-on classes. Bring materials you may want to upload to your eFolio.

EFolio: eFolioMinnesota is a free resource for Minnesota residents, students, and workers provided by the Minnesota State College and University system. Many institutions are having students create portfolios of their work throughout their program of study. Use eFolio for professional development or student competency tracking. Migrate your current EFolio account to the new and improved EFolio too. In this session, we will briefly get you started with a new eFolio account or migrate your account.
eFolio should be in a computer lab.

Peer Review: Teaching online is different than teaching in the regular classroom. A group of NHCC faculty and Online Learning staff adapted the Quality Matters rubric to the working culture of NHCC. In this session, you will learn about Quality Matters, the process to get your online course Peer Reviewed, and the best practices behind having a Quality Matters program at NHCC. See the latest Quality Matters rubric and test drive it for yourself.

eFolio Summit August 5 & 6

2009-07-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

The deadline for registering to attend the August 5 & 6 or just 6, 2009 eFolio Summit training is rapidly approaching. July 24 is the deadline. Join me in learning about the new eFolio Minnesota!

Using Google Docs Training

2009-07-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Using Google Apps for Colleges and Universities training session August 6.
** Goggle Docs Essentials: Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms & More
** Tools to Create, Edit, Publish, & Share Your Google Docs
** Using Google Templates- Fast & Easy Ways to Enhance Your Docs
** Drawbacks to Google@School- Limitations & Lessons Learned

D2L Conference Starts today

2009-07-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Desire2Learn, D2L, conference is July 13-15 at the St. Paul River Center. We are so fortunate to have this event here! Join me at a session I am presenting on Tuesday at 8:30 am.

Project Looking Glass

2009-06-25T08:56:00.001-07:00

The future possibilities for education are enormous with the virtual systems Sun is coming out with. Check out Project Looking Glass

Migrating eFolio Account

2009-06-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

You now are able to migrate your former eFolio account into the new version. Version 2 directions

Grading Scale Calculator

2009-06-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ever wished you had an easy method to figure out grading scales? You simply type in the number of points for the graded item and click to see a grading scale you could copy and paste onto a page to show students. Check out this link for an online grade scale calculator!

Using Audacity for Podcasts Training

2009-06-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

An online manual for Audacity and tutorials. If you haven't registered for the CTL Faculty Lodge, you should. These two were picked up from sessions there. Swat mosquitos from your desktop and enjoy some sweet tea while you learn.

Social Networking Wiki

2009-06-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Thinking of exploring the phenomenon of today's social networking? Try this wiki

Camtasia and iTunes Set-up video

2009-05-27T12:55:00.001-07:00

If you are using Camtasia and would like a cool way to share through iTunes. Screencast, Camtasia and iTunes are your tools

Free Web Conferencing Tools

2009-05-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

Virtual office hours, meetings, remote screen control, all freebies, with budget cuts, who knows what the next thing to go will be. We have free access to Adobe Connect and WebEx, at least for now.

VRoom with Elluminate

I have mentioned DimDim before, but a reminder.

I haven't tried Teamviewer, but will do and let you know. Free remote access and it is suggested to work with Skype as a great tool.

Adobe Connect has a new free beta tool called Adobe ConnectNow for trial.

Getting Started Material EFolio

2009-05-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Training for EFolio Links

Quick lessons in HTML

2009-05-20T06:23:00.001-07:00

Great site for basic HTML training!

EFolio has launched new version

2009-05-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Sound Advice

Efolio: Warming up for Fall’s Training sessions

If you have been waiting to set-up your EFolio account and get your students using the tool, your patience has paid off! The new EFolio has launched and it is smashing! Sign up for your account now or wait for training in August! Watch your email in July!