Welcome Back 2020
Welcome Back week provides Academic Affairs personnel the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and participate in professional development activities.
This year, Welcome Back is virtual and will take place on Wednesday, August 19.
Agenda
- 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. Academic Affairs Slideshow
- 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Academic Affairs Kickoff with remarks and greetings from Dr. Lorenz and Dr. Ross.
The Academic Affairs Kickoff will be broadcast live via Seminole State's YouTube livestream.
- 10:40 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
- 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Break for Lunch
- 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Coffee and Conversations
Breakout Sessions
Select the workshop title(s) to be taken to the registration page on the SignMeUp calendar.
| Session A Workshops | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| A1 Computer Productivity: Using New Tools in a New Work World | The world is changing. With or without this new viral threat, the way we work has changed. We are more connected than ever, with more options for information and less bound to a specific location. We will discuss some of the tools available online to maximize your productivity. |
| A2 Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment | Student success is our shared goal; this presentation will include tips for supporting learners in many types of learning environments. Topics will include “trigger” situations that may suggest alternate assignments, the impacts of the new Title IX regulations, and accessibility for students with disabilities. It also will highlight strategies for addressing non-academic student needs so they can be successful: welcoming gender-transitioning students and connecting food- or housing-insecure students with College and community resources. |
| A3 Pandemic Law for Laypeople | Whether or not we are infected by the virus, we are all affected by the body of law that has developed around it. Force majeure defenses to breach of contract actions; Eviction and foreclosure moratoria; Statewide quarantines; Unprecedented, sweeping executive orders restricting civil liberties; Immigration restrictions; Mandatory "home" schooling; And much more. Our workshop examines this developing body of law and proposes ways it might be incorporated into the classroom, in various disciplines. |
| A4 Money Makes the World Go Round | Liza Minnelli in Cabaret sings a fun little ditty about Money, and when most people think about the Foundation for Seminole State, that's the first thing that comes to mind. In this session, you will learn about the Foundation for Seminole State’s strategies, areas of support, alumni engagement and how you can benefit. We’ll also cover how you can play a part in connecting the college to the community through events, memberships, and associations. |
| A5 Distinguished Professor Award Process | Learn more about how the Rank and Promotion section 26.8 of the collective bargaining agreement is being implemented. Discuss the requirements for Associate Professors, Professors and Distinguished Professors. Describe the eligibility requirements, application process, and criteria for earning the Distinguished Professor Award. Hear from members of the inaugural Distinguished Professor Award committee and see examples from last year’s award winners. |
| A6-B6 Getting Started with Nearpod (90 minutes) | Nearpod is a learning platform that allows instructors to embed learning activities like quiz questions, virtual bulletin boards, and even 3D images into their PowerPoints during live or asynchronous meetings. Nearpod has a library of K-12 lessons that can be adapted to meet the needs of higher education students. This will be a basic overview of the Nearpod platform with time to search, launch, and share lessons with other SSC faculty. |
| A7-B7 Wikipedia again?: Building critical thinking about information (90 minutes) | Infuse your course with critical thinking and information literacy skills! This interactive session explores techniques faculty can integrate into current class content, activities, and assignments to increase students' subject-specific information literacy and critical thinking skills. |
| Session B Workshops | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| B1 Working Together to Build a Better Mousetrap | Nicole Copemann, professor and Program Manager for Health Information Technology, and Michael McCurdy, Instructional Designer in eLearning, discuss how remote collaboration COVID-19 aided the design and development of two courses (new and extensively redeveloped). Learn about the project management tool used to keep communication and assets from disappearing into the email abyss. See how incremental deadlines kept the process moving forward. And learn how to implement best practices in online courses necessary for student success. |
| B2 Supporting the mental health needs of students | Mental health challenges have a direct impact on a student’s success and retention in the classroom. Join us in the discussion as we explore today’s mental health challenges for students. Learn how to identify common signs and symptoms of students in distress and how to better support and connect them with available campus resources. Want to learn even more? We will be providing details on upcoming Mental Health First Aid certification available on campus soon! |
| B3 Teaching Soft Skills in the Digital Age | Many students lack basic social skills. This workshop will explore effective strategies and exercises to help your students develop interpersonal skills, understand workplace etiquette, and cope with the social anxiety so many struggle with. This is a vital supplement to the academic education they receive. We will also examine positive feedback not just from current students, but also from graduates and their employers in the community. |
| B4 Syllabus Redesign | Remote learning has forced many of us to reconsider how and why we do certain things in our course. During this session, we will discuss one professor's quest to design a syllabus that is interactive, interesting and relevant. Were they successful? You be the judge! |
| B5 The Importance of Diversity in IT (and other disciplines) | The first person to publish an algorithm was a woman, yet we are still far from gender equality in the IT field (or STEM fields in general) and it is a global problem. After more than a century since Ada Lovelace’s contribution in computer history, women are still struggling to achieve equality in the IT workforce. Learn how NCWIT is revolutionizing the face of technology by "listening to voices they have not heard" and see how inclusion can change what’s possible! |
| B6-A6 Getting Started with Nearpod (90 mins, starts at 10:40am) | Nearpod is a learning platform that allows instructors to embed learning activities like quiz questions, virtual bulletin boards, and even 3D images into their PowerPoints during live or asynchronous meetings. Nearpod has a library of K-12 lessons that can be adapted to meet the needs of higher education students. This will be a basic overview of the Nearpod platform with time to search, launch, and share lessons with other SSC faculty. |
| B7-A7 Wikipedia again?: Building critical thinking about information (90 Mins, starts at 10:40am) | Infuse your course with critical thinking and information literacy skills! This interactive session explores techniques faculty can integrate into current class content, activities, and assignments to increase students' subject-specific information literacy and critical thinking skills. |
| Session C Workshops | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| C1-D1 Advice and Tips for Teaching Online (90 mins) | Four experienced faculty members will share what works for them teaching in an online environment. All presenters have been teaching online for many years at the college and university level. Pick up some tips that will help you to be more effective teaching online. |
| C2 Student Passport to Canvas: An Orientation to Online Learning | Students starting out in online courses have varying levels of technical know-how and some have no experience with Canvas. Through a collaboration between faculty and eLearning, a new Student Orientation to Online Learning training course was created. In this session we will look at the successes and challenges of the first pilot run with students and discuss the direction this exciting project will go next. |
| C3 How to look your best while Zooming! | Lights, Camera, Zoom! Most of us probably have never heard of Zoom before March. Now it has become one our daily words. Since we will be teaching remotely during the Fall term, I would like to give you some tips and tricks to make you look your best while Zooming. I will go over video, audio, lighting and how to show a personal side of you through a staged or virtual background. |
| C4 Seasonal Hispanic workers in the US: An overview | This is a study on Transnational workers in the landscaping industry. Participants belong to the H2B visa program, which allows them to come for nine months. Some participants are unprepared for the cultural, linguistic and social demands they face in Midwestern US. Findings suggest that the resources used by the participants are part of an informal approach that can be modified to assist them when adapting to the US language, literacy and culture. |
| C5 Academic Support in a Virtual World | Explore the academic support services and tools available to you and your students while we find ourselves immersed in a COVID-induced virtual landscape. An overview of college-provided academic support services will be provided along with helpful implementation strategies and tips for integrating support elements into your courses and your specific assignments. Members of your Academic Success Center team will be available to answer your questions and schedule additional opportunities for further follow-up conversations. |
| C6-D6 Building Lessons with Nearpod (90 mins) | Learn how to use Nearpod to explore the library, edit existing lessons, and create lessons for your own classroom. Participants will spend time editing and creating a lesson with the trainer and learn how to include various interactive features and content materials for the students that they teach. This advanced training is for instructors who have already completed previous Nearpod training. |
| C7 What can I do to support Black students? | At many institutions, Seminole State included, Black students have the lowest achievement and graduation rates. During this session, we will discuss strategies that can be utilized to support and encourage Black students. |
| Session D Workshops | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| D1-C1 Advice and Tips for Teaching Online (90 mins, starts at 1pm) | Four experienced faculty members will share what works for them teaching in an online environment. All presenters have been teaching online for many years at the college and university level. Pick up some tips that will help you to be more effective teaching online. |
| D2 Increasing student engagement in the Zoom classroom | The 21st-century faculty member has a lot to manage in terms of technology, student engagement, and cultivating an active learning environment. Now that circumstances are forcing us to migrate to a virtual meeting space, there may be a temptation to return to the "old-fashion lecture." This session will offer ten ways to engage your virtual adult learner specifically in a Zoom classroom to avoid talking at your students for 75 minutes. |
| D3 Using Microsoft Teams for Team Class Projects | The Business and Information Management degree has many classes with team projects. Team projects learning objectives are soft skills and collaborative technology tools. This presentation will focus on an overview of Microsoft Teams, tools, and how to integrate them in class team project assignments. |
| D4 A library without walls: using the library for work (and fun) remotely! | In this session we will present some exciting new features of the library's virtual services, including new ways to integrate research assistance modules into Canvas courses, new methods for students to reach a librarian (including 24/7 access!), and some new resources the library acquired over the summer, including e-audiobooks and e-magazines! |
| D5 How do You do _____ in Canvas? | This session will present a number of faculty-proven best practices to help create a sense of community and improve communication in the Canvas environment and answer questions surrounding Canvas updates and design implementation. |
| D6-C6 Building Lessons with Nearpod (90 mins) | Learn how to use Nearpod to explore the library, edit existing lessons, and create lessons for your own classroom. Participants will spend time editing and creating a lesson with the trainer and learn how to include various interactive features and content materials for the students that they teach. This advanced training is for instructors who have already completed previous Nearpod training. |
| D7 CircleIn for Student Success | CircleIn is an easy to use studying app and website, designed to bring students closer together, to solve difficult problems, and create an immersive learning experience. The recipient of an NSF Innovation Grant, CircleIn is the place for remote studying. With a focus on retention and re-enrollment, CircleIn is helping students to study remotely, to collaborate with their classmates, to feel connected when studying together, and stay productive, even while at distance. |