Attention to Higher Ed Instruction

For the first half of the 2021 calendar, I will be dedicating most of my sharing efforts towards helping instructors in higher education settings (full time professors, lecturers, adjuncts, teaching/graduate assistants, etc.) better approach the challenges for distance and hybrid learning in colleges and universities during the upcoming term.

My long-time co-instructor Don Buckley and I will be redesigning and facilitating our usual Spring semester course at Teachers College, Columbia University: MSTU4029: Managing Educational Technology Resources. So I figured might as well share what we are navigating through - challenges and opportunities - while we're deep in the work ourselves. In addition instructional design, we're very focused on communication design and how we'll be using our Learning Management System , a video conference platform, a chat platform, email, collaborative spaces, and presentation tools. What we do should not necessarily depend on which tool is being used, though for those interested here is what we are using: 

• Canvas - Course syllabus, announcements, materials, and assignments
• Zoom - Synchronous classes + office hours
• Gmail - For communicating privately with instructors
• Slack-  Ongoing chat and backchannel
• Mural - Collarboative design workspace
• Explain Everything - Presentation, reflection, and collaborative ideation workspace

In addition to sharing thoughts via this blog, I will be hosting a bunch of free, brief webinars (can watch live or on demand) on the topics listed below in partnership with Explain Everything. Soon there will be a schedule page (once a schedule has been decided).

The first one will be on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4PM ET.

​Course design: Adapt an in-person course for distance learning

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4PM ET.
Learn about how a Teachers College, Columbia University graduate school course that is normally designed for an in person setting is being adjusted and adapted for distance learning. Walk away with ideas for approaching the scheduling and meeting constraints and opportunities that you may be navigating next term.
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FREE REGISTRATION

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Future Topics

​Course design: Adapt an in-person course for distance learning (12/30/2020 4PM ET)
Learn about how a Teachers College, Columbia University graduate school course that is normally designed for an in person setting is being adjusted and adapted for distance learning. REGISTER
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Pre-course prep: Take care of the little things so you and your students have a better experience
Learn about two important steps for using Explain Everything with your college and university students: 1) setting up a group account 2) adding/linking Explain Everything to your learning management system (LMS). Canvas will be the LMS modeled in the webinar.

Communicating across distance: Better understand how all of the tools and platforns can fit together
Learn how to better aritculate your entire communication and technology "Stack" and most effectively use various platforms for what they are best at from learning management systems to video conferencing tools to chat platforms to email and to collaborative workspaces. Tools to be specifically discussed include: Canvas, GSuite, Zoom, Slack, Mural, Explain Everything.

Whiteboard video lecture 1: Create video content quickly and easily for your students
Learn how to design a whiteboard video lecture with Explain Everythng and share it with students via your learning management system (LMS). This will include drawing on a blank canvas and utilizing existing content (slides, documents, images, videos, etc.). Canvas will be the LMS modeled in the webinar.

Whiteboard video lecture 2: Break longer segments into bite-sized chunks
Learn ways to prepare a whiteboard video lecture in smaller chunks with Explain Everything and organizing the content on your learning management system (LMS). Canvas will be the LMS modeled in the webinar.

Live facilitation 1: Present and annotate upon existing materials
Learn how to use your existing materials (slide decks, documents, images, and videos) and Explain Everything as your presentation and annotation tool when teaching across distance with video conferencing platforms. We'll model this exercise using Zoom as the video conference solution.

Live facilitation 2: Present and annotate on a blank canvas
Learn ways to use Explain Everything as a blank canvas during video conferences in the same way you might a dry erase board, flip chart, or chalk board in a physical setting. We'll model this exercise using Zoom as the video conference solution.

Engaging learners 1: Invite students to the board during live classes
Learn how to "invite students to the board" by creating and facilitating interactive experiences during live class sessions using Explain Everything and your video conferencing platform. We'll model this exercise using Zoom as the video conference solution. 

Engaging learners 2: Utilize breakout rooms for smaller group discussions and activities
Learn how to create and facilitate engaging breakout room moments during live classes with Explain Everything and your video conferincing platform (even if it does not support Breakout rooms itself). We'll model this exercise using Zoom as the video conference solution. 

Individual student tasks: Have students work on and submit assignments with a whiteboard.
Learn how to create, post, and collect individual student assignments using Explain Everything and your learning management system (LMS). Canvas will be the LMS modeled in the webinar.

Collaborative student tasks: Have students work together on and submit problem sets & projects
​Learn how to create and post collaborative problem sets and other multi-day group projects using Explain Everything and your learning management system (LMS). Canvas will be the LMS modeled in the webinar. 

Student reflection: Ask students to reflect upon their work and learning as a whiteboard video
Learn how to create, post, and collect individual student reflections using Explain Everything and your learning management system (LMS). Canvas will be the LMS modeled in the webinar.

Peer feedback: Engage students in critical, generative dialogue with their classmates
Learn how to setup activities where students provide multiple rounds of audio and visual feedback to their peers using Explain Everything.

Instructor feedback: Create personal, conversational feedback moments for students
Learn how to provide personalized feedback to students in ways that honor, but do not replicate, the value of informal feedback which so osften occurs when in person.

Whiteboard video lecture 3: Higher production videos
Learn how to use whiteboard video content made with Explain Everything with other video making sources (e.g. phone Camera, Zoom) and editing tools (e.g., iMovie, Premiere Elements).

Live facilitation 3: Higher production presentation
​Learn how to optimizing your home or office setup for teaching across distance and utilize the deeper settings of your tools of choice (e.g., Zoom, Powerpoint, Keynote, etc.) for a higher production feel to your live lessions.