If you’re working on documenting your teaching, you may read about “diversity statements.” These newish documents are asking candidates to write about their experiences (most often related to teaching, research, and service) related to anti-discrimination work. To start brainstorming what could go in your diversity statement, try to answer the following teaching-related questions: How have… Read more »
Quick Tip
Quick Tip of the Week: Encouraging Community in Zoom Classrooms
This is a guest Quick Tip from Meghan Porter, Department of Chemistry Time is precious in live online classes. So, how can we find the time to build community, have students develop a comfort level with each other, and encourage them to arrive on time and be ready to go without sacrificing those far-too-few minutes?… Read more »
Quick tip of the week: Highlight multiple Zoom participant videos at once
We can now pin or spotlight the videos of up to nine participants in a Zoom meeting. Pinning a participant’s video means that you only see that particular person’s video. Pinning only affects your view of the video, while spotlighting a participant makes their video become the only video that everyone on the call sees…. Read more »
Quick Tip of the Week: Reach out to all your students, not just those who are struggling
Often instructors check in with students who are performing poorly. Don’t forget to contact those who are doing well! Tell them you’ve noticed and encourage them to keep up the great work, preferably with specifics about what they are doing well. Whether you want to contact students who are struggling or those who are doing… Read more »
Quick tip of the week: VoiceThread fills the social presence gap in online courses
Simply put, VoiceThread is a threaded discussion about something visual: an image, slide show, or movie. It works seamlessly with Canvas. Usually, the instructor creates the VoiceThread and students add comments. Students can also be assigned to create their own VoiceThread. The students can post comments or answer questions in the VoiceThread using text, voice… Read more »
Quick tip of the week: Use Google docs to hold your students accountable for group work
If you have students discuss course content, analyze case studies, or solve problems in small groups or in Zoom breakout rooms, you can hold them accountable for their work by giving them space in a Google doc to record their discussion. Create a Google doc with the assignment prompt and a clearly defined space for… Read more »