TCDC and Ed Tech have created resources to help you teach remotely and we continue to host several online support sessions and webinars to address instructor questions.
After reviewing the resources, if you have questions, attend a session or contact TCDC at tcdc@langara.ca and EdTech at edtech@langara.ca or EdTech Help Hours.
“The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the term. It is natural for both students and instructors to feel anticipation, excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty.”
Barbara Gross Davis, 2009
Image by Freepik at Freepik.com
In an effort to put students at ease and to create a welcoming environment from the start, here are four simple and implementable suggestions to ensure your classroom is inclusive and welcoming for all students right from day one.
Geometric glass window or light fixture in a ceiling. Appears to invert and extrude at the same time; an optical illusion.
In this article, we are sharing the what, why, when, and who of Academic Accommodations.
| Early in 2020, students all over the world experienced a sudden, dramatic, and unprecedented shift in their academic world. Now, over one year later, we continue to teach and learn in the virtual environment and are preparing for a return to in-person instruction for the fall semester. Over this past year, some Langara instructors and students have shared their perspectives on the impact of moving to online teaching and learning.
Our second student contribution offers the perspective of a current Langara student, Long Vo (Liam). Liam is an international student who began at Langara in the fall of 2020. Liam, a student in the Supply Chain and Logistics Program shares his experience of moving across the world with his family during a global pandemic to attend Langara and begin his studies online. If you have students that would like to share their experiences in writing or another format (audio, video, meme, etc.), please contact Frances Wintjes Clarke at fclarke@langara.ca. |
Image from Freekpik.com
National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) (May 30th – June 5th, 2021) is an opportunity to celebrate the valuable contributions of Canadians with disabilities and to recognize the efforts of individuals, communities, and workplaces that are actively working to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.
Universal Design for Learning (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication
The UDL Working Group has organized a series of events and posts for the entire month of May to get our community involved with UDL in a variety of ways—big and small. To get the UDL momentum going, a new article, event, or resources will be shared each week of May. Last week’s post highlighted the second principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Representation. This week will focus on the third, and final, principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Action and Expression.
UDL (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The UDL Working Group has organized a series of events and posts for the entire month of May to get our community involved with UDL in a variety of ways — big and small. To get the UDL momentum going a new article, event, or resources will be shared each week of May. Last week’s post highlighted the first principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Engagement. This week will focus on the second principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Representation.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
| Early in 2020, students all over the world experienced a sudden, dramatic, and unprecedented shift in their academic world. One year later, we continue to teach and learn in the virtual environment, and are now contemplating a return to in-person instruction for the fall semester. Over this past year, some Langara instructors have shared their perspectives on the impact of moving to online teaching and learning.
Our eleventh contribution comes from Mirabelle Tinio and Alena Buis who have collected perspectives from our students in a variety of departments about their thoughts on the return to campus in the fall of 2021. We look forward to bringing you more perspectives. If you would like to contribute, please contact Jessica Kalra at jkalra@langara.ca. |
(CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The UDL Working Group has organized a series of events and posts for the entire month of May to get our community involved with UDL in a variety of ways — big and small. To get the UDL momentum going a new article, event, or resources will be shared each week of May. Last week’s post highlighted the plus-one approach to implementing UDL. This week will focus on the first principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Engagement.
Universal Design for Learning (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication
May is Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Awareness Month! The UDL Working Group has organized a series of events and posts for the entire month of May to get our community involved with UDL in big ways and small. Each week we will post a new article, event, or resources to get the UDL momentum going. You will find these communications in the Langara Post, on the TCDC iWeb UDL page and on our UDL CoP Yammer.
Ungrading by Susan D. Blum
The summer semester book club selection, Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum, promises to give us much food for thought as we contemplate the idea of ungrading and critique the entire notion of grading students.
Join us via Zoom every Wednesday, May 12 to June 23, from 4:30pm to 5:45pm as we unpack two chapters at a time and delve into discussion and conversation. Save your spot and register now!
Note: While we encourage participants to sign up for the duration, if you wish to attend only one or two sessions, please contact us at tcdc@langara.ca to get the Zoom link and meeting details.
Image by pch.vector at Freepik.com
Last summer, TCDC worked at record speed to design and deliver an intensive workshop, Online Course Design and Delivery, now affectionately known as OCDD. In this workshop (initially three days, now extended to five), participants take on the role of student to experience a well-designed online course that uses both synchronous and asynchronous modes of facilitation and participant engagement.
The next sessions will be May 3 to May 7, 2021 and May 31 to June 4, 2021, so be sure to sign up via the TCDC/EdTech calendar if you haven’t participated yet!
Looking ahead to next semester, TCDC and EdTech have two opportunities to “gear up” for the summer semester: Course Check Under the Hood and Course Tune-Up Challenge.
Image by dave_7 from Wikimedia Commons
Image by picjumbo_com at Pixabay
| Early in 2020, students all over the world experienced a sudden, dramatic, and unprecedented shift in their academic world. Now, one year later, we continue to teach and learn in the virtual environment, and now contemplating a return to in-person instruction for the fall semester. Over this past year, some Langara instructors have shared their perspectives on the impact of moving to online teaching and learning.
Our tenth contribution comes from Emma Courtney. Emma has been a part of the Recreation Studies team as an Instructional Assistant for the past two and a half years, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Royal Roads University. These two experiences—working in higher education and a student navigating the online landscape of learning—provide her with rich educational opportunities. We look forward to bringing you more perspectives. If you would like to contribute, please contact Jessica Kalra at jkalra@langara.ca. |
EDUCAUSE is offering a unique Learning Lab Experience during the month of April 2021. This four-week course, facilitated by Flower Darby–author of Small Teaching Online–consists of asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities, an application project, and culminates in the awarding of a microcredential.
Sign up using your Langara email and receive the reduced membership registration rate of $289USD. The registration deadline is April 13, 2021 although they recommend registering by April 1.
