Past Teaching and Technology Series

Spring 2013 ( printable schedule )

CROPS is UCM's learning management system. This face-to-face workshop will provide an overview of CROPS, highlighting some best-practices, strategies, and tips.

• Handout - Introduction to CROPS
• Handout - Setting Up Your CROPS Course Site

Open-Education Resources (OER) are documents, media, software and processes made freely available and reusable without copyright restrictions. Using OER digital textbooks can save your students money, and help you create customized learning resources without starting from scratch. This workshop will provide an overview of the OER landscape, suggest sources for OER content (courses, lectures, textbooks, software, etc.), and discuss key players in the OER movement. Find out how you and your students can benefit from OER materials. This webinar will be presented by Susan Mikkelsen, Resource Access and Instruction Librarian. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account).

• Presentation Slides (with embedded links to media and resources)
• UCM Library Guide to OER
• Session Recording

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Join us for this social and educational event as we learn and explore together mobile apps for academic success. This sessions is open to the entire campus community.

• Must-Have Apps for Teachers
• Must-Have Apps for Staff
• Must-Have Apps for Students

Are your presentations boring? Want to learn how to make and deliver engaging scientific presentations that will get your message delivered? This brief workshop will show you how to make effective presentations to colleagues and students. We will focus on how to structure and create slides, and how to present to an audience. This workshop will be presented by Alex Tolley, Lecturer for School of Natural Sciences.

• Presentation Slides
• Handout - Powerpoint and Presentation Dos and Don'ts
• Session Recording (available soon)

A "collaboratory" or a "research hub" is a virtual environment for researchers to collaborate and share their research findings online. What are some successful examples of online collaboratories and research hubs and how might they be used for teaching and learning? This session will also cover some of the tools for creating a virtual environment of your own and evaluate their use. This webinar will be presented by Emily Lin, Head of Digital Assets for Library. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording
• UCM Library Resource Guide on Collaborative Environments

Fall 2012 ( printable schedule )

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. This session is open to the entire campus community.

• Handout - Recommended Apps and Usages

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. This session is open to the entire campus community.

• Handout - Recommended Apps and Usages

CROPS is UCM's learning management system. This face-to-face workshop will provide an overview of CROPS, highlighting some best-practices, strategies, and tips.

• Handout - Introduction to CROPS
• Handout - Setting Up Your CROPS Course Site

CROPS is UCM's learning management system. This webinar will feature the Assignments and Gradebook tools. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording
• Handout - Overview of CROPS Assignments Tool

Web 2.0 tools empower users to contribute openly, collaborate easily, and share widely. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording
• Presentation Slides

CROPS is UCM's learning management system. This webinar will feature the Resources, Drop Box, and Web Content tools. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. This session is open to the entire campus community.

• Handout - Educational Apps and Usage

Web 2.0 tools empower users to contribute openly, collaborate easily, and share widely. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording
• Presentation Slides

CROPS is UCM's learning management system. This webinar will feature the Evaluation System, Tests and Surveys, Polls, and Feedback tools. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. This session is open to the entire campus community.

• Handout - Educational Apps

Web 2.0 tools empower users to contribute openly, collaborate easily, and share widely. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account).

• Session Recording
• Presentation Slides

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. This session is open to the entire campus community.

• Registration

Spring 2012

Tue, 1/17, 11:30-12:30pm
COB 322

Intended for those who are new to CROPS or need a refresher, this workshop offers best-practices and tips on using major tools. CROPS is UC Merced's course management system.

Thu, 1/19, 12-12:30pm
Webinar

CROPS Resources Tool

CROPS is UC Merced's course management system. The Resources tool is a very useful tool for storing, sharing, and managing digital assets. Join us for this webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops/ (user Guest account).

• Session recording

Fri, 1/27, 10-11am
KL 260

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mobile devices; a few mobile devices will be available at every event. These events are social, hands-on, and open to the entire UC Merced community. Click here for more info .

Mon, 1/30, 12-12:30pm
Webinar

CROPS Assignments Tool

The Assignments tool is a very useful tool for managing the assignment cycle (i.e., distribute, collect, and return). Join us for this 30-minute online webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops/ (use Guest account). CROPS is UC Merced's course management system.

• Session recording

Wed, 2/15, 11:30-12pm
Webinar

Web 2.0 Collaobration Tools, featuring PBWorks and Google Documents

Web 2.0 tools empower users to access, create, disseminate, and share information quickly, easily, and widely. Join us for this 30-minute webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account). Each session will feature one or two Web 2.0 tools and their potential uses. Archived webinars will be available on the CRTE website. Webinars are open to all, especially faculty (senate and non-senate) and graduate TAs.

• Session recording

Fri, 2/24, 10-11pm
KL 260

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mobile devices; a few mobile devices will be available at every event. These events are social, hands-on, and open to the entire UC Merced community. Click here for more info.

Mon, 2/27, 12-12:30pm
Webinar

CROPS Assessment Tools

The assessment tools enable instructors to administer quizzes/exams as well as gather student feedback. Join us for this 30-minute online webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops/ (use Guest account). CROPS is UC Merced's course management system.

• Session recording

Wed, 3/14, 11:30-12pm
Webinar

Web 2.0 tools empower users to access, create, disseminate, and share information quickly, easily, and widely. Join us for this 30-minute webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account). Each session will feature one or two Web 2.0 tools and their potential uses. Archived webinars will be available on the CRTE website. Webinars are open to all, especially faculty (senate and non-senate) and graduate TAs.

• Session recording

Fri, 3/16, 10-12pm
KL 260

Mobile App Learning Lounge (MALL)

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. Mobile learning lounge events are aimed at promoting technological literacy, specifically the effective use of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets. Each event will feature a handful of applications (apps) aimed at solving common problems. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mobile devices; a few mobile devices will be available at every event. These events are social, hands-on, and open to the entire UC Merced community.

Mon, 4/2, 12-12:30pm
Webinar

The Gradebook tool enables instructors to manage all aspects of student grades. Join us for this 30-minute online webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/crops (use Guest account). CROPS is UC Merced's course management system.

• Session recording

Wed, 4/18, 11:30-12pm
Webinar

Web 2.0 Web ConferencingTools

Web 2.0 tools empower users to access, create, disseminate, and share information quickly, easily, and widely. Join us for this 30-minute webinar: http://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/weblearning/ (use Guest account). Each session will feature one or two Web 2.0 tools and their potential uses. Archived webinars will be available on the CRTE website. Webinars are open to all, especially faculty (senate and non-senate) and graduate TAs.

• Session recording

Fri, 4/27, 10-12pm
KL 260

Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets are changing how we learn, work, and play. Come and join us for this social event, as we learn and explore together various mobile apps and their potential benefits. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mobile devices; a few mobile devices will be available at every event. These events are social, hands-on, and open to the entire UC Merced community. Click here for more info .

Fall 2011

Tue, 8/30, 11-12pm
COB 322

As a faculty or TA, how you set up your course site can impact how your students engage with your course. In this training workshop, we will show you some of the best-practices for setting up a course site, such as creating a course description, adding and deleting tools, uploading syllabus and other resources, managing resources using WebDAV, and adding podcasts, news feeds, and website links.

• Handout - Introduction to CROPS
• Handout - Setting Up Your CROPS Course Site

Wed, 8/31, 11-12pm
COB 322

Going Green with CROPS(Advanced Level)

Are you looking to conduct a more paperless and environmentally-friendly class? This workshop provides practical ideas and tips on how to use various CROPS tools to do many of the common tasks including the following: taking attendance; assigning, collecting, and grading assignments; assessing student learning and attitudes; and creating lessons.

• Handout - Introduction to CROPS
• Going Green Handout

Wed, 9/14, 11-12pm
COB 322
Workshop Canceled

Research has shown that effective use of clickers can address many common instructional challenges. In this workshop, we will discuss how clickers can be used to deal with attendance/tardiness problems, coming to class unprepared, not understanding materials, and being bored and/or unchallenged.

Tue, 9/27, 1-2pm
COB 322

Helping Students Develop 21st Century Skills (Advanced Level)

Along with traditional skills like critical thinking, effective communication, and peer collaboration, students today need to acquire new skills such as information literacy, media literacy, and technological competence to be successful in the world. In this engaging workshop, a panel of speakers will discuss what these skills entail, why they’re important, and how best to teach them.

• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Tue, 10/11, 12-1pm
COB 322

Effective Presentations and Student Learning(Basic Level)

Students learn best when information presented are clear, contextualized, concise, and coherent. In many respects, effective presentation of information not only reflects sound pedagogy but also fosters deep learning. This workshop will feature two approaches to effective presentations – one using PowerPoint and another using data presentation.

Wed, 10/26, 11-12pm
COB 322

Hybrid courses meet partly face-to-face and partly online. The blended format offers new pedagogical possibilities, such as flexible scheduling, multi-modal engagement, and creative collaborations. By shifting certain learning tasks online, instructors are able to redeem classroom time for more meaningful interactions. In this workshop, a panel of faculty who have taught or coordinated hybrid courses will share their experiences of the opportunities and challenges associated with the new learning format.

• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Wed, 11/9, 11-12pm
COB 322

Using Social Media as a Teaching Tool(Advanced Level)

Social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have great potential for teaching and learning. Come and hear faculty who are using these tools in their courses and find out what are some of their promises and pitfalls.

Spring 2011

Wed, 1/19, 11-12pm
COB 322

CROPS has tools uniquely designed to help you manage the cycle of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning assignments. Susan Miller, Writing Program Faculty, and Mark Kerfoot, Ph.D. candidate, will offer a practical understanding of the available tools that can help you be more efficient and effective in managing assignments and grades using CROPS.

Thu, 1/27, 1-2pm
COB 322

You are Teaching, but are they Learning? Using clickers to promote content mastery, critical thinking, and student engagement in the classroom with

Rick Olsen, Professor and Chair of Communications Studies Department, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, has been using student response systems or clickers since they first emerged as an option on college campuses. He has used clickers for the last five years or more to make his large lecture class more rigorous and interactive. His session will focus on best practices and pedagogical approaches to using clickers for content mastery, critical thinking, and whole person development.

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)
• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Wed, 1/2, 11-12pm
COB 322

Built-in features like Comments and Track-Changes within MS Word allow for electronic grading. Susan Miller, Writing Program Faculty, will demonstrate how these features can be used to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the grading process.

Wed, 2/16, 12-1pm
AOA 115

Reading in the Digital Age

The advent of computing devices like laptops, tablets, and mobile phones are profoundly changing how we read and digest texts. Researchers have found that students reading digital texts are doing “hyper-reading” as opposed to “close-reading.” In this workshop, Tom Hothem, Writing Program Faculty, offers some preliminary thoughts and suggestions and strategies on how to help students read more effectively in the digital age.

• Presentation slides
• Handout on resources for digital reading

Thu, 3/17, 12-1pm
COB 322

The Use of Mind Maps in the Classroom

A mind map is a non-linear diagram of words, ideas, or images linked to and arranged around key concepts. It serves as a great tool to help students develop higher order thinking, such as brainstorming, organizing, problem solving, and decision-making. In this workshop Paola Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco, Ph.D. candidate in World Cultures, will provide an overview of how mind maps can be used in the classroom context.

• Presentation slides
• Handout on mind mapping tools

Tue, 4/5, 12-1pm
COB 322

Based on an Edward Tufte seminar she attended in the fall, Julie Phillips will share some of the highlights of what she learned about the visual presentation of data. In particular, this presentation will discuss how data presentation can vary with regards to different disciplines.

Fall 2010

Are you looking for ways to reduce paper usage in your teaching? This workshop provides ideas and tips on how to use CROPS for a more paperless and environmentally-friendly class.

• Going Green Handout

Did you know that CROPS has tools uniquely designed to help you manage the cycle of assigning, collecting, grading, and returning assignments? This workshop offers a practical understanding of the available tools that can help you be more efficient and effective in managing assignments in your courses.

• Workshop Handout

Are you interested in learning more about how clickers can be used in your courses/program? This workshop highlights how clickers can facilitate student interaction and engagement in ways that can enhance teaching and learning.

• Presentation Slides (w/links to resources)
• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Wed, 9/22, 12-1pm
COB 322

Podcasting allows faculty to record what happens in their classrooms and make it available digitally online. This session will cover some of the benefits, issues, and practicalities of podcasting lectures at UCM. This session consists of a panel of speakers, including Mike Truong, Instructional Technologist in the Center, Diana Odom-Gunn, Lecturer in Psychology, Urie Lee, Undergraduate in Cognitive Sciences, and Todd Van Zandt, Classroom and Student Services Manager in IT.

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)

Wed, 10/6, 12-1pm
COB 322

Used effectively, blogs promote greater engagement and dialogue among students within a course. This workshop discusses how blogs can be used as a powerful instructional technology tool.

• Presentation Slides (w/links to resources)

Wed, 11/3, 12-1pm
COB 322

Used effectively, wikis can promote increased collaboration and interaction among students within a course. This workshop discusses how wikis can be used as a powerful instructional technology tool.

• Presentation Slides (w/links to resources)

Spring 2010

This refresher course covers some of the basic and more advanced functions and features of CROPS, UCM’s content management system.

• CROPS for Beginners Handout (resource unavailable)
• CROPS for Avid Users Handout (resource unavailable)

• Presentation slideshow (resource unavailable)
• Resource handout on how to use PowerPoint (resource unavailable)

This workshop provides an overview of some of the tools available that can be used to create an electronic teaching portfolio.

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)
• Resource handout on creating teaching e-portfolios (resource unavailable)

This workshop covers some of the issues and challenges related to email management for teachers, and offers some strategies for overcoming them.

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)
• Resource handout on email management (resource unavailable)

Wed, 4/21, 1-2pm
COB 322

Presented by Gayle Yamada and Mike Truong, this hands-on workshop will provide an overview of some of the pedagogical and practical considerations when teaching on camera.

• Resource handout on teaching on camera (resource unavailable)
• Lecture Capture: A Guide for Effective Use (University of Michigan's Center for Research on Learning and Teaching)

Fall 2009

Michael Truong, Faculty Development Coordinator for Instructional Technology with CRTE, will provide a general overview of the basic functions and features of CROPS, UCM’s content management system.

• Presentation Handout (resource unavailable)

• Make-up Session 1: Thursday, 8/27/09, 3-4pm, COB 322 (Willow Room)
• Make-up Session 2: Monday, 8/31/09, 1-2pm, COB 322 (Willow Room)
• Presentation Handout (resource unavailable)

Belinda Braunstein, English Language Institute Coordinator with CRTE, will demonstrate how the drop-down choices of the Forms feature in MS Word can be used to improve the grading process.

• Presentation Handout (resource unavailable)

Tom Hothem, Assistant Director of Writing Program, Ruth Mostern, Assistant Professor of History, and Simon Weffer, Assistant Professor of Sociology, will discuss the various benefits, promises, and issues with using Facebook in the academic context. There will be plenty of time for your questions and comments.

• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3
   

Faced with a shortage of classrooms and staff, Sara Davidson, Susan Mikkelsen, and Teal Smith, Instruction Librarians, developed the iPod Touch Library Tour as an alternative to in-person instruction. In their presentation, they will discuss the benefits, development process, and assessment strategies of asynchronous instruction using popular iPod technology.

• Presentation Handout (resource unavailable)
• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Spring 2009

Tom Harmon, Professor of Engineering, will discuss what's involved in setting up an audience response system (clickers) and how it can be used to build interactivity into presentations. Seminar participants will have a hands-on opportunity to use clickers during the presentation!

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)
• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Elliott Campbell, Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering, will provide an overview of DimDim, an open-source web meeting tool, and discuss how this tool can be used in the context of a class to further enhance teaching and learning. He will attempt to conduct this seminar via DimDim as a way to demonstrate its capabilities.

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)
• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Maurizio Forte, Professor of World Heritage, and , and Nicolo' Dell'Unto, Post-doctoral Fellow, will introduce the audience to the 3-D virtual world of Second Life. Using UC Merced’s very own Virtual Heritage Island in Second Life as an example, they will discuss and demonstrate how this learning platform can teach students important archaeological skills.

• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Kris Van Bebber, Lecturer in Writing Program, will demonstrate some strategies for integrating the communication technology available at UC Merced and the broader academic world into course syllabi and lesson plans.

Michael Truong, Faculty Development Coordinator in CRTE, will provide an overview of the electronic portfolio tool within CROPS, focusing on some of its key functions and features. He will also discuss how this tool can be used for creating learning and teaching portfolios.

• Presentation slides (resource unavailable)
• Video Part 1
• Video Part 2
• Video Part 3

Fall 2008

Michael Truong, Faculty Development Coordinator with CRTE, will provide a general overview of the basic tools within CROPS, UCM’s content management system.

• Handout - Introduction to CROPS Handout - Setting Up Your CROPS Course Site