News / Tips for Teaching and Learning

Content tailored for Amarillo College faculty which explores, promotes, and supports excellence in teaching, with diverse technologies.

Volume 1, Issue 6

Longer days and warmer temps are here!

Longer days begin on March 14 and Spring begins on March 20, so with a little (or maybe a lot) March luck, we are putting Coronavirus and Arctic blasts behind us! As we finish up one term and head into the next the CTL team has prepared a "spring refresher" for student engagement. Student Engagement Bingo is a great opportunity for you to try quick strategies to recharge your teaching. Also, the tech-supported resources are great to re-energize students and get them involved in their outside-of-class tasks.  

Highlights in this issue:

1. Student Engagement BINGO - get your BINGO card using the link below. By submitting a completed Bingo card you have an opportunity to win a $15 Texas Tea gift card.
2. Two tech-supported resources - although Vidgrid has been around for a while, here is a refresh on what it can do for you and your students. Also, Insert Learning is a great extension to use in your tech-supported courses. 
3. Blackboard information needed - there are those times when Blackboard just doesn't seem to be doing what you want it to do. In order to provide the best help possible, what information is needed when you submit a Blackboard help ticket and whom should you contact - find out below.
4. Blackboard ER - coming March 26th. Be sure your spring courses are ready for submitting grades or summer courses are ready to implement. See more information in the right-hand margin. 
5.  CTL Homepage update - find out more information about the services we provide in CTL and how to finish the spring terms strong. 

Spring Break is right around the corner, which means an opportunity to go outside for a walk, enjoy time with family, or plant a garden. Whatever you choose to do refresh, be well, and stay safe!

The CTL team 

Student Engagement BINGO

You will need to choose any 5 student engagement strategies to try out in one of your courses. You may choose any row or column. Please DO NOT choose items on a diagonal.

1. You will click on a strategy you want to try in one of your courses. 
2. The link will take you to the Purpose and Directions of the strategy. 
3. Then you will need to try it out in one of your courses. As you are trying it out, please remember to keep some sort of documentation (screenshots, student work, etc.) that shows you implemented it in one of your courses.
4. After you implement the strategy click on the link below again and then scroll to the bottom of the page. There you will find a Google Forms link to upload your documentation. Continue that with all 5 strategies.

You may print the card out to keep the directions handy and keep track of the strategies you have completed.     
Please have all strategies complete and documentation turned in by March 31, 2021.

All faculty members who have completed 5 strategies in a row or a column will be put into a bowl and a winner will be drawn. The winner will receive a $15.00 Texas Tea gift card.

Click the link below to get your Bingo card and get started. 

READ MORE >> 

New tech-supported resources

Vidgrid - With Vidgrid, you can make customizable recordings, imbed questions into your videos, create interactive captions, and easily integrate it all into your Blackboard course and gradebook.

Insert Learning - Insert Learning is a free Chrome Extension that allows you to insert recordings, videos, questions, discussions, and sticky notes into any web page.

Click the link below to learn more about these two resources and so much more. 

READ MORE >> 

Blackboard Issues information needed

In order to provide the best service and support possible, we ask that you provide as much of the following information as you can when submitting a service request to CTL. Remember when submitting a service request use the CTLhelp@actx.edu email address. 

• Type of device (PC, Mac, Chromebook, Tablet, Phone…be specific)
• Operating System? (Windows 10, macOS Catalina, Chrome OS…)
• Browser used (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge…)
• Browser up to date?
• Are you having the same issue on multiple browsers?
• Date cookies/cache last cleared
• Date of last computer restart
• Specific Course(s) you are having issues with
• Specific assignment(s)
• Please include a screenshot of your error
• Description of the issue

CTL Webpage

What can CTL do for you? Find out more on our home page this month. Do you and your students need strategies to finish this spring strong? The CTL homepage can give you some great tips and strategies, as well as, ways the CTL team can help. 

READ MORE >> 

Save the Date

Blackboard ER

Friday, March 26th
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
ZOOM link in Blackboard

Student Engagement BINGO Due
March 31, 2021
Student Engagement BINGO page

Professional Learning - faculty learning must go on.....

Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

Center for Teaching and Learning (WARE) Room 205
Web Page: www.actx.edu/ctl | Email: ctl@actx.edu
Phone:  806-371-5020 

CTL Mission Statement: 
The Center for Teaching and Learning promotes transformative, evidence-based, and engaging professional learning for the enrichment of faculty and administrators to ensure academic success of all students at Amarillo College.