ETM Update - Preparing for Spring (Email March 27th)

Owned by R. John Robertson
Last updated: Apr 01, 2020Version comment
3 min read

Dear Colleagues,


As this week ends I want to share a few updates from ETM.  Allow me to frame this email by saying that in both this message and in the in-service there are lots of options and sources of help. Please don’t try to do everything and please pace yourselves as much as you can.


Zoom

  • We’re working with CIS to update both our advice and theirs about using Zoom well and avoiding “zoom bombing.” Those updates should be out next week, but one advance highlight: for course meetings we strongly recommend scheduling using the Zoom integration in Canvas (which ETM and CIS were able to update this week).
  • In the meantime, my colleague David Rither has created a helpful video “Better looking videos in Panopto and Zoom in under two minutes”.


In-service

  • We’re continuing to update the in-service course in Canvas and encourage you to share resources in that space. For a variety of reasons, a few of you (~25/670) may not have access to the in-service course – we’re working to fix this, but please message me to get access if the course doesn’t show up in Canvas for you by Monday afternoon.


Canvas templates

  • Based on feedback about the in-service course, we have created a course template which you can import into your Canvas sites as a starting point if you would like. We’ve published this Remote Teaching Template and the Canvas in a Pinch page in Canvas Commons for the SPU community. To import any of these please follow this guide and reach out to us for help if you get stuck.
  • We also have a comprehensive Growing with Canvas self-paced (3-6 hours) course. It’s available on a self-enroll basis (assignments in the course are not monitored).


Three tips

  • Zoom and Panopto are busy – allow time for your videos to process. The longer the video, the longer it needs. If your video is an hour long, it might take up to 24 hours for the recording to process.   
  • As you think about planning your course remember to consider how students will interact with you, with course content, and with each other.
  • Be as explicit as you can be in your directions – each thing you make clear is one less email.


Student Essentials for Remote Learning

  • As you’ll have seen in the letter to students, the Student Essentials for Remote Learning course will be available early in the week of April 6th. This is being developed by Niki Amarantides and Liz Gruchala-Gilbert with help from ETM. The course will provide resources and activities for the online environment on the following topics: metacognition, time management, study skills, support resources, self-care and community. The course will not explicitly include technology support as a topic, but it will point to existing technology support resources and some of the activities will use those resources.


Accommodations

  • Given the context of remote learning in spring quarter, we’re working closely with DSS to identify how we can help you meet some of the accommodations needed by our community. If you have a student needing an accommodation and you have questions about how to configure support for the accommodation in Canvas, please let us know via etmhelp@spu.edu .


Stories of pedagogy, student feedback, and hope

  • You’ve been sharing wonderful stories, great suggestions, and reasons to hope. In collaboration with the Faculty Life Office, we’re going to set up blog to collect, share, and celebrate these stories and ideas. We’ll have a mechanism for you to contribute to this blog in place next week.


Offers of help

  • We’ve had many offers of help. If you’d like to chat about your ideas or just test out Zoom with someone, please get in touch and we’ll connect you with a volunteer.


Falcon

  • In case you would like some coloring to relax, Talon is attached.


Take care and may the Lord bless you and keep you all,


John