Get To Know Blackboard SP8-Virtual Sessions

Virtual Blackboard Service Pack 8 Sessions from KCTCS eLearning Support:

Tuesday, May 8 at 12:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET

Friday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. ET

These sessions will run approximately 30 minutes and will showcase new features in SP 8. You do not need to register for the virtual sessions. Simply click the link below to enter the session at the appropriate time. https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlpsid=2011608&password=M.37C0EE4D75E785DAC240217853BD9D

Get to Know Blackboard SP8-Sessions at BGTC!

You are going to love the new features and enhancements in Blackboard Service Pack 8. From cross course navigation to auto re-grading of tests, this is something to get excited about! Many of the items are "see what is new" or "see what it does now" types of changes so we are offering a show and tell session of what you are going to like and use. Please drop in at your convenience. 

The session will repeat approximately every 30 minutes on the following dates and times on Main Campus, Building H, Computer Lab, Room 131:

·        Tuesday, May 8                 9:30-11 am

·        Wednesday, May 9          9:30-11 am

·        Wednesday, May 9          2-3:30 pm

The repeat sessions will also be offered at the KATI Campus, Computer Lab, Room 134:

• Thursday, May 10        9:30-11 am

Reminder: eLearning Services will be installing Service Pack 8 the weekend of May 18, 2012.

Blackboard will be unavailable from Friday, May 18^th at 5 pm to Monday, May 21 at 9 am.

Free Course: Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success

Announcing a Free, Open Course With Dr. Curtis Bonk:   

Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success

Link to the landing page: http://events.blackboard.com/open (interest form)
Blog Announcement: http://www.coursesitesblog.com/2012/04/16/empowering-you-through-openness-and-choice/
CourseSites Blog: http://www.coursesitesblog.com/
Host: CourseSites (from Blackboard) announces a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
Audience: Thousands of Blackboard, CourseSites, and other online and blended learning instructors around the world.
Description: Motivating students and creating community within blended and online learning environments is crucial to academic achievement and success. This open course will provide both theoretical concepts and practical tools for instructors to improve motivation, retention, and engagement within blended and online courses.
Enrollment: Open Enrollment begins Monday April 23, 2012. Please fill out the interest form to learn more.
Course Duration: April 30th- June 4th ( A total of 5 weeks)
Course Objectives:

Identify and apply relevant motivational strategies and instructional techniques

Construct thinking skill options for different types of learners and subjects

Design and share innovative thinking skill activities as well as unique cooperative learning

Map and apply instructional models and ideas to online learning tools

Scheduled Sessions:Wednesday May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 at 4 pm EST (3 pm CST)

Open Educational Resources!

I am attending the KCTCS Distance Learning Peer Team Spring 2012 meeting this week where I have learned about some great resources for free or affordable textbooks as well as other open educational resources. Please take a look at these websites for ideas for student support.

BVT Publishing: http://www.bvtpublishing.com/

Connexions’ OpenStax College: http://openstaxcollege.org/

Creative Commons Kiwi: http://creativecommons.org/videos/creative-commons-kiwi

NROC – Hippo Campus: http://www.hippocampus.org/ 

Flatworld Knowledge: http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/

Khan Academy: http://www.khanacademy.org/

Scoop.It: http://www.scoop.it/t/open-textbooks

Free training from SoftChalk

Teaching Science Totally Online Using SoftChalk and Home-Based Lab Kits (LabPaq)

Wednesday, April 18

1pm PT | 2pm MT | 3pm CT | 4pm ET

In 2003, Ocean County College (OCC) was awarded a $458,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop a one day per week Nursing Program which allowed students to attend clinical training while the didactic portion was delivered online. Almost immediately, they realized that the value of the program would be limited if the students were required to come to campus at all. They needed to put science totally online! Attend this webinar to see how they managed to teach a hands-on subject like science totally online!

Presenter: Dr. Jim Brown, Associate Professor of Science at Ocean County College (OCC) and former Dean of Science, Engineering, Health Sciences and Human Performance.

Bloom's Taxonomy, Thinking Skills and SoftChalk

Thursday, April 26

12pm PT | 1pm MT | 2pm CT | 3pm ET

Bloom’s Taxonomy asks students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate. So what does that look like in a SoftChalk lesson? Find out how Duke University Talent Identification program creates lessons for gifted K-12 students where higher-order thinking skills are a priority.

Presenter: Lyn Hawks, Coordinator of Independent Learning, Duke University Talent Identification Program

To register for these sessions or for upcoming professional development oppotunities from SoftChalk, click here.

Blackboard Unavailable April 14 - 15, 2012

Just a reminder that a hardware enhancement to the Blackboard infrastructure will take place during an extended maintenance period which means that Blackboard will not be available from:

Saturday, April 14th, 9:00 pm (EST)  to

Sunday, April 15th, 9:00 am (EST). 

All Blackboard courses will be unavailable during this time.

If you are teaching during this time, please alert your students and remind them to download any materials they may need. 

Regional Trainings for Bb SP8

Faculty:
You are going to love the new features and enhancements in Blackboard Service Pack 8. From cross course navigation to auto re-grading of tests, this is something to get excited about!
eLearning Services will be installing Service Pack 8 the weekend of May 18, 2012. To help you prepare, we are offering 3 regional sessions in April showcasing the enhancements and improvements.
This isn't a brand new Blackboard, it just got a make-over, new outfit and manicure. Many of the items are "see what is new" or "see what it does now" types of changes so we will begin with a show and tell session of what's new. You will then have the opportunity for some hands-on if you are interested.
What's new/show-and-tell
This session will repeat approximately every 30 minutes from 10am - Noon.
Hands-on
During the afternoon from 1pm - 3pm stop by the computer lab to get a first-hand look and try out sp8. eLearning Services will be on hand to answer any questions.

We hope this flexible schedule will allow more faculty and staff from across the state to join us and get excited about Blackboard sp8.

April 16, 2012: Elizabethtown CTC Registration: email gwyn.sutherland@kctcs.edu

April 24, 2012: Maysville CTCRegistration: email melissa.hunter@kctcs.edu

April 26, 2012: Madisonville CTCRegistration: email tim.trice@kctcs.edu