Volume 3, Issue 8 | ELITE Digest | May 2024
Welcome to the May edition of the ELITE Digest! We are thrilled to bring you the latest updates from the Office of E-Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence (ELITE). Here’s what we have in store this month.
Congratulations to the 30th Leadership Development Institute Graduates!
A round of applause for the 30th Leadership Development Institute graduating cohort who successfully completed their program last month. We are excited to see how you will apply your newfound skills and knowledge. Best of luck in your future endeavors, and we anticipate witnessing your continued growth and success.
Graduation Season
Save the date for May 17 as we unite as one MC community to celebrate our students’ achievements during the graduation season. Join us in acknowledging their dedication and hard work as they step into new chapters of their lives.
Monthly H5P Challenge
Join our monthly H5P challenge and stand a chance to win fantastic prizes! Here’s how to participate:
- Complete this month’s ELITE Interactive Game (details below); and
- Send us a copy of your answers by 5 pm on Friday, May 10, 2024.
For an additional chance to win, “like” the May ELITE Digest post on the Montgomery Employees Facebook page by 5 pm on May 10, 2024.
Winners will be randomly selected and notified via email on May 13, 2024.
Connect with ELITE
We value your active participation in our initiatives. Should you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to us via the various Ask ELITE channels. We are here to support your professional development needs.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and we hope you enjoy this month’s ELITE Digest!
At-a-Glance
Microsoft Excel Essentials Plus (Zoom) 5/1/24 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/1/24 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/3/24 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Blackboard Learn Ultra Information Session 5/3/24 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
Strategies for Increasing Students’ Motivation for Learning 5/3/24 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
ELITE After Dark: Zoom Skills Refresher 5/6/24 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/7/24 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Microsoft PowerPoint Essentials Plus (Zoom) 5/7/24 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
ELITE after Dark: Adding a Positionality Statement to Your Syllabus 5/7/24 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/9/24 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Using ChatGPT to Promote Active Learning in College Classrooms 5/10/24 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Blackboard Learn Ultra Basics 5/13/24 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Converting Original Courses to Blackboard Learn Ultra 5/13/24 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Blackboard Learn Ultra In-Person Open Lab 5/13/24 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, RV – Mannakee Building
Blackboard Learn Ultra Basics 5/13/24 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Converting Original Courses to Blackboard Learn Ultra 5/14/24 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Blackboard Learn Ultra In-Person Open Lab 5/14/24 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, GT – Paul Peck Academic and Innovation Building, PK-170
Converting Original Courses to Blackboard Learn Ultra 5/14/24 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Blackboard Learn Ultra Basics 5/15/24 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Blackboard Learn Ultra Basics 5/15/24 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/15/24 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Blackboard Learn Ultra In-Person Open Lab 5/15/24 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, TP/SS – Charlene R. Nunley Student Services Center, ST-329
Converting Original Courses to Blackboard Learn Ultra 5/16/24 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/21/24 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Online Teaching Training – Summer I 2024 5/28/24 12:00 AM – 7/15/24 12:00 AM
Crucial Conversations for Accountability 5/28/24 1:30 PM – 5/30/24 4:45 PM
The Journey Towards Becoming an Antiracist Institution – Spring 2024 5/29/24 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Summer Staff Professional Development Days
This summer’s workshops are carefully curated to cater to your personal learning and professional growth goals. We hope you will join us for one or as many of the offerings that interest you.
There are 24 different one-hour sessions, in specialized areas, ranging from practical work and professional learning to more personal development areas. All classes are delivered via Zoom, have a duration of one hour, and are offered on two different dates in both mornings and afternoons.
The series starts in mid-June and ends in early August.
Click here to see the list of classes, dates, and times and follow the links to register!
Blackboard Learn Ultra – Early Bird Training
Our move to Blackboard Learn Ultra is more than an upgrade; it’s a significant step forward in our commitment to providing accessible, flexible, and innovative educational opportunities.
Blackboard Learn Ultra features a fully responsive (mobile friendly) and streamlined navigation with a modern, clean design. The Blackboard Learn Ultra experience makes it easier for instructors to create, deliver, and manage courses and for students to access content and resources that support their learning journey.
Quality Matters (QM) Matters
Montgomery College (MC) continues to increase the number of Quality Matters (QM) certified courses, signifying that more of our courses are being recognized as high quality online offerings. Learn more
The Quality Assurance Microcredential: Elevating Online Education
In recent years, higher education has undergone a transformative shift with online education becomingly increasingly prevalent. Learn more
The OER Microcredential: Empowering Educators in the World of Open
In today’s higher education landscape, the rising costs of textbooks and instructional materials present significant barriers to student access, success, and completion. Learn more
For more information, please contact Dr. Shinta Hernandez, Dean of the Virtual Campus
Decolonizing Food
Food is not only a way to maintain health but also a representation of one’s culture and identity. This issue of Multicultural Moments will explore Indigenous foods and the revitalization of Indigenous food systems in the Americas after centuries of disruption due to colonization.
Learn More about Multicultural Moment
Theme: Active Experimentation
Experiential Learning is learning through experience or by doing. Kolb’s Cycle of Experiential Learning presents four components: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. Each issue of Teaching Tips of the Month for spring 2024 will focus on one of these components.
Learn More about Teaching Tip of the Month
Kahoot, A Game Based Learning Platform
Kahoot is a unique and innovative online learning platform designed to invigorate classrooms and boost student engagement. Its standout feature is the ability for instructors to create and distribute personalized, interactive quizzes, which enhance motivation and add a fun element to learning through activities, surveys, and discussions.
Learn More about Teaching Tips with Technology
The Power of Words in Shaping Our Workplace: A Leadership Perspective
The phrases we use daily carry more weight than we might assume. They have the power to shape perceptions, influence moods, and define the ethos of our workplace. This is not just about being politically correct; it’s about consciously constructing a supportive communication culture.
HRSTM
Required Training Reminder
As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe, compliant, and efficient workplace and fostering professional development, we would like to remind all employees that completing their assigned training courses by June 30, 2024, is mandatory.
The Required Training varies depending on the role you have within the organization. To determine the specific courses you need to complete, please visit the HRSTM Required Training webpage.
Office of Equity and Inclusion
The Journey Towards Becoming an Anti-Racist Institution
This is our required college-wide Antiracism training for the 2023-24 academic year. This training promotes social justice, radical inclusion, and racial equity within the College and the broader community and continues the focus on the journey to being an antiracist institution.