Resouces for Teaching English Online
Community of Inquiry Framework
In this video by Ellie Hoffman, an English Instructor at Chabot College and an expert in Instructional Design, she shows how online courses offer students to be actively engaged in their own learning. The Community of Inquiry framework guides the way she constructs a course and interacts with students online.
The Interactive Online Classroom: Discussions and Assignments
Our English colleague, Ramona Silver, shares her best practices for creating discussions and assignments that help create an interactive online learning community.
"Remote" Learning Tools, Tips, and Techniques
Below are some Canvas functions and external tools that can help you transition to “remote learning” for the 20-21 academic year. Remember, you are not expected to build a perfect online class or be online instructors. Just use the tools to deliver content and collect work as best you can.
Keep it simple - the more complex tools you use, the more you have to consider things like accessibility/access to specific technology. Even the most basic Canvas functions can be used to foster a comfortable and collaborative remote learning environment. What students need most in this confusing time is communication and encouragement from you!
Canvas Basics
Easy ways for simple communication with your classes/students:
- Canvas Inbox Messages
- Email Class through CLASS-Web Roster
- Canvas Announcements (also sends a notification)
- GroupMe (group text)
- Remind (group text - can turn off responses)
- Google Voice (create a phone number for phone and text)
Canvas Discussions
(AKA Discussion Board)
- Create a Discussion
- Grade a Discussion
Discussions can be used for a variety of purposes!
Getting Fancier
Two Ways to Create a Group Set (divide your students into Groups):
- ConferZoom (in Canvas)
(hint: use quick launch to start a session immediately!) - ConferZoom (outside of Canvas) five min. video
- Zoom (outside of Canvas) video tutorials
- Handout to Help Students Access Zoom - from Carmen
Hypothesis (annotation tool)
already installed in all Canvas sites
(shared by Monique)
Help!
Questions? Technical issues?
Chabot Online Teaching Website
Email: cc-onlineteaching@chabotcollege.edu
For Canvas support after 5pm and weekends, use the chat funtion available in the Help button of the Canvas menu.
*Check your Email Inbox for emails from cc-onlineteaching for the latest Canvas Help “drop-in” online office hours schedule (conducted via Zoom).
Articles about Online Teaching
There is a useful Advice Guide article, "How to Be a Better Online Teacher," from the Chronicle of Higher Education that provides some useful context and tips.
Very thoughtful article about teaching online as an emergency response right now, "Please Do a Bad Job of Putting Your Courses Online"--the point is not really to do things poorly, but to consider the context of putting face-to-face classes online under the current conditions. Simplicity and care!
Another article about moving courses online in the current situation: "As Human As Possible" from Inside Higher Ed.
Canvas Help Guides
If you decide to use Canvas to continue teaching your classes, remember that there are a number of Canvas Help Guides available.
Chabot Online Teaching Website and Chabot Canvas Support
The Chabot Online Teaching website offers resources for using technology for “remote instruction” and online teaching. These resources will include information for using Confer Zoom (also known as Zoom) for telephone/video conferencing/ “live” lectures and Canvas.
Chabot Canvas Support for faculty can be reached at cc-onlineteaching@chabotcollege.edu. Just include your user and course information along with a detailed description of the problem you are experiencing.
And if you have students that need help as they transition to distance learning, please have them contact cc-onlinelearning@chabotcollege.edu
Remember:
Be patient, communicate, and keep it simple!