As we are being faced with the very real possibility of a campus closure due to the spreading corona virus, it is imperative that we attempt to maintain contact with our students and if possible provide instruction/contact hours, by alternate methods.
To this end the administration has offered a number of training sessions to help people use Canvas and/or Zoom to continue providing content to their students in the event of a campus closure.
I know this is not the ideal way many of us prefer to teach. I will be the first to admit to being a bit technically challenged. That said, a few years ago I realized the usefulness of being able to post content, including full lectures online for my students, and it has really helped. Early this semester I tore my calf muscle and was able to provide two full lectures to my students using Zoom recording and an online white board.
Any openness, adaptability on the part of the faculty will help enable students to get the contact hours they need to complete courses, transferability of classes, graduation requirements.
If you have any Union related questions please contact me at:
upm1610president@gmail.com
For online questions the following trainings are provided (see below). I strongly encourage you to attend one of these at your absolute earliest convenience. As you know the spread of this virus and the information we receive is changing daily, sometimes hourly. We need to be ready in the event that we must close campus with very little warning.
I hope these fears and events are not realized, but let's all pull together to make sure we are ready in case they are.
Again, if you have any questions please let me know.
Patrick
Training Information
Agenda:
• Overview of situation
• What faculty can do to plan for instructional continuity
o Build communication plan with students
o Post syllabus
o Create content online for one week’s worth of class as a starting point
o Faculty should use class time this week to assess where their students are with access to technology (for example, they might not have unlimited data usage on their phones)
o Faculty should be as flexible as possible with individual student situations
o Faculty should present potential scenario and get a read on the students’ ability to participate in that scenario
o Consider timeline of content and possible shifts
o Post readings – PDF, accessible
o Post videos
o Think about students with SAS accommodations and prepare to support them remotely
o Set individual appointment with Stacey to go over course details
o Consider using spring break time to get support you may need
o Labs – have the students do as much remotely as possible and save hands-on exercises for when we return (students could do data analysis, research remotely)
o Reach out to colleagues at other schools for ideas
Monday, March 9
Session during COMmunity Hour (12:40-1:30 p.m.) in AC 255
Tuesday, March 10
We will hold a repeat session in AC 229 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11
Repeat session during COMmunity Hour (12:40-1:30 p.m.) in AC 255
Thursday, March 12
Stacey will hold office hours for appointment/drop-in from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. in AC 220
Patrick A. Kelly, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
President United Professors of Marin
AFT/CFT Local 1610
College of Marin
(415) 485-9516