Friday, November 29, 2013

Have Questions?


If you are looking for help and wondering whom you should contact at CCCOnline, please see our contact list.


Cultivating Excellence Blog and CCCOnline Instructor Communities



Did you know CCCOnline has a community discussion board?  This is an educational blog you can participate in, or just read for interest.  Please visit our Cultivating Excellence Blog by clicking on http://ccconline.org/node/192 and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

If you teach with us, your Academic Division will also have a "Community" set up for your Division.   If you have a moment, please visit if you haven't already by doing the following:

  • Log in to the CCCOnline portal
  • Click the Faculty tab [If you do not have the faculty tab email your chair ASAP]
  • From the Faculty Gateway Access widget, located on the right side of the screen, click the Log into CCCOnline Community Site [clicking this link will give you access to the CCCOnline Community and enroll you if you are a new instructor]

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Hi folks,

We've got a number of great sessions coming up in the next couple of months as we begin offering webinar versions of our popular sessions from this year's CONNECT conference. If you weren't able to make it to the conference this year, this is a great opportunity to catch some of what you may have missed!

CCCOnline Webinars

Registration for webinars closes the day prior to the session. You can register for these webinars on the Training and Professional Development Database, find registration details and instructions on the Registration Process page, and find out more information about these and other opportunities on CCCOnline's Professional Development web page.

Thursday, November 7, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MST - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: RGMOOC – A Digital Game-Based Mooc For Rhetoric And Composition
RGMOOC, or “Rhetoric and Composition:  The Persuasive Power of Video Games as Paratexts,” is a Massive Open Online Course co-created by Sherry Jones and Kate Guthrie Caruso for teaching Advanced English Composition with Game Studies. This MOOC has been featured by ConnectivistMOOCs.org and Class-Central.com for its unique pedagogical approach and design by combining the learning theories of connectivism and digital game-based learning, and was first offered during Summer 2013 (May 28 – August 1, 2013). Come see sample videos, digital games, and participants’ social media discussions to learn how rigor through play is also possible in your classroom. (Facilitated by Sherry Jones – Instructor, CCD, FRCC, ACC)

Friday, November 8, 1:00 - 2:30 PM MST -  Keeping Discussions Rolling
If you've ever struggled to interact with students within online discussion boards, this webinar is for you. We will present ideas for opening discussions, keeping them rolling along, and concluding them meaningfully. We'll also offer quick "cheat sheet" tips you can use when discussions are particularly lagging. Your participation and your own winning discussion strategies will be welcome. This webinar will be geared specifically to CCCOnline instructors with all levels of teaching experience. It will be presented in the context of the CCCOnline Threaded Discussion Quality Assurance Rubric, and will assume a working familiarity with that rubric.

Thursday, November 14, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MST - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: 10 Tips To Being Faster In D2l V10.1 
It’s Friday evening and you have plans. However, you need to check your course before you leave. How can you do this, but still give the students the quality they deserve? This session will show you 10 tips to help you speed up your processes in D2L. NOTE: This is a follow up to the 2011 presentation with new tips! (Facilitated by: Nate Wadman - Online Course Designer, PPCC/Instructor, CCCOnline )

Thursday, November 21, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MST - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: Bridging Education And Neuroscience 
Within the past few decades, significant discoveries have occurred in neuroscience that have practical educational applications. We can successfully apply this new knowledge to learning processes and make use of the brain’s natural learning tendencies. A basic understanding of the educational neuroscience can improve student motivation and engagement.Participants in this presentation will be introduced to the synergy of neuroscience and education along with their direct application to teaching with an emphasis on student motivation and engagement. (Facilitated by: Norma Hollebeke: Associate Dean of Science, CCCOnline.)

Thursday, December 5, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MST - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: Let’s Bring The Library To The Students!
Students seem to rely on Google when they’re doing research, and often the sources they end up using can leave much to be desired. In online courses, it’s often difficult to persuade students to visit their local library. Our solution? We’re bringing the library and the librarian to the students via discussions in D2L. Come learn more about what’s going on with the embedded librarian project in HIS 101 & 102, ENG 121 & 122 and other courses. (Facilitated by Mary Cash: Online Librarian, CCCOnline)

Friday, December 6, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MST - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: Strategies For Successful Discussion Performance
Managing discussions in the online classroom is an important performance requirement for all CCCOnline instructors, yet common issues with student participation tend to crop up across the disciplines. With this reality in mind, CCCOnline’s Quality Assurance Team will present some practical tips on how instructors may connect to students in a more meaningful way. We will discuss the CCCOnline QA Threaded Discussion Rubric in light of various challenges, as well as tips and tricks that might be appropriate to your own online discussion situations. (Facilitated by: Liz Dzabic, CCCOnline Quality Assurance Coordinator, John Ragan: CCCOnline Quality Assurance Auditor)

Innovative Educators Webinars

The Colorado Community College System is a subscriber to Innovative Educators, an organization that supports academic and professional growth in higher education. With our subscription to this organization comes the opportunity for any staff or faculty in the Colorado Community College System to attend their training and professional development sessions for free by entering the code "ColoradoCC".  Innovative Educators has a wide variety of opportunities available on their website, which you can explore here: Innovative Educators Webinar Calendar. You can choose to attend any of their sessions, but here are a few sessions in particular that you all might find valuable:

Developing Rubrics To Encourage Student Self-Assessment & Improve Learning Outcomes
Tuesday, November 12, 1:00-2:30pm EST 

The First Day Of Class: How To Engage Students & Create A Positive Learning Environment
Wednesday, November 13, 3:00-4:30 EST 

Online Orientation: How To Measure Learning Outcomes & Assess Program Success
Friday, November 15, 1:00-2:30 EST  

Capture Creativity: Developing & Teaching New Skills For Today’s Students
Friday, November 15, 3:00-4:30pm EST