Game-based Learning Opportunity

Dear Colleagues,

As part of the Immersive and Game Based Learning Faculty Grant challenge,  the CCCS Hackathon Project will be involved with the Minecraft and More UnSymposium on December 6 and 7, 2013.

The Minecraft and More UnSymposium is an online synchronous tour and discussion of learning using this hugely popular video game. Minecraft that has sold over 12 million downloads worldwide and in the last 24 hours over 7,000 people have bought the game. Minecraft looks very similar to Legos and allows players to build and play with cubes in a 3D digital sandbox. It can be played on a PC, Mac, tablet or Xbox. This sandbox game has two basic modes, creative and survival.

The educational use of Minecraft has received recent coverage in the popular press, articles on Minecraft and education have included:

Disruptions: Minecraft, an Obsession and an Education Tool
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/minecraft-an-obsession-and-an-educational-tool/?_r=0

Now Teachers Encourage Computer Games in Class
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324665604579081030943142894

Caltech uses popular computer game Minecraft as education tool
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/technology/20131201/caltech-uses-popular-computer-game-minecraft-as-educational-tool

Using Minecraft for Food System Education
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurie-freyer/food-systems-education-th_b_4340731.html

If you are intrigued or if you would like to learn more about this game and how it may fit into online and blended education, then please join us. The Minecraft and More UnSymposium is a two day free online event on Friday, Dec. 6^th  from 4 pm – 8 pm and on Saturday, Dec. 7^th  from noon – 6 pm. It will include tours in Minecraft and an ongoing discussion of how it can be used in online and hybrid education. This discussion will also include the CCCS Hackathon project. These online sessions will run the gamut from demonstration of game play to serious curriculum discussions. All sessions will be livestreamed over Google Hangout on Air on the Games MOOC channel. http://www.youtube.com/gamesmooc

If you have a paid Minecraft account you will be able to login for the Minecraft tours. For schedule and more information please to http://gamesmooc.shivtr.com/pages/minecraftandmoremission

To register and receive updates please go to http://bit.ly/minecraftandmore

If you have any questions or need specific information, please contact me using the information provided below.

Thank you,

- Chris Luchs

Associate Dean, Career & Technical Education

CCCOnline

720-858-2838

http://www.ccconline.org

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a nice holiday last week. Over the next couple of months we will have more 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! In addition, our workshops for new CCCOnline instructors will take place in early January. Due to the upcoming holiday break this month, registration for those workshops will close on December 13th. Be sure to sign up or have any new or prospective instructors sign up before that date.

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, December 5, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MT - 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 MT - 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)

Thursday, December 12, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MT - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: "T" is for Transmedia
Transmedia is storytelling across multiple media formats, with each element making distinct contributions to a learner’s understanding.  Come explore your transmedia skills by taking this Instructional Design challenge! Join us for this tongue-in -cheek approach to Top Chef and information and technology fluency. Are you up for the challenge or will you have to pack up your knives and go home? (Facilitated by Kae Novak - Instructional Designer, FRCC and John Heisel - Faculty Development Coordinator, FRCC)

Thursday, January 9, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MT - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: Badges And Alternative Assessments

You may have heard a bit about badges, awards and pointification. These alternative forms of assessment are coming from the open course movements and also from the gaming industry.  Come learn about this form of assessment and learn to set up your own Mozilla Backpack from the Open Badge Project. (Facilitated by Kae Novak - Instructional Designer, FRCC and Stephanie Wikman – Educational Technology Coordinator for Online Learning, FRCC)

Friday, January 17, 1:00 - 2:00 PM MT - CCCOnline CONNECT Session: Locating, Adapting, and Reusing Open Educational Resources
This presentation will provide a broad overview of Open Educational Resources (OER) and their use in higher education today. Highlighting some of the major aggregators and content repositories on the Web, we will examine the various types of OER available. A brief discussion of the Open Access Movement and Creative Commons licenses, as well as common misconceptions around copyright and fair use in the educational context, will also be presented. (Facilitated by: Amanda Burch – Instructional Designer, CCCOnline)

CCCOnline Workshops

Registration for these workshops closes on December 13th. 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.

Monday, January 6 - Friday, January 10 - Getting Started
Getting Started is a one-week, fully online facilitated orientation workshop for potential CCCOnline instructors. Getting Started introduces instructors to the culture of CCCOnline, support resources and support processes for teaching with CCCOnline.

Monday, January 6 - Friday, January 17 - D2L Essentials
D2L Essentials is a two-week, fully online workshop designed to introduce new and potential CCCOnline instructors to the Desire to Learn (D2L) course system. Its primary goal is to prepare instructors to teach with D2L at a basic level during their first term. Activities are completed in a practice D2L course.

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 live webinar 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 webinars, but here are a few sessions in particular that you all might find valuable:


Effective Classroom Observations: An Alternative Approach That Supports Faculty & Improves Student Success
Wednesday, December 4, 3:00-4:30pm EST 

Effective Online Advising: Best Practices For Improved Communication & Connection
Thursday, December 5, 3:00-4:30 EST

The Online Classroom: Innovative Teaching Practices That Increase Retention, Satisfaction & Performance
Thursday, December 5, 1:00-2:30pm EST

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]

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

Fall 2013 Games MOOC

Please join us for the Fall Games MOOC! http://youtu.be/LfXHmC0qeI0

This will be the fifth offering of the Games Based Learning MOOC. Our theme for the Fall Games MOOC is “Make, Hack and Game!” Week One will begin with an overview of the Maker Movement, Hackathons as problem based learning and the gamer and modding disposition.  For this iteration, we’ll be using Minecraft as our online building and maker space. We’ll also be connecting across the nation with educators and educational organizations exploring game based learning. So expect invitations to fun and engaging online events.  We have five questlines associated with the Fall Games MOOC. These begin on Week 3. Feel free to participate in any or all of these. To learn more and sign-up please go here. http://bit.ly/14DQIN4

Questlines

Maker Movement

Minecraft

Machinima

Hackathon

Game Camp

Online and Face-to-Face Events

October 26

Minecraft Open House
In Minecraft and livestreamed over Google Hangout
http://www.youtube.com/gamesmooc

November 2

Hackathon Observation Meet-up
There are 2 hackathons happening on Saturday

We’ll send more information on where and when we’ll “meet up” at the hackathons.

November 16
Game Camp
Westminster Campus, Front Range Community College
Informal – let’s discuss, network and make a game!

10 am – 4 pm
L268

December 6 and 7
Minecraft and More UnSymposium
Portions in Minecraft and Second Life
Livestreamed over Google Hangout

http://www.youtube.com/gamesmooc

The Games MOOC is an open course for all educators. The model for participation is based on social network knowledge construction. Learners will be able to be active in the course in several ways from lurking (reading the discussions), to being engaged in game-play to actively creating content in the course with the MOOC designer and Advisory Group. We do understand that a participant’s level of activity may vary based on the individual’s interest in the weekly topics or other time commitments.

So feel free to lurk! As one of our MOOC Advisory Board members says, “Lurk and learn!”

If you have any questions, please contact Kae Novak at kae.novak@frontrange.edu or call 303-404-5470.

2013 Instructional Excellence Award Winners

CCCOnline is pleased to announce the 2013 Instructional Excellence Award Winners, who received their official recognition at last week's CONNECT conference. These outstanding individuals exemplify our academic mission and are shown to have demonstrated strengths in our core values and principles: Integrity, Strategic Planning, Quality, and Collaboration.

We’re proud these esteemed instructors are part of CCCOnline; and again, we thank them, as we thank every one of our dedicated instructors, for all the hard work, care, and commitment that goes into educating our students!

The 2013 Instructional Excellence Award Winners are:

Liberal Arts & Communication: Donna Wickham
Donna Wickham has been a model instructor and Content Expert for CCCOnline for the last decade; she has demonstrated instructional excellence and a flair for student-centered innovation. Also, she has shown an ability to draw on her unique experiences as jazz composer, performer, conductor, keyboardist and electric bass player to infuse her classes with an applied understanding of contemporary and historical musical perspectives.

Career & Technical Education: Lisa Wulf
 Lisa Wulf is dedicated to delivering the best educational experience possible to as many of her students as are willing. It is evident from her class communications that her students and their education are her number one priority.  Also, she has taken “ownership” of our Fundamentals class and mentors other instructors when they are teaching the class, making herself available to answer questions and helping them improve their classes.

Math: Roger Bower
Roger Bower has played an important role this past year in the Math Department’s course development process. He is very passionate about online learning and is a committed instructor always willing to take on extra challenging tasks to help us create a quality Math program.

Social Sciences: Wendy Lewis
Wendy Lewis consistently demonstrates integrity and quality in her work, which has included carrying out two course revision projects in the past year, attending Quality Matters training, and implementing QM elements into her courses.

Sciences: Judy Thomson 
Judy Thomson goes the extra mile to explain difficult concepts to her students, promotes student success through proactive interventions, and mentors other instructors each semester. She is eager to make the Anatomy & Physiology course the best it can be and does not compromise high academic standards.  She is a great asset to the team as a whole.

We would also like to recognize our additional 2013 nominees, to whom we also extend a sincere thank you for going above and beyond in their efforts to serve our students.

Carol Kramer
Carol Kramer is always willing to go that extra mile to help her students in her classes. Not only is she very active in her classes, she is also helping her students whether it be by phone, online whiteboards, or any other means of communication. She truly believes in her students and in return the students start to believe in themselves.

Mike Madson has made many contributions to the Science Department over the past year. Not only is he a great Astronomy instructor, he also served as a course developer for the redesign of both AST 101 and 102. He also made great contributions to our new “Science as A Process Lab” Module as a developer. He is easy and fun to work with and never fails to come up with innovative and exciting new ideas for course content.

Wendy Watson not only takes and applies her expertise of adult learning theory to her classroom instruction, she also models best practices for teaching young children within the online environment. Wendy truly embraces the students’ experiences in construction of his or her own learning. She is truly an asset to the CCCOnline ECE program.

Jeanne Wischer embodies academic excellence and is a leader among Life Science faculty. She demonstrates excellent communication and presence in her classrooms, exemplary effort creating lab tutorials and audio-visual guidance for her students, and success in course development. Jeanne’s commitment to CCCOnline students shows in her work. Her Program Chair looks for opportunities to share her work product with others so they may be inspired.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Hi folks,

During the next month you won't see as many Professional Development Opportunities available from CCCOnline, since we're all very focused on our upcoming CONNECT Conference! Registration for the conference closes tomorrow, so be sure to visit our CONNECT Website today to reserve your spot!

Here are the webinars we have coming up in the next month:

CCCOnline Webinars

Friday, September 27, 1:00 PM MST: The CCCOnline "Online Tutoring Lab" (Webinar)
(NOTE: THIS WEBINAR WAS RESCHEDULED FROM ITS ORIGINAL DATE OF SEPTEMBER 13)
What is the CCCOnline OTL (Online Tutoring Lab)? Why did we build it, and do they come? Join us for an informational overview and Q &A session about the online tutoring center for developmental education students. Facilitated by: Lisa Brown-Roberts (CCCOnline Student Retention Specialist), Pam Gordon (CCCOnline English instructor and OTL tutor), and Eric Thompson (CCCOnline math instructor and OTL tutor).

You can register for this webinar 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 Training and Professional Development web page.

Innovative Educators Webinars

The Colorado Community College System has recently renewed its subscription 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:

5 Myths About Online Learners: Best Practices To Improve Communication, Build Trust & Focus On Learning Objectives
Thursday, October 10, 1:00-2:30pm EDT 

Creating An Effective Online Orientation: Using Learning Outcomes To Determine Platform, Assessment Tools & Maintenance 
Friday, October 18, 1:00-2:30 EDT 

Critical Thinking In The Online Classroom: Instructional Strategies That Work
Wednesday, October 30, 1:00-2:30 EDT  

Student Motivation: Practical Strategies That Will Increase Engagement, Learning & Retention 
Wednesday, October 2, 3:00-4:30pm EDT 


 

CCCOnline Connect Conference: Sessions & Schedule

This year's CONNECT conference comes with an increased focus on connecting our instructors with new innovation and inspiration in online teaching and learning. 

The conference will include headlining presentations by keynote speakers, and over 25 breakout sessions by CCCOnline instructors and staff members on teaching and learning strategies, pedagogy, and technology.

Visit CONNECT to register and peruse the session schedule and descriptions.
Sessions are filling up fast, so register now!

Set your alarms!

The Conference will open at 7:30 AM for check-in and a light breakfast, and the Conference Welcome and Keynote presentation by Jep Enck will begin promptly at 8:30 AM.

2013 CONNECT Conference Schedule

7:30 - Check-In & Breakfast
8:30 - Conference Welcome & Keynote Presentation by Jep Enck
9:45 - Breakout Sessions
10:45 - Breakout Sessions
11:45 - Lunch
            Instructional Excellence Awards
            Keynote Presentation by Phil Hill
1:00 - Breakout Sessions
2:00 - Breakout Sessions
3:00 - CCCOnline Division Meetings

CCOnline CONNECT Conference: Keynote Speaker Highlight

We’re thrilled to unveil our keynote speakers for the 2013 CONNECT Conference, which will feature Phil Hill from MindWires and Jep Enck.

Phil Hill (@PhilOnEdTech) is an educational technology consultant and analyst who has spent the last 10 years advising in online education and educational technology markets. As an independent consultant and analyst, Phil helps higher education institutions develop effective strategies to understand and implement online education programs. Phil’s clients have included the University of Iowa, UCLA, California State University, DeVry University, Colorado Community College System, University of Maryland University College, among others.

Phil is also an author, blogger at e-Literate and speaker, and he has become recognized in the educational technology community for his insights into the broader education market trends and issues. In addition to e-Literate, Phil has also written for EDUCAUSE Review and been quoted at Inside Higher Ed and Washington Business Journal.
CONNECT is a free, one-day event drawing around 300 instructors from CCCOnline and other colleges in the Colorado Community College system.  This annual event is an important opportunity for our online instructors to meet face to face to engage with each other and with new ideas in eLearning innovation. The conference will include presentations on the current state of CCCOnline, headlining presentations by keynote speakers, and breakout sessions by CCCOnline instructors and staff members on teaching and learning strategies, pedagogy, and technology. CONNECT will be held on October 4th, 2013 at Arapahoe Community College. Click here to register now! 

CCCOnline Connect Conference Registration Is Now Open!

We are excited to announce that registration for the CCCOnline CONNECT Conference on October 4th is now open!

Visit our new CONNECT website today at connect.ccconline.org and click on the Registration page to reserve your spot at the conference. Be sure to explore the website to find additional information including:

• Biographies on featured keynote speakers
• Conference sponsors
• Detailed descriptions of break out sessions.

We look forward to seeing you at CONNECT in October!
_____________
CONNECT is a free, one-day event drawing around 300 instructors from CCCOnline and other colleges in the Colorado Community College System. This annual event is an important opportunity for CCCOnline instructors to meet face to face to engage with each other and with new ideas in eLearning innovation. The conference will include presentations on the current state of CCCOnline, headlining presentations by keynote speakers, and breakout sessions by CCCOnline instructors and staff members on teaching and learning strategies, pedagogy and technology.
_____________

Sean Renner
CCCOnline Connect Conference Committee Chair

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Hi folks,

Here are the Professional Development opportunities we have coming up at CCCOnline this month. As always, you can register 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 Training and Professional Development web page.


Monday, August 19 - Saturday, August 24: Remote Labs (Workshop)
This one-week workshop will serve as an introduction to using NANSLO's RWSL (Remote Web-based Science Laboratory). Participants will learn about the history of remote laboratories, about how to use them in the classroom, and gain valuable experience by participating in a remote lab activity. Registration for workshops closes on August 9th, 10 days prior to the workshop.

Friday, August 23, 1:00 PM MST: Engaging Online Math Students (Webinar)
In this webinar, we will explore best practices for the online math “classroom” – the discussions. Come learn about strategies for keeping students engaged online, and participate in a brainstorming session to find ways to create and facilitate discussions which are meaningful for students and practical for instructors. Please bring your ideas and experiences to our discussion on discussions! Facilitated by Erica Hastert, Associate Dean of Math, CCCOnline

Cultivating Excellence Blog and CCCOnline Instructor Communities

In case you didn't know, CCCOnline has a community discussion board.  Here, we have educational blogs 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]

Hope you have a great semester!
Terry

Connect Conference Keynote Speaker Highlight: Jep Enck

We are excited to announce that this year’s CCCOnline Connect conference will kick off with an exciting keynote from speaker Jep Enck, focused on keeping the classroom a creative and relevant place for today’s students. Jep, who holds an M.S. in Human Resources from Colorado State University, has over 20 years of management and speaking experience.  Throughout his career he has focused on the "human element" in building excellent teams.  His energies and insights have received both local and national attention, earning him the “Excellence in Leadership Training” award from Colorado Governor Roy Romer and the “Outstanding Community Service Award” from President Ronald Reagan.

Be sure to plan on attending this year’s conference on October 4^th at Arapahoe Community College to catch this exciting keynote.  Visit the CCCOnline Connect Conference page for more information, and keep an eye out for registration, opening in August!

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Hi folks,

Here are the Professional Development opportunities we have coming up in the next month at CCCOnline. As always, you can register on the Training and Professional Development Database and find out more information about these and other opportunities on CCCOnline's Training and Professional Development web page.

Friday, July 12, 1:00 PM MST: Dealing with Student Conflict (Webinar)
This webinar will explore issues that come up in class when dealing with student conflict. We’ll look at what types of behavior can be disruptive, and we’ll explore different techniques to diffuse situations and keep learning on track. We’ll also look at the student discipline process and how you can assist in the process. Facilitated by John Schmahl: Director of Student Support, CCCOnline (1:00 pm - 2:00 pm MST)
Monday, July 22 - Sunday, August 4: Managing Discussions (Workshop)

The Discussions component of your online course is your virtual classroom. In this two-week, online workshop, participants will explore different ways to organize discussions, make discussions more engaging, maximize your own and your students participation, evaluate discussions, explore QA expectations, and more.


Friday, August 2, 1:00 PM MST: Is There a Connection Between the Brain and Learning? (Webinar)

In this webinar, participants will explore the basics of using Camtasia to create screen capture videos. Participants will learn how to use Camtasia's recording tool, basic video and audio editing functions, and captioning tools to make videos ADA compliant. Finally, participants will learn how to export finished projects into formats best suited for different methods of sharing. Facilitated by Sean Renner: Professional Development Coordinator, CCCOnline (1:00 PM - 2:30 PM MST)

CCCOnline Connect Conference - Save the Date and Call for Proposals

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CCCOnline is very pleased to cordially invite you to attend the CCCOnline Connect conference on Friday, October 4th, 2013. 

This year we are introducing CCCOnline Connect, a new branding of our annual CCCOnline conference. Along with this new brand comes an increased focus on connecting our instructors with new innovation and inspiration in online teaching and learning. CCCOnline Connect is a free, one-day event drawing around 300 instructors from CCCOnline and other colleges in the Colorado Community College system.  This annual event is an important opportunity for our online instructors to meet face to face to engage with each other and with new ideas in eLearning innovation. The conference will include presentations on the current state of CCCOnline, headlining presentations by keynote speakers, and breakout sessions by CCCOnline instructors and staff members on teaching and learning strategies, pedagogy, and technology. 

We invite you to be a part of CCCOnline Connect to collaborate with your CCCOnline colleagues and gain new ideas and inspiration for your online teaching. Stay tuned for more details on keynote speakers, break-out presentations, and registration information. 

In addition, we invite you to share your experiences and ideas by presenting at CCCOnline Connect. Our instructors' experiences in CCCOnline classrooms are an invaluable resource for all of CCCOnline and we are eager to learn from you. You can submit your presentation proposal by filling out the Call for Proposals form, here: http://media.ccconline.org/ccco/ccconline_connect_conference_2013/connect_2013_callforproposals.docx and emailing the completed form to Sean Renner at sean.renner@cccs.edu. 

We look forward to seeing you at Connect this year!

Sean

Summer Games MOOC

Please join us for the Summer Games MOOC!

This will be the fourth offering of the Games Based Learning MOOC. Sign-up is at  bit.ly/12rDKit The Summer Games MOOC will be divided into two parts. Each part is designed to be a standalone MOOC, so feel free to sign-up for only one part or both.

The Summer 2013 Games MOOC
Designed using the connectivism learning theory, the Summer Games MOOC is a Massive Online Open Course focusing on game based learning in education. Connectivist MOOCs or cMOOCs started in 2008 and were introduced to promote networking and knowledge creation among peers.  Since then,  there have been a series of these free connectivism open online courses offered. The Games MOOC is informed by their design and implementation.

Since it's a connectivism MOOC, it will not look like a course from Coursera, Canvas or have the feel of a commercial learning management system. Besides connectivism learning theory, this MOOC is informed by gaming guild culture and the Gamer Disposition by John Seely Brown http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2008/02/the_gamer_disposition.html

Multi-Player Games and MMORPGs
June 3 - June 24, 2013.

Part I focuses on exploring collaboration, cross-functional teams and multi-player game based learning. We will take a close look at the features of multi-players games by going into MMORPGs (Massively Online Role-Playing Games) and also livestreaming from them. We will be exploring and even experiencing what makes these games so engaging.

in Part I, we look at World of Warcraft, EVEOnline,  and guilds that have developed in the sandbox genre games.

Immersive Environments
July 7 - July 29, 2013

Part II will be a tour of online and immersive environments for game based learning. There will be an emphasis on you building your game based learning PLN (Personal Learning Network). We will visit multiple virtual learning environments, virtual worlds, sandbox games and MMORPGs. In Part II, we will also be collaborating with the rgMOOC, or "Rhetoric and Composition: The Persuasive Power of Video Games as Paratexts being offered by Sherry Jones and Kate Guthrie Caruso http://storify.com/sherryjones/rgmooc-a-rhetoric-and-game-based-mooc

The Games MOOC is an open course for all educators. The model for participation is based on social network knowledge construction. Learners will be able to be active in the course in several ways from lurking (reading the discussions), to being engaged in game-play to actively creating content in the course with the MOOC designer and Advisory Group. We do understand that a participant’s level of activity may vary based on the individual’s interest in the weekly topics or other time commitments.

So feel free to lurk! As one of our MOOC Advisory Board member says, "Lurk and Learn!"

If you have any questions, please contact Kae Novak at kae.novak@frontrange.edu or call 303-404-5470.