Events

Event Registration Instructions

Username: 48181
Password: COCC2024

Find the event in the list "Upcoming contract trainings", click on it, and scroll down to "Add Attendees". Find your name in the dropdown list and click the button to register.

If your name is not included in the dropdown list, you will need to create an attendee profile. If so, you'll click the “Add new attendee” button; then you'll be in the dropdown next time.

Cultural Allyship in Education Workshops

This series is presented by staff from the Offices of Diversity and Inclusion and Disability Services, on the third Tuesday of each month in the CAFE space (LIB 23, on the lower level of Barber Library). Snacks will be provided. Faculty who attend and actively participate in five or more sessions will earn a Cultural Ally in Education certificate from the CAFE. Part-time and adjunct faculty can earn a $52.50 stipend for participation.

Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ Students, Oct 15, 1-2:30pm.
A 2SLGBTQIA+ workshop that examines real-world examples of supportive allyship in scenarios that are applicable to education and working with students and fellow colleagues. We’ll discuss the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+, how active listening plays a crucial role in allyship and the creation of safe spaces, as well as ways to navigate the use of pronouns.
Supporting Students with Disabilities, Nov 19, 1-2:30pm.
This workshop will provide examples of increasingly prevalent complex disabilities, the limitations and barriers they can create for students in the classroom, and explore proactive strategies faculty can use to mitigate those challenges. Universal Design for Learning will be introduced.
Supporting Afrocentric Students, Jan 21, 1-2:30pm.
A workshop that examines real-world examples or scenarios that many Blacks, African-Americans, and other African nations students encounter in education. We will work through ways of how not to target, or use microaggressions, and to recognize terms that impact these students in higher education. We’ll discuss how to build better ways to break down barriers in teaching style and habits to create a more inclusive classroom.
Basic Needs and Student Resources, Feb 18, 1-2:30pm.
Faculty play a crucial role in helping students balance the demands of work, family, and school. Join us for an interactive workshop designed to provide insight into the real-life challenges students face when accessing resources and support systems. Through realistic scenarios, we will explore common barriers and discuss practical strategies for faculty to help students overcome them.
Supporting Latinx Students, Mar 18, 1-2:30pm.
This workshop is designed to provide faculty members with the knowledge and tools needed to provide culturally proactive support to Latinx students in higher education. It is critical for our faculty body to understand the unique cultural, social and academic challenges that Latinx students may face. Through interactive discussions, case studies and practical strategies, faculty members will have better tools to apply not only to support, but also to nurture a sense of belonging enhancing the higher education experience and success of Latinx students.
Supporting Native American Students, Apr 15, 1-2:30pm.
Explore real-life scenarios that many Native American/American Indian/Indigenous Peoples encounter throughout their education, and the ways that educators can specifically support these students. Discuss best terminology to use and not use, and gain a better understanding of modern-day Native issues and how to support Native students in the classroom as they navigate these complexities.
Supporting Veteran and Military-Affiliated Students, May 20, 1-2:30pm.
Explore the strengths and challenges of being student veterans and students currently serving in the U.S. military. Learn how VA Education benefits impact military-affiliated students’ educational pathway.

Canvas Back to Basics Workshops

This series is presented by staff from eLearning from 2-3PM on the first Monday of each month in LIB001 (the streaming classroom opposite the CAFE, on he lower level of Barber Library). Snacks will be provided. Faculty who attend and actively participate in four or more sessions will earn a Canvas Back to Basics certificate from the CAFE. Part-time and adjunct faculty can earn a $35 stipend for participation. More detailed descriptions of later sessions coming soon. You can also access the content at the Back to Basics Canvas site. Bring your own device or laptops will be available (DUO authentication required for Canvas access.)

Become a more efficient and effective grader with Canvas SpeedGrader (Nov. 4th, 2-3pm)
The first session of Canvas Back to Basics focuses on providing student feedback with SpeedGrader. Just in time for grading midterms, after this session, participants will be able confidently use this Canvas tool to:
- Navigate to SpeedGrader using multiple access points within Canvas
- Apply various methods to provide student feedback (comments, annotations, media)
- Explain how students view and interact with feedback in Canvas
- Connect rubrics to assignments to evaluate student work efficiently
Prepping content in Canvas for use in a new term (Dec. 2nd, 2-3pm) Set yourself up for success! In this Back to Basics session, you’ll learn all about how prep Canvas courses for a new term, including how to roll different kinds of content forward correctly (including New Quizzes, and publisher material), check for broken links, manage dates, and stay on top of duplicated material by using our newest tool: TidyUp.
Strategies for creating, deploying, and aligning Canvas Assignments and Activities (Feb. 3rd, 2-3pm) This interactive workshop will provide you with practical strategies for creating, deploying, and aligning Canvas assignments and activities to ensure meaningful alignment between course materials and stated objectives. Come with a course in mind! Through guided exercises, you will have the opportunity to evaluate and make plans to update or improve content or assessment alignment. We’ll discuss:
- Why course alignment matters
- Best practices for crafting effective assignments
- Specific techniques using COCC tools
Organizational best practices for Modules and Page Design (March 3rd, 2-3pm) This practical workshop focuses on developing organizational best practices for structuring Canvas Modules and designing effective course pages. You will explore strategies for creating intuitive, well-organized course layouts that enhance student navigation and learning experience. Through hands-on activities, you will review and optimize an existing course module and/or page design using proven organizational techniques. A variety of accessible and COCC branded page design layouts will be available for your use if desired.
Time and Sanity Savers - Canvas's Hidden Gems (April 7th, 2-3pm) In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore some of the most user-friendly and often overlooked features in Canvas that can make a big difference for your user experience. You’ll learn how to customize your Canvas Dashboard, experiment with newer utilities like Smart Search, quickly send targeted messages to students for proactive support, give personalized assignment feedback with audio/video, and practice simple ways to recover from those occasional “oops, I didn't mean to delete that" moments.
Know thyself - Managing your Canvas Profile, settings, and Dashboard (May 5th, 2-3pm)

Student-Ready Strategies Discussions

This series is presented by the CAFE, on the third Friday of each month. Discussions will occur in the CAFE space (LIB 23, on the lower level of Barber Library). Participants are encouraged to bring their lunches to this noon hour meeting, and snacks will also be provided.

What does student-ready instruction mean in the larger context of the student-ready college? Oct 18, noon-1pm.
The idea of the student-ready college is something that has been explored in the book Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (Tia Brown McNair et al). This discussion will center on what being student-ready means for instruction, what we are already are doing to be student-ready, the other means by which we can become student-ready, and how instruction can work with other areas of the college to contribute to this vision for the institution as a whole.
What is the faculty role in referring and connecting students to resources? Nov 15, noon-1pm.
Key to the idea of being a student-ready college is the support of the whole student. COCC has many resources available for student support, but instructors may not know the options or may not know how to appropriately steer students to these resources. In this conversation, we will share knowledge of the COCC resources, will talk about ways we are already connecting students to resources, and will share/generate new ways to encourage connection.
How can the 4 connections fit into your classroom? Jan 17, noon-1pm.
The four connections (Interacting with students by name; Checking in and supporting students; Scheduling one-on-one meetings; and Practicing paradox) is one technique for creating a student-ready course/classroom. This discussion will look at what each connection entails, the ways in which we may already be engaged in these practices, and ideas for new ways to employ these techniques. Be prepared to share some best practices!
How can you incorporate High Impact Practices? Feb 21, noon-1pm.
High Impact Practices (HIP) are teaching practices that inspire “deep learning” through active and extended engagement of learners. These practices - which include writing-intensive courses, capstones, first-year experiences, collaborative learning and student research - have been linked to educational success, particularly for underserved student populations. We will discuss what these practices are, how we are currently implementing them in our classes, and brainstorm ways we could implement them in the future.
What are some ways to assess your student-ready strategies? Mar 14, noon-1pm.
Ok. You have implemented course policies, schedules, and activities with a student-ready lens. Things are going well... you think. How do you assess your strategies to ensure that they are working for your students in the way you think they should? This discussion will center on reflection and assessment techniques to collect student responses and run informal assessments to track the efficacy of those strategies.
How can you make your teaching philosophies, methods, and the outcomes for your classes more transparent to students? April 18, noon-1pm.
TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) is a project that “Promot[es] students' conscious understanding of how they learn.” We will discuss what this process looks like, how to implement it (or how we are currently implementing it), and the consequences for teaching and learning when an instructor prioritizes transparency in course design. We’ll share ideas for implementation and for possible future CAFE support for transparent teaching.
What about academic rigor? May 16, noon-1pm.
Conversations about student-readiness might provoke anxiety in some instructors about the role of rigor or high expectations in their classes. In this discussion, we’ll look at balancing student-readiness with learning excellence. In particular, we will focus on the ways in which student-ready strategies, both those we are already employing and those we would like to employ, might lead to greater academic success and overall improved learning for students.

Part-time and adjunct faculty can earn a $35 stipend for participation.

What's Not Working Workshop

You will not need to register for this series - feel free to drop in!

Do you have an assignment, assessment, or activity that isn’t quite working for you? Are you interested in finding more ways to get your students to collaborate in class or online? Are you interested in doing more of a flipped-instruction course but not sure where to start? Then the What’s Not Working informal discussion is for you. Drop in to talk about what’s not working and crowd-source solutions. This is an informal, free-flowing place to brainstorm new ideas and to problem solve.

Sessions will be held in the CAFE space (LIB 23, on the lower level of Barber Library), and snacks will be available.

Upcoming date:

April 18, 1-2pm

AI for Educators Meetup

Join AI enthusiast Byron deVos to learn and share how LLMs can be applied in the classroom at COCC's new AI for Educators Meetup. At each session, Byron will start by presenting two practical use cases, followed by an open floor for discussion. You are encouraged to bring their own example use cases, questions, or simply attend to learn and connect with colleagues. Whether participants are experienced AI enthusiasts or simply curious about the possibilities, the meetup offers a welcoming space for all educators interested in enhancing their teaching, upgrading their tech skills, and empowering their students with AI.

First meetup: April 25, 2-3pm, in the CAFE space (LIB 023)

Topic 1: Co-writing using OpenAI's Canvas features
Topic 2: Click and Question - transforming the smartphone camera and microphone into a STEM tutor using multimodal reasoning models

Anti-Racist Pedagogy Workshop

Join one of four tracks to adopt and implement practices of course design and pedagogy that actively work toward creating anti-racist courses and classrooms. More information coming soon; meeting dates and times will be determined by the participants in each track. All faculty groups are eligible for stipends for participation in the full series and creation of a final product to be shared with colleagues.