slightly open laptop emitting colorful light

RSI Round-Up: Part 1

As you may have heard, the ACCJC Review Team completed an off-site technical review of our 2024 ISER as part of the accreditation process and identified Ensuring Regular and Substantive Interaction in Distance Education Courses as one of the Core Inquiries, or areas of focus, for their in-person site visit in February 2024. We, the…Continue Reading RSI Round-Up: Part 1

DEI Collaborative

At the Peralta Equity Conference in 2022, I attended a session about the DEI Collaborative. I loved what they were doing and signed up to participate. The DEI Collaborative is a cross-institution project to connect quality course design standards to best practices for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion so they can be cross-referenced. Here’s a short…Continue Reading DEI Collaborative

GIFs: Fun and Quick, But Not Always Accessible

Decorative image

GIFs, or Graphics Interchange Format, have become a popular way to express emotions, reactions, and ideas on the internet. I know you’ve all experienced GIFs before. We are living in the meme generation, and some of the most fun ways to interact with others is through the sharing of memes via animated GIFs. Heck, popular…Continue Reading GIFs: Fun and Quick, But Not Always Accessible

Thank you, professors!

Thank you professors for all you do!

Thank you for all you do for our students, our colleagues, and our college. Here’s a quirky, feel-good video from Kid President. If you haven’t seen his videos, I recommend them for a little laughter and a little inspiration (for you and/or your students). You may also watch Kid President’s Pep Talk to Teachers and…Continue Reading Thank you, professors!

Highlights from the 2023 CCC LGBTQ+ Conference

This year, I was fortunate to get to attend the 5th Annual CCC LGBTQ+ Conference. The conference theme for 2023 was “Fiercer Together: uplifting queer and trans students on our campuses.” Throughout the California Community Colleges, support has expanded for LGBTQ+ students, bolstered by the recent, one-time allocation of $10 million dollars in the Postsecondary…Continue Reading Highlights from the 2023 CCC LGBTQ+ Conference

Free Access to The Chronicle of Higher Education

magnified view of Sign In link on The Chronicle of Higher Education

Did you know that as a Mt. SAC employee, you have full access to The Chronicle of Higher Education? That’s right! Mt. SAC has a site license, so all employees have 100% free access. According to The Chronicle’s FAQ page, [our] site license includes access to: The Chronicle’s content, daily news, and data. Articles and essays dating…Continue Reading Free Access to The Chronicle of Higher Education

Accessibility & Video in Online Math Courses

I recently attended two sessions by the Online Network of Educators (@ONE): one on accessibility for online math courses and the other on using video in online math courses. There were lots of great resources and tools shared at these sessions which I’ll highlight below. Students First! Accessibility for STEM (Math) This session was led…Continue Reading Accessibility & Video in Online Math Courses

Student Connect: Virtual Appointment Booking Using Canvas

Are you tired of the hassle of scheduling 1-on-1 appointments with your students through email? Look no further, as Student Connect has got you covered! The FCLT has recently introduced the LTI tool “Student Connect” into Canvas, which makes booking virtual appointments with teachers more convenient for students. Many of you might remember that our…Continue Reading Student Connect: Virtual Appointment Booking Using Canvas

Worth 1,000 Words: Image Tips & Resources

collage of diverse students

I love using imagery to bring content to life, and I’m so grateful for the plethora of free resources available these days. In this post, I will highlight image tips and resources with considerations not only for aesthetics but also for accessibility and DEISA∞. Image Tips from @ONE Watch this Byte-Sized Canvas video from @ONE’s…Continue Reading Worth 1,000 Words: Image Tips & Resources

Being Creatively Predictable for Online Student Success

RSI with Creative Predictability The “regular” in regular and substantive interaction (RSI) emphasizes that courses taught online are best organized in a predictable way. Distance learning professors probably know this already quite well. A predictably organized course helps online students even more than those in face-to-face classes, and especially those in asynchronous classes, because of…Continue Reading Being Creatively Predictable for Online Student Success