1-Feb
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Using Technology to Teach with Empathy
Instructor: Phillip Bonner
Teaching with technology is sometimes viewed as a cold or distant approach, but technology can allow for greater empathy in teaching. Features in Blackboard and other technologies provide opportunities for increased student success, and reusable learning objects (RLOs) created with technology offer students greater options to engage with content. Join ELITE for this two-hour class on how to leverage technology to build empathy into your courses. Note: Participants need to attend both one-hour sessions to receive professional development credit for this class: Feb. 1 and 8, 2024.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Identify three- or four-ways technology can be used for more empathetic teaching
- Share with colleagues one way they have used technology to promote empathy or one way they would like to do so.
Register in Workday
2-Feb
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
HyFlex Course Design
Instructor: Tom Cantu
Imagine a fresh approach to instruction that increases the motivation to learn, engages students, and results in academic success – that’s HyFlex learning. HyFlex learning is designed to maximize flexibility for students to attend and participate in classes remotely or in person. This series offers an opportunity to explore a collaborative approach to HyFlex course design to educate, engage, and empower learners at Montgomery College.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Explore a research-based instructional model that allows for a gradual release of responsibility from the instructor to teams, to individual students
- Evaluate a collaborative approach to HyFlex instruction
- Design and develop a HyFlex lesson for future implementation
- Create a community of practice to support HyFlex teaching and learning at MC.
Register in Workday
5-Feb
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Reading about Leading: “Co-Active Leadership” A Book Discussion for LDI Alumni
Instructor: Cynthia Mauris
Co-Active Leadership, second edition, is a deeply collaborative approach that explores leadership from five dimensions. Not surprisingly, to LDI alumni, the first dimension is leading from within self-leadership. Leaders must be fully present and live lives of integrity, openheartedness, and self-awareness if they are to make the kind of conscious, creative choices co-active leadership demands.
Each of the remaining four dimensions works together holistically. Depending on the situation, you may lead from the front, offering guidance and inspiration; from behind, supporting and encouraging others; from beside, partnering with and supporting other members of your team; or from the field, drawing on insights and wisdom available beyond the rational mind.
Co-active leadership celebrates and honors different expressions of leadership. It invites all of us to share our expertise and allows collaborative solutions to emerge that would never be possible otherwise.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- List the five ways to lead
- Identify leadership moments in each of these ways
- Reflect on the class conversations as they relate to your experiences with self- and other leadership
- Increase your network of LDI alumni
Register in Workday
5-Feb
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
ELITE After Dark: Microsoft Teams Tips & Tricks
Instructor: Anna Donohoe
This workshop will introduce participants to tips and tricks to use Microsoft Teams more efficiently and effectively. These tips and tricks will help keep your Teams channels, chats, and files organized and your Teams calls running smoothly. This workshop is open to all levels of Teams users who want to save time and better understand the range of uses of this tool.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Increase proficiency in the use of Teams
- Organize chats and files in Teams
- Customize Teams settings for calls and meetings
Register in Workday
7-Feb
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 Basics: Rockville
Instructor: Anna Donohoe
This hands-on, small-group workshop will provide a basic overview of Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365. The slower pace and the in-person setting are designed to make even the newest users feel welcome. After completing this workshop, you should have the basic skills you need to feel comfortable enrolling in any of our virtual core Microsoft Essentials classes (https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/offices/elite/microsoft-office-essentials.html). Outcomes will be adjusted based on participant need and may include:
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- Access and distinguish between desktop and web applications
- Compare and contrast Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
- Navigate the interface and perform basic tasks in Word and other core applications
- Download and organize files using OneDrive and your computer’s hard drive
- Perform basic tasks necessary for upcoming virtual workshops via Zoom, including using multiple monitors and splitting a screen to manage multiple simultaneous applications
- Identify resources for further learning
Register in Workday
9-Feb
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
HyFlex Course Design
Instructor: Tom Cantu
Imagine a fresh approach to instruction that increases the motivation to learn, engages students, and results in academic success – that’s HyFlex learning. HyFlex learning is designed to maximize flexibility for students to attend and participate in classes remotely or in person. This series offers an opportunity to explore a collaborative approach to HyFlex course design to educate, engage, and empower learners at Montgomery College.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Explore a research-based instructional model that allows for a gradual release of responsibility from the instructor to teams, to individual students
- Evaluate a collaborative approach to HyFlex instruction
- Design and develop a HyFlex lesson for future implementation
- Create a community of practice to support HyFlex teaching and learning at MC.
Register in Workday
9-Feb
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Using Micro-learning Strategies to Enhance Learning
Instructor: Laurent Ndeze
Micro-learning refers to instructional strategies utilizing ‘bite-sized’ segments of course content, presented in a wide range of formats and using different platforms, including social media.
During this workshop, we will examine how you can use micro-learning strategies in your course design and delivery to increase attention span while minimizing constraints on the human brain. In addition, we will review samples and research supporting the idea that we learn better when engaged in short sessions than in long sessions. Micro-learning strategies appeal to many educators because digital technology makes it easier to create, deliver, and update small lessons that contribute to active learning.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Identify effective modes/methods of delivering micro-learning content
- Integrate micro-learning activities/objects into your course
- Explain how micro-learning strategies can contribute to cost containment for students
- Identify 2-3 preferred micro-learning strategies that you would like to use in your teaching
Register in Workday
12-Feb
8:45 AM-12 Noon
Getting Things Done
Instructors: Cynthia Mauris, Paul Miller
Are you constantly busy but don’t make progress on the things you need to get done?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work you need to do?
Do you find yourself in reactionary mode throughout the day—reacting to the latest and loudest request and/or issue instead of focusing on the most important or meaningful work?
When it comes to all the inputs in our lives, we are generally overwhelmed, stressed, and out of control. The sheer number of to-dos, commitments, tasks, and projects makes it difficult for us to ever feel “on top” of everything. While we cannot change the amount of stuff we have coming into our life we can change how we engage with that stuff. Gain greater control over your work, find more focus on each task, and feel a lot less stress with these Getting Things Done, or GTD, habits taught in this certificate class.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Improve your workflow
- List the six options available for any item on your mind
- Create clearer lists from which you do all your work
- Develop a trusted, personal management system
- Accomplish more of the right tasks
- Experience less stress in your work and home life
- Experience greater confidence in your decision-making
Register in Workday
13-Feb
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Microsoft Word Essentials (Zoom)
Instructor: Megan Calvert
This hands-on, small-group workshop will provide a solid foundation in the basic use of Microsoft Word. Whether you want an overview of the basics, are looking to become more efficient, or have used Word for years and just want to update your knowledge of newer features, this course is for you. Even experienced users can benefit from valuable tips, tricks, and timesavers along the way.
The workshop will be conducted via Zoom. To fully participate, participants should be able to access both the desktop (installed) and web versions of Word. We also recommend that you join the workshop from a computer with two monitors or two side-by-side devices so you can view your instructor’s screen while completing the exercises. Visit the Microsoft Essentials website <https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/offices/elite/microsoft-office-essentials.html> for a full list of the functions covered in this workshop and for more details on the technology required to participate.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Navigate and customize the latest Word interfaces of both the web and desktop
- Perform basic workplace tasks, including creating, saving, editing, formatting, polishing and printing documents
- Identify and use newer features of Word, including cloud-based collaboration, modern templates, Styles, Themes, and the Accessibility Checker
Register in Workday
16-Feb
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
HyFlex Course Design
Instructor: Tom Cantu
Imagine a fresh approach to instruction that increases the motivation to learn, engages students, and results in academic success – that’s HyFlex learning. HyFlex learning is designed to maximize flexibility for students to attend and participate in classes remotely or in person. This series offers an opportunity to explore a collaborative approach to HyFlex course design to educate, engage, and empower learners at Montgomery College.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
-
- Explore a research-based instructional model that allows for a gradual release of responsibility from the instructor to teams, to individual students
- Evaluate a collaborative approach to HyFlex instruction
- Design and develop a HyFlex lesson for future implementation
- Create a community of practice to support HyFlex teaching and learning at MC.
Register in Workday
19-Feb
1:30 PM – 4:45 PM
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue
Instructors: Cynthia Mauris, Paul Miller, Richard Forrest
Develop skills in how to plan and have an effective and successful crucial conversation where the stakes are high, emotions are strong, and opinions are opposing. Create alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around any topic because if you cannot talk honestly with another person, you can expect poor results.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Speak persuasively, not abrasively
- Foster teamwork and better decision-making
- Build acceptance rather than resistance
- Resolve individual and group disagreements at a more successful level
Register in Workday
21-Feb
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Microsoft Excel Essentials (Zoom)
Instructor: Anna Donohoe
This hands-on, small-group workshop will provide a solid foundation in the basic use of Microsoft Excel. Whether you want an overview of the basics, are looking to become more efficient, or have used Excel for years and just want to update your knowledge of some of the newer features, this course is for you. Even experienced users can benefit from valuable tips, tricks, and timesavers along the way.
The workshop will be conducted via Zoom. To fully participate, participants should be able to access both the desktop and web versions of Excel. It is also best to join from a device with two screens. Visit the Microsoft Essentials website (https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/offices/elite/microsoft-office-essentials.html) for a full list of the functions covered in this workshop and for more details on the technology required to participate.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Outcomes will be adjusted based on a participant survey and may include:
- Navigate and customize the latest Excel interfaces of both the web and desktop
- Perform basic workplace tasks, including creating, saving, editing, formatting, printing, and collaborating on workbooks and spreadsheets
- Manage data in spreadsheets using basic formulas, freezing, sorting, filtering, and formatting data into tables
Register in Workday
21-Feb
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Using ChatGPT to Create Engaging Lesson Plans
Instructor: Phillip Bonner
Designing effective and engaging lesson plans is not easy, but instructors can use ChatGPT for this task. Attend this one-hour workshop for a discussion of how this AI tool can save faculty time while still yielding rigorous and thoughtful lesson plans.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Use ChatGPT prompts effectively to generate new lesson plans or enhance old ones.
- Reimagine the role of lesson plans in their work and share these ideas with their colleagues
Register in Workday
23-Feb
11:00 AM – 12 Noon
Gamify Your Course with These Three Moves
Instructor: Angela Lanier
Gamification is the process of adding game-like elements to a non-game situation to increase engagement. This work covers three gamification strategies: storyboarding, leveling up, and freedom to fail. We will explore the benefits and challenges of each strategy and look at examples to adapt to different courses.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Define three gamification strategies
- Explain the benefits and challenges of each strategy
- Brainstorm a course-appropriate example of each strategy
Register in Workday
23-Feb
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Engaged Teaching: Revisiting the Seven Principles
Instructors: Carolien Annink, Sara Kalifa
Are you genuinely interested in understanding how students learn and how best to engage students, particularly our nontraditional, first-gen, and underserved student populations? In this workshop series, the seminal Seven Principles of Good Undergraduate Education will be re-examined with the concept of engaged teaching in the post-pandemic college classroom in mind. Participants will discuss high-quality instruction in face-to-face, online, and hybrid classrooms, and deepen their knowledge with practical applications of theory and research, and with participants’ experiences for real-world teaching and learning.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Discuss and critique the Seven Principles with a post-pandemic & an engaged college teaching perspective
- Analyze their own teaching practice within the framework of the Seven Principles and engaged teaching
- Compare and contrast their experiences, with new pedagogical information and colleagues’ experiences
- Design, deliver, and evaluate course plans for their current courses
Register in Workday
26-Feb
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Page Turners for Management Learners: “The Answer is a Question” A book discussion for MC Management Alumni
Instructor: Cynthia Mauris
You are overworked with increasing workloads, increasing uncertainties, and demanding schedules. While your environment is changing, your way of managing has not changed. “The Answer is a Question” provides a way to transform your impact as a manager. Using a new approach tested and proven by the London School of Economics, you can reduce your workload, have your team generate their solutions, and increase your team’s engagement. You do not need to solve every problem that comes your way!
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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- Identify the STAR Model of management
- Reflect on the class conversations as they relate to your efforts in managing your demands
- Increase your network of MC Management alumni
Register in Workday
27-Feb
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Microsoft PowerPoint Essentials (Zoom)
Instructor: Megan Calvert
This hands-on, small-group workshop will provide a solid foundation in the basic use of Microsoft PowerPoint. Whether you want an overview of the basics, are looking to become more efficient, or have used PowerPoint for years and just want to update your knowledge of newer features, this course is for you. Even experienced users can benefit from valuable tips, tricks, and timesavers along the way.
The workshop will be conducted via Zoom. To fully participate, participants should be able to access both the desktop and web versions of PowerPoint. We also recommend that you join the workshop from a computer with two monitors or two side-by-side devices so you can view your instructor’s screen while completing the exercises. Visit the Microsoft Essentials website <https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/offices/elite/microsoft-office-essentials.html> for a full list of the functions covered in this workshop and for more details on the technology required to participate.
Outcomes will be adjusted based on a participant survey and may include:
-
- Navigate and customize the latest PowerPoint interfaces of both the web and desktop
- Perform basic workplace tasks, including creating, saving, editing, formatting, and polishing PowerPoint presentations
- Identify and use newer features of PowerPoint, including cloud-based collaboration, modern templates, Designer, transitions, image editing, and the Accessibility checker
- Organize, present, and print presentations
