First Faculty Fridays
First Faculty Fridays provide instructors with consistent, dedicated time to tackle the evolving educational challenges and opportunities. These workshops offer practical strategies and fresh perspectives that can be immediately applied in the classroom, helping you stay ahead and make a lasting impact on your students.
10/4 Flipping Out Over Flipped Learning
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Instructor: Philip Bonner
Description:
Flipped learning is a teaching approach in which the students’ first brush with new material occurs outside of class rather than in it. Students read or view materials online to gain a basic understanding of the subject, and class time is devoted to solving problems or applying the new concepts. This is the inverse of the traditional mode of lecture in class and practice at home. In this one-hour course, we will explore how to flip your class!
Measurable Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the class, participants will be able to:
- Explain what flipped learning is.
- Employ the flipped learning approach in their own courses.
10/4 Inclusive Classrooms, Engaged Students
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Instructor: Adam Reed
Description:
Tailored for educators, this session will combine an overview of the UDC, key insights from CAST’s updated UDL 3.0 framework, and interactive discussions about strategies for creating inclusive classrooms. You’ll walk away with ideas for easy ways to apply universal design principles to the work you’re already doing, and an understanding of how the UDC can support you this term and beyond. Join to learn how universal design strategies can add to your classroom toolkit and help make your classroom a more inclusive place.
Learning Outcomes:
- Connect the CAST UDL 3.0 guidelines with specific classroom strategies to foster an inclusive learning environment.
- Collaborate with peers to share and refine ideas for implementing UDL principles in your teaching practice.
10/4 How to Update your Career/Talent Profile in Workday
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Instructor: Scot Brown
Description:
In this interactive 30-minute session, participants will learn how to effectively update their career and talent profiles in Workday. The workshop will cover key aspects such as adding education, skills, and experience, which are essential for career development and internal mobility. Through a combination of live demonstrations, hands-on practice, and expert guidance, attendees will gain the skills needed to maintain their profiles, making them more visible for future opportunities within the organization. The session will also cover best practices for profile management and offer practical tips to enhance their professional growth.
Participants will leave the session with a clear understanding of how to navigate and update their profiles in Workday and the importance of keeping this information current for professional development, workforce planning, and career growth.
Measurable Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the importance of keeping Workday profiles updated for career and organizational benefits.
- Learn how to navigate Workday to update education, skills, and experience sections.
- Gain practical experience by updating their profiles with real-time support.
- Discover best practices for managing profiles to enhance career growth opportunities.
- This class is designed for employees looking to manage their professional information more effectively in Workday and to align their profiles with long-term career goals.
10/4 using graphic organizers to enhance learning
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Instructor: Laurent Ndeze
Description:
Graphic organizers are visual displays of information showing the relationships between content elements such as facts, concepts, and procedures (Clark & Mayer, 2003, p. 54). Graphic organizers make it easier for learners to comprehend and internalize new material. When effectively applied, graphic organizers make it more convenient for the instructor to deliver the material including the integration of interactive learning activities. In this workshop, we will discuss different types of graphic organizers and how your teaching process.
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Summarize lesson or course content.
- Connect prior learning to new material.
- Present a visual representation of a process or procedure.
- Identify at least two or three graphic organizers that are most relevant or applicable to the course that they teach.
10/4 coffee and connections: take a break with mcrpa
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Instructor: John Amoroso
Description:
Take a break, grab your favorite coffee (or tea), and join MCRPA for a fun and engaging one-hour virtual session designed for all Montgomery College employees! “Coffee & Connections” offers a relaxed space to meet colleagues from across the college, discover how MCRPA supports your professional journey, and build a sense of community. Whether you’re a seasoned employee or new to MC, this session is your opportunity to recharge, interact, and leave feeling more connected. Plus, there’s a virtual prize draw!
Measurable Learning Outcomes
- Uncover what makes you unique and explore how those qualities can enhance your professional life.
- Build new relationships with colleagues.
- Feel inspired to collaborate and bring fresh ideas to your work.
- Gain insights into how MCRPA can support your ongoing personal and professional development.
10/4 Blackboard Learn Ultra Basics
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Instructor: MC Learn Ultra Transition Team
Description:
This session covers the basics of Blackboard Learn Ultra, from the interface and navigation to best practices when building a new course.
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Navigate the Blackboard Learn Ultra environment.
- Identify key features of the Blackboard Learn Ultra interface.
- Explain how consistent course navigation can support student learning.
10/4 Blackboard Learn Ultra Virtual Office Hours
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Instructors: MC Learn Ultra Transition Team
Description:
The MC Learn Ultra transition team invites you to join us virtually for office hours. We are here for you to answer questions and connect you to resources around MC’s transition to Blackboard Learn Ultra. In person options are also available (separate signup in Workday). Please ensure you have access to a development course in Blackboard Ultra before attending office hours.
Click here for more information
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Access Blackboard Learn Ultra resources at MC
- Answer FAQs about this transition
10/4 Converting Original Courses to Blackboard Learn Ultra
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Instructors: MC Learn Ultra Transition Team
Description:
This session introduces the key things instructors need to know when converting an existing course from Blackboard Learn Original into Blackboard Learn Ultra.
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the differences between Original and Ultra Courses.
- Examine features unique or common to Original and Ultra Courses
- Explain the value of course preparation for conversion.
10/4 sabbatical leave application faqs and workshop
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Instructors: Carla Ammerman
Description:
This will be an open hour for all that are applying for Sabbatical Leave in Fall 2025, or Spring 2026. Come with questions about the application or the process. Applications are due Friday, October 18, 2024.
Outcomes:
- Participants will be prepared to submit their applications by October 18, 2024.
10/4 Library’s Information Literacy Tutorials: Engaging, Empowering and Interactive!
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Instructors: Metta Lash
Description:
With our new information literacy tutorials, the MC library is responding to students and faculty who want device-friendly, point-of-need access to our tutorials. Faculty will also have a much simpler, seamless integration into Blackboard. During this workshop, you’ll be guided through selecting the content that fits your needs and integrating the tutorials with gradebook-enabled quiz questions.
Outcomes:
1. Learn about the concepts covered in the library’s new tutorials.
2. Access and embed the library’s information literacy tutorials into Blackboard and Ultra.
3. Utilize the Completion Certificate option for the HTML version of the tutorials to track and confirm student completion.
10/4 Learning organizations
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Instructors: Billy Struemke
Description:
Discover how organizations can thrive in today’s rapidly changing world by becoming adaptive, forward-thinking, and continuously learning environments. This course explores the foundational principles of learning organizations, equipping participants with the tools and strategies to foster innovation, collaboration, and dynamic leadership. Through case studies, hands-on projects, and expert insights, you’ll gain practical skills to drive transformation within any workplace.
Measurable Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify Key Characteristics of Learning Organizations
2. Analyze Organizational Structures for Learning Capabilities
3. Develop Strategies to Implement Learning Organization Practices
4. Evaluate the Impact of Continuous Learning on Organizational Performance
10/4 Improve Document Accessibility with Microsoft 365 Tools
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Instructor: Gloria Barron
Description:
Improve the accessibility of your documents using Microsoft 365’s powerful built-in tools. This session will guide you through best practices for designing accessible content and utilizing features like Accessibility Checker, Immersive Reader, and Dictation to make your documents inclusive for all users. You’ll also discover how to implement structured headers and create a table of contents.
Measurable Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this workshop, you’ll be equipped to create documents that meet accessibility standards, enhancing the experience for students with disabilities and diverse learning preferences.
10/4 Searching for Harmony between AI and Teaching and Learning
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Instructor: Angela Lanier
Description:
Whether you view Artificial Intelligence as a disruptive nuisance or a useful tool, it has likely impacted your teaching in some way. So how do we manage the prevalence (and use) of AI tools while promoting learning in the different disciplines? In this session, we will reflect on the different ways AI has impacted learning and explore ways to cultivate authentic learning alongside AI-literacy.
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify at least one course opportunity to address AI literacy
- Evaluate the suggestions presented to support creation of authentic learning tasks that align with industry expectations of AI use