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Read Hunter’s Focus on Fall plan.

ACERT lunchtime seminars

Tech Tuesdays & Thoughtful Thursdays

During the Fall 2020 semester, ACERT’s Lunchtime Seminars will still be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but sessions will only last from 12-1pm. Tech Tuesdays will introduce one or two tech tools during a short 15-20 minute presentation followed by Q&A and discussion. Thoughtful Thursdays will provide space for instructors to reflect on a range of topics related to distance learning and our experiences teaching during the COVID pandemic. There will also be a short 15-20 minute presentation followed by an open discussion on Thoughtful Thursdays. The opening presentations during Tech Tuesdays and some Thoughtful Thursdays will be recorded and posted on the ACERT website. No part of the Q&A or discussion will be recorded.

Tech Tuesdays - Fall 2020
Date & Time Title & Presenter/s Description Links
09/15/2020 12-1pmIcebreakers in Live Synchronous Sessions

Laura Baecher (Curriculum and Teaching)

In this quick tech talk, we will engage in 5 icebreakers and you will be provided with a set of 20 to try out in your Zoom or BB Collaborate synchronous sessions!

Slides

Recording
09/22/2020 12-1pmThe Secret Life of Blackboard Grade Center

Julie Van Peteghem (Romance Languages); Sarah Byosiere (Psychology); Mowmita Jabir (Technology Resource Center)

In this quick tech talk, we will present our favorite tips and tricks for using the Grade Center to make grading and grade reporting as simple as possible.Slides

Recording

09/29/2020 12-1pm Groupwork Management: Shared writing using Google Docs, Slides and BB Wikis!

Laura Baecher (Curriculum and Teaching)

In this quick tech talk, we will look at Google Docs, Google Slides, and BB Wikis as ways to manage groupwork interactive writing!Slides

Recording

10/06/2020 12-1pmBetter Reading and Writing through Annotating: hypothes.is in the composition classroom

Renee Schaller (English); Jeff Allred (English)

Hypothes.is is a free/open platform for annotating digital texts of all kinds. We will explore some models for integrating it into your teaching on a regular basis, making both reading and writing more social and collaborative for students.

Slides

Recording

10/13/2020 12-1pmSuperquick Presentation Recording using Zoom!

Laura Baecher (Curriculum and Teaching)

When you need to create a video voicing over a powerpoint, show students how to navigate a site or program, or to see you solving a problem, Zoom is a fast and easy way to quickly create a video with a link to share with students.

Slides

Recording

10/20/2020 12-1pmUsing Book Creator and Manifold in the College Classroom

Gina Riley (Special Education); Julie Van Peteghem (Romance Languages)

Book Creator is an easy way students can create and publish their own book. It is usually used within the K – 12 classroom, but there are so many easy ways to use it effectively within the university space as well (and as a teaching tool!). Manifold is an open CUNY publishing platform that can be used to create OER textbooks and enriched editions, and publish student work. Let’s explore the different things that can be done with Book Creator and Manifold.

Recording

10/27/2020 12-1pmDropbox for the win!

Julie Van Peteghem (Romance Languages); Jeff Allred (English)

In this quick tech talk we will focus on CUNY Dropbox, the cloud storage available to students and faculty. We will discuss various ways to use Dropbox: share class materials (including large video files!), collect student work, and provide them quick or extensive feedback. Plus: Dropbox can be integrated into Blackboard!Register
11/03/2020 12-1pmGet out the Vote! A variety of Polling tools to use for interaction in live classes.

Laura Baecher (Curriculum and Teaching)

In honor of election day, we will engage with a variety of polling tools you can integrate into a Zoom live session using Zoom itself as well as other platforms like Mentimeter, Poll Everywhere and Peardeck for a variety of response types.Register
11/10/2020 12-1pmLearn about Loom!!! (not to be confused with Zoom)!

Sarah Byosiere (Psychology)

Loom? Do you mean Zoom? No, we really do mean Loom! Come and join this quick tech talk about the extremely user friendly screen-recording tool Loom. Loom can be used to pre-record lectures in a variety of formats and is great for delivering presentations. Bonus, it is currently free for students and educators!Register
11/17/2020 12-1pmPadlet Power! Multiple Applications for this Versatile Tool

Laura Baecher (Curriculum and Teaching)

Padlet, a virtual bulletin board, has a variety of formats and can be used for synchronous and asynchronous interactivity. In this quick tech talk, we will explore some applications and you can get ideas to finish out this term or to use in the Spring!Register
Thoughtful Thursdays - Fall 2020
Date & Time Title & Presenter/s Description Links
09/17/2020 12-1pmThoughtful Thursdays - Start-of-the-semester Check-in

Paul McPherron (English and ACERT); Sarah Byosiere (Psychology)

It’s been a long, hot summer, but here we are again teaching remotely. For the first Thoughtful Thursday session, we will hold an open session to discuss what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what more support do we need. Bring your thoughts, questions, and experiences to share, or just come to listen to the conversation.
09/24/2020 12-1pmAssessment Meet & GreetNow that we’re all virtually back and settled into our mostly distant fall term, let’s catch up and chat about assessment or whatever else is on your mind.
10/01/2020 12-1pmMultigenerational Needs in the Digital Classroom

April Kisamore (SPED – ABA program), Lauren Schnell (SPED – ABA program) and Gina Riley (SPED, Adolescent Special Education)

In this session, we discuss the preferences and needs of multigenerational students within the digital classroom space as well as both what research says and what works best within your own online classroom.Slides

Recording

10/08/2020 12-1pmPeer Observation when the Class Session is Online

Laura Baecher (Curriculum and Teaching)

In this session we will discuss how observation practices need to shift to be able to provide meaningful feedback when the instruction is online–both synchronous and asynchronous, while still keeping within the parameters of our approved peer observation protocols.

Slides

CUNY Guidance

Recording

10/15/2020 12-1pmEmbracing (Tech) Teaching Fails and New Ways of Creating Community

Julie Van Peteghem (Romance Languages), Sarah Byosiere (Psychology)

We already know that not every lesson or activity is an immediate hit, but teaching fully online means that so many more things can go wrong! How can you use these fails to create a broader sense of community in your class? Join us for an open discussion on embracing failure in online teaching. We’ll share experiences and tips, and also reflect on how the semester is going so far: what’s working and what’s not, and what can/should be adapted mid-semester?
10/22/2020 12-1pmAssessment during the Pandemic: What is Different, What Remains the Same?

Joel Bloom (Provost Office & Assessment), Gina Riley (Special Education), and Shiao-Chuan Kung (Center for Online Learning)

Some of us approach assessment with a degree of trepidation even under the best of times; in this session, we’ll discuss some familiar elements, some new opportunities, and give you a chance to brainstorm ideas on what might work well this year!

Recording

10/29/2020 12-1pm Caregiving and Teaching: Let’s talk About the OTHER Work You’re Doing

Paul McPherron (English and ACERT); Stephanie Margolin (Hunter College Libraries)

Since moving to remote teaching and working in March, we have been balancing our work, home, and personal lives in the same place and often at the same time. Often, we are also caring for someone else as well, adding additional stress to an already stressful situation. Join us for an open discussion of how we are balancing all of this work and share strategies for ways you are coping with the chaos.Register
11/5/2020 12-1pmPost COVID Remote Teaching: A Space to Think and Create

Gina Riley (Special Education), April Kisamore (Special Education, ABA); Lauren Schnell (Special Education, ABA)

Have you grown to love teaching remotely? Or, will you be the first in the classroom when in-person classes resume? Join us for a discussion of what aspects of teaching remotely we want to maintain and whether online programming will be a COVID trend or here to stay. We’ll discuss pros, cons, and potential program-based changes.Register
11/12/2020 12-1pmCollaborations in the Time of Covid: Thoughts from the Libraries

Stephanie Margolin (Hunter College Libraries) & other representatives from the Libraries

In the shift to remote learning, we are seeing more collaborative integration of information literacy instruction across the disciplines. What lessons have we learned for more effective collaborations both online and when we return to in-person instruction?Register
11/19/2020 12-1pmFinishing Strong: End-of-the-Semester Check-In

Paul McPherron (English and ACERT); Sarah Byosiere (Psychology)

The end of the Fall 2020 semester is near! Join ACERT and the Educational Technology Team to recap your teaching and learning successes and discuss ways in which we can help students in online classes reflect on what they have learned.Register
See recordings of Spring seminars