Wednesday, August 13, 2014

I stumbled upon a resource this morning that I think you will find valuable for improving learning.

The resource is the Goodwill Community Foundation, which is found at http://www.gcflearnfree.org/.  You might find the two resources outlined below valuable as you prep your fall courses.


Self-paced Tutorials 
Their website consists of self-paced tutorials which that are quite diverse in topic, up-to-date, and very well done.   Topics of the tutorials include math, grammar, microsoft office software, reading, money, and more.

I was most impressed with the technology section of the site.  I think many of these could be added as help links to an online course for students new to using our technology tools.

A few examples you might check out are:
Firefox:  These tutorials start with the basics of installing firefox and use it to browse, but also shows how to add bookmarks and more.

Grammar: one page review of grammar topics such as possesives, semi-colons, negatives, run-on sentences, and others grammar topics.

 Microsoft Office:  tutorials for the using Word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel, and Excel formulas.


Youtube Channel
They also have a Youtube Channel.  (The videos are not linked to their site. I'm not sure why.)  However, these videos would be a great addition to an online class to support students with just-in-time learning.    Their Youtube channel has an extensive list of playlists including topics on Gmail, grammar, math basics, Windows 8,  and reading/vocabulary.

If you would like assistance integrating any of these resources into your Moodle course, please contact IT at 815-835-6229.  Or email it@svcc.edu .




Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Syllabus Language Revisions

A few revisions to the syllabus template have recently been made; please take a moment to update your course syllabi to include these changes.  The revised templates have been posted in FAST. They can be found in the Academic Forms folder.

Assessment syllabus statement -
Sauk Valley Community College is an institution dedicated to continuous instructional improvement. As part of our assessment efforts, it is necessary for us to collect and analyze course-level data. Data drawn from students’ work for the purposes of institutional assessment will be collected and posted in aggregate, and will not identify individual students. Your continued support in our on-going effort to provide quality instructional services at SVCC is appreciated.


Privacy -
The College policy on student records complies with the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.” This Act is designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for correction of incorrect or misleading data through formal and informal hearings. A copy of the Act or questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Assistant Dean of Student Services, 815/835-6305.

Disability -
If you have a disability or suspect that you have one and want to request a classroom accommodation, it is your responsibility to contact the Disability Support Office. Reasonable accommodations will be made after verification from the Coordinator of Disability Support located in Room 1G04, or by calling 815/835-6220.

Notification of recording
All classes at Sauk Valley Community College may be recorded for a variety of reasons to include compliance with the American with Disabilities Act in providing reasonable accommodations to person with disabilities. By enrolling in this course, students hereby consent to recording of classes.