Rethinking Diversity by Including Disability
Facilitator: Cara Swafford, Associate Professor, English
Wednesday, April 13 | 1-3 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, 0019
Click here to register for this session.

As instructors, we have learned to be conscientious of the diverse student population we teach and to include materials, assignments, and methods that illustrate and promote cultural awareness. Much of our diversity training and practice has emphasized race, gender, ethnicity, and culture/cultural practice and our understanding of “diversity” often only includes these categories. The disability movement has long stressed that disability be included in our understanding of “diversity.” This workshop will present methods for including disability as a necessary part of our consideration of diversity in our teaching. This will include ideas for classroom topics, assignments, and projects as well as discussion of the different types of disabilities that we encounter in our diverse classrooms. Participants are encouraged to bring examples of any successful and assignments that include and acknowledge disability to discuss and share.

Current online faculty participating in the Online Proficiency Program will receive 2 points for complete attendance and participation in this workshop.*

Using the “Write” Strategy: Identifying and Accommodating Student Writers with Learning Disabilities Across the Curriculum
Facilitator: Cara Swafford, Associate Professor, English
Wednesday, April 6, 1-3 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, 0119

We all encounter those students who seem to be like all the rest: they listen in class, may take notes and ask questions, and often participate enthusiastically in group and class discussions. But when it comes time to turn in the written assignment or take the written test, we realize there is something wrong. It is quite possible that these students are learning disabled, and we may not have received an instructor letter from Accessibility Services for them. How can we discover what these students with seemingly “invisible” disabilities need to complete their writing oriented assignments? This workshop will introduce types of learning disabilities that affect academic writing tasks, their characteristics, and the student behaviors associated with them, and also offer methods for identifying and accommodating LD students as writers. Note: This workshop is designed for instructors in all disciplines who incorporate writing assignments in their classrooms. Click here to register for this session.  Current online faculty participating in the Online Proficiency Program will receive 2 points for complete attendance and participation in this workshop.*

Practical Response to Active Shooters
Facilitators: LLCC Police Department
Wednesday, April 6, 4-6 p.m. | Menard Hall, 1168

If you ever found yourself in an active shooter event, would you know what to do? As with any emergency situation, prior thought and planning play an immense role in our individual response to these highly stressful incidents. Presented by members of the Lincoln Land Community College Police Department, this hands-on training will provide you with options on what to do during an active shooter incident, teach you how to do them, and then give you an opportunity to actually practice these newly learned skills in a supportive, non-stressful environment. Full-time and adjunct faculty are encouraged to attend. Click here to register for this session.

Professional Development Day will be here before you know it (Tuesday, March 29) and the Instructional Technology and Distance Education (ITDE) department will again be hosting the Innovation Celebration. All faculty and staff are welcome to present an exhibit and attend. Last year’s program was a big success and we hope to have even more participants this year.

ITDE would like to invite you to submit an exhibit proposal and share your experience and knowledge with colleagues across campus. If you would like to present an exhibit at the Innovation Celebration, please complete the submission form by TODAY at 5 p.m.

The Innovation Celebration is a poster session highlighting innovative instruction, student learning initiatives and other innovative developments at LLCC. This event will provide an opportunity to exchange new ideas and successful experiences in a casual atmosphere with colleagues across campus.

To learn more about the Innovation Celebration and to submit an exhibit proposal, go to www.llcc.edu/itde/innovation-celebration.

Blackboard Open Lab
Facilitator: Gary Bach, Instructional Technology Specialist
Tuesday, Feb. 23 | 1-3 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, room 0119
No registration is required to attend.

Using the “Write” Strategy: Identifying and Accommodating Student Writers with Learning Disabilities Across the Curriculum
Facilitator: Cara Swafford, Associate Professor, English
Wednesday, Feb. 24 | 1-3 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, room 0119
Click here to register for this session.

Getting Started with Mobile Devices & Instructional Video
Facilitators: Barry Lamb, Director, Instructional Technology Services, Gary Bach, Instructional Technology Specialist & Carl Jones, Instructional Media Specialist
Thursday, Feb. 25 | 2-4 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, room 0119
Click here to register for this session.

To learn more about each workshop, visit the ITDE Workshops page.

How Can Blackboard Make Your Life Easier?
Monday, Feb. 15 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, room 0119
Facilitator: Andy Mitkos, Learning Management Systems Coordinator
Click here to register for this session

Have you ever wondered if there was a simpler way to complete common tasks in Blackboard? In this workshop we will talk about some of the best time saving tools that Blackboard has to offer, such as Qwickly, student access reports, and ways to automate course content deployment.  Feel free to bring your own ideas for your favorite shortcuts and we will discuss and demonstrate ways to work more efficiently in Blackboard.

Basic Training – Serving Student Veterans
Get to know our veteran students, who they are, what they’ve been through and how to help them succeed.
Wednesday, Feb. 17 | 1-2 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, room 0119
Facilitators: Craig McFarland, Financial Aid Advisor and Melissa Franzen, Student Development Professional
Click here to register for this session

The presentation will focus on three areas related to veteran students such as, who are our student veterans and what is PTSD and how it can affect learning. This session will also address information regarding student veteran’s benefits and federal policies concerning their rights as a student.

“HELP! Look At All The Ways You Can Help Students” by facilitator Mary Beth Ray, M.A., LPC – Director, Advising, Counseling and Career Services will be held from 10-11 a.m. today in Sangamon 0119. Ever run into a student with a question in the hallway? Wondering how to help a student in tears? Know a student with transportation problems? Has a student admitted having extreme test anxiety? We’ve all been there. This is an informative discussion about the types of “help” available around campus so you can be better prepared when you encounter a student in need!

Click here to register for this session.

Friday, Jan. 22 | 10 a.m. – noon | Sangamon, rm. 0119
Facilitator: Gary Bach, Instructional Technology Specialist

Have you ever had questions about how to accomplish something in Blackboard but couldn’t attend a previously scheduled Blackboard workshop to ask?  This monthly, drop-in open house session gives you the opportunity to get individual help with your questions. No registration is required to attend.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to cancel a class or multiple classes, there is a quick and easy way to notify all of your students through Blackboard (even if you don’t regularly use Blackboard) with only one message.

This handout, Class Cancellation in Bb, provides  step-by-step instructions on how to use the Qwickly tool in Blackboard to email all your students with one quick message that class will be canceled for the day. Because this process is so quick and easy it takes very little time for you to notify your students in advance of a class cancellation and helps them avoid an unnecessary trip to campus.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Andy Mitkos, learning management systems coordinator at (217) 786-2763 or andy.mitkos@llcc.edu or Gary Bach, instructional technology specialist at (217) 786-2345 or gary.bach@llcc.edu.