Library Open House set for April 10

Librarians from the LLCC library stand side by side for a photo in the LLCC Library.
LLCC employees! Save the date for the LLCC Library Open House, Wednesday, April 10 from 1-3 p.m. Come chat with the library team and learn about some of the ways we’re here for LLCC students, and you! Enjoy cookies, drinks and register for a prize drawing. Departmental open houses are a collaborative learning opportunity for all LLCC employees.

Co-Create and Collaborate webinar on April 4

This NISOD session explores the benefits of an open approach that empowers students as partners in the learning process. When students help shape course assignments and activities, they take greater ownership over their education. Discover ways to collaborate with students to design more authentic assessments, incorporate real-world projects, tap into their passions and skills, and explore the transformative impact of student partnership on engagement and learning outcomes. Learn tips for guiding students through the process of co-creation, handling challenges that arise, and assessing open pedagogy initiatives.
You will need to have a NISOD account to register for the NISOD webinar. If you do not have a NISOD account, you may create one here using your LLCC email address. This webinar is free for LLCC faculty.

Thursday, April 4 from 1-2 p.m.

Today’s AIeL Workshop, Communicating Effectively: Students with Autism

The number of neurodiverse students on our campus continues to grow, providing unique challenges to staff and faculty. Accessibility Services will discuss the common characteristics and challenges faced by students with autism and provide strategies for more effective communication. Bring your questions for Q & A and get tips for working with this special population. Faculty participants will receive 1 point toward their Training and Innovation professional development total for successful completion of this workshop.

Tuesday, April 2, 3-4 p.m. Join on Teams. Register for Communicating Effectively: Students with Autism.

Graduation may be right around the corner, but AIeL still has a robust schedule of programming in April and May, including sessions on supporting students, innovative assessments, and H5P.

This week’s Monday Morning Mentor is about sparking engagement in reluctant learners

This week’s Monday Morning Mentor topic is, “How Can I Spark and Sustain Engagement in Reluctant Learners?View the 20-Minute Mentor presentation and access the transcript, handouts, and supplemental material. This presentation is available April 1 and on-demand for one week. You will need to enter the following password in order to view the program: memorable36. Access to the programs in the Monday Morning Mentor series is restricted to members of the subscribing institution. Any unauthorized use or access, including sharing access with faculty and staff not affiliated with the subscribing institution, is prohibited.

Tuesday’s AIeL Workshop, Communicating Effectively: Students with Autism

The number of neurodiverse students on our campus continues to grow, providing unique challenges to staff and faculty. LLCC Accessibility Services will discuss the common characteristics and challenges faced by students with autism and provide strategies for more effective communication. Bring your questions for Q&A, and get tips for working with this special population. Faculty participants will receive one point toward their Training and Innovation professional development total for successful completion of this workshop.

Tuesday, April 2, 3-4 p.m. Join on the April 2 workshop on Teams. Register for Communicating Effectively: Students with Autism.

In celebration of Neurodiversity week, a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences, the Accessibility Services department would like to share the library of recordings from the 2024 virtual event. The recordings are a great resource in learning more about neurodiversity and celebrating neurodiverse individuals.

April 2 AIeL Workshop, Communicating Effectively: Students with Autism

The number of neurodiverse students on our campus continues to grow, providing unique challenges to staff and faculty. Accessibility Services will discuss the common characteristics and challenges faced by students with autism and provide strategies for more effective communication. Bring your questions for Q & A and get tips for working with this special population. Faculty participants will receive 1 point toward their Training and Innovation professional development total for successful completion of this workshop.

Tuesday, April 2, 3-4 p.m. Join on Teams. Register for Communicating Effectively: Students with Autism.

Graduation may be right around the corner, but AIeL still has a robust schedule of programming in April and May, including sessions on supporting students, innovative assessments, and H5P.

Canvas tip: Customize your Dashboard

Canvas. LLCC Lincoln Land Community College.As summer and fall courses begin to appear in Canvas, it is possible that your Course Dashboard will become cluttered, or certain courses that you still need to access regularly will fall off (Canvas will only display a maximum of 12 courses on your Dashboard). You can customize which courses appear on your Dashboard by clicking on “Courses” in the Global Navigation Menu, and then “All Courses.” When viewing your entire course list, simply star the courses you want to appear on your Dashboard. Details instructions on how to do this can be found in the Canvas Community.

College mourns loss of Laurie-Lewis Fritz

Laurie Lewis-FritzIt is with great sadness that we acknowledge the loss of Laurie Lewis-Fritz, assistant professor of music, who passed away on Saturday, March 23. With the support of her family, including many of her LLCC family members, Laurie was a true warrior and fought a noble battle for life.

She joined LLCC in 2019, teaching music and conducting the LLCC Choir. She was dedicated to her students, guiding them in their educational journeys and sharing with them her passion for music. Under Laurie’s direction, the LLCC Choir provided many memorable concerts, including a performance at the Illinois American Choral Directors Association Conference in 2021 at DePaul University in Chicago.

We extend our condolences to her family, friends, students and colleagues. A visitation will be held Tuesday, April 2, 4-8 p.m. and a funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 11:30 a.m. at Butler Funeral Home in Chatham.

March 28 NISOD Webinar on online instructor presence

Are you looking for ways to increase student engagement in your online class but feel like you don’t have the time, energy or motivation to revise the entire course? Well, there’s good news! Through Instructor Presence (IP) — the process of creating an online learning community through applications of teaching, social and cognitive presence techniques — you can revitalize your online courses, energize your connections to students and create a warm, friendly classroom environment primed for student success. Come learn with us, and walk away with strategies you can implement today!

March 28, 1-2 p.m.

Register for the NISOD webinar: How to Improve Your Online Teaching With Instructor Presence.

Note: You will need to have a NISOD account to register for the webinar. If you do not have a NISOD account, you may create one using your LLCC email address. This webinar is free for LLCC faculty.