Stay Informed!
We promote upcoming professional development opportunities in this newsletter, on the portal, and on our Faculty Center Facebook Group. The Facebook Group allows you to receive reminders of upcoming events that you are interested in participating in, enjoy photos from various events, and interact with your colleagues.

Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Community to discuss a Plan to Recruit Students from Underrepresented Groups into STEM programs.  

This group will be limited to 10 participants. Participants will earn a stipend of $100 and a $15 food voucher (This is via our NSF ATE grant). 

NSF ATE Grant: Increasing the Number of Workforce-Ready Engineering Technicians in Southeastern Pennsylvania 
Thursdays on 12/2 and 12/9 from 12:30-1:30 on Zoom. Discussion can continue asynchronously for the equivalent of another hour or so via Canvas. 
Interested? 

Contact Dr. Christine Delahanty 
gym_fitness_room.jpg
Bucks Wellness

Every Thursday except the week of Thanksgiving at all 3 campus locations!—Yang Yoga with Melissa Mooney (see My Bucks for details)

In December we will have 2 classes, Dec. 2nd and Dec. 9th.  
Middle States Minute

In the next few months, we have a few re-affirmation of accreditation milestones! First, an updated version of the self-study draft was made available in early September.

Next, employees and students provide feedback on the draft and learn more about upcoming events. At the end of October, our peer evaluation team chair will visit with college representatives to discuss preparations for the peer evaluation team visit occurring in early April 2022.

Key take-aways:

Tech Day
Save the date!

The annual Technology Day conference for Bucks employees will be via Zoom on Friday, January 7 from 8:30am – 1:00pm. We are collecting presentation topic suggestions. Please use this link to submit your suggestion by Friday, November 12th:
Instructional Tech Tuesday for Spring 2022
Create Collaborative Conversations Asynchronously with VoiceThread
In a one-on-one remote session, learn how to build VoiceThread assignments in your Canvas course space to facilitate asynchronous conversations and presentations. More information at https://bucks.libguides.com/voicethread. Please contact jacqueline.burger@bucks.edu to schedule a one-on-one.
 
Synchronous and Asynchronous Engaging Lectures with Nearpod
In a one-on-one remote session, learn how-to use Nearpod to gather real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, interactive videos, gamification, and activities. More information at: https://bucks.libguides.com/nearpod. Please contact jacqueline.burger@bucks.edu to schedule a one-on-one.
 
VidGrid for Recording, Uploading and Creating Engaging Multimedia
In a self-paced modality, learn how to use our newly licensed video hosting platform VidGrid. Instruction available at: https://bucks.libguides.com/vidgrid. One-on-one training available. Please contact jacqueline.burger@bucks.edu to schedule.
FaST LANE

FaST LANE – Zooming Online Now!

Support from Bucks Online, Instructional Designers, Accessibility Advocate, Instructional Technology. Click on the appropriate tabs.
Faculty Learning Communities by Kate D’Auria

"Tune up your Canvas discussions in 10 minutes!  
Flower Darby believes that most of her teaching happens in her online discussions. This short video from her gives several insights and strategies to make online discussions more effective. Take a look and spruce up your discussions for the spring! 

Our fall 2021 Faculty Learning Community explored Relationship Rich Education by Felton and Lambert (2020). It is a quick read, available in our library, and full of research-based strategies to build relationships and community that are necessary for student success.
Here is a link to learn more about the book https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/relationship-rich-education

Next steps: How does a 25% INCREASE in Retention sound?? Which strategies below will you implement?

One section of the book described the Persistence Project at Oakton Community College in Illinois, which is detailed in the table below and the results are in the graph that follows. The article from Columbia about the project is at the bottom.
We already do some of this, so let's do the next steps and see if we can build some relationships and retain some students!
In November, we will start the next FLC with the goal of implementing these strategies and measuring the results starting on day one in spring 2022. 20 faculty will participate in the project and 10 spots are left!
Email Kate if you want to join us. Kate.dauria@bucks.edu
 
  1. These are the strategies the faculty in the study implemented in ONE class with the goal of retaining students: (FPP means Faculty Persistence Project)
 
From the article (Barnett May 9 2018 CCRC Columbia)
"Faculty Activities in FPP Course Sections

First Three Weeks of Class
  • Set clear, high academic standards but not policies that easily doom students.
  • Learn names and have students learn one another’s names.
  • Give feedback on an assignment or quiz.
  • Hold 15-minute, one-to-one “get-to-know-you” conferences with each student.

Rest of the Semester
  • Acquaint students with resources and opportunities at Oakton.
  • Attend at least one co-curricular event with students.
  • Contact students who are struggling in class and offer them help.
  • Talk with students about completing an associate degree or certificate.
  • Participate in assessment activities for the project as a whole.

Here are the impressive results
"Overall, participants in FPP courses were much more likely to persist, with differences between participating and nonparticipating students of 24–25 percentage points—much higher than the impact found from other initiatives." (from Barnett May 9, 2018)

In-Service Day—January 18, 2022 

Spring ’22 In-Service will be run similarly to Spring ’21 In-Service. Please be on the lookout for an email from your dean before winter break with the details. 
From the Library
 
The Library's electronic resources are accessible remotely, 24 hours per day, and free to the college community. Our library databases cover subject areas across a wide breadth of domains, including Health Sciences, Business, Literature, and Behavioral Sciences. The Library also provides access to educational films, eBooks, eJournals, and audio books. Please visit the library databases page for more information 

Stitch-in via Zoom
Wednesdays, noon-1pm

Join us for our usual Stitch-in. We are using Zoom to meet. Bring your project to your computer and take your mind to a different place. The Zoom link will be posted in the announcements on MyBucks.
Need Help? Visit the Help Desk and Services Center LibGuide
Check out this link to locate useful information including contact information, hours, and tutorials for the technology used at Bucks.
Feedback and Ideas? Contact Us!
If you have an idea for a topic you'd like to present, or one that you would like to see presented by someone else, contact any of us!

We promote upcoming professional development opportunities in this newsletter, on the portal, and on our Faculty Center Facebook Group.
The Facebook Group allows you to receive reminders of upcoming events that you are interested in participating in, enjoy photos from various events, and interact with your colleagues.
We hope you’ll join our Facebook Group- Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning

CONTACT US

Linda McCann
Faculty Development Coordinator
Karl Carter
Director, Personal and Professional Development
Kate D'Auria
Associate Professor, Education
Faculty Learning Communities
Samantha Gross
Associate Dean, Academic Initiatives
Jacqueline Burger
Learning Technologies Liaison